Similans/Surin Liveaboard

Should we go to the South area of Similans or North?

  • South (Lower Similans Koh Bon, Boon Sung Wreck)

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • North (Surin, Richelieu Rock, Koh Tachai)

    Votes: 7 87.5%

  • Total voters
    8

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JMC333

New
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Location
UK
# of dives
25 - 49
Hi,

My better half and I are planning on doing a liveaboard around Christmas Eve around the Similans. We're going to do a 4D/3N trip and can't do longer due to time constraints and the fact we've not done a liveaboard before (she sometimes gets seasick but it's easily managed by normal tablets)

We've seen a few that vary in where they go to, either:
  1. Lower Similans Koh Bon, Boon Sung Wreck
  2. Surin, Richelieu Rock, Koh Tachai
I'm just wondering if anyone can shed some light on the differences between the two areas or any recommendations?

We're both Advanced OWD certified with 32 dives each. In terms of complexity, we started in Thailand diving but have also dived a few places with bad currents etc. e.g. Mozambique, Liberty Wreck, Perhentians so we don't need it to be like a millpond even with our limited experience.
 
I was there this April on MV Pawara, and we did both areas on a four-night trip - boarded the boat in the evening, cruised to the Similans overnight, four dives in the Similans on the first day, cruised to Surin overnight, two dives at Koh Bon in the morning, two dives at Koh Tachai in the afternoon, then four dives at Richelieu Rock on the third day, overnight cruise back south, two dives at Boonsung wreck in the morning, and docked back at Khao Lak in the early afternoon.

That said, if I absolutely had to pick, I'd go with Richelieu Rock in a hearbeat - it was the highlight of the trip, with huge schools of fish, plentiful corals and three dives with whale sharks in a row.
 
The Similans are mainly Granite rocks rather than coral where as the Surins are more regular coral

Both have similar life.

I've seen Manta's in both areas

I personally find Richelieu Rock over hyped, and yes I've been there on a good day. BUT peoples views are all relative to their previous experiences. I'm lucky enough to div where on a good day our mediocre sites beat Richelieu Rock hands down.

If I were to go back to Thailand (which is unlikely because I prefer other places) I'd pick the Surins. Indeed when we were there we extended for a second 3N Surin trip - it wasn't really the diving so much as the boat crew being great, so rather than go elsewhere we stayed put.
 
The Similans are mainly Granite rocks rather than coral where as the Surins are more regular coral

Both have similar life.

I've seen Manta's in both areas

I personally find Richelieu Rock over hyped, and yes I've been there on a good day. BUT peoples views are all relative to their previous experiences. I'm lucky enough to div where on a good day our mediocre sites beat Richelieu Rock hands down.

If I were to go back to Thailand (which is unlikely because I prefer other places) I'd pick the Surins. Indeed when we were there we extended for a second 3N Surin trip - it wasn't really the diving so much as the boat crew being great, so rather than go elsewhere we stayed put.

Which boat was so great that made you stay a second 3N?
 
Hi,

My better half and I are planning on doing a liveaboard around Christmas Eve around the Similans. We're going to do a 4D/3N trip and can't do longer due to time constraints and the fact we've not done a liveaboard before (she sometimes gets seasick but it's easily managed by normal tablets)

We've seen a few that vary in where they go to, either:
  1. Lower Similans Koh Bon, Boon Sung Wreck
  2. Surin, Richelieu Rock, Koh Tachai
I'm just wondering if anyone can shed some light on the differences between the two areas or any recommendations?

We're both Advanced OWD certified with 32 dives each. In terms of complexity, we started in Thailand diving but have also dived a few places with bad currents etc. e.g. Mozambique, Liberty Wreck, Perhentians so we don't need it to be like a millpond even with our limited experience.
Make sure you visit Koh Bon, Koh tachai and Richelieu Rock, so don't do just Similans, you'll miss out on really nice diving. 4 days/4 nights preferred over 3 nights. Some people sell 3 days/3 nights trips as 4 days/3 nights since you'll be departing on day 0. Since there are no dives on that day I consider it 3 days trips, and think that people selling it as 4 days are cheating.
 
Which boat was so great that made you stay a second 3N?
It was Wicked Diving.

It wasn't so much the boat, - which was basic, the dive staff were great, very professional and safe. My wife and I were the most experienced divers (after the crew) on the boat and they gave us some extra latitude and freedom. There was one day where they had to make a hard decision to cancel the last dive on Richelieu Rock because the surface conditions were deteriorating. It was in my mind the right call. Although a lot of people were understandably disappointed.

I've since used Wicked 3 times when I just want a basic liveaboard trip with no frills.

The highest praise I could put on the company is that we went back the following Christmas to Kao Lak with my wife's two boys (13 & 12 at the time) so that they could do their DSD with Wicked. When you're a diver yourself I guess you cast a more critical eye on instructors. We were both in the water at the same time but out of the way.

So yes, I'd recommend Wicked to anyone.

As a PS I would have never known at that time that 4 years later it would be me certifying the boys on their OW.
 
As advised above - Richelieu rock is a must do. But you have to plan your schedule so that RR is in the itinerary on day 2 or 3 for that boat. I went twice to Similans with schedule for dive days planned according to other surface itineraries and could not hit RR in both the years (once it was bad weather, changed itinerary for the boat). Only the 3rd year I managed RR (I went back with a determination to correct my follies). So talk to the dive operator before planning arrival and departure dates. A dive ops may have more than one boat and not all may hit RR on the same day.

Regards
P
 
Last edited:
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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