Weather at Rich. Rock ATM?

[Prabang]

Due to dive there next Fri 4th Jan but been told by op. to wait further news.
Will be a real bummer to miss out as we are travelling down from BKK for this. Can anyone give any specific news (preferably good ) on the current situation and if it is likely to improve?

Thanks guys and Happy New Year to you all!

 

[Quero]

The TMD is forecasting calm seas for the 4th.
http://tmd.go.th/en/province.php?id=74

 

[stevenl]

At the moment it is calm there. Weather forecast for the 4th looks also ok, but if the wind predicted for the next few days hangs on a bit longer than expected it could be there is no diving there on the 4th.
See here, the Windguru site, for weather forecasts. Much more reliable than TMD, which is why all operators here use Windguru, but more than 2-3 days in advance they are both totally unreliable.

 

[Prabang]

Thanks guys. Wait and see game I guess.

 

[Quero]

My pleasure, as always.

I just returned yesterday from a Similans trip with a charter group, and the water conditions were manageable despite the full moon currents and some surface swells we were having. Of course, since the surface conditions are wind-dependent, what happens during one week may not be what happens the next. What I can tell you, though, and what I expect is a fair predictor of what you'll see, is that the visibility was reduced all over, from Hin Daeng in the south all the way up to Richelieu, with lots of plankton in the water. In compensation, with so much food available, the mantas seem to have come very early this season! Tachai Pinnacle appears to be a magnet for them lately, with some sightings at Koh Bon as well. We could even see them from the boat performing the characteristic barrel roll that they do when feeding. Very cool.

 

[stevenl]

For tomorrow it doesn't look excellent at the moment, but should be ok without too much wind.

---------- Post added January 4th, 2013 at 03:49 PM ----------

My pleasure, as always.

I just returned yesterday from a Similans trip with a charter group, and the water conditions were manageable despite the full moon currents and some surface swells we were having. Of course, since the surface conditions are wind-dependent, what happens during one week may not be what happens the next. What I can tell you, though, and what I expect is a fair predictor of what you'll see, is that the visibility was reduced all over, from Hin Daeng in the south all the way up to Richelieu, with lots of plankton in the water. In compensation, with so much food available, the mantas seem to have come very early this season! Tachai Pinnacle appears to be a magnet for them lately, with some sightings at Koh Bon as well. We could even see them from the boat performing the characteristic barrel roll that they do when feeding. Very cool.

As always visibility here is very unpredictable, and one day's experience says nothing about next day's experience. Even during dives I have seen visibility dramatically increase and decrease.

2 days ago 40 meters vis at Richelieu Rock, I hope for you vis was good today as well.