When divers decide to look for a place to dive, they want to know how to have the best scuba diving adventure. In my opinion, some of the most exotic and memorable diving you won’t want to miss experiencing is in Thailand.
There are many reasons why people visit Thailand and it’s definitely not to bask in the sun. They come to either scuba dive or snorkel. Why is that?
Not only are there beautiful white sandy beaches with palm trees, jungles and photographic granite rock islands, but seriously, you are looking to dive with some mighty fine large pelagic underwater creatures.
Expect to see giant manta rays and gentle whale sharks and a plethora of other magnificent marine life.
Diving here is also quite affordable. This means when you have extra money to spend, you can do other things on your vacation.
I did this trip as a backpacker scuba diver in my younger years and admit money was a little tight. I had a full-time job during the day and an evening job just to do this trip and was rewarded with everything I could ever dream of.
Before you do the trip to Thailand and get that diving adventure you yearn for, here are some helpful topics I will be going over:
Similan Islands – It’s All About the Dive Locations
The Similan Islands in Thailand are rated as one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world.
This is because of their 5,000-year-old extraordinary reefs. unique fields of underwater boulders, pinnacles, lush coral, huge schools of snappers and barracudas, and friendly pelagic sea creatures.
Be sure to bring your underwater camera so you can share your experiences with your friends and family when you return home.
Where You Can Find Thailand
Thailand, known as the “Land of a Thousand Smiles” is known all over the world for its famous Thai cuisine, unique culture and lots of smiley faces.
It is located in the northern and eastern hemispheres of Southeast Asia.
Its neighbouring land bordering countries are Myanmar and Laos to the north, and Cambodia to the southeast. The Andaman Sea is on the west side with the Gulf of Thailand on the south.
Bangkok is its largest city and is also the capital.
The Similan Islands
It is here, that divers and snorkelers from all over the world, come to experience the best memorable underwater adventures.
One of nature’s finest, the exotica Similan is a group of 9 unique granite islands in the Andaman Sea, in the southern part of Thailand.
In 1982, the islands became the Mu Ko Similan National Park to protect the wildlife on land and the underwater flora and fauna. These islands, with white crystal beaches, are remotely located and the only way to get there is by boat because they have no airport.
If you love having the wind blow thru your hair and the smell of the ocean breeze, you are going to enjoy the liveaboard life.
Similan Islands is remotely located approximately 120 km northwest of Phuket and about 50 km west of Khao Lak.
Every year, from the 15th of May to mid-October, the park is closed for 5 months due to unsafe weather conditions and high seas from the Southwest Monsoon season.
When the tourist season is open in mid-October, there are only a limited number of visitors allowed. This slows down the environmental destruction from the impacts of divers and snorkelers harming the underwater ecosystem.
Best Way to Get to the Similan Islands
Getting to the Similan Islands will take you about 3 hours just to get there on a slower boat and approximately a little over an hour on a speedboat.
If you really want to make the most of your vacation and add excitement to your diving and snorkelling, I suggest doing it from a liveaboard, which is exactly what I chose.
Even though I do a lot of diving, I’m still prone to getting seasick… an activity I’m not fond of but for some reason, liveaboards don’t affect me that way or at least not as much. I also have a good supply of Ginger Gravol!
There are 3 ways you can get to these islands:
1) Liveaboards
Liveaboards are definitely my favourite way to get to these islands and also to dive from when it comes to remote dive sites. Why?
Well, for starters, with over 25 dive sites scattered in the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu and Surin Islands, it’s challenging to dive all these sites.
Liveaboards are the most popular method to do this. They are also the most relaxing and comfortable way to enjoy your vacation and away from the typical land tourists.
LIVE ON THE BOAT … DIVE FROM THE BOAT!!
Yes, toilets and showers are provided with your cabin.
With liveaboards, you’re already at the dive site first thing in the morning before any speedboats or dayboats arrive. Enjoy your coffee and breakfast, a bit of time to chill out, then you can do up to 4 dives a day and a night dive with your dive tour guide.
All your yummy Thai foods and snacks are prepared for you.
In the evenings, you can enjoy the sunsets on the deck and share your dive stories with other divers and snorkelers.
Many liveaboards give you island tours, opportunities to walk on white crystal beaches and hopefully get a glimpse of the protected wildlife.
2) Speedboats
Speedboats are quick and are used by dive centers.
They’re great but they are much smaller. They are not comfortable because there is not much room for divers and snorkelers, especially with all the dive gear and tanks. You also need to return to Thailand’s mainland because you cannot overnight on the speedboats. There is simply no room for that.
No toilets!
They can also be a rough boat ride when the wind picks up causing high waves.
3) Day Boats
Day boats are longer boat rides, around 3 hours or longer to get to the Similan Islands, and this is just to get there. Some dive centers have high-speed catamarans which will get you there quicker.
They are definitely more spacious and comfortable than speedboats, giving you more seating area and oftentimes, they will have sun decks and toilets.
At the end of your dive excursions, you must still return to Thailand’s mainland.
Description of Diving/Snorkeling in the Similan Islands
To truly enjoy the adventures of diving and snorkelling in the Similan Islands, it is best to do them from a liveaboard. The rest of this discussion is from my liveaboard viewpoint.
Koh Bon
While most of the Similan Islands are granite rock, Koh Bon, the 9th island, is a small limestone island
Best suited for: Certified divers of all skills. Snorkelling is done in the shallow bay.
Best done by: Liveaboards
Location: 20 km at the northern tip of the Similan Islands.
A Glimpse of the Dive Profile
Koh Bon offers one of the finest and only significant vertical wall diving in Thailand. The island is shaped like a horseshoe and interestingly, there is a cove that conveniently protects the divers, snorkelers and dive boats from strong currents and winds.
The top of the island has some greenery, but the rest is all rock with no beaches to walk on.
Want to see some giant manta rays?
Koh Bon is one of the best Similan Islands to be entertained by large pelagic and elegant marine life. Because of its cleaning station, cleaner shrimps wait anxiously to feed on the dead skin of giant manta rays who come to get cleaned.
There are 2 main dive sites here in Koh Bon:
1) The most popular site for divers is on the southwestern side of the island. There is a ridge that gently juts out like a step formation pattern and goes down as deep as 40m.
This is a great dive for divers who don’t have a lot of dive experience. Interesting bountiful coral bommies that look like mushrooms can be seen as well as sea fans and schools of snappers and sweetlips.
2) If you want to see the giant manta rays, then you want to be on the eastern side of the island. Experienced divers start their dive from the wall, my favourite type of diving.
This dive is unique in that the wall ridge is loaded with colourful sea fans of all sizes and shapes. While you don’t see many small sea critters here, there are large schools of fish hanging out in currents.
Divers wait here for the arrival of the giant manta rays who hone in on the fish soup from spawning snappers and rich nutrients brought in by the current.
If you look down, you might see a leopard shark lurking about on the sandy bottom or just chilling out.
Koh Bon Pinnacle Dive
This is a third dive site and it also has no beaches because it is out in the open sea. There are two underwater deep pinnacles side by side called the Koh Bon Pinnacle.
Best suited: Certified advanced divers. No snorkelers.
Best done by: Liveaboards
Location: Koh Bon Pinnacle is just a few hundred meters going northwest of Koh Bon.
A Glimpse of the Dive Profile:
This is for Experienced Divers only and you should be prepared to do a negative buoyancy entry.
This means letting all the air out of your BCD and swimming head first straight down and finning-like hell. If you have a record of not being able to clear your ears too fast, you might want to start equalizing them while you are still on the boat or consider not doing the dive.
As soon as you start your entrance, you are already in the current and so the goal is to descend quickly and then fin to the top of the pinnacle, where the actual diving tour begins.
One of my favourite memories when descending straight down is you can see the top of the pinnacle and the spectacular sharp drop-off.
Ok… don’t panic!
Before you do any dives and it doesn’t matter where your dive site is, you are first given a dive orientation by your dive tour guide on the boat. You are always told how to do the dive entrance, what the dive conditions are like, what beautiful sea creatures to watch for and other important information. Questions and concerns are always welcomed.
The top of the first pinnacle dive starts at about 18m and the second pinnacle dive is at around 24m. Both of these dives are DEEP DIVES and so your dives will be short.
When the water is calm and clear, by bending over the boat rail you can see the underwater pinnacles from the boat.
Expect to see large pelagic creatures like reef sharks, and leopard sharks.
If you dive in the right season, you should be able to see manta rays which are popular sightings here and the occasional whale sharks out in the open. Closer to the pinnacle wall, you will see nocturnal creatures like eels and crabs in hiding (bring your flashlight) and lots of lush hard and soft corals, sea fans and more.
Of course, there is the huge impressive-looking Napoleon Humphead Wrasse, one of the few residents who enjoy hanging out.
Koh Tachai
Koh Tachai brings delightful memories due to its natural landscaping beauty as you can see below.
Best suited for: Certified advanced divers and no snorkelling on the pinnacle. The reef dive is perfect for beginner divers and snorkelers.
Best done by: Liveaboards and Day Boats.
Location: Koh Tachai, located 25 km north of Koh Bon, is a real beauty in the eyes of divers and snorkelers who yearn to see the gentle whale sharks and the giant manta rays. This site is also part of the Similan Islands.
A Glimpse of the Dive Profiles:
Koh Tachai is like a postcard image. It has a beautiful white sandy beach on this small rocky island. This is a dive site you will absolutely enjoy.
There are 2 dive sites here. The pinnacle dive and the reef dive.
I find the reef dive is much easier for divers who do not have a lot of dives under their belt.
The reef is on the east side and runs north and south of the island. The slope is gentle going down to about 5 to 10m and the bottom is sandy with a depth of around 30m. There are lots of different types of corals ranging from brain corals, staghorn corals, and colourful fire corals.
In addition, you will see lots of puffer fish, leopard sharks, lionfish, the nocturnal creatures like large moray eels in hiding. Keep watch for the tiny nudibranchs too.
The current is generally not strong and is perfect for night diving.
The pinnacle dive, which can be found about 500m south of Koh Tachai island, has in fact 2 submerged pinnacles and is often referred to as “Twin Peaks”. This dive is perfect for advanced divers.
Picture this spectacular underwater landscape consisting of a huge submerged granite plateau full of interesting and unique boulders surrounding it. As you dive through the swim-throughs, don’t forget to look up and around you for the oddly-shaped overhangs and tiny little colourful fish.
The plateau is literally covered with stunning looking hard and soft corals, anemones and graceful sea fans.
As you drift thru the channel, you might even see the manta rays and the whale sharks. They’re here for the rich plankton nutrients brought from the current and fish soup from spawning schools of fish.
It’s not unusual to see abundant tunas and schools of barracudas, trevallies, mackerels, and sharks.
Richelieu Rock (Surin National Marine Park)
Jacques Yves Cousteau discovered this rock pinnacle and even marvelled at the scenery and the underwater beauty. Underwater photographers consider this site one of the best in Thailand. It’s also my favourite site because it’s where I have the most amazing memories of whale sharks AND manta rays.
Best suited for: Certified divers of all levels. Snorkelling is done by guides at low tides but if you are not a strong swimmer, you might want to reconsider.
Best done by: Liveaboards
Location: Richelieu Rock is 38km west of Thailand, 39km northeast of Koh Tachai, and 18km east of Surin Islands. Because of the distance, the best way to do this is by liveaboard or you can do this as a day trip but it’s a long trip unless you are on a speedy catamaran.
A Glimpse of the Dive Profile
Richelieu Rock is naturally landscaped taking the shape of a horseshoe.
There is a large solitary limestone pinnacle in the center that interestingly disappears during high tide and reappears approximately a meter above the surface at low tide. The small rocks jutting out around it beautifies it even more and because of this, there are no beaches.
Marine life is so diverse, it seems the entire inch of the pinnacle that stands out submerged is covered with sponges, sea anemones, and purple corals.
Look close and you will see tiny little creatures like harlequin shrimp, frogfish, and seahorses hanging out. You might even see the manta rays and whale sharks, and groupers who sometimes like to make their appearance known.
Lionfish, shovelnose rays, and schools of snappers are some of the regular residents.
Khao Lak (Boonsung Wreck)
This wreck dive is not part of the Similan Islands, but because of its rare and true beauty of massive amounts of fish and rich coral life, this site is considered a ‘definite must’ for divers and snorkelers.
This is usually on the liveaboard itineraries as their last dives..a great way to end your diving and snorkelling holiday adventure! This is like the BONUS way to end your dive vacation.
Suited for: Certified divers of all levels. The current is very mild and the depth is perfect at around 14m to 19m.
Best done by: Liveaboard, speedboat, day boat.
Location: The Boonsung Wreck can be found approximately 5km to the west of Bangsak beach, just north of Khao Lak.
A Glimpse of the Dive Profile
The Boonsung vessel was owned by a tin mining company which operated around Phuket and Khao Lak.
Apparently, the legend from 1985, the cause of its sinking was someone flushing the toilet and it kept overflowing. It sat on the sandy ocean floor at just 18m and became an artificial reef making home to thousands of fish and blooming coral all too happy to colonize it.
The Thai navy considered the positioning of the vessel to be a hazard to other ships and so they sent bombs down on it to level it out. Then in 2004, the tsunami broke the vessel into 4 pieces making this the most superb site for divers.
The only thing about this site is the visibility, which is most likely from the cloudy fish soup or the sandy bottom being stirred by previous divers.
While the current is quite insignificant, your visibility might still only be around 10m. You are strongly advised by your dive tour guide to descend using a buoy line because it is difficult to see the wreck even near the surface and you don’t want to miss it.
Once you are down to where the wreck lies, do not enter the wreck because it lies in 4 pieces and although there are many sharp rusty pieces of metal covered by lots of gorgeous coral, you still need to be careful.
Once you are down, the best way to do the dive is to either go clockwise or anticlockwise around each section staying with your buddy and this should get you back to the buoy line.
Be sure to keep an eye out or listen to the banging on a diver’s tank as a signal to look up and around for a nearby whale shark feeding on spawning fish soup.
Some divers even talk about seeing an occasional sailfish
Keep a sharp eye out for the stonefish, scorpionfish, ornate ghost pipefish, blue-eyed pufferfish (they’re so cute), lionfish, and urchins who reside here as well as the tiny little multi-coloured nudibranchs. Remember, always watch your buoyancy.
How to Book Diving & Snorkeling Adventure in Similan
The diving season in Similan and Surin Islands begins with boats leaving daily from mid-May thru mid-October.
My Recommended Liveaboards In Thailand
If you are interested in diving and or snorkelling from liveaboards, I have come up with 4 economically priced and professionally serviced liveaboards thru PADI Travel, your ultimate underwater travel agency:
1) MV Bavaria
Nites: 3 and 6 nites
Free WiFi: Yes
Nitrox and equipment rentals $: Yes
Price range (USD): $502.00 – $1218.00 per person and 25% discount per non-diver and includes accommodation, meals, and diving with a tour guide
Departure from: Khao Lak Taplamu Pier
Arrival at: Khao Lak Taplamu Pier
International Airport: Phuket
Number of dives: 9 to 21
Recommendations: 10+ dives, if you have not been diving for over a year, you may be required to do a refresher before your dives.
Suited for: Divers of all levels, non-divers are welcome
Mandatory surcharges: Park fees
Dive Insurance: Yes for trip value over $1,000. USD per person
2) MV Giamani
Nites: 4
Free WiFi: No internet
Nitrox and equipment rentals $: Yes
Price range (USD): $1400.00 per person and includes accommodation, meals, and diving with a tour guide
Departure from: Chalong Pier Phuket
Arrival at: Chalong Pier Phuket
International Airport: Phuket
Number of dives: 13
Recommendations:
Suited for: Divers of all levels and snorkelers welcome
Mandatory surcharges: Park fees
Dive Insurance: Yes for trip value over 1,000. USD per person
3) The Junk
Want adventure? This sailing yacht was used to film the Swiss Family Robinson and James Bond movies. I DID THIS!!
Nites: 2, 4, 6 or 8 nites
Free WiFi: No internet
Nitrox and equipment rentals $: Yes
Price range (USD): $400 to 1695 per person includes accommodation, meals and diving with a tour guide
Departure from: Can be from Khao Lak, Taplamu Pier or Phuket
Arrival at: Khao Lak, Taplamu Pier or Phuket
International Airport: Phuket
Number of dives: 12 to 18 dives depending on # of nites
Recommendations: No minimum logged dives necessary
Suited for: Open water divers and snorkelers
* Special dive destination itineraries (USD): Manta Trust diving expeditions 8 nights $1695 per person
Mandatory surcharges: Park fees
Dive Insurance: Yes for trip value over 1,000. USD per person
4) MV Manta Queen 3
Nites: 4
Free WiFi: No internet
Nitrox and equipment rentals $: Yes
Price range (USD): $632.00 per person includes accommodation, meals, and diving with a tour guide
Departure from: Khao Lak Taplamu Pier
Arrival at: Khao Lak Taplamu Pier
International Airport: Phuket
Number of dives: 14
Recommendations:
Suited for: Divers of all levels, snorkelers and families are welcome
Mandatory surcharges: Park fee
Dive Insurance: Yes for trip value over 1,000. USD per person
If you are looking for additional information on other diving and snorkelling destinations with dive resorts and liveaboards available in the world, click here for PADI Travel, your #1 Recommended Diving Agency.
Well fellow divers and snorkelers, I hope I gave you helpful information and if you have any questions or comments, I really would like to hear from you.
Where have you been diving?
Thanks for reading,
Monica
A trip to Thailand has always been on my “places to go” list because I’ve heard nothing but great things from friends who have been, and especially seeing some breath-taking photos too (like the ones in this article). 🙂
Scuba Diving has appealed to me as well, but I’ve been too scared to look into it properly.
It doesn’t help watching movies like JAWS lol.
But after seeing your pics and the different snorkeling/diving trips you’ve highlighted, it’s certainly given me some inspiration.
I’ll definitely look into your boat and trip recommendations because we should make the most of what Thailand, and the world, in general, has to offer.
Thanks, Neil 🙂
Hi Neil,
Lol… I watched ‘Jaws’ 3 times and yikes…I do understand. It’s too bad the movie gives a bad name to sharks.
Don’t let sharks prevent you from learning to dive. They are really not interested in us and the only reason why they attack humans (surfers) is because when sharks look up, they see the shape (surfboards) of a seal.
You might be interested in reading this:
https://joyofscubadiving.com/w…
I’m glad you have Thailand on your ‘places to go’ list. I know you will enjoy it there. The people are extremely friendly and the fact that the Similan and Surin Islands are rated among the top 10 places to visit for some underwater adventure… this is just plain fun.
Thanks for reading and I’m glad you’re going to check out the boats.
Monica
Wow, Monica–this is super-informative! I’ve thought about moving from snorkling (which I’ve loved) to finally taking the plunge and taking up scuba diving. Doing so in Thailand would be unbelievable! Life is largely about great experiences, right? Well, it’s hard not to have this one on my bucket list now. Thanks for all the detail to look and think through when planning a trip!
Hi,
Knowing that you are a snorkeler, you are already comfortable with water and so hope you will take the dive plunge.
You might want to check this artlcle out https://joyofscubadiving.com/w…
because I have provided information you will need to know to learn diving. They are helpful tips.
Thailand is a perfect place to learn to dive and most of the liveaboards I recommended here also have professional dive instructors to teach you.
I’m glad to hear you are putting Thailand in your bucket list.
Thanks for reading,
Monica
Awesome Post
I never before thought about scuba diving, but your post is very motivating and has interested me now to seriously think about this type of adventure.
I loved the photographs of Thailand, I never realized it was such a beautiful place underwater before now. I live in the northern part of the USA, we only have rivers and lakes and scuba diving is very rarely thought of if ever done.
I have been wanting one day to visit Asian countries, so your post gives me even more reason to want to visit Asian countries and give this scuba diving a try.
Do you need to be a good swimmer to do this?
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I’m glad you enjoyed reading my article, thank you!
Thailand is uniquely beautiful, especially when you’re on a big boat seeing nature’s rock islands scattered for miles.
It’s also a great place to learn to scuba dive or you can learn the book knowledge online by taking PADI’s eLearning Open Water Diver Course. You might be interested in reading this..
https://joyofscubadiving.com/best-scuba-diving-tips-for-beginners-getting-certified
Once you finish the book knowledge online, you can then hook up with a dive shop thru PADI Travel to meet with one of their resort professional dive instructors. You can do this on your vacation someplace warm like Thailand, and get familiar with your dive gear in the shallow water and from there, venture out with your dive instructor demonstrating the skills you learned, in open water.
In regards to being a ‘good swimmer’, you should feel comfortable in water and there is some basic swimming to do, for example:
1) Swim 200 meters (or swim 300 meters if you use a mask, snorkel, and fins). The best part is, there is no time limit and you can swim any strokes you like.
2) Float and tread water for 10 minutes and again the best part is, you can do this any way you like.
I hope this information helps and hope you do this.
Regards,
Monica
Hi MONICA
Thank you for this wonderful information on Scuba Diving in Thailand.
Last year, I went with my wife and my two sons to Thailand. We went diving to Khao Lak and we will remember this the rest of our lives. It was a paradise on earth. It’s great for you to bring this to people, I recommend that everyone try this, it’s a shame to miss such an adventure.
Thank you very much for this MONICA.
Best regards
Salomon.
Hi Salomon,
Wow… thank you for a wonderful comment. I really appreciate you sharing your experience.
That’s exciting indeed, Khao Lak is a great place to dive for divers of all experience. I totally agree… it’s a paradise on Earth and should not be missed. The friendly people and diving bring delightful memories to me. Life is way too short not to see this gem.
Monica
Wow, very informative! I’ve always wanted to visit Thailand, but I didn’t realize it is known for amazing scuba diving. I love how detailed your site is and all the options of ways to go about scuba diving. For someone who has never done this in their life and is a little afraid, I would like to know if you can recommend a place for beginners?
Hi Michael,
I’m really glad you enjoyed reading the details and the exciting options for diving in Thailand.
In regards to learning how to scuba dive, you can certainly do this thru some of the liveaboards I mentioned. Many people go to Thailand to learn diving and if you’re planning a holiday there anyway, it would be much easier to do it there.
You might be interested in reading this… https://joyofscubadiving.com/best-scuba-diving-tips-for-beginners-getting-certified
because it has lots of helpful information to get you started.
You can get your Open Water Diver Certification in 3-4 days, depending on how comfortable you are in the water. You can also get the training at your local dive shop.
If you’re not in a rush to do the scuba lessons, I recommend going with PADI’s Open Water Diver Certification and you can do this by entering PADI.com in the search browser. I’m a PADI diver and received my training through their excellent training standards starting with this course.
The course comes in 2 parts.
Part 1 is the dive theory and you can learn this online by entering eLearning on their site. You have one year to complete the theory followed by quizzes and a final exam. The nice part is, you can do this at home.
Going on Part 2 – You must finish the course by booking with a dive shop either locally or book online in PADI.com. They have a list of dive shops/centers located all over the world. Once you have selected the dive shop and they have received your theory documents, you will be introduced to your professional PADI scuba instructor who you must meet. Your instructor will familiarize you with your scuba gear and demonstrate certain dive skills you must do in shallow water. When you are done that, you do 4 open water dives and perform the dive skills you learned, accompanied by your instructor. That is it.
I find the Caribbean islands like Turks and Caicos Islands, in my opinion, is one of the easiest places to learn to dive. The water is usually very calm and visibility is excellent.
Hope all this helps you.
Monica
Hey Monica,
I would like to start with thanking you so much for all the pictures and the video within your article…such unbelievable beauty.
It has been over 35 years since I had my dive certification. Your article makes me want to return to my younger years. Then again, you are only as old as you feel.
I truly enjoyed Scuba diving the few times I got the opportunity. I have had the opportunity to snorkel since then, but the two are just not the same.
I personally would love a trip to Thailand to dive once again, especially, considering all the breath taking beauty you described and showed.
My wife isn’t much for the water, but I grew up loving it as a kid, I would go swimming every day if my parents would have let me.
I plan on revisiting your site often to see read more and see all of your adventures. I know the more I do, the greater the desire I will have to get re-certified once again.
Thank you so much for the inspiration…
Ted
Hi Ted,
You’re very welcome and I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed reading this article. I had fun writing it and it brings back great memories.
I really like the people and their culture and of course, the Thai food is ummm good. The diving in Similan Islands is on my top favourite list.
I am honoured to have you revisit my site… anytime! I hope I can really inspire you to re-certify. You’re right, ‘you are only as old as you feel.
You can now learn the PADI theory online thru their eLearning Open Water Diver Course. You can do this at home, in your own time… you have 1 year to complete this and do the quizzes and a final exam, also online.
Here is an article, you might be interested in reading…
https://joyofscubadiving.com/w…
When you have completed the theory, you can look on PADI’s site and book with your local dive centre or a vacation destination dive centre (also listed) to finish the rest of the training with a professional PADI dive instructor.
I look forward to seeing you back.
Best,
Monica
Wow! This looks incredible! Your pictures and video make me want to hop on a plane and go there right now. I also didn’t know how affordable this could be. I am new to diving and looking to take a trip where I can do some diving. Eventually I would like to take a trip like this, but I feel like I need to start out a little easier. Would you suggest a trip that would fit my diving abilities?
Hi Jordan,
Thank you for reading this article.
Here are some great places to live and dive from liveaboards for people interested in learning to dive, and for new and novice divers:
https://joyofscubadiving.com/10-great-reasons-to-be-diving-in-sipadan-island-malaysia
https://joyofscubadiving.com/best-guide-to-liveaboard-scuba-diving-in-turks-and-caicos-islands
https://joyofscubadiving.com/5…
These articles will reveal dive destinations that are nice, easy and fun with very little to no current. Having actually lived in Turks and Caicos Islands for 4 1/2 years… I would choose to do that one first and if you plan your dive and snorkel vacation between January and March, you should have some great opportunities to see the amazing humpback whales or listen to their whale songs.
I hope this helps.
Best,
Monica
Wow! Absolutely gorgeous! I am already a scuba diver and Similan Islands is on my soon to do list. The scenery is stunning and thanks for the great details. It is in magical places like that, that you can feel a oneness with all that is around you. Thank you for this article and I’ll be back.
Hey Russell,
Thanks for reading and I’m thrilled to hear you have the Similan Islands on your soon to do list. You will definitely get great and exciting dives in. Even see the giant manta rays and the friendly whale sharks.
The islands are truly magical. I look forward to seeing you back.
Monica