Latest entry requirement to Thailand

[dumpsterpurrs]

"Cattle boat" is very common in Phuket because not all the operators can afford to run a boat. You have to be very careful.
Night dive at Kata Brach?

Not yet. I might move to Kata after my first LOB.
Yah I thought the cattle boats in Panglao and Koh Lanta were the worst it could be, by a long mile. I promise I'll never again complain about having to share a boat with a dozen other divers. My "norm" used to be, like, three to five beside me. Which means you'd also get to dive much, much longer than 50mins, as long as your air lasts. I don't mind ascending with 90BAR if the dive lasts 60-70mins. Today in Phi Phi, I got thumbed up with 110-130BAR left each time.

If you know a dive operator in Phuket with a smaller boat running regular trips, please lmk!

Do a liveaboard once you finish the sandbox. I was at Richelieu Rock two weeks ago, half the time we were the only boat there, and a half-full boat at that. A dozen or so divers over the entire site.

Thanks for the reassurance! I indeed panicked a bit today thinking this whole trip would be so excruciating. I have ten days of LOB booked, starting Feb 11.

 

[Dan]

I've been in Phuket for 2 days. Transiting in Singapore was the best as usual, though 2/3 of the shops and restaurants were closed (including my favorite bakwa shop ). Arriving in Phuket was very easy and pleasant. My corner in Chalong is dead quiet, though I'm not sure if it's the place or bc of COVID.

I just did my first day today to Phi Phi. Diving was alright, the boat was nice, people were nice, the dive shop amazing, but I got so overwhelmed by the sheer number of divers (they said divers + all crew = 60 heads total). We were always the only boat around, yet every dive site still felt over crowded. I'm really struggling with the experience. I live in one of the biggest metropolitan areas of Southeast Asia. I go diving to avoid people, not to be around even more than I have to at home. Next time when looking for a place to go, I'll really need to research whether diving is done from these massive cattle boats.

@Dan , have you been diving since you got here? Now I have zero doubt diving from a private yacht would be THE way to go. Btw, if you're free on Feb 10, these guys are looking to put together a tiny group (>3) for a special trip of 2 extended dives. They can go anytime of the day, anywhere we want. I just need to do my PCR test that morning. They'll probably do another one next week but they don't have the date yet.

I’m on Phuket Sandbox program, so I need to stay in Phuket for 7 days before I am allowed to go out of Phuket. Besides, the yacht is still on dry dock for annual maintenance. It’s scheduled to be back in the water and heading out to Similan on the 14th.

Thanks for Feb 10 diving invitation. Unfortunately I have booked to go on a day-boat diving in Racha Island that day.

I’ll be free from the 11th to the 13th, but you will be on a liveaboard already by then. So, nevermind, we just don’t have the right timing for diving together.

 

[Barmaglot]

My "norm" used to be, like, three to five beside me. Which means you'd also get to dive much, much longer than 50mins, as long as your air lasts. I don't mind ascending with 90BAR if the dive lasts 60-70mins.

60 minutes is the norm for boat dives here because the boats have a schedule to keep. Shore dives are generally more relaxed; I was doing 90+ minute dives with Charles from Kiwi Divers at Kata Beach.

Today in Phi Phi, I got thumbed up with 110-130BAR left each time.

You must've great air consumption I just looked at my logs from Phi Phi, and I see myself coming up with 60-70 bar after 50-55 minutes, starting with 190-200 bar, max depth around 20m. Granted, I'm dragging around a large camera rig, but still.

 

[Centrals]

If you know a dive operator in Phuket with a smaller boat running regular trips, please lmk!

Supply and demand.
I would not be at all surprised that even those operators with their own boat will take outsiders just to fill it up.
You are already on the Island so just ask around. Check the daily schedule from various operators because the selection is pretty small.

I am hoping someone with much better local knowledge will chip in with his expert suggestion.

 

[Centrals]

I live in one of the biggest metropolitan areas of Southeast Asia.

Where else could it be Manila or Jakarta? Since you had asked question on diving in Philippines.

 

[Dan]

@Dan , have you been diving since you got here? Now I have zero doubt diving from a private yacht would be THE way to go.

No I haven’t because we were busy in preparing the yacht for the trip to Similan & Surin Islands. Besides it’s still in dry dock for the annual service, we also have a new captain who is not familiar with navigating to the dive sites around Similan & Surin islands. So we had to hire a local dive guide and captain to assist our captain to navigate to those dive sites. With the helps of @Barmaglot who have been here awhile and @stevenl who lives in this area, we were able to recruit a local guide (dive instructor) and his captain for assisting our captain in navigating to those dive sites.

Thank you @Barmaglot and @stevenl

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

2nd day diving, we went to Koh Dok Mai, King Cruiser, and Shark Point. ALL of the dives were mind-blowing. I much, much prefer these to Phi Phi. I was on the same boat as yesterday but far fewer divers, I was so relieved. All around a better diving day, except on every.single.dive, one of my insta-buddies always started sharing air with the DM at around 20-30 mins, each time I still had 140BAR, and we couldn't ever get to 50mins even though I never went below 100BAR and the other insta-buddy still had quite a lot of leftover air too. I'm trying to book those two-dive trips with longer dive time next week.

You must've great air consumption I just looked at my logs from Phi Phi, and I see myself coming up with 60-70 bar after 50-55 minutes, starting with 190-200 bar, max depth around 20m. Granted, I'm dragging around a large camera rig, but still.

I used to say it's because I'm a tiny Southeast Asian. After 2 years of formidable pandemic weight gain, I must now drop the "tiny" part xD

Where else could it be Manila or Jakarta? Since you had asked question on diving in Philippines.

Ohhh I don't hate myself that much yet. We have very bad daily traffic jams in Sai Gon too, but I can never begin to fathom the scale of traffic jams and the length people go to overcome them in Manila, Jakarta, or Bangkok. Could move to any of them for either my work or my ex's work, but we decided Sai Gon was the most chaos we could handle. Is it fair to say Sai Gon ranked 4th in terms of metropolitan chaos in Southeast Asia, after MNL, JKT, and BK? Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are a lot more metropolitan by many long miles, but in a way they are also more orderly and it's not impossible to avoid crowds. They aren't the sensory overload hell that encompasses the Big Three.

@Dan, have a great trip! You make me daydream about owning a mini dive yacht too ^^

 

[Centrals]

Saigon!
It was chaotic on my first and last visit in 1992. The "cyclo" was the culprit and now probably the scooter[same issue in Republic of China(Taiwan)].

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Saigon!
It was chaotic on my first and last visit in 1992. The "cyclo" was the culprit and now probably the scooter[same issue in Republic of China(Taiwan)].

That was a VERY different time! Wow I can't imagine how it was back then, before the US lifted sanctions in 1994, compared with now. Cyclos are no more, maybe only tourist ones in Ha Noi? Lots of scooters, but also cars. It's been thirty years, maybe time to revisit? Taipei is actually quite orderly now, given the mass of people there anw. It feels more crowded than KL for sure but still very chill. Taiwan is my favorite place in the region. The diving there can be lovely too. I prefer diving in Lyudao than anywhere in Viet Nam.

 

[Centrals]

That was a VERY different time! Wow I can't imagine how it was back then, before the US lifted sanctions in 1994, compared with now. Cyclos are no more, maybe only tourist ones in Ha Noi? Lots of scooters, but also cars. It's been thirty years, maybe time to revisit? Taipei is actually quite orderly now, given the mass of people there anw. It feels more crowded than KL for sure but still very chill. Taiwan is my favorite place in the region. The diving there can be lovely too. I prefer diving in Lyudao than anywhere in Viet Nam.

A big tank on the roof to fill up the radiator by gravity because the water pump did not work, very common sight.
Orchid Island is nice but the shore dives is very taxing on your body strength to negotiate the walk in through the volcanic rock. Super thick sole is absolutely necessary.