warmachine67:
I am trying to plan a Phuket/Phi-Phi trip. Does anyone recommend any agencies that specialize in diving in Thailiand?
Thanks for any help,
Warren
Phuket has dive shope everywhere, try Siam dive n sail, Bent and Joh will sort you out. See Bees is very highly recomended the Course Diretor, Chris Owen is a good friend of mine. nice boats (lthough bright yellow) and good trips. Viking of the Orient is the nicest boat going t the similans, however their trips might be cancelled, likewise check out the second nicest, Mermaid 2.
From Phuket they have these trips. 1 day speedboat to the similans: don't bother as the journey is hell, organisation crap, the best/only way for the similans is a liveaboard. easy to organise when your there.
Shark Point is OK, lots of current, not so great vis and named due to formation of rocks NOT abundance of leopard sharks. there are good nudibranches and seahorses on SW corner, sometimes turtes and ribbon eels. sharks re there sometimes.
King Cruiser wreck is a terrible dive. vis averages 5 mtrs, big currents, and due tothe collapseing ship (you can hear it creek) its too dangerous to enter.
Ratcha yai and Noi are pretty good for local trips from Phuket.
Hin Daeng ad Hin Muang, fantastic. Horrid journey (from Phuket 2 hours by bumpy speedboat) but awesome dives, Manta's everywhere, if you look at the reef you often see leopard sharks (I say that cos many just look for mantas). juvenile angelfish, ghost pipefish, blotched sting rays, huge schools of trevally and baraccudas and batfish. Awesome vis, everything is awesome around tere, twice I have recorded 2 seperate Whale sharks on the same dive (best dive there was 7 antas and 2 whale sharks!!! for me, its better than Richeleau Rock. Also crawling with morays and cuttlefish and just everything!!
PP as an island is off limits due to the Tsunami. I was working there when it hit, so this is all first hand knowledge. Many friends are buried there too. However, from Phuket (and Krabi, you can still dive their sites. Bida Nok and Bida Nai are fantastic, leopard sharks, black tips, Bamboo sharks, often on every dive. Sea Horses, octopus, massive schools of barraccuda, ghost pipefish, morays, stingrays, and the odd whaleshark. these are aas good as the similans, except the vis averages around 15mtrs. hopefully your guide will be an ex PP worker, because we know all the hidden stuff and jelously guarded it!!!!
despite the Tsunami, Phuket and Krabi are working fine and really need your business. have a great trip.
