Safely join an Open Water course: Small groups and good staff

The maximum group size for a diving course.

When you are looking for diving courses around Thailand, you see that prices differ from place to place and sometimes even in the same place. This has to do with many factors, travel time to the dive sites, quality of equipment, service, safety equipment, park fees, operation costs, quality of staff etc. One of the most important factors in this is the group size of the course. Why waste your vacation to Similan Islands diving in the middle of a huge crowd?

There are places in Thailand where you can get a very good deal on courses, but you might end up in a big group of students, spending most of the time watching your buddies doing skills under water. The maximum number of students per instructor that the dive organizations allow during underwater training is 8. It is possible to increase that number to 10 or even 12 when 1 or 2 divemasters assist on the course. Big groups of course means low prices, but these “factory dive schools” often pump out as many students as possible in a very short time. This has a few disadvantages:
First of all, when you take a dive course, you want plenty of time to practice new exercises until you are comfortable with them. In big groups, you often end up doing an exercise once and that’s it. As there are 7 more people to do the skill there is no time for repetition. In the worst case, the instructor might even skip certain skills to speed up the course. This is completely against the standards set by the diving industry.
Second, you wont get too much attention from your instructor, as he/she is not an octopus and has to keep an eye on a lot of people. This is fine if you don’t have any problems, but it can get a bit messy, or even unsafe, if you and some other people need help from the instructor.
Also, with big groups you often end up spending a lot of time on the skill part of the dive, which leaves only a bit of time left for the actual dive. And that’s actually the best part of the course!
With big groups, there is not much time to spend with students who take a bit longer or need a bit more time to get comfortable under water. This leads to people being stressed. They might even drop out of the course, when with a bit more time and a calmer pace, they might have been able to get more comfortable and finish the course.

All in all at Wicked Diving we think that the maximum group size for a course is 4 people. This way the students get plenty of attention from the instructor and a lot of time under water to enjoy the beauty of the Similan Islands. We like a relaxed pace and if we need to spend some more time in the pool, classroom or in the sea, we just schedule an session. This leaves the instructors in control and guarantees a safe and relaxed course in which you will have plenty of time to ask questions, repeat and practice your skills and get maximum time diving some the best dive sites in Thailand.

Similan Scuba Diving Advice

Here is a blurb from the every helpful – Similan Islands – a resource for all information on the Similan Islands. This is the Scuba Diving section

“Listed as one of the Ten best Dive sites on earth, the Similan Islands are the best diving Thailand has to offer. With Huge rocky drop-offs on the Western side, long coral reefs on the East side, and the transition zones in between. More than the just a simple reef – the Similan Islands also have the Greatest marine diversity in the country.

Nearby are the Surin Islands (and Richelieu Rock), Khao Lak, just North are the Burma Banks. South of the Similan Islands are the SCUBA diving centers of Phuket, Phi Phi and Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. Right in the middle are the Similan Islands. Please check here for our list of Similan Dive Centers.”

If you need help or advice for the Similan Islands – this is the place to go!

Similan Scuba Diving Sites – Koh Bon

Koh Bon

Located just between Mu Koh Similan National Park and Mu Koh Surin National Park, Bon is a small island that features underwater sharp rock walls. Technically it is part of the Similan Islands National Park – but it is geologically separate.

The Wall on the inside of Koh Bon Bon is  covered with soft corals that are shorter in size but more colorful than normal, which is their uniqueness at this site. Great place for seeing small critters.

Turn around and look into the deep and look for  Manta Rays and Whale Sharks. They can Occasionally be found here at around 25 to 30 meters deep.

Always choose a dive center that has staff speaking your language, have insurance and are certified.

Similan Scuba Diving

Animals that hold their breath while diving….

Nature has shaped through evolution they way animals behave. This means that some animals have adapted to feed in places where the rest of the animal kingdom living around them cannot go. This naturally then eliminates a large part of the competition from the food chain.

The Similan Islands have whales, dolphins, turtles, birds and many other non-aquatic species that dive under water

So how are they able hold their breath for so many minutes without losing consciousness or dying? First, let’s revise some other physiological principles in order to understand more clearly what is happening.

The need to breath is felt when the carbon dioxide (CO2) level rises above a certain threshold. The CO2 will dissolve in the blood causing its pH to decrease, which is making the blood slightly more acidic. The sensors in the medulla oblongata (the base of the brain) will then “tell” the animal that it is time to breath again.Oxygen (O2) and CO2 are carried around the body by the blood in two different ways. One is simply the fact that both O2 and CO2 can dissolve in the blood. This will account for a small fraction of the whole transportation process. The other method uses the haemoglobin, a protein present inside red blood cells. Both O2 and CO2 molecules have the ability to attach themselves to the haemoglobin, but the carbon dioxide has a much greater affinity to do this. Therefore, whilst haemoglobin can carry up to four molecules of O2 it carries a much larger amount of carbon dioxide, normally about 23 percent is transported in the blood. However. The main point is that in most animals the O2 reserve is solely in the lungs and the blood. Once this reserve is depleted, the animals will need to breathe again to exhale CO2 and inhale new O2.

Breath holding diving animals have the advantage of an additional mechanism which, relies on another very similar protein called myoglobin. This protein is located inside muscle cells. In humans it makes up for only a very small percentage of the muscle mass. This percentage changes drastically in the animals with the need to hold their breath and it goes up to 45% of the muscle mass in sperm whales, animals that can hold their breath for up to two hours.

How does it work? Simply the blood will carry O2 to the tissues and the extra oxygen that is not used “immediately” will be stored in the myoglobin more or less in the same way as in the haemoglobin. Once the animal is under water and can no longer breath, the O2 stock of the blood will become depleted, the myoglobin will then release its O2 in to the blood that will carry it around where it is needed. At the same time the myoglobin will “catch” the excess CO2 in the blood restoring to a level that does not trigger the need to breath. When eventually the animal returns to the surface to breath air, the myoglobin releases all of its stored CO2 and replaces it with fresh O2. The amount of myoglobin present in the animal muscles will determine the maximum time the animal can spend underwater.

The more the animal wants to stay under water, the longer the period it has to stay at the surface for the gas exchanges to take place. A dolphin needs to breathe a few times (about two to four minutes) to stay submerged 20 to 30 minutes. A sperm whale will breathe 4 or 5 times per minute for up to 15 minutes at the surface to stay two hours under water. Sea birds normally dive for 3 to 10 minutes according to the species they belong to and need to breathe for about 2 to 3 minutes before diving.

How safe is your air?

Clean Air – don’t assume it’s there! Wicked Diving wants you to protect yourself!

While many divers assume the air they are breathing is clean – it’s not always true! One year ago in the Maldives 1 diver died and 9 others were hospitalized when the air they were breathing was severely contaminated.

Why? The dive operator was too cheap to properly maintain their compressors, had not properly trained their staff and failed to observe basic safety precautions.

The machine

The air you breath needs to be clean. Much more so if you are diving. The compressors that fill your tanks need to have good, clean, uncontaminated air supplies. The air intake hose needs to be located in a position that provides this.

On liveaboards even more caution needs to be taken. The exhaust from the engines, from people smoking, from cooking all need to be taken into account. In addition the Splash from the ocean and rain needs to be avoided. Even then the air is further purified through filters that remove impurities and moisture.

The Maintenance

One of the biggest fears is carbon monoxide build up. This can come from exhaust and cigarette fumes. The highest acceptable limit for Carbon Monoxide in scuba tanks is 15 ppm (parts per million). In the above mentioned incident – the tanks were tested at 150ppm! The intake hoses were cracked AND were directly in the line of exhaust from the boats engines.

Compressors use filters to rid themselves of impurities. Some compressors run on electric engines and some work on combustion engines (typical of portable compressors). The two kinds also have different filters to meet the different demands. Needless to say the compressors on that liveaboard were fitted with the less expensive filters that were not intended for their compressors.

The Training

Dive staff and the boat crew need to be aware of how to change the filters, which filters to use and how often to change. Their should be a log of servicing as well as an hour meter tracking how long the compressor has been running.

Regular inspections of the equipment as well as frequent filter changes are required for compressors to operate correctly. If these guidelines are not followed – the ari you breathe can be bad!

So when choosing your diving holiday and boat – do some research! Are the staff trained? How often is the compressor (or any equipment) serviced? Is the compressor (and equipment) serviced by factory trained and certified technicians? Where is the air intake?

Or to look at things differently – do you choose the cheapest parachute? If two dive operators offer the same service – but one is significantly cheaper – where are the savings? If you would like to be very thorough – ask to see the service log books and records. And always smell the air on your tank before diving!

How safe is your dive operator?

At wicked diving all our Similan Liveaboard staff are trained Air blenders – for both regular air and Nitrox. We have all records of the service performed and we appreciate our guests asking to see them. In addition we do extensive safety training in case of accidents – with at least one Dive medic on staff at all times.

Anglerfish – AKA “Frogfish” – Incredible Similans!

From One of our staff…

Two hundred plus dives in the Similan National Park had brought me my first whale shark and a subsequent two more. Mantas! Again after never seeing one I have since become an expert observer of the beautiful water gliders as they cut through the ‘air’ swimming effortlessly through currents and circling divers, sightings of which, like the whale shark, produces a new genre of ‘adrenalin junkie’ divers who dive simply for the ‘hit’ of seeing the big stuff. Working on our Similan Liveaboard blessed me with these opportunities. That is of course until time and multiple dives pulls you over to what has become to be termed the ‘dark side’…

Several weeks ago at Koh Tachai Plateau a fellow guide gave me an insight into a new addiction; an addiction of finding what spends its life, and the lives of its species before it, trying not to be found. The guide swam over to me excitedly pointing at his compact camera and waving his arms frantically. Meanwhile, a manta soared over our heads. I replied with a confused look and a raised arm towards the performer. If he had a great shot of the manta I would rather appreciate it later back on the boat, but at the moment I was enjoying the live show. My friend spared it a glance but clearly felt his camera deserved all of our undivided attention. I felt reluctant to draw my eyes away from the giant pelagic dancer, but humored him. He rapidly pressed the giant buttons on his digital camera until he found his prize. Through the excitement, the sea water and the thick plastic housing I saw a red blob. ‘Great. I’ll return to my manta thanks.’ That was his first frog fish. I’d yet to see one, but all was to change on my last liveaboard…

East of Eden, 17 meters, just before a renowned sandy patch which I must have swam over countless times. A patch of rubbley indistinct coral. A tiny piece of rubbley indistinct coral. A miniature rubbly piece of fish, commonly known as a ‘clown frog fish’, white adorned with orange spots and extremely cute. It was reminiscent of a garden gnome, well hidden but clearly the rightful proprietor of its little coral patch. The clown frog fish was fixed onto the side of a piece of coral, utterly at one with its surroundings. So still that it was looked glued to its perch. I was mesmerized. I wanted to move closer. Meanwhile, my customers took a quick snap and moved on. After the dive they professed that they didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Why become so excited over a tiny indistinct fish when the reef is swarming with the most beautiful and exotic fish just screaming out to be noticed and admired?

Strangely enough, although I had been a virgin frog fish viewer, the experience was repeated the very next day. Perhaps this was because my eyes had received its first lesson in obscure marine life identification. Or perhaps it was just luck. However, my second ever encounter was equally as intriguing.

At Koh Tachai Plateau at 27 meters there stands a barrel sponge. Sitting directly on the top, wedged in between the circular rim is a large, red, about the same size as a football, an utterly ugly, utterly delightful frog fish. Instantly I was mesmerized. Tiny little eyes glazed over in what looked to be a deep state of meditation, mouth slightly agape in a way that actually made it look to be taking slow and controlled inhalations. The creature really did belong to another world – the underwater one – and upon closer examination it was possible to see its inbuilt fishing line extending from its first dorsal spine and hanging above the gaping mouth. Invisibly observing. Invisible. It was eerily still. It was incredible.

Ultimately what these two encounters have taught me is that there are alternatives to the adrenaline hits of having a whale shark charge through your dive group or a manta circle you. In fact part of the beauty of the ugly frog fish is the dedication it takes to spot, which can result in such a sense of satisfaction, causing dive instructors to dance around at 20 meters in front of a digital image.

Similan Diving

Similan Marine Life – Cuttlefish – weird and cool

Space ships. I don’t think I have ever dived anywhere else where I have seen so many space ships – and not just during night dives but during the day as well. For me these highly evolved, highly intelligent, elephantine mollusks have always appeared extraterrestrial. The way in which they hover, speed backwards and perform a stunning display of electric flashes so utterly hypnotic that leaves you wondering what level of evolution they have achieved.

The Bon Soon Wreck, East of Eden, Richelieu Rock and of course the ‘Three Lovers’ (shown above) at Koh Bon; always together and always vying for one another’s attention. Reaching out one of their eight arms here and another one there, meanwhile emitting an auroral glow around their floating bodies. A marine biologist once warned me never to shine my flash light in the eyes of a passing space ship due to the real risk of permanently blinding it, and yet their pulsating electric ripples are best observed in the dark (although this does carry the risk of losing ones customers who always have a tendency to disappear during complete darkness).

Their vision is one of the most highly developed in the animal kingdom, and they perceive contrast rather than color, so their light display has a secondary purpose of allowing them to communicate with other spaceships. Why they have W-shaped pupils has yet to be explained, although it has been proposed that this is to allow them to see backward and forward at the same time. Perhaps their extraordinarily large brains may hold the key. However, they are clearly aware that any potential enemies are still an evolutionary stage or two behind as they possess and impressive array of chameleon skills allowing them to reflect the coloring of their environment as they travel over different shades of coral, rocks and sand, which leaves the reptilian master of disguise lagging behind; not only is this an effective disguise from predators and prey, but with the ability to change color in less than a second, it is the speediest transformer in the entire animal kingdom

Closer observation will actually reveal finely tuned buoyancy. Unlike their Octopi cousins, who scramble over the coral, they can regulate their depth by changing the liquid-to-gas ratio in their chambered cuttle-bone.

Italians like to eat space ships. Last month I dived with an Italian chef and as I made the ‘cuttlefish’ hand signal he replied with the ‘spaghetti’ symbol – consisting of a twist of the wrist and a greedy glint in the eye. After learning that some marine biologists believe that they learn by observation, I felt a protective urge to shield these culinary inclinations from the three spaceships in view. Indeed I have spent many a happy dive hovering face to face, with a hand positioned on my forehead slowly raising a finger. The spaceship humors my mimicking and has been known to raise an opposite arm. Hurrah! Communication with life from the blue planet!

Similan Diving

Liveaboards on the Similan Islands – awesome

Wake up to the calm seas as the water takes on the warm pinkish tint of the rising sun. Fresh coffee brews as the boat sails to the first dive sight of the day. Maps are laid out and dive briefs are given. A description of which fish will be seen at which depths. The topography, the currents, the duration and the ease of collection after the dive. Down to the dive deck. Music drifting out of the surround sound system, before the boat reverses and the signal given. Similan Liveaboard

Wake up! A plunge into the ocean. BCD fully inflated and bobbing around in refreshing coolness. All ready? Regs in. Dowwwwn. Silence. Inhale. Exhale. Bubbles. Ok? Ok – ok – ok – ok . All four divers down and happy and floating. Now let the underwater adventure begin.

Slowly moving along the reef or around a submerged pinnacle. Swimming over familiar rocks and coral, visiting the same fish whose habits you have observed so closely every four days that you feel as if you are visiting a mute friend. At times I often marvel at how the twenty or so most frequently dived sites around the Similans have become as familiar to me as an urban town, such as Khao Lak. The main difference being of course that it could only be an act of the divine to travel around a town suspended in mid-air and controlling your depth with the slightest inhalation or exhalation. There’s also the constant novelty of the underwater world; the genuine anticipation of what this dive, despite the hundreds before it, will bring: Leopard shark? Mantas? Or the Big Fish itself? Of course there is always the unexpected; the guitar shark at Breakfast Bend, the weird and wonderful pleurobranch at Koh Tachai Reef, which ensures that even the most dived sites continue to hold their trump cards.

Sixty minutes later and the silence of the underwater world is broken as simultaneously as the surface is. Regs are removed, masks are dragged down and after a delay of a few seconds for readjustment, conversation initiated: “Did you see that?; What was that weird looking fish.” Or “WOWOWOWOWOWOW! Its tail nearly hit me!” At this point I will be leaning upon my surface marker revelling in the consistently high level of job satisfaction that working as a dive guide in the Similans never fails to bring. Meanwhile, the Captain of the boat will be sounding the horn and sailing over to collect my divers. As a fellow guide continuously comments, “Its just too easy” (pronounced with a accentuated ‘Zeeee’. Indeed, the liveaboards are the easiest way to dive the Similans. Dive, Eat, Sleep, Dive, Eat, Sleep and so on. Or course there is always the option of jumping onto the dingy and exploring one of the Princess’s tropical islands.

Islands number Four and Eight are accessible to the public, and have fantastic view points across turquoise waters and lush green hills. Some prefer not to leave the comfort of the boat! Professing that rather than going to the beach they would rather “stay and relax”, which is a comment which in itself makes me smile. One tour leader is renowned for this habituation to boat life. Just to ensure his days are spent either in the water of floating above it he describes the island visit as “Bex’s Island Adventure”. However, I love scrambling up the rocks, using the crude but effective system of rocks and ladders to reach the top. On the boat the furthest I ever walk is from the dive platform to my cabin. A strange comment since I don’t actually sleep in my cabin. After all why sleep inside when the sundeck offers an unlimited view of the night sky and a soft gentle morning wake up?

Similan Diving

The Best Dive Sites in Thailand – Our Choices

Where is the best diving in Thailand?

Thailand is a very large country with coastline stretching from Burma (Myanmar) to Malaysia along the west side on the Andaman Sea. On the Eastern coast, the coast line stretches, un broken from Malaysia, all the way around the Gulf of Thailand to Cambodia. There are hundreds of islands, dozens of regions to dive and numerous dive centers to choose from. Here is a careful selection of the best dive sites in Thailand

Richelieu Rock
The most famous dive site in Thailand is Richelieu Rock. Often cited as one of the 10 best dive sties in the world – Richelieu Rock is simply stunning. A solitary pinnacle rising from the depths of the Andaman sea to just below the surface – this site has so many elements to its majesty. The large pelagics – Manta Rays and Whale Sharks are not to be missed. But the macro as well – the tiny shrimps, nudibranchs, pipefish, seahorses and more also delight and enthrall.

Richelieu Rock can be reached by liveaboards and daytrips departing from Khao Lak. The liveaboards should be booked ahead due to the popularity. Daytrips can be arranged upon arrival in Khao Lak – however during the peak holidays it is advisable to book ahead.

The Similan Islands h

ave also been cited as one the best dive sites in the world. With more than 30 named dive sites, plus the nearby Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and of course – Richleieu Rock – it is paradise for the avid diver. It is too difficult to actually name just one site out of the dozens that makes the Similan Island Marine Park so special. There are the deep boulder drops on the Western side. The gentle sloping reefs of the Easter coast and the dynamic site where the two mix. Turtles, sharks and massive schools fo reef fish swirl around the divers. The reefs are home to hundreds of species of coral, sponges and are an explosion of colors.

The Similan Islands are only 50km from Khao Lak – so easily reached by speedboat each day. Again – plan ahead if visiting during the holiday season. Similan Liveaboards depart almost everyday, though with only one ecologically friendly boat – we see no need to choose!

Hin daeng/Hin Muang
Best visited from Phi phi islands. Like Richelieu rock, these rocks, rising from the deep were once home to many large pelagics. Sadly a couple of years ago Phuket fisherman went in with cyanide and killed of a large portion of the site. Marine life has been returning, but it has not returned to it’s once majestic splendor.
Hin Daeng and Hin Muang have the closest to real drop-offs that Thailand offers.. Together they are some very good dive sites and provide some of the most stunning diving in the area. The depths and currents make these sites suitable for advanced divers. The long distance from the nearest point of land (Phi Phi) makes these less commonly dived.
Hin Daeng (‘Red Rock’) and Hin Muang (‘Purple Rock’) are named after the beautiful red and purple soft corals that, until recently, covered the pinnacles.

Hin Daeng protrudes about 3 meters above the water, but below, it drops straight down to more than 70 meters on the southern side. It gets its name from the beautiful red corals that populate most of the dive site. Hin Muang is completely submerged and derives its name from the vast number of purple corals covering the pinnacle. Some giant morays can be seen amongst the cracks and crevices and large leopard sharks can sometimes be found on the deep ridges.

Koh Lipe

One of the last world class pinnacles left in the Andaman sea. 8 mile rock is a submerged pinnacle roughly 8 miles due south of Koh Lipe. Noted for the large pelagics that cruise past, devil, manta and eagle rays are common, along with leopard shark, giant barracuda and groupers. Sighting for whale sharks have actually been up over the whole of the Lipe group of islands, with most sightings coming at 8 mile rock.

The rock itself starts at roughly 15m and at its deepest is over 50m. Densely covered in purple, blue and red soft tree coral, all common reef species can be found here in great abundance and size. Visibility can be up to 45m vertically and over 30m horizontally. Caution must be applied when diving 8 mile rock due to very strong currents that can lead to thee dive being canceled. The site can be dived comfortably dependent on current patterns so consult the local dive operators for the best information.

Koh Tao

The most popular place to learn to dive in all of Asia Pacific, after Cairns in Australia, Koh Tao has some good beginner dive sites and some great apres-dive action. If you want to dive and party, then this is the place to come. Many times it appears that it’s actually a place to party and dive. The short travel times from the shore to the dive sites – typically half an hour or less – make diving extremely convenient. While the diving is not as spectacular as the Similans, (no manta rays here, very little living coral, almost no turtles), there are occasionaly encounters with sharks to be had at Chumphon Pinnacle and also, if you’re very lucky, whale sharks too.

Because Koh Tao is in the Gulf Of Thailand, it’s possible to dive all year round. The weather gets crappy around October/November.

Similan Islands – Marine life resource

Divers Enjoy the Diverstiy of the Similan Island Marine Life

In Thailand The premier dive sites are located on and around the Similan Islands.  These uninhabited tropical islands are home to some of the most dynamic and vibrant underwater ecosystems in the world.

Rocky boulder sites dropping off into the blue on the Western side

Sloping Reefs cover the Eastern side of the Similans.

Then the Pinnacles of Elephant Head Rock, Koh Tachai, Sharkfin Reef, Koh Bon and of course the most famous site in Thailnad (and one of the best inthe world) Richelieu Rock also bring a wide diversity to the dive sites.

It also means a huge amount of marine life! With so many different ecosystems it’s hard to keep track of all the different species of marine life that we encounter. Whether it’s the passing Manta ray or the sharks…what are they?

Fortunately there is now  good resource for Similan Marine Life.

While this is still in it’s initial phases, the page is certainly off to a good start – featuring plenty of things that are commonly senn as well as many things that are acommonly overlooked! here are articles about Cuttlefish, Wenteltraps and even Frogfish. As a resource – this will help any diver on their plans to visit and for those who have been fortunate enough to visit already – this is the place to help identify those strange things you saw on underwater The site will be updated frequently so we will be revisiting frequently and looking at all the new and amazing creatures.

Similan Marine Life