One Day diving in Phuket in July

[frogfish]

I have dived several times in Thailand on liveaboards around Similans/ Richelieu as well as Hin Daeng/Hin Muang. This time I will be in Phuket just for a week-end, and planning to do a day's diving; heard good feedback about King Cruiser/ Anemone reef/ Shark point, so that's where I would like to go.

I am experienced, and enjoy longish dives. Any recommendations to ensure that I do not end up with a group of newly certified OW ? Any pointers appreciated as I am not familiar with the Phuket diving scene !

 

[stevenl]

You're of course very welcome here.
Any decent operator will make sure experienced divers and newbies do not dive together, and we do for sure, quite often we can even offer a private guide free of charge.

On Saturday and Sunday you could do a 3-dive trip to King Cruiser-Shark Point-Koh Doc Mai, charge is 3,400 Baht. O Sunday you could also upgrade to a bit nicer boat for 3,800 Baht, same divesites. You could also consider a daytrip with 1 dive in the Shark Point area and 2 at Phi Phi.

 

[Quero]

I hope you found some nice dives over the weekend. There are trips scheduled, but some of the ops are unable to confirm the trips until the day/evening before, so bookings have to be rather last-minute, which makes planning a little hard. In fact, one op I was trying to put a diver on who had the same ideal itinerary as yours and for whom I'd made a provisional booking this weekend first phoned me to say that they would not go out, and then half an hour later phoned to say they were able to confirm. Add to that the fact that a couple of our daytrip boats are in the shipyard until July 1 means the choices are more limited. It's been a bit frustrating! But if you're patient, you can probably get what you are looking for.

 

[stevenl]

Over the weekend there are not many options for the King Cruiser and Shark Point combination, and those trips will be confirmed.

 

[Quero]

Not always, stevenl, not always. And I won't take a customer's money before the official confirmation, just in case. This means the actual bookings are often, by necessity, rather last-minute--which of course was my point.

 

[stevenl]

Sorry Quero, but you still don't know.

What is the connection between the booking and the guest paying you BTW? Really don't see that.

 

[Quero]

I do know. And the payment thing? It's called "business ethics."

 

[stevenl]

I do know. And the payment thing? It's called "business ethics."

Obviously you don't, you have made that abunduntly clear here.
So making the booking and the guest paying later or on the spot are bad business ethics, thanks for the information. But no, will not adjust my policy there.

 

[Quero]

You are misreading. What I wrote was that I would not take money before being able to confirm the booking. Anyway, I'm tired of this latest attack of yours, so I'm out of here.

 

[stevenl]

Most importantly, at the OP: you can book now or on the spot, in either case you can be guaranteed you'll get what you're looking for.
Personally I would wait with booking, there may be a confirmed trip there that will probably go, but these divesites are out in the open. So if the wind picks up there are sites that offer nice diving as well and will all in all offer a much nicer day.