Diving in Thailand - Advice needed

[TEERLKAY]

We are planning a dive trip to Thailand in Late Jan 05. We plan on spending about 3 weeks in country.

The places we most want to dive are:
Similans/Richelieu Rock
Hin Daeng/Hin Muang

Does anyone know of a liveaboard that does both these areas? Most liveaboards that we are finding do the Similans in 4 or 5 days and don’t include Hin Daeng/Muang. Do any of the liveaboards leave out of Khao Lak or Koh Lanta instead of Phuket?

We are looking for liveaboards in the Le Mahe price range (budget with en-suite bathrooms).

In addition to (or perhaps instead of) the liveaboard, we are looking at land based diving, maybe in Khao Lak and/or Koh Lanta. Can anyone comment on dayboat excursions/local diving from either location? Are there dive ops, based out of Khao Lak, that will do the Similans as a day trip (or a two-day liveaboard)? What about diving Hin Daeng/Hin Muang from Koh Lanta? What prices can we expect to pay if we decide to do land based diving? We’d be looking for budget accommodations in both locations, if anyone knows of any.

If anyone knows of other locations in the general vicinity, we would love to hear about them! We are basically looking for good diving and quiet nights. If we are land based we plan to avoid Phuket all together.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[ssra30]

I don't know of too many boats that would cover both Hin Dang/Hin Muang and Similan/Richeliue on the same trip since the Similan is north of Phuket and Hin DAng/Hin Muang is south. You are probably better off doing a liveaborad around the Similan for 2-4 days then go down to Koh Phi Phi/Lanta and do land base Hin Dang Hin Muang from there, if you want to cover both locations.

 

[JenM]

Does anyone know of a liveaboard that does both these areas? Most liveaboards that we are finding do the Similans in 4 or 5 days and don’t include Hin Daeng/Muang. Do any of the liveaboards leave out of Khao Lak or Koh Lanta instead of Phuket?

Every week, the Mermaid II does a 2-3 day trip out of Phuket to Hin Daeng/Hin Muang, then goes back to Phuket to drop off/pick up, then it heads north and does a 4-5 day trip up to the Similans. We are booked on the Ocean Rover to Burma on Dec 13, but we wanted to do some preliminary diving first so we are going to do the Hin Daeng trip on the Mermaid II, then we come back to Phuket and get on the Ocean Rover. From what I understand, the Mermaid II is comfortable but not plush like the OR. Bathrooms are not ensuite but they are only shared between two cabins. You should check out Siam Dive and Sail's website: http://www.siamdivers.com. They act as an agent for a 10-15 different liveaboards. This was the only one fitting our time frame that was doing Hin Daeng, but they have a bunch that do the Similans.

 

[TDS]

We have a trip for South and North Andaman Sea which covers islands you were interesting in. Please check CL4 at: http://www.divestopasia.com/en/liveaboard/liveaboard.htm.
We can also charter a boat for a group of people, who interested in "special" trips, other than regular Similan-Richelieu-Bon-Tachai-Surin Islands cruise.

 

[stevenl]

There are options on the same boat for both Hin Daeng and the Similans, but they will normally make a short stop on the way in Phuket. It is of course also possible to book a liveaboard to both destinations seperately, or to make daytrips to e.g. Hin Daeng and go to Similans on a liveaboard.

Daytrips to Similans are possible from both Phuket and Hin Daeng.

 

[alexcttan]

Hi.....I have 2 weeks to spare in end December (Need to finish off my annual leave) and thought of taking divemaster course in Thailand. I have limited budget and would like to limited time. Is it possible to complete Divemaster course within 2 weeks and any good recommendation considering my limited budget. Thanks.

 

[TDS]

Hello alexcttan

It is possible, but very hard, considering amount of classroom, pool and open water training plus number of dives to be made (you need to have at least 20 dives to be enrolled and 60 dives to be certified). I need to confirm with my shops, depending on location you select. Please check prices at our website and let me know when and where you want to start.

http://www.divesiteasia.com/dive_training/training.htm

And course description here

http://www.divesiteasia.com/dive_courses/padi/padi_divemaster.htm

Please let me know if you need more information. Our e-mail is dive@divesiteasia.com

 

[TEERLKAY]

To all,
Thanks all for the great info. Soooo many boats – would any of you Thailand veterans care to comment on boat traffic on the “regular” Similans live aboard route? For example, diving the Thistlegorm and Straits of Tiran in Northern Red Sea – it can start to look like a Marina at the mooring buoys and with all the divers in the water it’s like a “Jacuzzi dive” finning thru all the bubbles. At Elphinstone and the Southern Egyptian Red Sea, you might run into a few boats at the more popular dive sites but it’s rare to see too many other divers in the water with you. And in the Maldives, you might go days without seeing another boat.

JenM – we would be interested to hear how your Hin Daeng trip goes – as well as your liveaboard to Burma!

TDS/Alex – We are checking out your website right now. We have specific questions – would it be best to PM you or use e-mail on website? Now to get too far off topic but your Sipadan trip looks great but only for Thais and Ex-pats living in Thailand????

Stevenl – When you write “Daytrips to Similans are possible from both Phuket and Hin Daeng”
Do you mean:
1. Daytrips to Similans are possible from both Phuket and Koh Lanta
2. Daytrips to Similans and Hin Daeng are possible from Phuket
3. Something completely different?


Anyone care to comment on budget accommodations in Khao Lak or Koh Lanta – as much as we’d like to spend our whole time on a liveaboard – it’s not going to happen!

Thanks again to all!

 

[Bombarie]

you will be jumped on by the resort operators as soon as you get of the ferry. The budget places are all up north near Saladan (the "capital" with the ferry pier), further south are the nicer but more expensive places (altough Same Same in the far south seemed quite budget friendly). Beaches are best in the South - despite claims to the contrary (checked it out by mountain bike two weeks ago, the northern beaches while nice are no match for the ones south of the Pimalay resort).

Stay close to Saladan cause you want to avoid travelling to the dive boat as much as possible for obvious reasons - all boats depart from Saladan. Highly recommend Blue Planet Divers - there boat is slow, very comfortable, unlimited drinks, great food and fun staff. The Hin Daeng trip is a long day, leave pier at 0715am for 3.5 hour sail, two dives, sail back for arrival around 1900. Long day but definitely worth it, Hin Daeng is quite a nice dive with loads of current, good for fish action. First group saw a manta, me ofcourse being last to enter the water (hey its holiday - i take it easy) missed it. Small stuff aswell - cutest anemone crab ever!

Didn't do the Similans yet but logistically, I would do the liveaboard to the Similands from Phuket, move onwards to Lanta - chill out and dive Hin Daeng 1 or maybe 2 times and fly back to Bangkok from Krabi (90 min from Lanta by cab). Forget diving around the PhiPhi, won't compare to Similans and doesn't compare to Hin Deang. My few pennies. Arjan.

 

[stevenl]

SDorry, I meant to say: daytrips to Similans are possible from both Phuket and Khao Lak, daytrips to Hin Daeng are possible from Phuket, Phi Phi and Lanta.

And yes, it may be crowded at the Similans. A longer liveaboard gives you a bit more time to find the best destinations at the quiet times, but at places like Tachai and Richelieu Rock there will be boats nearly always.
The quality boats will try to stay away from some of the others catering to both daytrips guests and liveaboard guests, because when one of these boats 'dumps' 60 divers in the water at the same time, you can be sure you will see only fins.

For Alex: you can probably find a place where you will get your DM application papers after 2 weeks of training, but it is simply impossible to do a good DM training in 2 weeks. Take some more time and don't only learn the minimum requirements, but also learn what it means to be a DM.