February 2011

[hogge]

Hi,

we are planning to go to Thailand in Feb/mar 2011. We are 2 divers in my family, me and my son (15y).
I have since this year Advanced and my son has the junior Open Water.

Feb 2010 we where in AoNang and had problems with the water. Swimming and diving was painfull as there was something (??) in the water which fellt like nettle in the water but when we came out of the water it stopped.
This resulted in nearly empty beaches.

So now my question:

We is the best place to go in Thailand in February?
Where can we find nice diving spots for both of us?
We have looked at Phuket, Kao Lak, Ko Samui etc... but we are open for other ideas.

We are planning to stay in a 5***** resort so that the rest of the family can enjoy themselfs.

(we had also the maldives in mind but they are very expensive in February..., so if you have any other great ideas ples let me know)

As the flights are getting full for that period we will decide within the next week.

Regards
Hogge

 

[Quero]

In February I would advise the Andaman Sea side (you mention Phuket and Khao Lak) as opposed to the Gulf of Thailand side (you mention Samui) because of the monsoon season in the Gulf in the winter.

The best way to experience the Andaman is by liveaboard, but that may not be a good choice for your family as not everybody would be diving,and you would either have to make non-divers spend several days on a dive boat or you would have to leave them at the hotel while you spend several overnights on a boat.

You can, however, still dive many of the same great dive sites that the liveaboards visit by making speedboat daytrips out to them. In this case, the best location for you to base yourself at would be Khao Lak.

You might also consider Koh Lanta. There is some really nice diving at depths that your son is permitted to dive to within easy daytrip distance from Lanta. Lots of 5* accommodations are available on that island. You fly in and out of Krabi airport, as you did when you went to Ao Nang.

Phuket is also an option, and as it's possible to dive both the Khao Lak dive sites and the Lanta dive sites, if you plan carefully, as well as have access to our local dive sites, Phuket is a rather central place to base yourself, though the days will get quite long if you travel up to Khao Lak for daytrips or take daytrips way down south.

 

[limbo]

Koh Samui and Koh Tao have actually surprisingly good weather conditions in the period mentioned, this and alsts year weather conditions in both February and March were excellent! Please check the weather archives in my Samui info and weather blog to confirm, only two years the first two weeks of March weren't that great.

You can also check the diving conditions during these months on my dive blog they are in general ok.

For the Andaman Sea, Quero gave some good advice already, maybe you can add Kao Lak and take daily speed boat trips to the Similan islands.

 

[OnTheSpot]

Hi Hogge,

What is on the wish list for the non-divers in your family?

Maybe if you set them up in a place with lots to keep them happy, you and your son could spend a few days on a liveaboard out of Phuket.

Will your son have had his 15th birthday by the time you will be diving? As recommended depth limits won't apply unless you feel they should.

 

[hogge]

Hi,

thank you for the feedback. As it seems right now we will be flying in to Phuket as this seems the cheapest option right now. My son will be 15 when we will dive next year in Thailand. How can we get from Phuket to Kho Lanta?

We have checked some resort websites in around Phuket so that could maybe end up to be our "base"

 

[Scuba Dive Asia]

Hi!

My favorite place in Thailand to dive is The Similan Islands; I will always have a soft spot for Brekfast Bend where I had my most amazing Manta dive. I know most people will mention Koh Bon for Mantas, however, they are spotted all over the islands and I remember an amazing "dance" with this manta that culminated 55 min later while at my safety stop and this Manta jumping completely out of the water. It was "WOW"!
The great thing about the Similans is that it is perfect for beginners with relatively mild currents if at all and clear water. It is full of life and beautiful reefs. There are also many opportunities to go on land.
The best way to do it is definitely on a liveaboard and then you can spend a few days visiting the area.
You wont be disappointed!

Best,

 

[funrecdiver]

I have found this Thailand dive season chart helpful:

(Not sure where I got it... )

 

[Quero]

Hi,

thank you for the feedback. As it seems right now we will be flying in to Phuket as this seems the cheapest option right now. My son will be 15 when we will dive next year in Thailand. How can we get from Phuket to Kho Lanta?

We have checked some resort websites in around Phuket so that could maybe end up to be our "base"

You can go by ferry from Phuket to Lanta or drive overland to Krabi and then take a ferry. That way you could spend some days on Lanta and some on Phuket, or some on Lanta and some at Khao Lak (which you reach overland from Phuket).

 

[funrecdiver]

Here is another Thai dive seasons chart, a bit different than the one above:

I uploaded them to my SB pic gallery just now, FWIW.

 

[stevenl]

Both charts make the same mistakes that all these charts make: they are simply not true.Not possible to dive in Koh Chang from June till September? Not possible to dive on Koh Tao in November and December? Koh Lanta no diving in summer? Big difference between Phuket/Krabi and Phi Phi? etc.