Late February - Similans or Koh Tao?

[lifesabeach]

Hi...I'm an advanced padi diver with about 50 dives in Thailand, the Philippines, etc.

I prefer coral over wrecks....I'm fine with macro but of course bigger stuff is fine, don't need to go deep....prefer 2 dives per day, 3 max...

I have some time in late February and want to dive. I've never dived at Koh Tao...I've dived around Phuket a little to get my padi open water and then went off to do a 3 day livaboard in the Similans that was quite nice.

So I'm wondering about going back to the Similans or trying something new at Koh Tao?

I don't think I could do more than three nights, 4 max on a livaboard...that being said I don't think I could more than 4 nights on Koh Tao if there is no nightlife there as I have heard is the case....so, I guess it comes down to the diving...which is best in the opinion of those of you out there that know both places??

Many thanks!

 

[lord khram]

In my mind without question the Similans.
Feb is probably around the best time of year to dive there.
As I have said on another thread. 'A bad day in the Andaman sea is better than a good day in the Gulf'.

 

[rob@diveinutila.com]

Similan and Surin blow away Koh Tao for diving quality. I can recommend Sea Dragon liveaboard as a great service, affordable dive trip to these islands.

If you want to party in the evenings and dive distinctly average dive sites in the afternoons then Koh Tao will be for you. If you want quiet evenings because you're tired from diving, world class diving with great marine bio-diversity choose Similan & Surin.

 

[OnTheSpot]

I completely agree.....definatley come to Phuket then you have heaps of different trips on offer and much, much better diving.

You could do a four night liveaboard to dive at Similans, Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai - my first choice.

If you like you can do a shorter trip to Similans and Koh Bon still with an excellent chance to see the bigger fish!

Or you could go south and dive Hin Daeng/Hin Muang on a two night trip.

There are daytrips off Phuket and even overngiht trips to Phi Phi where you sleep on the island.

 

[Quero]

I will join in on the consensus that for February diving the Andaman side is more interesting.

If you did your Open Water from Phuket, you may not have dived all, or even the most interesting, local dive sites--you may very well have gone only to Racha Yai island for your training dives. If that is indeed the case, you have several options:

a) get a couple of 2 to 3 dive day trips from Phuket out to Shark Point, Anemone Reef, and Phi Phi, which are all coral-and-fish sites and IMO very, very nice diving.

b) go back to the Similans; by and large, when you get on a liveaboard, you will be offered 4 dives a day. If you want to stick to 2 dives, you'll be skipping a lot of dives, or you could skip only the night dives and do the 3 daytime dives.

c) get on a Phuket-based boat for overnight trips going south; a 2d trip with 7 or so dives, either with an overnight on Phi Phi for one night or on a short liveaboard is one way to go south, do "something different", and not spend too much time on a boat so that you still have some "party" left in you for your on-land time.

 

[chrisinthailand]

To cut a long story short Similans 90% - Ko Tao 10%. But as you've already done Similans I'd recommend this trip for good possibility of Whale Sharks and Mantas...

20th February - 2 Day 2 Night Hin Daeng / Hin Muang

Trip departs: Saturday 20th February, 8PM.
Trip returns: Monday 22nd February, 6PM.
Destination: Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Koh Haa, Phi Phi, Shark Point & Koh Doc Mai
Duration: 2 Days & 2 Nights
Dives:7
Price per diver in Deluxe Twin Share Cabin: 16,000 Thb
Price per diver in Deluxe Triple Share Cabin: 13,600 Thb
Price per diver in Standard Cabin: 14,000 Thb

If you have any questions please contact the Colona Liveaboards team.

MV Colona VI & MV Giamani
-----------------------------------------------------------
Colona Liveaboards Sales Office
333 Patak Road, Karon Subdistrict, Muang, 83100 Phuket, Thailand
Reservations: Tel: +66 76 286723 Fax: +66 76 286724

 

[aquamarin]

Ok, I'm biased, but.....

I'd do 3 days / 2 nights to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu, Boonsung on the M/V Oktavia........and skip the night dives, which means 3 dives a day on the best dive sites around here - but as I said, I'm biased ))

Karin

 

[katdiver]

Got to be west coast! Good weather, great diving! You can do 2/3 dives a day from dayboats out of Ao Nang that take in those sites suggested by Quero; Phi Phi and Shark Point. If you want shorter boat trips, then local islands out of Ao Nang have lots to offer. Then why not transfer over to Khao Lak for some Similan diving?

 

[stiggy]

Best of both worlds would be.

Simmilans for great Coral and viz generally much better than the gulf, also well worth a look great wrecks of Khao Lak !

Kohtao if you can squeeze it in for its Large sharks that have taken up residence (for now) at Chumporn Pinnicles,plus Nightlife there is very cool.

 

[lifesabeach]

OK It's decided...Thanks to you all for the advice! ....I'm making the reservation today. It will be Phuket to do the Similans, etc. My dates are a bit firmer now and my time frame more focussed...I want to do 3-4 nights departing Feb. 22 or 23. If anyone knows a livaboard that has something going for those dates, let me know...or should I just show up on the Feb. 21 and wander around and see what is departing within the next two days?