Ouvea Fiji and Thailand

[getwet]

Here's a diving freak looking to get in touch with people living in Ouvea, Thailand and Fiji? Need some advices and tips on those places.

Thanks,

 

[champ]

I was in Thailand last year Jan 15 - Feb 3. We went diving in Phuket and Koh Sumui. Phuket is a cool place with lots of things to do - one negative is that most of the hotels are not right on the beach (just a short walk). A day dive is an all day experience, you take a shuttle bus for 45 min to the main dock. You wait a bit before hoping on a LARGE slow cattle boat. You leave your hotel at 8 am and get back around 6:30. The diving was nice but vis was poor. Note that all the dive shops use the same boats - so walk off the strip to find a dive shop with the best prices (we paid $35 for 2 tank dives).

Koh Sumui is a fun little island - my favorite. You can get nice small huts right on the beach cheap. Little tuk tuk buses can take you anywhere. Koh Sumui also involved long boat trips - if you do go, ask to do Champun Pinicle. Unfortunaltly the vis was not too good on Koh Sumui when we were there.

When I go back to Thailand I will do a liveaboard to the Similan Islands (you take a car north of Phuket to the boats). The diving here is the best.

 

[RSdiver]

Make sure you dive Richielieu Rock
It is a pinnacle that rises up and crests the surface - you can find lots there from dense small stuff to Giant Mantas (after Jan) and Whale Sharks

I've been on several Liveaboards; including Similan Islands and all the way up to Burma on a 10 day trip - Richielieu is tops!