Most Similian liveaboards are a SCAM

[mrstein]

OK
Now I am a troll................

I come on here and express what happend in the similians and now I am banned a troll.

What does chasing girls have anything to do with diving ?????

I realize that Thailand isnt the Sex capitol of the world at all Sorry I was wrong again.

GO to Thailand and Dive and be your own judge??????

As in any board its always the same posters that defend the gate at all cost.

If any of you really read all of the replies you will see that someone else also mentioned that the similians is all dived out.

Be hey go and see for yourself Just ask a lot of questions.

No worries its all good.

Mrstein

 

[Kim]

GO to Thailand and Dive and be your own judge??????

I didn't say you were a troll - only that a)trolling isn't allowed and b)posts that are this aggressive can be seen that way.
I have said that you might have been unfortunate in your experience compared to others that I have read - and my own actual experience there. You appear to be very angry about it all and maybe from that you are painting a rather broad brush that puts down far more than the one operation that you have experience with. Why? Many people HAVE been to Thailand and don't share your conclusions (including me) - why does that upset you so? No-one is getting at you - just trying to work out why you had such a bad time and attempting to balance out your statements in case others simply believe your one opinion and get a wrong idea about what it's like there. If you ever go again do a boat like the Mermaid 2 - I can guarantee from my own experience that you'll have a much better time on it than you had with the South Siam 3.

 

[drbill]

Just because I chase hookers doesnt mean that I dont know what time of day it is.

Gee, I usually chase them at night. I don't need Nooners.

I guess being honest on an Ultra conservative board cant benifit most ????????

Ultra conservative? I guess you don't know me very well. I'm the bane of most conservatives on most issues and very highly charged when it comes to the topic of... er, sex.

Its funny when posts do arrive in such a manner of stirring up the pot It amazes me on How many experts come out of the WOODS.

It seems you did the initial stirring... we're just trying to temper what appears to be nearly libel.

The similians overall is a Joke and becasue so many of You think its great thats cool with me.

Ha ha... seems the joke is on you!

The couple that I meet onboard was divemasters from England that thought the excat same way as I did.So please dont preach to me as How you would have done things.

I don't think anyone is denying that you and other divers may have had a bad experience on THIS trip. It just isn't fair to label "MOST" Similan liveaboards based on your singular experience.

Diving anywhere could be great or suck

The only thing that sucks when I'm diving is my mouth on the reg!

People are Sick of getting ripped off and lied too.

You have to do your homework. I've had almost 100% good experiences because I do that. Check SB and other boards or Undercurrents Chap Book before you decide where to go.

Its funny watch the posters who Flame me up all over the place most of them have something to lose in a sense.

I have nothing to lose but a few (?) extra pounds I gained over the holidays.

Dont get up in the hype of so called experts that have dove all over Most of them couldnt beat there way out of a paper bag.

Oh really? Of course I'm sure you could because you're beating this dead horse to death.

 

[Blackfish]

The point of all of this is fairly obvious, caveat emptor.

It is a bummer to get stuck on a boat that caters to beginner divers & backpackers if that isn't what you expected. On the other hand, getting a 4 day dive trip, 16 dives, and meals for $400, works out to $25/dive, without accounting for meals or accomodations, etc. I dunno, but having planned a liveaboard trip, the first thing I looked at was the capacity of the boat, number of divers/divemaster, dive policies (i.e., solo diving, photogs, buddies, time restrictions). It was obvious that the less expensive trips had more divers, fewer DMs, etc. No offense, but shame on you for not asking the obvious questions.

I had a miserable day of diving on the Pacific Coast of Mexico a couple of years back---we got a DM who liked to fin along at 80' as fast as possible so that the big SOB (me) would burn through his AL80 ASAP. I like to dive slow and this sucked. The second dive, I got permission to dive with my buddy/wife and skip the DM tour, but from the owner not the DM since I don't speak enough Spanish to communicate that thought well. He "caught" us, shot a nasty glare, gave me a gesture that clearly meant follow me, and proceeded to fin off into the gloom. We followed, but he proceeded to loose about half the group due to the low vis. I was pretty happy that it was only one day of diving and not a week.

All of this, after researching a shop with pretty decent reviews on Undercurrents. Turns out, speedy was the substitute DM and the regular guy & owner was travelling. The shop apologized and appreciated my observations. Oh well---Mexico's Pacific Coast doesn't have great diving anyway, right!?!. I'm headed to Cozumel, La Paz or Bonaire next time I head that way---Indo first.

Best all--

 

[Quero]

My first Similans liveaboard dive trip was done with South Siam several years ago (before they got the two new boats). At that time I was living in a different country in the region, and we had a long holiday weekend there that I took advantage of to come to Phuket for diving. As it turned out, the only Similans option available to me (because of sailing dates of other boats, the fact that it was high season and many boats were fully booked) was South Siam by way of speedboat.

On that trip I experienced a taste of what Mrstein complains of in terms of crowded conditions on the boat and in the water, incautious divers, a couple of inexperienced DMs.... Although I enjoyed myself, I decided to avoid South Siam as a fun diver on future trips. I agree with what some others have said: you get what you pay for. I didn't feel that South Siam misrepresented what they offered--it was a budget trip, warts and all. They cater for a particular market segment, and do a brisk business with it.

My subsequent Similans trips have been with other operators, mainly because I prefered to dive with people whose primary purpose for traveling to Phuket was to dive, I was looking for less crowded boat conditions, and I hoped for fewer divers in the water. In every case, on boats ranging from budget to pricey, I've found that for the parameters I've listed, I have indeed got what I paid for. Regardless of the price of the boat (whether a day boat or a liveaboard), I must add that I have found (with a very few exceptions) the dive staff of all the boats to be competent and professional.

As for the diving itself, sure you can try to compare places you like with the Similans. Every place has its interesting aspects. In the Similans you may not see crowds of pelagics on every dive, but the scenery is outstanding, the reef fish are abundant, the viz is great, and the water is warm. I love diving the Similans and think that in general, the diving out of Phuket deserves its place among the top dive spots of the world.

 

[Zippsy]

What's wrong with generalizations? Everyone posting here seems to think there bad. I happen to know for a fact that all guys who chase hookers write long-winded indecipherable diatribes that are based on a single incident but are able to can be extrapolated to refer to universal truths about the cosmos.

And I just found out the Mrs Tein means Mrs Listen in Chinese. How ironic.

 

[Batfish]

So, the final score.

Similan haters - 1
Similan lovers - everyone else

I like what Quero said :

As for the diving itself, sure you can try to compare places you like with the Similans. Every place has its interesting aspects. In the Similans you may not see crowds of pelagics on every dive, but the scenery is outstanding, the reef fish are abundant, the viz is great, and the water is warm. I love diving the Similans and think that in general, the diving out of Phuket deserves its place among the top dive spots of the world.

Mr Stein, I KNOW you are considering another trip. I really suggest you try again on a decent boat with way fewer guests and more experienced divers. I think if you went on a boat like Colona VI, or the Queen Scuba or The Junk, to name but a few, you would have a great trip.

Or maybe a Burma trip on a boat like the Faah Yai. Only 10 guests, uncrowded waters, and a tour leader who knows every fish personally.

Y'all have a good day.

 

[mrstein]

No doubt about it I will be doing the Burmas for sure.

Its just ashame that dive shops dont tell the whole story to patrons.

It is what it is.

Mrstein

IN English Mrstein means chasing Young hookers all over the world,now that is what I call a Sport :}}}}}}

 

[MoonWrasse]

No doubt about it I will be doing the Burmas for sure.

Its just ashame that dive shops dont tell the whole story to patrons.

It is what it is.

Mrstein

IN English Mrstein means chasing Young hookers all over the world,now that is what I call a Sport :}}}}}}

No, as I've already posted it means "something you pour beer in".
Tip: Avoid the Chang beer. Stick with Tiger and you'll have a better time

 

[SteveDiver]

No doubt about it I will be doing the Burmas for sure.

Its just ashame that dive shops dont tell the whole story to patrons.

It is what it is.

Mrstein

IN English Mrstein means chasing Young hookers all over the world,now that is what I call a Sport :}}}}}}

We just booked the MV South Siam III April 25-26 now I am concerned... Do they regulate the number of people on the boat at one time??? I have to go with an open mind. I read on the website about the speed boat and other divers arriving throughout the day. I hope to have a great time and all I want to do is get my dives in...Regardless this is my vacation and I will have to make the best of it...If all else fails I will go to our cabin and catch up on some sleep after touring Thialand for three weeks..