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We
had spent three months in Koh Tao during the low season, from
November 2002 to February 2003 in which time we had met up with
old acquaintances and made some new friends (quite an achievement
for Terry). Tracy had become a PADI Staff Instructor, which she
did with Ban’s, and subsequently staffed another 2 IDC’s for
Buddha View. Terry had become an Enriched Air Instructor and Gas
Blending Instructor whilst working for Master Divers. We had also
sampled the revelry of Christmas, New Year, Tracy’s Birthday and a
few IDC/IE parties (Tracy had one most memorable night at Jamakiri
and still has the scars to prove it!!) We had had a good time, but
as it was low season there was not much work around for
freelancers, and sea conditions were not too good. Terry was
getting itchy feet and was feeling that it was time to try
somewhere new again. The general rumour around Koh Tao was that
certain liveaboard companies running trips out of Khao Lak to the
Similan Islands were offering very good rates to dive
professionals working in Thailand in order to fill their boats.
So, Terry e-mailed High Class Adventures to confirm the rumoured
rate of 1500THB a day, to maybe have a holiday. As a P.S, he asked
if they knew of any companies requiring staff. To our surprise, we
received an email back the next day. It was from Evi (one of the
owners). She confirmed the price and also said that they, “High
Class” were looking for staff. The wanted a couple to run their
flagship “Short Cut II”, until the end of the high season (end of
April) and maybe during the low season. We searched the ‘net for
more information on High Class and Short Cut II. After finding
out the boat had Nitrox on board and did trips to Burma, a few
more emails to Evi and discussions amongst ourselves, we decided
to give it a go.
Tracy
had to finish off staffing an IDC for Buddha View by which time
Terry was packed and eager to go! So, on 12th February
2002 we said our goodbye’s and headed off to the West Coast. The
journey was full of the usual pitfalls. Delayed and broken down
ferries etc. We had a big mix up in Surat Thani, as we stupidly
thought that Surat Thani train station was in Surat Thani!! But
no, the town was 20km away! A local bus journey from Surat Thani
to Khao Lak (costing 90thb), via Koh Sok National Park and a long
delay in the town of Takuapa (which was so close to our
destination it was infuriating), we eventually arrived at High
Class’s main office sweaty and tired. It was about 3pm and we were
told that Evi would not be around to see us until 7pm (this
already did not bode well). So we went for a stroll and finally
met up with the boss, had a quick chat and were taken to the
accommodation they had arranged for us. After a shower and some
food, things seemed all the better.
The
next day, we met Evi again and what we thought was a job interview
was actually a job offer, resulting in Tracy becoming Tourleader
and Terry becoming DM/Instructor aboard MV Short Cut II. The day
after that we were shipped out on one of their other boats, “Reef
Runner”, to join Short Cut, for the last 2 days of it’s four day
charter. The idea being to see how the boat operated and meet the
Thai crew and see if we liked it. We met Short Cut at Snapper
Alley on Island #9 and were welcomed aboard by Taff, an amiable
welsh chap who didn’t have the faintest idea that we were coming
or who we were!! It also turned out that two of Tracy’s friends
from the Ban’s IDC were on board, Margo and Debbie.
The
next 2 days were great. Our first dives in the Similan’s. Crystal
clear water, millions upon millions of fish, good food, good
people, nice crew and a free swimming leopard shark on our first
dive! Taff showed is the in’s and out’s of the workings of the
boat even though he was a touch miffed at our arrival. The boat’s
next trip was to Burma for 7 day’s and he had not yet been there.
He was usually the tourleader on “Catch-Up” which didn’t go to
Burma. He desperately wanted to go. To his credit, he treated us
very well seeing as we were stealing his job!! Two days later we
were back in Khao Lak and told Evi that we accepted the job.
The
next day we were off on our first trip running the boat, out to
the unknowns of Burma for 7 days. This was definitely being
“dropped in at the deep end” to use a cliché!
We
did 7 trips in total. Two more to Burma, (see our Burma page for
the truth on Burma diving…) and five in the Similans / Surin. We
quit due to “irreconcilable differences” with Evi!! The worst
part about the job was coming back to land. According to the
owners, we would be either too early or too late. Then we would
have to wait for transport or PIC cards for customers who had done
courses on board. The next hurdle was then arranging a time to do
paperwork. This was generally done the day after our return, which
was officially our “day off”. Even though we had to do paperwork,
pack equipment, purchase food and drink and generally get the boat
set up and ready for the customers to arrive that evening. This is
only regarded as a “day off” by the owners, not the crew, due to
the fact that you do not get paid for it!!! It was a shame
because once you were out at sea, everything ran smoothly again.
Enough was enough. We had experience of the dive sites (Terry
logged over 120 dives), saw Leopard Sharks, White and Black Tip
sharks, Bull sharks and Manta Rays and got some good photographs –
all we needed for our website and a bit of money to boot. If only
these dive shop owners showed some manners and respect, they might
find it easier to retain their dive staff, who surely are the
makings of a good dive centre???
After
we finished with High Class, we kept our rented bungalow, which we
had originally shared with Debbie. We ended up sharing with Filip,
another person Tracy met, this time on a Buddha View IDC. We
hired a Jeep for 5 days and had a holiday. We stayed and hiked in
Khao Sok National Park, went to Phuket, Krabi and generally
relaxed. We also did a bit of freelance work for other dive shops
in Khao Lak.
All
in all, the diving in Similan and Surin is absolutely beautiful –
probably some of the best we have done and would highly recommend
it. The diving in Burma, however, was a BIG disappointment and we
would say save your money and stay in Thailand.
A typical day on the liveaboard:
07.00 Wake up. Light breakfast
07.30 Briefing
08.00 First dive. Max. depth 40m
09.00 Breakfast
11.30 Briefing
12.00 Second dive. Max. depth 30m
13.00 Lunch
15.30 Briefing
16.00 Third dive. Max depth 20m
19.00 Briefing
19.30 Night Dive
20.30 Dinner
SIMILAN ISLANDS
The
Similan islands are an archipelago. They consist of nine islands
ranging in size. The smallest, Koh Ha, just looks like a bunch of
boulders, the largest, Koh Similan, features dense jungle, white
sandy beaches and the Similan’s longest continual reef structure.
The word “Similan” is thought to have derived from the Malay word
“Sembolan” meaning “Nine”, as the
islands used to be fished mainly by Malaysian sea gypsies.
Luckily, fishing has now stopped due to it’s National Park status,
though the effects of dynamite fishing can still be seen on some
of the shallower sites. The diving around the Similans can be
split into two categories. Reefs, which are generally on the East
Side and leeward sides of the islands sloping down gently into the
sand around 30 metres, and “boulders” usually on the tips and the
west sides of the islands. These huge granite boulders have
tumbled down into the sand at 40m creating impressive swim
throughs. Saying that, some of the dives start on boulders and end
up on reef, and visa versa. A typical boulder dive would be
Elephant Head, whereas a typical reef dive would be East of Eden.
Therefore, a typical days’ diving from a liveaboard would start
off with a deep boulder dive and progress onto shallower reef
dives ending with a night dive in a shallow bay.
Access to the Similans is very easy. There are dive operators
running out of Phuket, which used to be the only choice. Now with
the expansion of the town of Khao Lak, there are two choices of
either liveaboard’s or day boats, which leave from the nearby port
of Thab Lamu. It takes 3 hours to reach the islands from here, the
speed boats (some of which leave directly from Khao Lak beach)
take just one and a half hours. The only real way to get a proper
feel of the islands is from a liveaboard, as the day boats tend to
stick to the same shallower sites, the liveaboard’s access them
all.
The
marine life and visibility on the Similans is stunning. They have
it all; hard coral, soft coral, huge gorgonian fans, schools of
pelagics, swirling schools of glassfish, anemone fish of every
variety and an abundance of the usual reef fishes. Not forgetting
Leopard Sharks, White and Black Tip Sharks, turtles and the
occasional Manta Ray. It truly is an amazing place and well worth
a visit. The only down side is everybody else wants to dive here.
It is not uncommon that some of the dive sites get crowded if the
tourleader’s and boat crews do not use their brains and stagger
their dive times, or simply choose different sites. It is not that
difficult. By the way, you do have to pay to dive in the Similans.
You pay a 200thb entry fee plus 200thb for each day’s diving.
ISLAND NO 9 – KOH BANGU
CHRISTMAS POINT
A
boulder dive creating some nice swim throughs. It can have strong
currents, as with most of the dives on the “points” of the
islands. The current can be hidden from behind the boulders. There
are beautiful sea fans and marine life aplenty. Terry went deep on
this dive once and saw at least 10 white tip sharks sleeping in
the sand among blue spotted fantail rays.
BREAKFAST BEND
The
first dive we did in the Similans, and what a first dive it was!
The reef slopes down gently into the sand to a depth of around
30m. The reef is covered in all varieties of corals and massive
balls of swirling glassfish being hunted by trevally. Currents can
run wither way on this dive so just drift with it and enjoy the
view. It is common to see Leopard sharks, turtles and octopus and
once we even saw a Manta ray here. It really is a beautiful site.
Top
SNAPPER ALLEY
A
kind of extension of Breakfast Bend, so if you get dropped off at
the tip of the island, the current could take you wither into
Snapper Alley or to Breakfast Bend. The beauty of diving in the
Similans is that you can just go with the flow, inflate your
safety sausage on your safety stop and the boat will come and pick
you up. All the usuals are here as at Breakfast Bend, possible
more sea fans but you lose count!!
ISLAND NO 8 – KOH SIMILAN
BEACON POINT
Another impressive boulder dive that can turn into a reef dive
providing the current is in your favour. Drop down into the sand
at 35m+, which is littered with blue spotted rays, garden eels and
a few Jenkins whiptail rays. Search among the boulders for various
morays, then make your way into the shallows to do a safety stop
drifting across the top of the reef at 5m.
BEACON BEACH / ATLANTIS WRECK
This
is, or was, the Similans longest unbroken reef structure, until a
liveaboard boat, The Atlantis, sank on top of it. The boat
subsequently dragged through the reef causing a great deal of
damage, but providing a wreck dive in the Similans. As the boat
only sank in mid 2002, there is little in the way of life on it. A
few batfish seem to have made it home as have various algae’s and
at least one soft coral! It will be interesting to see how it
develops if it is allowed to stay perched in a precarious upright
position, with boats using it as a mooring each and every day. As
for the reef itself, it is not the most impressive of sites with
just a few fish but lots of corals. It’s not a bad place for a
unique night dive if you have time to do one.
Top
ISLAND NO 7 – KOH PAYU
EAST
OF EDEN
Probably one of the Similans most popular dive sites. It can get a
bit crowded. Loads of fish, soft corals and gorgonian fans
together with a huge coral pinnacle rising out of the slope from
about 20m up to about 8m. It is absolutely covered in soft corals
of all colours. Giant gorgonian fans, lion fish and morays are all
around. From there, you can move onto a shallow leather coral
garden where turtles can be seen. A very pretty dive.
DEEP
SIX
A
boulder dive which, if the currents are raging, can be a pure
adrenaline dive – depending on your perspective! Our first dive
here with Taff, only lasted 35 minutes due to the immense current
and the battle against it! Yet, on another dive here with no
current at all, Terry had probably his best dive in the Similans!
There are quite a few swim throughs around 20m, taking you into a
sheltered area that has an archway up and out into the shallower
parts. Things we saw here included giant morays, leopard sharks,
blue spotted rays, and, as usual in the sandy depths, turtles and
white tip sharks, plus all the usuals.
ELEPHANT HEAD – HIN BO CHANG
Not
given island status as these boulders only break the surface by 5
metres or so. It was given the name of Elephant head because that
is what one of the protruding boulders looks like – supposedly.
Huge boulders form an incredible amount of swim throughs,
chimneys, caverns and gullies. The majority of them start from 29m
and upwards. You simply find one and away you go. Up, down, round
and round – just be careful of saw tooth profiles, as some of the
caverns will take you upwards. Elephant head has prolific marine
life, especially clown and midnight blue triggerfish and giant
morays. The current can get strong which can make some of the swim
throughs a challenge to get through, but the boulders will provide
some shelter somewhere on the dive. Top
ISLAND NO 5 – KOH HA
KOH
HA POINT / ANITA’S REEF
Due
to it’s exposed position, the dive here begins on reef and
finishes on boulders. You get dropped in on the west side and drop
into the sand to see blue spotted rays and garden eels. There are
sporadic coral outcrops amidst the sand giving homes to lionfish
and scorpionfish. Moving along, the site changes dramatically into
boulders covered in a green hard coral, which looks as though it
should be a soft coral. This is a good place for overhangs giving
shelter to Jenkins whiptail rays and black spotted or marbled
rays. Look into the blue for white and black tip sharks. Luckily,
it doesn’t appear to be a popular site, but it is a very nice one. Top
ISLAND NO 4 – KOH MIANG
STONEHENGE
Another boulder dive on the northern tip of Koh Miang. Currents
here can be raging and coming from all directions. As usual, go
with it and see where you end up. Try and find shelter and
generally, once you are around the tip, the current abates. There
are some nice swim throughs in the shallows on the wet side, plus
white tip sharks, turtles and clown trigger fish.
Top
PRINCESS BAY / HONEYMOON BAY
Princess Bay gets its name from the fact that the Princess of
Thailand has a holiday residence on Koh Miang (this is probably
the only reason the islands became a national park). These bays
provide moorings at night for liveaboards and average dive sites
for those inclined to do night dives.
KOH
BON
KOH
BON RIDGE
Koh
Bon is a bit of a no-mans-land being equidistant from the Similan
and Surin Island groups. It therefore, is not policed that well by
park wardens, so the effect of dynamite fishing are quite
apparent, especially in the shallow bay on the East Coast. Koh Bon
Ridge is supposedly a good place to see Manta Rays, but we only
got a fleeting glimpse of one during our stop there (saying that,
it did have a very nice Cobia with it). Other than Manta rays, it
is a good place to see banded sea snakes and delicate purple
nudibranch’s along the wall. Other than that, it is quite a boring
site. The bay gets dived as a night dive, but we are not sure why
as it is pretty dead.
Top
SURIN
ISLANDS - KOH TACHI
NORTH
POINT (Eric’s Reef)
Of
the five Surin Islands, we only dived Koh Tachi. We only dived
North Point by accident on the recommendation of Eric, a German
instructor who accompanied us on one trip, and we are glad that we
did. Good for what companies call a “check out dive” on the way to
Richelieu Rock. We dived this site starting in the shallows on the
reef then descending into the gently sloping sand to get some
depth. This is an excellent site to see Leopard Sharks sleeping in
the sand. On one dive, we had eight, three of which were entwined
amongst each other either mating or paying. If you like smaller
things, there are plenty of banded cleaner shrimps and dancing
shrimps here. In addition, nice corals covered in glassfish and
quite a few mantis shrimps. We actually used this site as an extra
late afternoon dive on the way back from a Burma trip. It turned
out to be the customers favourite dive so that does not say a lot
for Burma!! They said they saw more on this site than in five days
in Burma. Thank you again Eric! Top
KOH
TACHI PLATEAU
A
truly beautiful dive. Due to this fact it can get very busy with
other divers and boats. This is especially true on the top of the
plateau in the coral garden and on the buoy line when the current
is running – which it more often than not, does. Use the buoy line
for descent and get down as quickly as possible and hide behind
the boulders. The current dissipates at depth. You can usually
see Leopard Sharks around 30m in the sand. Head round towards to
island then drift back across the plateau at around 14m. Due to
it’s depth, one runs out of no decompression time rather than air
on this dive. Saying that, this is where Terry had his best Manta
encounter while ascending back up the line. The Manta came so
close he had to push himself back down the line to avoid coming
into contact with it! Also seen on this dive are huge schools of
fish sitting in the current, including 40+ batfish, trevallies and
other pelagics just waiting for a meal to come floating by.
Top
RICHELIEU ROCK
Another bit of a no-mans-land, this is a semi-submerged pinnacle
between Surin and the mainland. It is rated as the West Coast of
Thailand’s’ number one dive site, and top place to find
whalesharks. Needless to say we did not see one and the main thing
we did see was other divers’ fins, arms or tanks (descending on
you especially from over zealous Japanese divers who seemed to
want to poke, prod and generally disturb everything they came into
contact with). On the plus side, it is a very pretty site, if not
a touch over-rated. It is covered in soft corals, anemones,
schooling giant barracuda, juvenile cube boxfish and much, much
more. We tried to time our dives so that no other divers were in
the water most times, but this did not always work. On one dive,
Tracy spent 40 minutes being circled by a manta whilst hanging in
midwater until a group of Japanese also saw it, touched it and
chased it away. A lovely dive site but too crowded, and too hyped
up by dive operators. Chumporn Pinnacle off Koh Tao equals it on a
good day!! And they allegedly get whale sharks there as well!
Top
AO NANG DIVE SITES
Ao Nang is situated only a short taxi
ride from Krabi and is a much nicer place to stay. The taxi ride
takes about 30mins and costs around 20 baht. There are several
dive shops in Ao Nang, but by far the best is Phra Nang Divers
(www.pndivers.com) , whom we briefly worked for. The shop is run
by two English guys, Ian and Kevin, and is a very professional
outfit. They also have a base on Raily Beach where their dive
boat is moored. The journey to and from Raily in a long tail taxi
boat is stunning as you wind your way through limestone casts
rising like monoliths from the emerald green sea, with the sound
of the un-silenced boat engine reverberating off the rock walls.
The scenery here on this short boat ride is some of the most incredible
we have ever seen in the world.
Unfortunately, we were only in Ao Nang
for a couple of weeks and only got to dive two sites, Koh See
and Koh Ha, missing out on the best dive sites, Hin Daeng and
Hin Muang, which are meant to be stunning and generally dived
by Phra Nang divers as a live aboard, three day trip. Top
KOH SEE/KOH HA
Meaning, "islands four and five"
they are part of a small group of islands situated about an hours
boat ride between Ao Nang and Phi Phi. These islands offer a less
crowded alternative to the somewhat busy dive sites around Phi
Phi and Phuket, but still with a very similar marine life. Terry
saw his first Leopard Sharks here and quite a few fleeting glimpses
of Black Tip Reef Sharks in the shallows of one of the islands
many swim throughs. Banded Sea Snakes also abound in the shallows
around these islands. These beautiful and potentially deadly creatures,
should be treated with respect. As like all marine life, they
are not interested in the slightest with humans and will only
attack if provoked. Top
KOH PHI PHI
When we were in Phi Phi (pronounced Pee-Pee)
we worked for Barakuda Dive Centre, run by a German guy called
Helmut and his Thai wife. This shop used to be one of the best
in Phi Phi but has slipped a bit in standards over the years.
Probably due to the fierce competition from the multitude of new
dive shops which are popping up on the island. Our recommendation
would be to seek out Viking Divers (no, not run by Scandinavians
as you would imagine, but a couple of blokes from Southampton!)
as they are friendly, helpful and professional. Top
Most of the diving done from Phi Phi is
centred around two smaller islands off Phi Phi Ley, by the names
of Bida Nok and Bida Nai. Not only is the diving beautiful but
the scenery you are treated to on the boat journeys to and from
the dive sites is stunning, as are the locations on Phi Phi Ley,
such as Maya Bay and Lo Sama Bay where you have lunch and surface
intervals. They really do conjure up romantic thoughts of everything
you could dream of in a tropical paradise. But even this was not
enough for Hollywood as they re-landscaped on of the bays for
the filming of "The Beach" to make it look more tropical!
They bulldozed it and planted extra palm trees for effect! Top
BIDA NAI
The next island in, set between Phi Phi
Ley and Bida Nok. This island is a touch larger than Bida Nok
and offers a very similar dive scenario. Some very nice swim throughs
and walls rising from the sea bed into dramatic cliff faces above
sea level. Leopard sharks are also very common here as are Moray
Eels and Harlequin Sweet lips. Top
BIDA NOK
Located at the southern tip of the islands,
this tiny island can be circumnavigated in one dive, depending
on the currents. But what's the point of rushing as there is so
much to see, it is best to take it slow and just see how far you
get. The dive normally starts in a small bay on the eastern side
of the islet, which affords shelter from swell or wind, which
can be present. You descend into 10m of water and head out over
a vast growth of Stag Horn coral. Terry's favourite way was to
head off the island onto a smaller reef, where often as not, he
would find 2 or 3 Leopard Sharks dozing in the sand between the
reefs. Tracy's preferred dive was to head around the island in
an anti-clockwise direction, as that is where she generally saw
Leopard Sharks swimming. Whichever way you go, you can be assured
you will reach a wall dropping away to 26, covered in large sea
fans and pink and purple soft corals, plus all the usual exotic
tropical marine life aplenty! Safety stops can be done anywhere
around the island as the boat will come and pick you up. But it
is best to try and make it back to the entry point if you have
enough air. Top
THE KING CRUISER WRECK
Located at LAT 7 47' 10"N, LON 98 38' 58"E and lying
upright and intact on the sea bed at 30m. This 85m long car ferry,
The King Cruiser, sank on 4th May 1997 after striking the nearby
Anemone Reef on a clear day on a crossing it made 7 days a week,
52 weeks a year, also with no cars? Some say this disaster could
have been an insurance job, but who cares as the seas in that
area needed a wreck for diving especially for the Advanced Courses.
There is not a great deal of growth on the wreck yet but quite
a lot of marine life can be seen about the wreck, particularly
when the currents are running. Also the car deck is easily penetrable
and gives good shelter in strong currents. You can dive along
the upper walkways and into the bridge on your way up and out.
The day we dived the wreck, Tracy had 2 Advanced students, Binh
and Steve, whom she had taught to dive in Indonesia, and Terry
had 12 divers split with 2 other Divemasters, Rod and Sabina.
The wind blew a gale all the way from Phi Phi and sea's were rough
for the entire 2 hour journey. Needless to say a lot of people
were feeling pretty sick by the time we were ready to dive! But
dive we did! Only to find a strong current and bad visibility compounding
to our problems. Tracy decided (sensibly as usual) just to go
around the outside of the wreck with Binh and Steve, but Terry
(now with a fogged up shop mask after his own broke just as he
was about to enter the water) decided to take his divers, now
only numbering 3 (due to sea sickness) through the wreck as planned,
and as Rod had drummed into him the layout of the wreck so many
times, all went well. Firstly through the open bow door at 28m,
through the car deck and out the starboard side, then up and across
the sun deck, past the fallen funnels. Along the walkways and
into the bridge, then finally onto the buoy at the bow for a safety
stop and to the surface with 3 very happy customers. None of them
realised it was Terry's first time on the wreck and that he couldn't
see through his fogged up mask!! This is a great wreck especially
if you take in Anemone Reef for a second dive - but maybe do the
trip from Phuket rather than Phi Phi as it's much closer!. Top
ANEMONE REEF
This reef, also known as Hin Jorn, meaning
"submerged rock" is barely under the surface and as
such presents quite a shipping hazard as the King Cruiser found
out to it's demise.
From it's shallow beginnings the reef
drops to 27m, to a sandy floor littered in Oyster shell. This
is a beautiful reef, especially for us after our disastrous dive
on the King Cruiser. As the name suggests, this reef is covered
in Anemones, which play host to a plethora of Clown Fish and Shrimps.
Also on this dive you can expect to see schools of Lion Fish (up
to 12 at a time) hovering in mid water with fins extended against
a back drop of Gorgonian fans and soft coral. This was by far
the prettiest dive we did from Phi Phi, but not too many operators
out of Ton Sai (the main harbour in Phi Phi) can be bothered with
the long journey out there. So as with The King Cruiser, it could
be best to dive it from an operator on Phuket. Top
SHARK POINT (PHI PHI)
Not to be confused with its more famous
name sake closer to Phuket. This site lies quite away off the
Phi Phi islands but is easily reached within 40 minutes or so
giving you a good surface interval. This reef is only just
submerged and is easily spotted when waves are breaking over the
highest pinnacles, even on a calm day. Even though it is out in
the ocean it still offers good snorkelling during a stay there and
is worth jumping in to look around for Leopard Sharks and Turtles
resting on the shallower sand patches on the reef. Diving on the
reef is fairly shallow reaching around 16m and the entire reef can
be navigated in one dive searching in the sand for rays and
Leopard sharks, then cutting across over the
reef in the shallows for all the usual marine life in
Techi-colour. Top
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