Diving from Phuket: what to know
Which day trip should you take?#
Three of the four run all year; only the Similan day has a season.
What is the Similan day?#
The Similan Islands day trip is a dive expedition for certified divers, from ฿4,900 per person including the boat, two dives and all meals on board. The Similan National Park runs only 15 October to 15 May; the boat stops for the monsoon. On Sundays and Wednesdays it goes to Koh Bon, known for manta rays; the other five days go to the Similan Islands themselves.
What does the ฿4,900 include?#
Transport from Patong, Karon, Kata and south Khao Lak, the speedboat and captain, two full dives, breakfast, lunch, soft drinks and snacks. Equipment rental is extra: ฿150–500 per item. Most divers bring at least a mask and fins and rent the rest on the boat.
Important
The ฿700 national park fee is cash, paid on the boat — budget for it separately.
Where do you dive that day?#
Similan Islands (Mon–Tue, Thu–Sat): coral formations, soft corals, kelp gardens and the granite boulders the islands are named for, with varied fish life. Koh Bon (Sun and Wed): known for manta ray encounters when the plankton is thick, and used for rescue training, because the site drops away into open blue water.
How long is the day?#
Twelve and a half hours in all: pickup between 06:00 and 06:30 (07:45 from south Khao Lak), the speedboat leaves at 08:30 and you are back at the hotel by 18:30. The first dive is around 10:00, the second around 13:00 after lunch on board. Come rested.