Phuket - Best organisations to dive with?

Simon wrote:
> Ramone Cila wrote:
>
>> "Simon" <sthom@starhub.nospam.net.sg> wrote in message
>> news:419a1a2f$1@news.starhub.net.sg...
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>> You however don't appear to know anything about the siutation in
>>> Thailand at all. Yes - avoid the border and in Phuket stay away from
>>> Bangla Rd if you are worried.
>>
>>
>>
>> It is not a matter of being "worried". It is a matter of being aware.
>>
>> As for the rest of your post about "scaremongering" and "not knowing"
>> about
>> Thailand: it's the same Euro-talk about Americans being unaware of the
>> world
>> at large. It's a shame some of you are so narrow minded.
>>
>

Incidentally, I did't post at any time anthing specific to US citzens
knowledge of outside affairs. If someone from Manchester was posting
about Liverpool then I would defer to their knowledge. If they started
posting about Bali I wouldn't. I live in SE Asia you don't, I wouldn't
presume to know more than you about Colorado and it's surroundings,
might be nice if you showed the same courtesy.

> Kettle, black, pot - for a sentence.
>
> Many American's do have some idea, many don't. You unfortunately are
> one of the latter. You think on an island the size of Manhatten 90% is
> ok but a country the size of Thailand half is dangerous. BTW - look at
> the relative sizes of Phuket and Manhatten.
>
> I'm not narrow minded. The US suffered a tourist drop which was way
> beyond reasonable after 9/11, you are causing the same issues elsewhere.
> I didn't think the backlash againt US travel was fair and people like
> you don't help elsewhere.
>
>> You will note that at no time during any of your replies to the OP did
>> you
>> mention some of the activities Thailand has experienced recently. He was
>> entitled....not to your opinion of what is or what is not risky, but
>> of the
>> simple facts of recent violence in Thailand.
>>
>> So long..........
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> Errr - you can't read. Which bit of "avoid Bangla Road" did you miss.
> That was in reply to you. I tend to assume people are not stupid until
> proven otherwise. Maybe OP was aware of Thai issues and had made his
> own decision without idiots like you trying to scare him off.

If that's the Thara Patong Beach Resort, you've made a good choice. The
hotel is really nice and central and is right across the street from the
beach. (Although they tried to make me pay baht 3.500 for a lamp my daughter
broke. After a Major Discussion (to put it gently) with the manager, I ended
up paying 1.700)

I went with DiveAsia, which I think is the largest operator in Phuket. They
have tours every day to all the south spots, and LOB to Similan. Guys in
charge are all German, and their operation is In Ordnung. Their boats are
pretty big, but not luxurious, but then again I didn't see any other fancy
boats in the harbour either. If you haven't been there before, I think the
Rachas are the best spots in the south. On the King Cruiser wreck, you have
to be really lucky to get a good dive - it's in the middle of the open sea,
at 30+ meters and most often with currents and resulting muddled water. If
you have an OW diver with you, don't go there. (In fact, don't go there
anyway.)

What I'd really recommend is staying over at Phi Phi Island for a few days.
Not only is it a nice place in itself, but being 1,5 hours into the sea from
Phuket, you're already close to most of the dive sites. We stayed at the
Princess resort, and right at the hotel were the Princess Divers, with their
own boat, offering two-dive cruises starting at a comfortable 10am returning
at 2pm. You can also reach the Hin Daeng/Muang on a day trip from Phi Phi,
which are supposed to be Thailand's best sites outside of the Similan.

Good luck.


"Darth" <darth@home.com> wrote in message
news:4198a0ec$0$25785$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
> Thanks for the recommendations so far.
>
> I will be staying at Patong Beach Resort and will be looking to do day
> trips. Similan Islands and Koh Racha Yai. I am a PADI DM but my
girlfriend
> is OW with only a dozen dives.
>
>
> "Simon" <sthom@starhub.nospam.net.sg> wrote in message
> news:4197a969$1@news.starhub.net.sg...
> > Darth wrote:
> >> Hi All,
> >>
> >> I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which
organisations/shops
> >> you can recommend?
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance.
> >>
> >>
> > Where are you staying. There are a number of good places which you pick
> > may depend upon which hotel you are staying at (e.g. near Chalong or
> > Phuket Marina - an extra hour and a half is a pain when doing day
trips).
> >
> > If you are doing LOB then of course this doesn't matter much but then
get
> > down to budget/destination. On day trips also are you wanting to pay a
> > premium for a speed boat - prob also smaller no of divers and could go
to
> > Similans - or good value but still good DMs. Personally I like smaller
> > boats mainly as you avoid the tendency to have 20+ divers on the same
> > site. Depends though, some boats will split up big groups anyway.
> >
> > In short Phuket has loads of operators, it is a very mature market with
a
> > lot of reputable firms and a few new ones of varying standards - the
crap
> > ones don't last long. Let us know where you are staying and the sort of
> > diving you want to do and we can be a bit more specific.
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Simon
>
>

In article <419b66b6$1@news.broadpark.no>, Arild
<arild.nysether(r€mov€)@broadpark.no> wrote:

€ If that's the Thara Patong Beach Resort, you've made a good choice. The
€ hotel is really nice and central and is right across the street from the
€ beach. (Although they tried to make me pay baht 3.500 for a lamp my daughter
€ broke. After a Major Discussion (to put it gently) with the manager, I ended
€ up paying 1.700)
€
€ I went with DiveAsia, which I think is the largest operator in Phuket. They
€ have tours every day to all the south spots, and LOB to Similan. Guys in
€ charge are all German, and their operation is In Ordnung. Their boats are
€ pretty big, but not luxurious, but then again I didn't see any other fancy
€ boats in the harbour either. If you haven't been there before, I think the
€ Rachas are the best spots in the south. On the King Cruiser wreck, you have
€ to be really lucky to get a good dive - it's in the middle of the open sea,
€ at 30+ meters and most often with currents and resulting muddled water. If
€ you have an OW diver with you, don't go there. (In fact, don't go there
€ anyway.)
€
€ What I'd really recommend is staying over at Phi Phi Island for a few days.
€ Not only is it a nice place in itself, but being 1,5 hours into the sea from
€ Phuket, you're already close to most of the dive sites. We stayed at the
€ Princess resort, and right at the hotel were the Princess Divers, with their
€ own boat, offering two-dive cruises starting at a comfortable 10am returning
€ at 2pm. You can also reach the Hin Daeng/Muang on a day trip from Phi Phi,
€ which are supposed to be Thailand's best sites outside of the Similan.
€
€ Good luck.
€
€

I'll second the recommendation for Phi-Phi. I've done two overnight
trips there and wished I could spent three or four days instead of just
one night. It's still kind of commercial, but much closer to many good
dive sites and it takes a five minutes to get to the dive boat as
opposed to the typical 30~60 minute drive from Patong/Karon/Kata to
Chalong.

> Hi All,
>
> I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops you
> can recommend?

I have dived with many Phuket dive companies.
There is not much to choose between the best ones which are IMHO:-
KonTiki, SeaBees, South East Asia Divers and Dive Asia.

Also the KingFisher catamarran for day trips to the Similans and Hin
Muang.
As Dive Masters move so much the Dive Master on the day will of course
have a huge impact on your enjoyment.

For teaching Dive Asia is hard to beat.

For comfortable fast boat- South East Asia who sometimes have KonTiki
sharing with them. The fast boat gives you a few extra precious
minutes in bed before pick-up and returns you earlier at the end of
the day. It is comfortable too.

Sea Bees also have a good boat.E-mail them all for their best prices
as you can't go wrong with them.
Personally I'd avoid the King Cruiser day-dive which me and my buddies
find very dull and often overcrowded while Anemone Reef is beautiful!
Hope this helps.
Mike

Thanks everyone.


"mike" <hawthorn43@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9c5d2ceb.0411231451.51e35cca@posting.google.c om...
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops
>> you
>> can recommend?
>
> I have dived with many Phuket dive companies.
> There is not much to choose between the best ones which are IMHO:-
> KonTiki, SeaBees, South East Asia Divers and Dive Asia.
>
> Also the KingFisher catamarran for day trips to the Similans and Hin
> Muang.
> As Dive Masters move so much the Dive Master on the day will of course
> have a huge impact on your enjoyment.
>
> For teaching Dive Asia is hard to beat.
>
> For comfortable fast boat- South East Asia who sometimes have KonTiki
> sharing with them. The fast boat gives you a few extra precious
> minutes in bed before pick-up and returns you earlier at the end of
> the day. It is comfortable too.
>
> Sea Bees also have a good boat.E-mail them all for their best prices
> as you can't go wrong with them.
> Personally I'd avoid the King Cruiser day-dive which me and my buddies
> find very dull and often overcrowded while Anemone Reef is beautiful!
> Hope this helps.
> Mike

Hi Mike,

I am just back from Phuket yesterday. South Siam Divers are the best
and I think by far the cheapest, they are the company that run three of
the liveaboards at the similans.

Whatever you do stay away from Merlin Divers Scuba in Kamala on Phuket,
everytime I went into the shop they tried to rip me off. Firstime they
tried to charge me 5,900 Baht for a trip advertised in their brochure
for 3,800 ( I paid the 3,800 but later found that they were only agents
for the South Siam Divers boat which can charge as low as only 2,500
Baht for the same trip).

They also shortchanged me when I finally did pay, they also
shortchanged a friend of mine who rented some snorkelling gear from
them...and they were generally very surly... there is plenty of choice
but I would definitely avoid Merlin Divers...check these guys out (link
below)

http://www.southsiamdivers.com/

convex.


mike wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which
organisations/shops you
> > can recommend?
>
> I have dived with many Phuket dive companies.
> There is not much to choose between the best ones which are IMHO:-
> KonTiki, SeaBees, South East Asia Divers and Dive Asia.
>
> Also the KingFisher catamarran for day trips to the Similans and Hin
> Muang.
> As Dive Masters move so much the Dive Master on the day will of
course
> have a huge impact on your enjoyment.
>
> For teaching Dive Asia is hard to beat.
>
> For comfortable fast boat- South East Asia who sometimes have KonTiki
> sharing with them. The fast boat gives you a few extra precious
> minutes in bed before pick-up and returns you earlier at the end of
> the day. It is comfortable too.
>
> Sea Bees also have a good boat.E-mail them all for their best prices
> as you can't go wrong with them.
> Personally I'd avoid the King Cruiser day-dive which me and my
buddies
> find very dull and often overcrowded while Anemone Reef is beautiful!
> Hope this helps.
> Mike