Is Diving In Thailand Any Good?

[browfish]

I am having my arm twisted aobut going to thailand in november. I have always wanted to learn to dive and wondered whether anyone has been there and is the diving any good?

cheers
james

[JustNemo]

Hi James

I would definately recommend it. Was there last August and had a whale of a time.

Its much cheaper to do the diving courses. I took the 2 day PADI Scuba Diver course (qualify upto 12m) and it cost about £90 and included 2 dives off Koh Samui. There are lots of Dive Centres all over the place - at they were in Samui and Pangan. Other places like Phi Phi or Phuket are also served well with numerous Dive shops.

The dive sites are excellent. Also did some (well over 5 days) snorkelling in Koh Pangan. Again, excellent. Lots of fishes, you name it, I saw them I (except Tangs), corals both soft and hard. Out of this world.

So go on. It will be the best investment you make.

Oh I'm off to Maldives (and Sri Lanka) this August. If anyone here has suggestions, please share them. Thanks.

Sam

[browfish]

I have one suggestion. take me :idea: and pay for me too or is that 2 suggestions :lol: :lol:

[Tango]

I went in Oct koh Rach Yai excelent diving saw Tangs, Lion fish, damsels, sea snake, Barracuda, Dog fish, Clowns allsorts of coral both hard and soft. The courses are cheaper the dive boats friendly and best of all I am going back in April :D

Stuart

[Steve Parkes]

Depends how you feel about 7 foot Leopard sharks. B)

[fishman]

speaking of leopards i caught one marlin fishing in phi phi few years back even though they are meant to be vegitarian top day fishing!! oh by the way im going back in april for a month :D :D see you then FISH... :D

[JonHolly]

Vegetarian sharks well thats a new one :-) so why do I only have 2 fingers left !

[fishman]

i appologise ive just looked them up and no they are not as i was told by the guide ..how did you lose your fingers or is it a sore subject?FISH :rolleyes:

[philworrall]

If you have never dived before but always wanted to then it is a reasonable chance that you will be bitten by the bug in Thialand and any old pond will be a good dive for a while on your return to the UK. If you are going to start in Thialand then wow go for it but just remember.

The crystal clear waters of Britain are not quite as clear and as warm and kitting up to dive here is expensive because you have to buy lots of "warm" kit..

Spec (and save for) on having to return to warm tropical waters every year. :D :D

Enjoy M8 go for it.


HTH


Cheers

[Achilles]

I was in Trang, Thailand, a couple of months ago.... Hin Daeng and Hin Muang!

Here's some pix for your perusal, ;) It might take a while to load....!

Anyway... if you do need contacts for the dive operators there, let me know, they are friendly folks! :)

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070747092.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070747323.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070747448.jpg

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http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070748109.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070775223.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070775310.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070776000.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070776591.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070776998.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070777350.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070789216.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070791921.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070800711.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070801713.jpg

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/post-12-1070830650.jpg

[philworrall]

OK how did you cheat??


Some world class pics there M8 ;)

:) :)

Cheers

[Achilles]

I'm an amateur underwater photographer! Still learning how to use a cam! :lol:

The last pix of the Manta Ray isn't mine. I was too far away, it was taken by my mate (in the 9th pix, swimming amidst a school of Purple Queen anthias!).

[fishman]

truly stunning m8, i dont dive but love snorkeling round phi phi penang and koh samui..i cnt have 2 expensive hobbies.. :rolleyes:

[Suk]

Gorgeous pics Achilles, thanks for sharing... The Leopard shark is exactly as I saw it too, chilling out on the bottom & I got to within 3 feet of it circling it slowly, awesome... Did all my dives from Phuket - Phi Phi, Racha rai, Shark point etc...
Whereabouts are Hin Daeng and Hin Muang?
Am thinking of Malaysia & then Ko Samuii for the whale sharks in May, best time of the year to see them. Wanna come?
:D

[Achilles]

Suk,

Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are off the coast of Trang, Thailand. You can access these pinnacles from Phuket, but I think its a 6 hour fast boat ride. If I remember correctly... its an hour away from Trang.

I'll be diving in the Anambas area (indonesia) sometime in June. ;)

[Cam]

Hi,

We were on honeymoon there about 4 years ago and did some snorkelling off Koh Samui. That was very nice as I remember but the best stuff was off the island of Koh Tao, a 1 1/2 hour speed boat ride away. We were not into reefs at the time so can't really name stuff that we saw but it was very good and quite cheap. Well worth going and learning to dive.

Cheers,

Cam.

[The Tangman]

im going for three weeks in june have never dove before prolly do a crash course but if i dont will defo go snorkelling

anybody got any ideas as to the best place for snorkelling?

[JustNemo]

If you got to Koh Pangan, then the reefs are just a short walk, oops, I mean a short paddle up the beach. The place is called Mae Had and is on the western side of the island.

There is a shop for hire snorkelling gear too. A path has been made the shore to make it easier to wade up and also to protect the rest of the reef.

Visibility is good and variety of fishes and corals was top notch too. Its free!!!!!!!!

You can do the basic diving course - PADI Scuda Diver - 1 day learning and 1 days diving (2 dives). It was about £90 last summer.

Enjoy.

Sam

[The Tangman]

thanks nemo appreciate the info

[JonHolly]

If youre diving out of Phuket give these Guys a try, no i'm not on commission but I wouldn't mind a job with them next year, I did 2 Sim trips and a Burma trip in 5 weeks
all with Santana, Good Guides, Good Boat and excellent food
Also they have a lot of regulars including me...... :D


http://www.santanaphuket.com/index.htm

[The Tangman]

thanks Jonholly will give them a try

[Tango]

I have just got back from Thailand I did a Similan day trip with Similan Pro Dive. http://www.similanprodive.itgo.com I booked it with Amber Phuket Travel on the front at Patong beach Tel: 076-294235 Exelent trip good food brilliant diving. I also dived the King Cruiser wreck, Shark Point, Koh Dok Mai and Koh Racha Yai. Those trips where with South Siam Divers http://www.southsiamdivers.com :)