Advanced Open Water in Thailand - any suggestions, please?

[smartecosse]

So! For me and other peoply, their are more beautiful places than only Phuket! Only a few people here can't read some negative postings about Phuket, for them their is only one place in Thailand. Very poor!

Bud keep on smiling

listen plonker

There are many many people that come on this board looking for advice, your's is tainted.

Personally I think Patong is horrible, I hate the crowds and I hate the noise but for every person that is like me there are hundreds if not thousands that do like the big shops, the restaurants, the jet ski's, the tailors etc etc etc etc

The point that several of us have tried to make that you seem incapable of taking onboard is that Patong is merely ONE town on a whole island and there is just as much solitude to be found here as there is on the likes of Phi, Koh Tao, Koh Samui and so forth.

In fact there is probably more as there are far more beaches here on Phuket that people DO NOT go to than there are on those islands which are much smaller than Phuket.

Anyway I actually can't be bothered typing anymore of a reply to you. I am sure that people that read the forums will notice the complete lack of actual FACTUAL information that you offer.

Oh, and just for your reference I have been to Samui, Tao, Phi Phi and Lanta and have chosen Phuket due to the fact that there are nice quiet areas but also a DECENT infrastructure.

 

[limbo]

Whatever can be said about Plonske's writing skills and level of useful information he supplies, he's got a point that some of the posters living in Phuket are very one track minded and anything that doesn't relate to Phuket can't be good.

Seen it too many times, with all due respect.

 

[smartecosse]

eeeeerrrrrrrr

hello

pot calling kettle black anyone??

anyway as I said personally I think patong is best avoided

The FUNNIEST thing though is people that constantly try and say that the diving in the gulf is on par with the Similans. Deep technical wrecks are fantastic is the gulf, rest of the diving middling to average.

Of course thats just my personal opinion, plus of course pretty much anyone elses that doesnt have a vested interest in promoting the gul

 

[limbo]

Just not all year smartecosse. There's a couple of months in the year that the Gulf is preferable over the Andaman Sea.

Look, I'm not trying to diss the Andaman Sea nor am I hyping the Gulf, it would just be nice to see some better balanced views coming out of a few of you Phuket guys.

The Gulf ain't half as bad, yesterday Chumpon Pinnacle was stunning, you wished you were there.

 

[stevenl]

yesterday Chumpon Pinnacle was stunning, you wished you were there.

For sure better than being here in the office.

Personally I prefer the Andaman Sea year round over the diving in the Koh Tao area, but not everybody will agree with that. IMO the only 2 divesites that are on par with local sites here like the Bida islands, Shark Point etc. are Chumpon Pinnacle and Sail Rock, so let alone the Similans, Hin Daeng etc.

But let's not get into a slagging competition because of a post by somebody who simply can not give any useful information.

 

[smartecosse]

Just not all year smartecosse. There's a couple of months in the year that the Gulf is preferable over the Andaman Sea.

Look, I'm not trying to diss the Andaman Sea nor am I hyping the Gulf, it would just be nice to see some better balanced views coming out of a few of you Phuket guys.

The Gulf ain't half as bad, yesterday Chumpon Pinnacle was stunning, you wished you were there.

better balanced views??

The diving IS better in the anadman, period. Personally i rate an low season day in the andaman over a high season day on Chumpon pinnacle. That being said when I was there in July 2 of us had 20 mins with a whale shark before we got fed up and moved on to see what else we could find.

As far as the Gulf goes like I have said before it has its good point, deep wrecks being one of them. In fact I am at the moment organising a whole boat charter to dive those wrecks for next March. Anyone want to join in for the best WRECK diving in thailand which happens to be in the Gulf of Thailand

 

[limbo]

Thanks for the thumbs up guys, that's all I'm looking for and indeed, Steve, no need for slagging contests, we all have better things to do.

Tomorrow off to Chumphon Pinnacle again. Yesterday there were loads of sharks at various depths, even during the safety stop!

Chumphon Pinnacle and Sail Rock are for sure some of the better sites of the Gulf, however, the Lighthouse (Koh Tao) at very shallow depths, between 5 and 2 meters, has some of the most stunning coral around, not only in the Gulf. Marine Park has some good sites as well.

Anyways, hope you guys are busy during the high season!

 

[Arizona]

Peace and harmony finally? It seems the stuff in dive books about seasons being Oct-May in the Andaman and June to late October for Gulf of Siam holds true.

The question is why is Samui so busy right now? Must be more than diving

Arizona

 

[Sandpipa]

Blimey, now I'm more confused than ever... And I'm only looking for a peaceful little holiday!

Only joking...

Thanks for your help, folks... I just need a quiet spot with good diving in Feb/March, so at least I have some ideas now. Cheers!

 

[vondo]

Sandpipa,

I was looking for the exact same thing as you a couple of years ago: a good place to do my AOW. I settled on Koh Phi Phi and really liked it. However, it was still not my definition of "quiet," so if I was going to go to Thailand again, I might head down to Lanta for a while.

I'm not going to get into the comparison of sites here, just to tell you that I really liked my experience.