Diving in Thailand in Aug/Sept...

[philipashley]

Hey all,

So, I realize that Aug/Sept is not the prime dive time for this region, but I have a trip planned anyway (going to visit some friends and do some backpacking) and I'd like to spend a week or so diving. I'm going by myself and my friends over there don't dive (although I plan to change that when I get there) so I'm hoping to get some feedback from this forum. Does anyone have any recommendations for particular dive shops/sites that I should focus on? Better yet, anyone planning on being there at the same time?

I'd appreciate any input. Thanks.

Phil

[kevrumbo]

Well I was thinking of filling in a last minute opening in a Rebreather Class on Koh Samui (Gulf of Thailand) July 25 --(I've got a herniated disc in my neck so there goes that. . .)

I was looking at the Big Blue Resorts (Koh Tao, Koh Samui, Koh Lak). . .

[philipashley]

I just checked out the Big Blue Diving site. Looks good! I'll look into it a bit more. Thanks for the info.

Sorry to hear about you neck, man.

phil

[Vie]

So, I realize that Aug/Sept is not the prime dive time for this region, but I have a trip planned anyway (going to visit some friends and do some backpacking) and I'd like to spend a week or so diving. I'm going by myself and my friends over there don't dive (although I plan to change that when I get there) so I'm hoping to get some feedback from this forum. Does anyone have any recommendations for particular dive shops/sites that I should focus on? Better yet, anyone planning on being there at the same time?

Where about in Thailand are you planning to be? Sept is near the transition period of the diving season from the Gulf of Siam to the Andaman Sea (although weather/rain will probably be bad). Season proper for the Andaman starts in October.

Aug is still good for the Gulf of Siam area. I'm not a big fan of staying on Ko Tao. I usually drive dowm from Bangkok and board a liveaboard at Chumphon. In the Ko Tao area, Chumphon Pinnacle is a great site to see bull sharks.

[RHM]

Hi all - Following up on this question: I'm hoping to get some friendly and frank advice on where to dive in Thailand in August. This is my first time time Thailand and I don't know when/if I'll be back.

I've heard that the best overall diving is in the Andaman Sea (Hin Daeng and Hin Muang sound awesome), though I'll be there during monsoon season, so I've had lots of advice to go to the Gulf.

The reviews I've read of Koh Tao, however, make it sound overcrowded and, well, not really what I'm looking for.

So: Is August really that bad a time for diving the Andaman? Should I stick with the must-see sights on the Gulf? And, of course, is Koh Tao really that bad? Are there alternative launching pads?

Thanks very much,


Ralph