Bowmouth
Contributor
Although Thailand offers some incredible diving it is sad to see that so many of the Andaman Sea dive sites are over crowded with boats and divers. It is not unusual to have at least 5 or 6 large liveaboards at the same time at the same site with each up to 16-20 divers in the water. Richelieu Rock, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Ko Bon, Ko Tachai and sites in the Similans as well can be VERY crowded and even unpleasant to dive at times. Large liveaboards often tend to use the main vessel to pick up and drop off their divers and will come with turning propellors right over the divesite scaring the heck out of divers still under the water. Some sites have moorings in the very shallows where boats will hook up to and spend the whole day laying right above the site casting shadows on the reef and disturbing divers and marine life with their generators and engines.
Many Phuket based dive operators seem to be either unaware of the problems that occur or just don't care about their customers safety and pleasure at all. Few liveaboards will anchor well away from the reef and use skiffs (inflatables) for dropping and retrieving their divers. Also, few vessels do have proper safety equipment on board and there's even boats that let their divers touch or sit/stand on live coral, harass marine life and (seem to) promote overweighting.
Ofcourse there are also some very good operators but I like to focus here on the vast amount of "bunk-aboards" that just don't seem to care. Personally I find it extremely frustrating that so many live aboard operators seem to get away with it all so easily. If dive operators would try a little bit harder and care a little bit more about their divers and the marine environment the diving could be SO much better!
I love Thai diving but it's getting way too crowded and very unsafe; dive operators should get their act together, work together and really do something about the problems soon.
Many Phuket based dive operators seem to be either unaware of the problems that occur or just don't care about their customers safety and pleasure at all. Few liveaboards will anchor well away from the reef and use skiffs (inflatables) for dropping and retrieving their divers. Also, few vessels do have proper safety equipment on board and there's even boats that let their divers touch or sit/stand on live coral, harass marine life and (seem to) promote overweighting.
Ofcourse there are also some very good operators but I like to focus here on the vast amount of "bunk-aboards" that just don't seem to care. Personally I find it extremely frustrating that so many live aboard operators seem to get away with it all so easily. If dive operators would try a little bit harder and care a little bit more about their divers and the marine environment the diving could be SO much better!
I love Thai diving but it's getting way too crowded and very unsafe; dive operators should get their act together, work together and really do something about the problems soon.