2001, 15 days of live aboard diving
| The Similian &
Surin National Marine Park on the west coast offers Thailand's
best diving. Live aboard trips from Phuket are the
usual way of accessing this remote marine park, but day trips are possible from
Ko Lak. Being off shore the visibility is
unaffected by the mainland and 30m+ is not unusual. Most
dives are advanced with depths of 40m+, strong currents are
common. October - May is the best time to
visit. |
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There are plenty of operators to choose from in Phuket, to suit
most budgets. I dived with Kingfisher Diving as an
unpaid member of staff on several trips. This particular boat is
usually chartered by groups of up to 10 for 5 days, but the itinerary
is flexible. 'Unlimited' dives are possible but care must be
taken due to the depths possible. The nearest recompression
chamber is a long way away in Phuket.
The boat, M/V Kingfisher, is a comfortable and well laid out purpose built dive vessel with air con cabins, TV lounge, hot shower and a large sun deck. The crew are helpful and friendly, the food is good, varied and plentiful. Boarding in Phuket is early evening, sailing north to the Similan's overnight. A checkout dive first thing in the morning is a chance to get weighting right and adjust any equipment - there is no need to dismantled it again until the journey home. |
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The Simillan Islands are a group of islands comprised of enormous rocks. This terrain is continued below water at several sites such as Elephant Head with its impressive swim thru's amongst giant boulders. Unspoilt sandy coral gardens teeming with life, run off from the beaches to 40M+. These dives can be started deep, working shallow, offering the chance to see many different critters living at varying depths. Koh Bon offers several dive sites but it's main attraction is the frequency of Manta sightings. Unfortunately large parts of the reef around this island have been devastated by dynamite fishing. Koh Tachai is a good multilevel dive with frequent manta sightings. Close to the Burmese border not all itineraries include Richelieu Rock, a world renowned dive with frequent Whale Shark sightings. This remote ocean pinnacle is teeming with life both macro and pelagic. A night dive here is a rare treat.
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All images were captured using rented 35mm underwater film cameras.
Jasc Paint Shop Pro software has been used.
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