Which Operators Are Doing Phuket Daytrips During The Pandemic

[lowwall]

Welcome to Phuket dash Scuba, your personal divecenter on Phuket. is Steven's shop. I can personally recommend his services. He was my guide on several day trips and I watched him instruct my friend through his open water course. I've also used his shop to book 2 liveaboard trips to the Similans.

Phuket is a little bit unusual in that the day trips are on large boats that for the most part just provide transportation. The local shops provide the guides, tanks and any gear and can book with any of the boats. That's why you see the same boats on multiple dive shop websites.

 

[JonnieB]

Welcome to Phuket dash Scuba, your personal divecenter on Phuket. is Steven's shop. I can personally recommend his services. He was my guide on several day trips and I watched him instruct my friend through his open water course. I've also used his shop to book 2 liveaboard trips to the Similans.

Phuket is a little bit unusual in that the day trips are on large boats that for the most part just provide transportation. The local shops provide the guides, tanks and any gear and can book with any of the boats. That's why you see the same boats on multiple dive shop websites.

Thank you...I've been diving in Phuket for 15 years so am pretty well versed on how things operate, including a couple liveaboards to the Similans. I had not been up here for awhile so my OP was for information of which shops are still open during this Covid period, where up to 80% of all businesses (not just dive shops and boats) are closed. I have now been here over two weeks and know pretty much who is open and what boats are going out.

As for Steven's shop, I understand he's a board member and certainly has the right to tout his services (I assume board rules permit this) but I am still unclear as to the nature of his services? Is he a private dive guide, instructor, or both? I assume his shop books walk-ins on boats with which he has contract arrangements...so in that sense is no different than any of the many smaller shops on the island. I prefer to book directly with the boat I'll be on...like Seabees. Sure they take referrals but you can also book directly with them. As for instruction, I'm not looking to take any classes at the moment, as the next step for me would be professional development and that's not what I'm looking for. Thanks for your input in any case.

 

[Centrals]

I would imagine a PM between both of them is far more appropriate than a open letter.
He might disclose something that he might have get himself into trouble if said it openly!!!!

 

[lowwall]

Thank you...I've been diving in Phuket for 15 years so am pretty well versed on how things operate, including a couple liveaboards to the Similans. I had not been up here for awhile so my OP was for information of which shops are still open during this Covid period, where up to 80% of all businesses (not just dive shops and boats) are closed. I have now been here over two weeks and know pretty much who is open and what boats are going out.

As for Steven's shop, I understand he's a board member and certainly has the right to tout his services (I assume board rules permit this) but I am still unclear as to the nature of his services? Is he a private dive guide, instructor, or both? I assume his shop books walk-ins on boats with which he has contract arrangements...so in that sense is no different than any of the many smaller shops on the island. I prefer to book directly with the boat I'll be on...like Seabees. Sure they take referrals but you can also book directly with them. As for instruction, I'm not looking to take any classes at the moment, as the next step for me would be professional development and that's not what I'm looking for. Thanks for your input in any case.

Steven is both an instructor and guide.

His shop is like all the others in that he can book a boat for your and he gets a commission on bookings even if you don't use his other services. The boats need the shops to stay in business (since the shops do all the dive training), so they follow the model where you pay the same for the boat whether you book through a shop or directly. Like how travel agencies used to work.

The advantage of going through Steven - or an independent like him - is that he knows the boats and itineraries first hand and will help you select something that is both safe and a good match for your skills and what you want to accomplish. Believe me, he has no problem sharing his opinion on the different operations in private. Somewhat unusually, Steven also speaks Thai which can speed things up and helps narrow the gap between what operators promise and what they deliver.

 

[JonnieB]

Steven is both an instructor and guide.

His shop is like all the others in that he can book a boat for your and he gets a commission on bookings even if you don't use his other services. The boats need the shops to stay in business (since the shops do all the dive training), so they follow the model where you pay the same for the boat whether you book through a shop or directly. Like how travel agencies used to work.

The advantage of going through Steven - or an independent like him - is that he knows the boats and itineraries first hand and will help you select something that is both safe and a good match for your skills and what you want to accomplish. Believe me, he has no problem sharing his opinion on the different operations in private. Somewhat unusually, Steven also speaks Thai which can speed things up and helps narrow the gap between what operators promise and what they deliver.

I'm sure this is a valuable service for the casual visiting diver to Phuket, especially pre-Covid, when there were dozens of boats going out daily. Right now, however, there are only a few boats going out so narrowing down the right one isn't much of an issue. As I said, I've been diving Phuket and the Similans for 15 years so am well versed and dived all the sites multiple times. For me, it doesn't really matter what sites a boat is going to on any given day but if I want to dive that day or not. If I get the chance, I may pop in and have a chat with this mysterious "Steven" fellow.

 

[Centrals]

If I get the chance, I may pop in and have a chat with this mysterious "Steven" fellow.

Don't!
Read #2
The last sentence.

 

[JonnieB]

Don't!
Read #2
The last sentence.

Good point...sounds like his shop is closed too.

 

[JonnieB]

Phuket Dive Tours in Karon Beach is also open and offering instruction and bookings on day-trips. One twist with David is that he offers almost daily guided shore dives from Kata Beach for 1000 baht a tank. There are usually two dives a day...morning and afternoon. To my knowledge, he is the only one offering these dives.

 

[lowwall]

Phuket Dive Tours in Karon Beach is also open and offering instruction and bookings on day-trips. One twist with David is that he offers almost daily guided shore dives from Kata Beach for 1000 baht a tank. There are usually two dives a day...morning and afternoon. To my knowledge, he is the only one offering these dives.

I did one with Steven. I was surprised at the variety of fish under all the tourists' toes. The highlight was several juvenile Harlequin Sweetlips (they look like this, but this isn't my picture).

 

[JonnieB]

Yes

I did one with Steven. I was surprised at the variety of fish under all the tourists' toes. The highlight was several juvenile Harlequin Sweetlips (they look like this, but this isn't my picture).

View attachment 647960

Yes...those juvenile Sweetlips doing their swirling Dervish act are a real hoot. Some DMs at Seabees were telling me the Kata shore dive can be pretty good at high tide...with eels and stingrays too. And a few days ago, a group out snorkeling around sunset happened upon a whale shark just offshore.

Jakapan Aek Thongnak