Need Advice on Diving in Thailand!

[ChappyDiver]

Hi All,

My boyfriend and I will be venturing on a 1 month whirwind backpacking trip through Thailand and Indonesia in November. I know that Nov also happens to be monsoon season and isn’t the best conditions for diving, but unfortunately it’s also the only chunk of time we could both take off of work.

We need some advice on where to dive during our trip! Right now, all we have booked are our round-trip flights (flying into BKK 11/3 and out of Bali 12/1) and we’re completely open to shaping our route south through Thailand to accommodate the best diving spots, so here’s a little bit about us and a few questions:


About Us and What We Want:
We’re young backpackers, both AOW with just over 100 dives each, so it’s a little tricky because we REALLY value a good diving experience, but still want to have a fun and vibrant “land-life” as much as possible.

Ko Tao?
So far it seems the best mix of good diving and fun atmosphere is Ko Tao, but I’ve read some horror trip reports about the “dive-factories” rushing tons of students through dive courses and treating people badly; we’d really like to steer clear of that! Overall, we’d much prefer smaller, more experienced dive groups with staff that respect you and your gear. Does anyone have specific recommendations for dive-ops there that fit the bill?

If not Ko Tao, Then Where?
I’ve also read some posts that swear by Phi Phi (more expensive, but is perhaps less affected by the monsoon season?), Pattaya, Phuket and others… where else can we find the best mix of good diving, weather and nightlife?

Booking and Accommodation
We’ll probably stay for 3-4 days in one of those bungalows associated with dive-shop packages. How far in advance should we book with the dive shop in order to secure a spot on the boat and/or get decent accommodations?

Bringing Our Dive Gear?
We both have all our own gear, but since we’ll be backpacking we figured we’d just bring our regs and masks (pretty much everything else we can rent, right?) Unless someone knows of a reliable way to ship our gear there (from US) and back without fear of it getting lost forever in customs…

Thank you all SO much in advance for any help and advice!!

 

[QBit]

If it were me, I would rent all my diving gear... ( I like traveling with as little as possible, it gives me "peace of mind" )

And, I would save my dives for Indonesia! ( IMO diving is far better there than in Thailand... )

 

[OnTheSpot]

I would definitely schedule in a liveaboard trip to dive in Similan Islands and the northern sites - November should offer excellent visibility and stunning marine sightings.

A great budget option for a four night trip is MV Dolphin Queen but book soon as she is very popular and her trips fill up. Equipment is inlcuded in the price of the trip but I would bring mask, snorkel, computer and fins if you can fit them in.

This video should pursuade you not to miss diving in the Similan Islands.

How are you going to travel to Bali? Lots of choice for diving in Bali.

Have an excellent trip.

 

[stevenl]

November is not monsoon season on the West Coast. Plus the Similans offer the best diving has to offer, so I would recommend going there, preferably on a liveaboard. For a budget trip, I would recommend Manta Queen or Manta Queen II.

 

[Phuket diver]

I would recommend you the west coast of Thailand, it's the beginning of the season in the Similans. On Koh Tao side it's the beginning of the rainy season.

For your equipment, personally I like to use my own equipment but most of the dive operations in Thailand have very good equipment rental. I would probably take your wetsuit....

Take a look at our website, we have two liveaboards in the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Hin Deang and Hin Mueng,Koh Phi Phi, Koh Ha. We offer trips from 2 days/1 night to as long as you want on one boat and 4days/4 nights and 3 days/3 nights on the other one. We have a special offer if you book before mid-October (15% discount).

Double check with the weather in Bali, it's the beginning of the rainy season.

 

[DevonDiver]

About Us and What We Want:
You are both relatively experienced divers...and you are visiting the region with the best diving in the world. Indonesia has better diving than Thailand, so I would suggest that you focused more of your allocated 'diving time' to there.

A lot of the Koh Tao dive sites are 'basic' training sites. They are fun, but not comparable to the selection available on the west coast, or in Indonesia. The deeper Tao sites, such as Chumporn Pinnacle and South-West Pinnacle, are world-class and enjoyable for divers of any experience level.

Ko Tao?
The rainy season starts about that time in Koh Tao. If it starts, it will vary from a brief 1 hour rainstorm every afternoon to, at worst, all-day torrential rain that floods the island, kills visibility in the sea and makes 90% of the dive sites off limits. If Tao was an option, you should definitely check the weather reports once you are in the region...and be prepared to change plans if necessary...such is the flexibility of backpacking

There ARE some nice 'boutique' dive shops on Koh Tao, that will offer a more personal service to experienced divers and visit the better dive sites. Do avoid the sausage factories....

Koh Tao is famous for the relaxed and trendy 'barefoot' vibe. It's predominantly a diver's island and one of the least commercialised beach locations in Thailand. It is also close to the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan... which allow further exploration and, if you time it right, a visit to the famous Full Moon Party (if you like that sort of thing...).

Given your experience as divers, the possible weather at that time...and the fact you will be touring around other diving areas in Thailand/Indonesia, then I would not recommend a trip there specifically for diving. If you were going to visit Phangan and/or Samui anyway... then it'd certainly make sense to stop at Tao for a few dives.

If not Ko Tao, Then Where?
If visiting the west coast of Thailand, I would recommend investigating a liveaboard. These can be quite cheap and offer great value for money. The best west coast sites are 'off shore'...and only liveaboards offer access to those. You'll visit some amazing sites and get great service. Phuket and Koh Lanta are good destinations for that.

Personally, I would aim to do as much diving as possible in Indonesia. That place is awesome. Do some research on the dive destinations there and you will see what I mean. It's also a great place for underwater photography.... so consider getting a housing for your camera if you don't already own one!!

Booking and Accommodation
Don't book in advance if going to Koh Tao. Certainly during off-season the resorts and dive centres will be competing for your booking. Arrive and then tour the main 'strip' along Sairee Beach.... you'll get a mega-cheap offer including diving and accomodation.

Bringing Our Dive Gear?
The rental gear can be variable in quality around Thailand and Indonesia. Bring as much as you can. I normally travel with my dive kit.... but then I travel specifically to dive...and I have tailored my kit to be lightweight for this purpose. Regulators are definitely a good idea, as are masks. If you can pack a BCD even better...I'vce seen some pretty 'threadbare' examples rented out in Asia. A simple set of pocket foot-fins are easy to pack...and having those (plus a mask) will enable you to enjoy snorkelling anytime you want. Don't worry so much about wetsuit these aren't as 'safety critical'. In many locations, you won't even need a wetsuit.... so you may want to consider packing a rashguard.

 

[Quero]

What's more important, the diving or the partying?

If the diving is your top priority, I completely agree with the responses above--you should spend your Thailand time on a liveaboard to the Similans. The budget-class boats tend to attract a young crowd, so you'll enjoy that.

But you can't really party hard on a liveaboard and safely do the kind of intensive diving that takes place on a typical trip. So if partying is a high priority, and you still want a day or two of fairly good dives then you should consider doing local diving from Phuket (stay in Patong for the party atmosphere) or from Phi Phi (more expensive lodging, food, etc.).

If partying is your top priority and doing a few dives is just icing on the cake, Tao would make sense. There are smaller shops on Tao that could take good care of you. Some SB members who currently work there regularly check this forum, so look out for answers from them with more specific information.