Amazing Scuba Diving in Phuket. Diving does not get any better. Or does it? 

Phuket Thailand does claim to have the best diving in Thailand on its door step. This was alway considered to be the Similan island national park and the Surin islands.

Amazing start to the Similan islands liveaboard season scuba diving Thailand in the Similan islands. The conditions have been perfect and the big fish have been there in there masses.

Phuket scuba diving is amazing right now and the Similans are as good as it gets. 40 meter viz even at 30 meters depth.

From Koh Bon north up to and including a day diving Richelieu rock will leave you breathless and wanting more as the Manta Ray and Whale sharks are very common this year. The day trip sites are producing more sightings of both than last year too. This will be a great year.

There has been the best diving of all this year in the islands to the south of Phuket called Racha Noi. This will be well known only to those people who did their open water course phuket or even discover scuba diving phuket as its the islands that offer great but easy diving and where many go for courses. Here there have been manta ray seen most days, whale sharks, Dolphins and even a pod of Minke whales including a mother and calf. This on top of the normal things here like Leopard shark, turtles, sting Ray, eagle ray and the hundreds of reef fish. 

Diving Phuket has some of the best dive sites on earth and this time of year from November right through till mid May the sea is flat, warm and full of life. Scuba diving Thailand is perfect for the experienced and novice alike. Thailand Divers is for all activities and tours both on and off the water. Similan island diving is alway very popular and now with all the troubles in the middle east and all the Red Sea divers are now heading to Asia and as there is no better place than the Similan island national park the places are going very fast. So to make the most of your scuba diving in Phuket then its wise to book early to be sure of getting the trip you want. 

The best thing to do is contact the better Phuket dive shops via the live chat on the website as then you will see whats is diving well now rather than old news on the internet. Places like Phi Phi were fully booked weeks in advance over New year but the best conditions were at Racha Noi and the people that just turned up in resort and booked were lucky. Thats why check whats good first and then book online . 

We can then even offer the best Patong hotel or guest house patong so you get the high quality service both on and off the water. We have a selection of the best places to stay all from our customers who want quality and close to the shops, restaurants and bars but with out the high price tags. all our locations make it easy for you to be collected from your Patong guest house or hotel patong for both diving and non diving trips as they are all in easy to find locations yet in quiet side streets all great little oasis of calm to relax in after a great day exploring on and off the water.

Think  Similan Thailand  and you will know that scuba diving does not get better than this.

Where Better To Do The PADI Advanced Open Water Course Than The Similan islands.

Yes what can we say. You have already been to Phuket Thailand and then got your open water course phuket and now have to think what to do next.

 When in Thailand phuket most of the day trip diving is done on the east side of phuket.  But to the west side in the Andaman ocean we have the amazing similan islands. For most divers doing a  Similan islands liveabaord will be on of the best ( if not the best) dive trip you will ever do.

The similans are a chain of nine islands off the west coast that conect to the Surin islands which include divesites like Richelieu rock. this is rated by Nat Geo as one of the top ten dive sites in the world. this chain of islands runs right up into the Burma banks.

This whole area can be done on a similan Thailand liveabaord from an over night trip to a massive eight day adventure into the Burma banks and back.  So what better location is there to go after your phuket open water course than into the similan island national park to do your advanced course?

What does it cover?

The  PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course will include knowledge development for the two required topics the Deep and Underwater Navigation Dives along with five of the most popular elective dives. These include Night Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Wreck Diver, Boat Diver and Underwater Naturalist. As with the PADI Open Water Diver course, the entire PADI Adventures in Diving manual will be available online to divers enrolled in the e learning course. Experience real adventure and be one step closer to Master Scuba Diver ? the ultimate non-professional certification in recreational diving. You must be a PADI Open Water Diver before participating in any in water training.

How does it work?

Well you just pop into your local dive shop Phuket like Thailand Divers. You decide on how many nights you will like to be onboard. Then you collect the PADI advanced manual. This is much easier than the open water course as no video, no tests, no exam and no pool. Then all you need to do is dive. Then between the dives during the surface interval do one chapter as you go. Most of the dives you do on a  similan island liveabaord can be part of the course anyway so as you are doing the dives you may as well get certified. 

What does it cost?

The PADI Advanced Open Water Course  is 8,500 Thai Baht. The fee covers the knowledge development training, all PADI fees and instructor. Then all you you do is add this to the cost of the similan islands liveaboard trip of you choice and thats it done. 

Now you will be having one of the greatest diving trips of your life plus completing your advanced certification along the way. If you are feeling confident then you can also do your open water course similans too. this just needs a class and pool session before you depart. 

This can be easily arranged too. We can collect you from your Patong beach hotel or guest house patong and take you to the pool and class the day before to complete the training and then you are off. Thailand divers has a collection of patong hotels and patong guest houses to choose from that have all been highly reccomended by our customers. 

Now there is now no excuse not to open the laptop or desk top or even pick up the phone as we can have you in a top grade patong hotel for a day or two before heading out into the Similan island national park for an adventure of a lifetime.

The Best Diving And Best dive Boats In Phuket Thailand.

  BEST DIVE BOATS IN PHUKET Thailand.

        Here in Phuket Thailand over the last few years I have had more and more comments on the dive boats  just as much as the dive sites. We all know the diving here in Thailand Phuket  especially is some of the best in the world.  What with the warm water all year round and so many sheltered spots to dive no matter what the   weather does.  So what is the difference between one dive shop phuket and the next?? 

 The 2 main differences are the dive boats and the instructors. There are many good instructors on the island too who have vast experience and excellent knowledge. However the best ones are the instructors that still have the passion and want to go diving phuket and the surrounding islands, rather than the ones who see it as another day at work,  but its still better than an office job. These are the ones that we dont want at Thailand divers. we only use the ones that still love scuba diving Thailand.

     The main difference that can make or break a day is the boat.  As I said all phuket dive shops go to the same dive spots but what makes the difference is how you get there and how relaxed you are when you begin your dive. Some companies have smaller, slower boats with wooden benches to sit on.  They are nice and cheap and get you to the dive sites if some what behind everyone else and with a numb bum. There are faster ones which pack everyone and their dog on to cover the cost of the fuel to run at faster speeds. Both have good points and bad ones. 

What I have been repeatedly been told is the best way to dive is on a comfortable boat where the skipper and tour leader use their brains. The best boats have a large saloon that can hold everyone in comfort during the scattered storms of low season. They have a large open shaded area to eat during the heat of summer and a sun deck for those nutters that still feel the need too bake themselves further. The boat must have a chef onboard to cook a good breakfast on the way to the first dive site so everyone has energy for the day ahead. We must have a good selection of both western and Thai food for lunch along with afternoon tea {pancakes with banana, mango, chocolate or maple sauce) just incase you feel a bit peckish  before dinner. 

The tour leader and skipper need to be able to think and if one dive site is busy then move to the next one which is empty then move back to the first one when everyone else has moved on. Tides and currents must be taken into account as they are not the same everyday, so the order of dive sites can not remain the same as the enjoyment of some dive sites can be lost in stronger current where on other sites current can help as it means less finning. Getting home early must not be the priority but having three great dives is far better than dropping into current and using the air quickly to get home sharply. again thats where a good phuket dive center comes into its own as the passion for diving is still whats important with all the staff. 

   Then as all good divers know that you need to be well rested and relaxed to make the most of any dive trip. When you have the best diving in the world on your door step, the best boats and best instructors then it stands to reason then you should have a place to stay that matches. Here at Thailand Divers we have got together a few Patong beach hotel and guest houses that our customers have said are really great quality.  There are many guest house patong but what we are looking for are the hidden ones. The ones that are hidden oasis in the middle of patong. Our these hotel patong are all of a standard well above their price. We have from Hostels right up to 5 star beach front villas. All with good reports from OUR customers. All close to the town centre but all hidden away from the crowds to offer peace and quiet so you can get a  great patong hotel, a good nights sleep before a good days diving for a great price too. 

Now take all of the above factors into account and you should get a perfect day (weather permitting) as this something we still can not control but with a bit of thought the weather should not impact too much on the day if you have the right boat.  Scuba diving Phuket is what many people work all year to save up for. It is the duty of the dive center to provide the best possible diving Phuket can offer on every single day. 

Who cares about a bit or rain on the way out if you have sausage, beans, eggs, toast and tea or coffee to get through. A quick lunchtime shower when you have your Spag Bol, Pasta Carbonara, Pad Thai or Thai Green Chicken Curry. Then mix this with an experienced Instructor who is there because he or she wants to be there. Wants to meet new people and most of all wants to make sure you have a good day too. Then just for good measure add the warm water, stunning dive sites and the huge variety of marine creatures on offer. Then what do you get Diving in Phuket with Thailand Divers. Dont believe us then just check trip advisor. From 1st time divers to people with 1,000s of dives under their belt along with dive professionals from around the world all cant be wrong. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter or talk to us live on the website live chat to get all the latest from the greatest all year round dive centre.

Diving Phuket is some of the best in the world all within easy reach of all level of diver. Discover scuba diving phuket and you will never look back. If you learn to dive phuket will blow your mind when you see the colours and variety of marine life. Here from a good Phuket dive center like Thailand Divers you can even do you PADI open water course similans or onboard a similan islands liveaboard.  this is a real awesome experience to spend a couple of days in one of the top ten diving locations on the planet and to walk away with your open water license.  The similans are only open for six months of the year and offer the best diving from December till May but they open from mid October. However October in the similan island national park is far better than most locations get at any time.  If you are looking for the best diving on the best boats then think diving in Thailand, think similan Thailand, think Thailand Divers and you know you will have the best diving, the best boats and the best instructors possible. 

The Amazing Dive Sites Of Phuket Thailand Part 2. King Cruiser

The Amazing Dive Sites Of Phuket Thailand Part 2.  King Cruiser

The dive sites of Phuket Thailand has always been a big draw for scuba diving and for Phuket snorkel tours alike. What makes Thailand Phuket especially popular is the diving is easy with mild currents and shallow depths. Ok there are many other places with shallow diving but very few are as stunningly beautiful with such a varies sea life as when scuba diving Thailand.

When diving Phuket there are many choices. Do you dive the east side in the gulf of Thailand or the west side in the Andaman ocean?  What will follow will be a guide to let you know the best dive sites, the most popular dive sites, when is the best time to dive them to help you get the most out of the scuba diving Phuket has to offer. It does not matter if you have never tried it before or are an experienced diver diving in Thailand will will impress you.

For those people who love wreck diving there is a collection of wrecks now around the eastside of Racha Yai to the south but these have all been put here for the scuba divers. When diving in Phuket there is one wreck that far out does all the others. The wreck of the King Cruiser car ferry. There is just so much to see here. There are literally tens of thousands of fish covering the wreck. Phuket scuba diving as mentioned in other blogs is not difficult but this is the only real advanced dive and thats due to the depth.

The King Cruiser wreck is the wreck of the car ferry of the same name that sank off the West Coast of Southern Thailand on 4 May 1997. The ferry was operating between Phuket and the Phi Phi Islands in southern Thailand when she hit a submerged collection of rocky pinnacles at Anemone Reef 10 miles off Phi Phi Island. The impact split the reef in two and also tore a large hole in the hull limiting its seaworthiness to a further thousand meters. The vessel sank within 2.5 hours. 561 passengers were rescued included Thai and foreign tourists. They were safely taken to two police patrol boats and 4-5 fishing boats, which had raced to the rescue in response to an emergency call. Causes Of The Sinking The ferry was on a regular crossing in normal conditions and the Anemone Reef was charted and well known by captains in the area. This has led to various unproven theories as to why the accident occurred. Theories include insurance fraud due to the owners experiencing financial difficulties on the unprofitable route and also that local dive companies paid the captain to sink the vessel as, up until that time, there were no wreck dives around Phuket. The captain was found to be negligent. While the debris and rubbish has since been cleared by co-operative activities by locals, divers and aid organisations, you will still see the scattered rocks nearer to the shore. At depths of 4 meters, you will see coral reefs, extending from the shore, mostly consisting of brain corals and pore corals, streaching to a depth of about 12 meters.

Dive Site Information

The vessel is now a popular recreational dive site  for many divers who come scuba diving in Phuket and acts as an artificial reef to compliment the Anemone Reef. The vessel sits upright on a sandy bottom in around 30m of water rising to ~10m at the top of the wreck. The wreck remains in one piece although the foreword upper deck has collapsed. The simplest and safest point of entry is through the vessels stern where divers can explore the once active car decks.

Machinery still sits on the deck. Inside the car deck are a couple of vehicle tires and an engine trolley. Rows of passenger seats and low coffee tables fill the inner recesses. The collapsed foredeck is at 16 meters where there is a stack of plastic picnic tables and chairs often surrounded by a cloud of Snappers. The upper deck is split from front to back.

As well as the wreck there is lots of coral growth and an abundance of fish. sea fans and soft coral can be found growing along the sides and top of the wreck. Schools of big eye trevally are often spotted circling above the captain's cabin. Large schools of snapper hang around the entrances to the car deck and along the remains of the upper deck, plus lionfish can be seen dotted around the wreck. There are also occasional encounters with leopard sharks and blacktip reef sharks, great barracuda and turtles. If you are really lucky then there have been whale sharks spotted on this dive location.

The King Cruiser wreck dive trip can be booked in most Phuket dive centers. As mentioned before it is an advance dive so if you are an uncertified diver then it is out reach for the PADI Discover scuba diving in Phuket but there are other better locations for this.  But that does not mean its out of reach for other courses. This a great wreck to dive if you complete your open water course Phuket and want to directly go onto your advanced course. Its only the depth that makes it and advanced dove as the top is 16 - 17 meters but the deepest point is around 32 meters. For those wanting to learn to dive in Phuket this is a great follow on dive. The viz in high season can be awesome but during the months of July to September there can be days when its drops and it can be a bit bumpy during this time of year.

Phuket Thailand is the Best Place to do any PADI Diving Course.

The beautiful tropical island of Phuket Thailand is the ideal place to get a PADI diving license. Like so many people who go on holiday and joining a  PADI discover scuba diving Phuket has a massive advantage to so many other locations.  The locations make it so easy and confidence boosting that even the most timid people see  themselves as a budding Jaques Cousteau. There is a large number of people who when complete their PADI Discover Scuba Diving in Phuket then call the Phuket dive center while still on the boat to book their  Open water Course so they can learn to scuba dive Phuket and get certified. During the PADI Open Water course everything is new and so much to see and do. Then you still want more. You are now a real scuba diver and diving in new locations and seeing so many new things. However on the dive boat you are hearing stories from all the other people about diving here,  diving there, seeing all the great photos and videos,  diving "deep," diving this wreck or even finding something underwater and the struggle to bring it to the surface.  How do these people do all these great things that you are hearing about? But more importantly what are you interested in, what will you like or dislike, what will make a great dive for YOU ? Thailand Phuket can make it happen.

The next step for you is the  PADI Advanced Open water Phuket is a top location and it can be done directly after your open water or even as a combined Open water and Advanced course. Dont worry its not nearly as hard as your  PADI Open Water course when everything is new. The Advanced course is about self study and diving. This means you can even do it on a Similan island liveaboard. This is something to look in to when deciding what to do in Phuket. To complete the PADI Advanced course you must complete 5 chapters in the advanced manual then complete the five dives related to those chapters. What chapters you choose depend on the location you choose to do the course in. The Deep dive and Navigation are two that must be done but the other three are your choices. Like I say the location will dictate to some extent. For example in the far east or other tropical waters will rule out Dry Suit diving as will salt water locations will rule out altitude diving. There may be no wreck or night dive options either.

The two dives that have to be done are the Deep dive as the PADI Advanced Open Water license will allow you dive to thirty meters. Although this in itself is not a great challenge there are things to be aware of. The speed of you air consumption, your reduced no decompression time, less light and a few extra concerns on top of what you learned in the Open water Course. Scuba diving Phuket will give you the training and skills that you need to make you a really good scuba diver.

Navigation is the other one that must be done. As an Advanced diver you should really have an idea where you are and where you are going. This is as you learned already done with a compass. In the Open water course you you did a straight line out and back with a 180 degree turn. Now we are going to improve on this by navigating a square. We also will try to gauage distance by "fin Kicks" and time. We will also see how currents will effect this. 

The rest is up to you and your instructor.  There may be a good wreck near you. This will give you a taste of wreck diving. You will learn what to look out for and spot hazards. Also the get to see the great marine life that tends to gather round a wreck.

Do you want to learn how to take great underwater photos or video.  If you are thinking of doing one of the  Similan islands liveaboards then this will be a great things to think about. Where to place yourself in relation to the subject and the position of the sun. Is there much particals in the water and how to avoid getting them in your shot. How to get the color back in the photos so they are not just blue. How to control your breathing to get the camera still. There is so much more than just aim and fire.

Search and recovery will teach you the basics. You will learn which search pattens are best for various situations and locations. How to recover the item from the seabed. Do you need a lift bag and how you use one safely. You do not want the bag to drag you to the surface as well causing you injury. 

Are you interested in what you are looking at down there? The different types of fish and other creatures and their habitats. If so the Underwater Naturalist or Fish identification are for you.  Diving in Thailand has some amazing sights and things you will not see anywhere else. If your diving will be done from large boats or small boats then learn the different styles of diving from different types of boat. Do you use a dive computer or need help getting the most out of it. Then Multilevel and Computer diving. Improve your bouyancy, air consumption and general dive style along with  Correct weighting will all improve your diving.  Peak performance bouyancy is the one for you. 

Night diving may be an option if you are planning to do a Similan islands liveaboard trip.  Learn to navigate at night and the dangers to look out for. What different creatures are about and how to communicate as normal hand signals cant be seen. Not just the night diving but the Similans is one of the best places on the planet to do the advanced course. The diving is considered as one of the top ten location in the world. Any chance to go o the similan islands is worth every minute.

The other and best reason to do the  PADI Advanced course is it keeps you diving and introduces you to other areas of diving that may interest you. As you will now be able to dive to thirty meters it will open up other dive sites to you all over the world. After that who knows what you will discover or go on to. There are so many specialties  to choose from and you may have got your taste for it from your PADI Advanced course. 

Most Phuket dive shop will offer the advanced course as a 2 day course and with no pool and classroom sessions makes it a fun 2 days. if you are planning two  or more days diving then it will be worth while doing the  PADI advanced course is diving anyway and the price is roughly the same as three day trips. Going on a Similan liveboard ? Then why not do a couple of days diving first as a warm up and get your Advanced as you go. this will make the Phuket liveboard trip so much more enjoyable. Diving in Phuket Thailand the price is so cheap compared to other countries. Even better as the the course includes a big cooked breakfast,  Huge buffet lunch and afternoon tea along with all equipment, tea, coffee, drinking water and fresh fruit all day. On top of that they will pick you up from your hotel and return you to it at the end of the day.  There is nowhere better to take the PADI Advanced course as Phuket as its great diving at great prices ALL year round.