Monsoon season In Phuket

[crease123]

I'm planning to spend a month or two next year around June (my school holidays) to do my DM course in Phuket. The problem is, its right smack in the mosoon season. Is it still advisable to go, as that period is about the only time I can afford 1-2 mths away from my country. What are the likely problems that I might encounter if I still go ahead.

Anyone heard of White-and-blue Dive club at Phuket? If so, any comments?

Thanks alot guys.

 

[Batfish]

The problem is, its right smack in the mosoon season. Is it still advisable to goQUOTE]


Hi crease123.

Arguments rage about the weather. The idea of the "monsoon" season really puts people off coming to Phuket from May - October, but in reality you get more sun than rain, more good than bad. The weather is unpredictable. For example, September is the wettest month of the year on average. But the last few days here have been as nice as any time of the year.

In order to prove my point, I have made a weather page on our web site, with updates as often as possible. If it rains I say so, if it's sunny, it says sunny. In case someone thinks I make it up to try and attract customers, I found another weather page made by a local expat resident with no business interest and no reason to tell porky pies.

See

www.sunrise-divers.com/weather.htm

www.alexmalcom.net/weather.html

The only true thing about the "low" season, is that the diving is more limited. There are very few trips to the Similan Islands, nothing to Surin Islands or Burma. These destinations are too far to go in case of bad weather, and with the unpredictable nature of the weather in the summer, trips are not scheduled. Day trips continue year round and are very rarely cancelled. Can't think of any days being cancelled this year.

So enjoy your time and bring a rain coat for those wet days!

 

[underwater daphne]

but that's just for regular diving. will there be enough customers for a dm course?

 

[crease123]

Ya exactly my thoughts as well. Plus theres the recent news of 3 singaporeans dieing while in Phuket. Apparently, they are only at waist-level waters when the underwater currents swept them away. That must be one huge underwater current.

My concern is...safety, whether the dive trips will still be good, and the crowd there. Glad if anyone could answer these.

 

[underwater daphne]

personally, i don't know what monsoon is like on phuket, but i know the monsoon on tioman. i would never go diving then. the sea is usually very high and the whole beach disapears when the waves break. apart from that the weather is very unpredictable, you don't know what it might look like above after spending almost an hour below.
my sister thinks a bit differently about monsoon and claims that there are a lot of sunny and nice days, i don't know if she would dive during monsoon though. i just remember the storms.

ps and sunny doesn't mean the sea is calm!

 

[Batfish]

Yup, not a huge number of customers in the low season, at least not at our shop, but some of the "big" dive centres still have a lot. If you say you have have a couple of months, that's good. Personally I think you should take as much time as you can (and the dive centre will allow you), get as many dives as possible.

Every year people drown at Phukets beaches due to undertow and rip currents. At Karon Beach there are red flags flying but people ignore them. Some days the beach is pretty calm, other days it can be wavy. The beach at Karon is unprotected and waves can be alot bigger than Kata or Patong. Generally we can't do any beach dives in the summer, though some dive shops close to the beach will do them on good days at Kata beach which is well protected and generally has no strong currents.

See the next post for a report of drownings from the Phuket Gazette.

The seas vary from "pretty calm" to "bouncy" but sounds like Tioman has it worse. I've not seen beaches disappearing here and like I say, a cancelled day trip is very rare. Sea sickness pills are a good idea, though.

Enough about the weather! For a DM course, you might just want to consider going to the "other side" in June. Koh Tao is never short of adventurous young travelers, and June is high season there, isn't it?

 

[Batfish]

From the Phuket Gazette :

Monday, September 6, 2004

Saudi drowns at Laem Singh


KAMALA: Phuket’s rainy season surf has claimed another life, this time that of 27-year-old dentist Abdullah Alamri from Saudi Arabia.

Pol Col Chawalit Niemwadee, Deputy Superintendent of Kathu Police Station, told the Gazette that Mr Alamri drowned while trying to rescue a woman who was in difficulties off Laem Singh Beach on Tuesday, the same day that a French visitor died at Surin Beach.

The woman survived but Mr Alamri’s body was found on the beach two days later.

It seemed likely, Col Chawalit said, that Mr Alamri had been struck by cramp, causing him to drown.

Mr Alamri’s brother arrived in Phuket on Saturday to take his body home to Saudi Arabia for burial.

Mr Alamri’s death brings to five the number of people drowned in Phuket’s waters in just five days. In addition to the death of the Frenchman, on August 27, a 53-year-old Italian tourist died at Laem Singh and three days later two Singaporean tourists drowned off Karon Beach.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp