Diving Phi Phi

[Scuba Susie]

Hey you smart and travelled divers,
My group and I are scheduled to dive 6 days on Phi Phi in March. We have done the Hawaii, Malaysia, Sipidan scene and was wondering how Phi Phi compares. I am really looking forward to a warm water, white sand beaches and lovely cocktails kinda vacation. Just wondering what to expect with the diving? All info. welcome.
Thanks
Susie

 

[Traminer]

6 days is a long time to be based in Phi Phi... guess u can make a day diving at the Phi Phi sites, 2 day trip out to Hin Daeng/Hin Muang, 1 day to Racha Noi, 1 day to King cruiser/Koh Bidak/Anemone Reef but you'll soon run out of places to go. Diving in the Phuket/Phi Phi area is good but there are better dive sites in the Similians, Bali, Sipadan or the Philippines.

Phi Phi is a nice place to laze tho u'll have to share your sand beach with the crowds in March.

 

[Quero]

Hi Susie. In comparison to Hawaii, expect Phi Phi to have warmer water and *lots* more fish. Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are known for big fish encounters, so make sure to get some dives in there. Compared to east-coast Malaysia, you will find deeper dives and a mix of boulder fields, small walls and sloping reefs. You will almost certainly do some dives at the Koh Bida pair of islands, which feature these kinds of terrain. In comparison to Sipadan, you will find no muck diving and the weird critters that inhabit those places, but there will still be plenty of wonderful macro life to be found including nudis of many kinds and ornate ghost pipefish, among others. Don't worry, you run little risk of getting bored or running out of dive sites, though you will know the area fairly well by the time your week is up. By March our season is beginning to wind down, so while there will still be plenty of people from all over the world on the island, it probably won't be elbow-to-elbow divers on the boats.

 

[drbill]

I spent two weeks diving there in 2001 (pre tsunami) and would love to have spent two more. Thoroughly enjoyed Phi Phi, both the native Thai aspects and the farangs (sp?) like myself but from all over the world.

Diving ranged from spectacular to zero vis (King Cruiser wreck when my DM misread the tide tables, but we still had fun).

 

[Scuba Susie]

Quero and Dr. Bill,
Thank you so much for your thoughts. I know you guys are "vetrans" of the Board so I really respect what you have to say. I am so looking forward to warm water diving, I can almost taste it!
Thanks again,
Susie

 

[chocolate]

Hi Susie. In comparison to Hawaii, expect Phi Phi to have warmer water and *lots* more fish. Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are known for big fish encounters, so make sure to get some dives in there. Compared to east-coast Malaysia, you will find deeper dives and a mix of boulder fields, small walls and sloping reefs. You will almost certainly do some dives at the Koh Bida pair of islands, which feature these kinds of terrain. In comparison to Sipadan, you will find no muck diving and the weird critters that inhabit those places, but there will still be plenty of wonderful macro life to be found including nudis of many kinds and ornate ghost pipefish, among others. Don't worry, you run little risk of getting bored or running out of dive sites, though you will know the area fairly well by the time your week is up. By March our season is beginning to wind down, so while there will still be plenty of people from all over the world on the island, it probably won't be elbow-to-elbow divers on the boats.

Hi, I'm thinking about PhiPhi / Phuket during Easter. However is the weather and water like at that time? Also, to go to PhiPhi, one basically have to go from Phuket, right?
How do the 2 places match up against each other?

 

[Quero]

Hi, I'm thinking about PhiPhi / Phuket during Easter. However is the weather and water like at that time? Also, to go to PhiPhi, one basically have to go from Phuket, right?
How do the 2 places match up against each other?

Sorry, but don't have Easter dates...probably early April? That will be the end of our high season. Rains generally begin in May, but diving is still good. You should be okay, weather-wise, but it does vary from year to year.

You can catch a ferry to Phi Phi either from Phuket or from Krabi.

Phi Phi is a small, laid-back island with little infrastructure beyond what is needed to take care of tourists--just lodging, dive shops, bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Some of the dive sites are the same ones as visited by day trip boats from Phuket, but it is a lot easier to go to Hin Daeng/Hin Muang on a daytrip from Phi Phi than it is from Phuket. Phuket is a big island with many towns and villages. Most of these are simple Thai towns. Some of the towns are basically devoted to tourists (Patong, Kata, Karon), but other parts of the island are more rural. From Phuket you have a large selection of liveaboard boats going out to the Similans, and also day trips both to the islands to the south towards Phi Phi as well as to the Similans (though most Similans daytrips really set out from nearby Khao Lak, so you need to take a van from Phuket). I suppose it just depends on what kind of dive holiday you are looking for.

 

[Traminer]

Hi Quero... just so you're prepared for the usual onslaught of customers from Singapore and HK, Easter next year is Fri Apr 6 to Sun 8. The Hongkies are getting a super long weekend with Apr 5 being Ching Ming Festival till Apr 9 for Easter Monday. Hope the weather will hold for Phuket.. I had fantastic weather for Easter this year.