Similan Islands officially closed until October

[Batfish]

This year the National Park Authority is serious. The Similan and Surin Islands National Parks in the Andaman Sea, Thailand will be closed from 15 May to 15 October.

There are concerns about safety since the weather can be bad during this period, and boats may be at risk. Last low season, one boat did sink, though all on board were rescued.

I have been several times during low season without problems, but can see the sense in this to reduce risk.

Dive operators normally don't schedule Similan trips at this time anyway, though a few boats have had to make up new schedules. Local diving around Phuket and Phi Phi is largely unaffected during low season, but people should expect some rough days and (very rarely) cancelled day trips.

Low season weather is often portrayed as hurricanes and constant rain. This is far from the truth. You get good weather a lot of the time, and diving continues all year.

Now is the time to start planning a Similan trip for next season. Liveaboards are becoming increasingly popular and many take bookings well in advance, especially for December/January.

The past season was very good, with operators reporting much more "big fish" activity than previous years, especially Manta rays and various shark species. Whale sharks were strangely absent, but started appearing in April, and most trips in April/May were lucky.

We hope next season continues like this.

Oh and by the way, THERE IS NO SARS HERE!

Happy diving!

 

[chiara]

I was in Ao Nang the first two weeks in May 2002.

Out of 14 possible diving days, I had to cancel 4.

That's more than 30% and I came to Thailand exclusively for diving.

I understand you have to make a living all year round, but it's stupid to post lies.

 

[Batfish]

Not you again.

DO NOT call me a liar.

read what I said again :

"Local diving around Phuket and Phi Phi is largely unaffected during low season, but people should expect some rough days and (very rarely) cancelled day trips."

You were in Krabi, I am in Phuket. Not the same place.
I seem to remember you said you were diving from a longtail boat. This is not the same as the seaworthy, quite large day trip boats operating in Phuket and Phi Phi.

I AM saying people should expect some rough days. Read it again. I am not saying weather is great/calm/sunny all year. But day trips DO run all year from Phuket with very very few cancelled days. I know; I have been here for 4 years.

I checked it for last low season with our partners (Calypso) who run a day trip boat (the MV Greta) and they cancelled only 1 trip due to rough weather.

I should add that on a few occasions the destination may be changed, especially if there are day trips planned to Phi Phi from Phuket. This can be a bit far if the waves are big, so boats would go to Racha Yai Island instead.

The main point of my post was to tell people that the Similan Islands are closed until October 15th, so the only diving possible is to local dive sites.

And I don't want to have this argument again next low season.

Weather right now is sunny and hot. We had rough weather last week, but not enough to cancel trips, apart from the last liveaboard of the season to Similan which diverted to Hin Daeng, Koh Ha and Phi Phi.

Really sorry you had a bad trip and hate Phuket

 

[chiara]

Sunrise once bubbled...
Not you again.

YES, ME AGAIN.

If I have something to say I will, they call it freedom of speech.

[/i]
You were in Krabi, I am in Phuket. Not the same place.
I seem to remember you said you were diving from a longtail boat. This is not the same as the seaworthy, quite large day trip boats operating in Phuket and Phi Phi.[/QUOTE]

It's the same sea and the same weather.

If we went on a longtail it's because the f****ng big boat was stuck in Phuket.

Guess why?

Rough seas for four days in a row.

Unless the area's geography has been recently changed, it's the same, old, lovely Andaman Sea.

[/i]
I AM saying people should expect some rough days. Read it again. I am not saying weather is great/calm/sunny all year. But day trips DO run all year from Phuket with very very few cancelled days. I know; I have been here for 4 years.[/QUOTE]

4 days out of 14 is more than 30%, that's a lot for someone who wants a dive vacation.

[/i]
The main point of my post was to tell people that the Similan Islands are closed until October 15th, so the only diving possible is to local dive sites.[/QUOTE]

Why didn't you stick to that?

 

[Batfish]

Hi!

May 21st, Phuket. Sunny. Hot.

Nobody here.

Why?

3 main reasons.

1) People mistakenly believe that Thailand is infected with SARS.

Jeez, do do think I'd stay here and expose my family to disease if that was true? SARS simply is not news here, just in the "West" where the media likes to blow it all out of proportion.

2) People are worried about terrorism.

Well I'd worry a lot more about it if I was in the US or the UK. Can't say it won't happen, but it's very unlikely to happen here in a peaceful Buddhist country.

3) People believe that the weather from May to October is always terrible and they will surely have a disaster of a holiday.

Oh dear, same argument every year.

For anyone reading this I suggest you send an email to the Dive Operators Club of Thailand :

info@doct-phuket.org

Ask about the weather in the summer.

And you can say that any operator would say the same because they want customers, but also I would not lie to someone and then risk their trip being cancelled and then get some very negative feedback. If weather was that bad, we would close down and tell people not to come. Instead, we are honest and say what I said before - " people should expect some rough days and (very rarely) cancelled day trips.". If a trip is cancelled, you will always be refunded.

Chiara, you must have been very unlucky, because I was here all last summer, have checked with operators and nobody can remember having cancelled 4 day trips. Maybe the boat captain was too lazy to get out of bed , or the boat had an engine problem in Phuket and they used the weather as an excuse. Who knows, but the boat operators in Phuket certainly did not cancel like that to the best of my knowledge.

Totally sorry for your bad experience. But still 10 out of 14 days (more than 70%) diving still sounds like quite a lot and there are plenty more things to do in this area.

And back to the initial point. If you want the best diving in the Andaman Sea, then come when the Similan Islands are open - after October 15th.

My parents visited last summer in July for 17 days. We had 17 days of pretty good weather. Hardly any rain at all.

If you want me to check further, please send me a mail, tell me the days that your trips were cancelled and I will make a detailed enquiry. And I'm sorry if I am oversensitive and bit your head off, but what I post here is not lies.

We can stone this one to death if you like, but I would suggest that if anyone is worried, check with the DOCT or with any dive operator to ask about the weather.

I repeat. May 21st, Phuket. Sunny. Hot. :mean:

Here's another link to check, though it was written last year when the Similans were open in the summer. This is written by John Williams who wrote the Lonely Planet Book on Diving and Snorkeling in Thailand. So I think we can agree this is a good source of information :

Weather Patterns in Thailand

 

[chiara]

Let's give it a break, shall we?

Sunrise once bubbled...
Hi!

May 21st, Phuket. Sunny. Hot.

Lucky you, the heating is on in Brussels and it's raining, cold rain.

I am firmly convinced that any dive operator who's open during the low season will give a biased opinion, many are closed starting mid-April until at least September, I have many friends in the area and I think I have a pretty decent idea of the situation.

I was afraid of SARS, but decided to stick to my initial planning and will confirm the booking to Koh Samui tomorrow, leaving on June 22.

I'm more afraid of terrorism in Europe than in South-East Asia, Brussels is a hubble with the European Institutions (which employ me) and NATO headquarters.

The Similans are on my "to do" list, they were planned for this Christmas, but I had to change my mind as the people who were trying to organize couldn't get their holidays at the same time.

I think I will keep you in mind when the time comes to decide which operator to use.

 

[Peter Lim]

Chiara,

We do not normally dive in Similan from March to October. As what you had done, we will dive in Koh Tao, West Malaysia and Borneo such as Layang Layang, Sipadan, Manado, Bali,etc.

Good Sun and dive.

 

[Batfish]

"I am firmly convinced that any dive operator who's open during the low season will give a biased opinion, many are closed starting mid-April until at least September, I have many friends in the area and I think I have a pretty decent idea of the situation."

Just to clear this up...

No operator in Phuket or Phi Phi is closed. All are open all year round. This is because the weather is good enough to dive almost all the time. Some operators in Khao Lak will close during low season, since Khao Lak basically depends on the Similan Islands, and this year that is not possible.

The absolute best months for Similan are February to April. This is when the weather is most settled, but can be really hot. This is also the period when whalesharks are more likely to appear. This year, there were many sightings at Richelieu Rock in April and May. Last year, February and March were better. November to January are not so hot, but you can get some fairly strong winds from the North East.

We are expecting a low low season here due to the SARS panic and worries about terrorism, plus the fact that the Similan Islands are closed. Roll on November.

Still sunny here. :mean:

 

[RSdiver]

From Rodale's Scubadiving message board
I see this same topic and an explanation from someone there:
*click here*

 

[cmdasia]

"No bilge alarms. Bummer. Goes to show you that you get what you pay for in a liveaboard. Anyone who is trying to sell a boat for $130 US per day per person simply can't afford to run a boat properly. Unfortunately, some consumers demand these low prices. "

Now there is an interesting statement - and one I heartily DISagree with.