Ko Tao or Kata (Phuket)

[Clifty]

Hey,

You guys are all giving me such great advise, it is confusing me even more!!

Now i dont know which site to choose - People have advised me to go to Ko Tao, and others have said Kata.

Now i dont know which one to go to - Which location is more suited to better diving conditions?

is the weather good at either location? One place better then the other?

All i know is that i need to choose either one of these locations and i am finding it dificult...

Please help some more...

Thanks

 

[jiveturkey]

The big question is when are you going? The coasts have opposite dive seasons. Phuket is by far the superior of the two for diving but it won't be any good to go there during the monsoon.

 

[Quero]

...it won't be any good to go [to Phuket] during the monsoon.

Well, Greg, that's somewhat overstated! (There was no way for you to guess from the original post, but the poster is actually looking for a place to do OW training.)

It is true that the monsoon season on the Andaman (Phuket) side of the country severely restricts liveaboard diving to the Similans, but the local daytrip diving continues to be good throughout the low season. So if a diver has his/her heart set on a Similans liveaboard, then yes, s/he will be best advised to come during the November to April high season. A Similans LOB is not the place to do an Open Water course, though! For local diving and OW instruction, OTOH, the monsoon season offers less crowded conditions and cheaper hotel rates than during the high (dry) season. The wettest months in Phuket are typically September/October, so a visitor might want to avoid those particular months.

 

[Ringo]

Phuket is by far the superior of the two for diving but it won't be any good to go there during the monsoon.

In fact the daytrip diving off Phuket is better during the low season or monsoon period due to less divers and less boat surface traffic than during the high season months. Because of this the divers tend to see more marine life then. On some days, however, the boat trip out can be a little rocky.

The word "monsoon" conjures up non stop rain at a time. Not quite the case here as in between the rainy moments we do still have hot sunny days. Some days weatherwise are even better than during the high season. An added plus is that accommodation costs are much cheaper.

There is a reason why all the DC's stay open all year round. Gone are the days when they closed down for the low or green season months.

During October last year for example the weather was relatively good and in December when the weather is meant to be at it's very best we experienced more rain than during the low season month's.

The difference between the two seasons is the availability of the amount of dive sites. In high season there are more choices ranging from local dives off the westcoast of Phuket to Liveaboard cruises as well as the usual daytrips and Overnight cruises (available all year round).

Also Open Water Course training on Phuket is conducted throughout the year. All the DC's go to Koh Racha Yai for the Open Water dives - perfect for Open Water training!!