Question Where to take rescue course in Koh Lanta/Koh Lipe?

[Centrals]

Mainly 2 reasons 1) i saw quite a lot of ppl saying the diving in Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe is so much better than Phuket. 2) I’ve been to Phuket before but not the other island.

1. So much better. If you are not careful to chose the operator, you might end up diving from a cattle boat with 50+ divers from several shops.
2. Phuket has airport, bus terminals and the nice Old Town other than that it is a tourist trap.

Yeah. You are so right about the instructor! I did my OW at Roctopus in Koh Tao, absolutely love their teaching and my instructor really impacted me a lot. But I don’t have travel plan to go back there anytime soon.

Pity, it takes two days to make the round trip.
Contact them and find out how long would the course require and would e-learning reduce the time required in Koh Tao.

A whirlwind trip to cover Lanta and Lipe, save the rescue course for the future.

 

[JonnieB]

Mainly 2 reasons 1) i saw quite a lot of ppl saying the diving in Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe is so much better than Phuket. 2) I’ve been to Phuket before but not the other island.

Koh Lanta you can dive the Phi-Phi and Koh Haa marine parks and the Daeng/Muang pinnacles, which are all good diving. Lipe is basically the Taruatao marine park. I consider Lipe the best diving in Thailand. I'd pick one or the other as the diving is pretty similar...more macro in Lipe if that's of interest.

 

[Centrals]

I am returning to Koh Lanta in this early Nov but will skip Koh Lipe because of the risk of poor weather so early in the season. If the weather turns nasty many sites around Lipe will be off limited. I had experienced that twice over last two trips.
Best diving in the Kingdom is in Similan + Richelieu Rock but only available by LoB or expensive speed boat ride from Khao Lak.

 

[mortenscuba]

Just to inform.
All the Talang divesites, including Stonehenge in Ko Lipe is closed by the National Park Authority this year between 1. of October and 31. of December.

I would do the Rescue diver course in Koh Lanta with Lanta Diver.
They have really experienced instructors.

 

[Globalcitizen]

Just to inform.
All the Talang divesites, including Stonehenge in Ko Lipe is closed by the National Park Authority this year between 1. of October and 31. of December.

I would do the Rescue diver course in Koh Lanta with Lanta Diver.
They have really experienced instructors.

Thank you! Oh no :-(((( I literally just moved my liveboard to the beginning of January so that I can have enough time to do both islands.

 

[Globalcitizen]

Koh Lanta you can dive the Phi-Phi and Koh Haa marine parks and the Daeng/Muang pinnacles, which are all good diving. Lipe is basically the Taruatao marine park. I consider Lipe the best diving in Thailand. I'd pick one or the other as the diving is pretty similar...more macro in Lipe if that's of interest.

Thank you! Good to know! I have Daeng/Muang, and Koh Haa on my list!

 

[Centrals]

I have Daeng/Muang, and Koh Haa on my list!

Hin Daeng/Muang are very far from Koh Lanta and many operators do not have the vessel to cover the trip.
LANTA Divers has a small speed boat but not really comfortable on a rough sea.
Blue Planet has a big and comfortable catamaran and will accept divers from other operators so can be crowded.
There might be other operator which also has boat to cover the trip. Need to ask around.

 

[Globalcitizen]

Hin Daeng/Muang are very far from Koh Lanta and many operators do not have the vessel to cover the trip.
LANTA Divers has a small speed boat but not really comfortable on a rough sea.
Blue Planet has a big and comfortable catamaran and will accept divers from other operators so can be crowded.
There might be other operator which also has boat to cover the trip. Need to ask around.

Thank you! I’ve got people recommended Andanman dive adventure and flip flop divers to me. Ill prob just so the fun dives with the ship I do my rescue.

 

[Globalcitizen]

Just to inform.
All the Talang divesites, including Stonehenge in Ko Lipe is closed by the National Park Authority this year between 1. of October and 31. of December.

I would do the Rescue diver course in Koh Lanta with Lanta Diver.
They have really experienced instructors.

If Stonehenge and 8 mile rock are closed, is it still worth go diving in Koh Lipe?

 

[JonnieB]

If Stonehenge and 8 mile rock are closed, is it still worth go diving in Koh Lipe?

If memory serves, there are about 25 dive sites around Ko Lipe; a little more than half of them within the Marine National Park, and thus closed during the annual low season park shutdown. That still leaves plenty of places to dive. I don't know if Stonehenge and 8-M-R are even in the park. I seem to recall diving them during the park shutdown, but that was during Covid so everything was a bit screwy back then. But again, I believe all the marine parks, except Phi-Phi, shutdown during low season, so many of the best sites will be closed no matter where you go. To answer you question, even skipping SH and 8MR, it's still very much worth diving Lipe.