where to dive in thailand? (early april)

[Scuba Susie]

Scott,
Please report back if you go to Phi Phi. We are booked for March of next year and would enjoy having a report from someone post tsunami. We are staying at Phi Phi Island and Village Resort...a bit expensive but we wanted to get away from the crowds near the saddle. Let me know what you think of the diving too. I have also heard that Koh Tao is a great place to learn to dive but if you have any experience you will want to stay far...FAR...away. If you take pictures, you don't want Joe Blow, new, open water student flipping up all the silt and kicking you with his fin as you end the dive early because he is out of air! But I have heard the island is nice. I looked into it also but decided on Phi Phi after much discussion with people on this board. So let me know, OK.
Have a great time!
Susie

 

[scottfiji]

Scott,
Please report back if you go to Phi Phi. We are booked for March of next year and would enjoy having a report from someone post tsunami. We are staying at Phi Phi Island and Village Resort...a bit expensive but we wanted to get away from the crowds near the saddle. Let me know what you think of the diving too. I have also heard that Koh Tao is a great place to learn to dive but if you have any experience you will want to stay far...FAR...away. If you take pictures, you don't want Joe Blow, new, open water student flipping up all the silt and kicking you with his fin as you end the dive early because he is out of air! But I have heard the island is nice. I looked into it also but decided on Phi Phi after much discussion with people on this board. So let me know, OK.
Have a great time!
Susie

omg, you booked a year in advance! WOW.. I've always booked my trips 3-4 weeks in advance - you are an extreme planner! I guess I am the opposite. i'll let you know how it!

oh wait, you've already booked your trip, so you are going whether my report is good or bad, right??? did you pay for it already? if you paid for it already, well, then no reason to read my report, lol

 

[Scuba Susie]

Haven't paid a dang dime yet but have reservations! I know it;s a long way off but I am planning this for a group of friends too. So yes....if your report says it totally SUCKS...I will have to take another look. So hurry up and go and report back!
Hope you have a fabulous trip. I just rented the movie, "The Beach" to see the parts that were filmed on Phi Phi. Looked incredible....horrible movie though.
Have fun!
Susie

 

[Batfish]

Actually a good idea to book Phi Phi Island Village well in advance. Its really the only "dive resort" on Phi Phi. The dive center there is run by Joerg and Yvonne who have many years experience in this area, and are very nice people too! It's certainly not cheap, but you really do get what you pay for.

Phi Phi Island Village Resort

 

[Christian]

Actually a good idea to book Phi Phi Island Village well in advance. Its really the only "dive resort" on Phi Phi. The dive center there is run by Joerg and Yvonne who have many years experience in this area, and are very nice people too! It's certainly not cheap, but you really do get what you pay for.

Phi Phi Island Village Resort

This is very true and something that many people forget. It takes money to run a quality operation. Everything from boats, O2-boxes, dive gear, compressors etc. cost money, and need to be serviced regularly to function properly. If you want to have good and motivated staff, you need to pay them a decent salary... Cheap operators always cut the corners somewhere.

/c

 

[martini_effect]

after 3 years of living and working in Thailand I would reccomend Koh Lanta above anywhere else. Epecially for a weekend trip....nice uncrowded beaches, very little development and wicked sites - Koh Haa and Phi Phi - 90 mins , Hin Daeng, Hin Muang - 3 hours by big boat.
Mantas Oct - Jan, whale sharks from mid march onwards.
I can recommend some good dive shops as well if you want

 

[mark99]

Just got back from Phuket Sunday, excellent conditions last week, spent a lot of time diving in the pool and at Kata beach working on PADI-DM but got out two days to Racha Noi-water is 89 degrees F, great vis, lots to see. Got good reports from Phi Phi- the dive shop had an overnight last Fri-Sat night, and also at King Cruiser, Anemone Reef and Koh Doc Mai. The weather was also fantastic, it really only rained a couple of times at night, and the temps were a little milder 90 deg F range.

 

[bayswaterbabe]

Hi Scott

I'm off to Singapore next week and have just booked a trip to Phuket 28 March-3 April, including 4 nights on the Queen Scuba. I looked at lots of options, including day-trips and Phi-Phi Island overnight trips, but decided a liveaboard is the best way of getting in as much diving as possible and at the best sites.

I got an incredible deal with Tiger Airways - S$138 Singapore to Phuket return flights, S$136 for 2 nights B&B at the 3* Patong Resort. Their website is:
http://www.tigerairways.com/home/

For the liveaboard, I booked through Batfish's firm, DivetheWorld, at:
http://divetheworldthailand.com/
They were very helpful and incredibly fast at responding to e-mails.

Lily

 

[jigo]

I enjoyed my daytrip dive phuket. went to koh doc mai, shark point and anemone reef.enjoyed it mainly because of the leopard shark and the ghost pipe fishes in shark point and anemone reef. the dives were much better than in pattaya but, IMHO, we have better viz, color and diversity here in the Philippines. As for whalesharks, the bay in Donsol, Sorsogon here has feeding whalesharks until May. March to May is the peak season and sighthings could be 10 to 20 in a day! no scuba allowed nor needed. whalesharks feed near the surface and you can swin with them with snorkel and fins only.