Diving at the much less crowded Surin Islands has become famous because of its spectacular coral reefs and inhabitants.
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The Surin Islands are 68 km north of the Similan islands and consist of five islands, named Koh Chi, Hin Rap, Koh Surin Nua, Koh Surin Tai, Koh Torinla and Koh Pachumba. The area only seven km south of Myanmar was designed a national marine park in 1981. Today there is still a fully self providing and small Sea Gypsy community (Moh Kaen) living in bamboo huts on the east coast of the island. When divers refer to diving near the Surin Islands, they include some other islands and isolated areas, which are officially not part of the Surin islands. Most boat operators only have time to visit the Similans which make the Surin islands more remote en less crowded, but definitely not less interesting.
Visiting these islands is best between November and April. The water temperature is at its coldest then, but with 24 degrees in winter and 28 degrees in summer, nobody can really complain. Between February and May whale sharks and manta rays visit this area so if you are interested in these animals and why should you not, try to dive here during these months. Most dives are shallow, highly colourful and extremely active with fish. Its structure is a mixture between reefs and rocks almost all dropping down fast to deep waters creating some excellent walls.
Try to walk along Surin's verdant evergreen forests which is laced with small beaches and mangroves. You will most likely see macaques, kingfishers and pigeons. The Surin Islands are pretty far away from Phuket and Khao Lak and are therefore often dived with live aboard tours. The currents are often strong and most dive sites are shallow and perfect for starting divers and snorkellers. Especially the south of Ko Torinla and near Koh Chi have coral reefs started to grow at one meter below the surface, bringing all sorts of marine life close to the surface. Wreck divers won't have an excellent time here as the area is mostly famous for its spectacular coral formations and enormous amounts of marine life. The coral bleaching disaster in 2010 has lessened its beauty a bit, but just a bit. During daytime your best chances of spotting big fish are in the north. Famous dive sites are Richelieu Rock, which consists as one of the best places in the world to dive with whale sharks and Ko Tachai island with some excellent pinnacle dives.
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- Dive The World, 178/1 Nanai Road, Patong Beach, Phuket
Dive The World
| Dive The World Thailand www.divetheworldthailand.com/ 076 512473 076 512474 | 178/1 Nanai Road, Patong Beach 83150 Phuket |
Looking for the best value deals to dive in Phuket, the Similans or Thailand?
Then book with us! Use this website for a quick and easy comparison of all the best Thailand liveaboards, daytrips, PADI courses and dive resort packages. Why waste hours scouring dozens of websites? You'll discover full information here for diving in Phuket, Similan Islands, Hin Daeng, Khao Lak, Phi Phi Islands, Krabi, Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Burma
Scuba Cat Diving
| Scuba Cat Diving www.scubacat.com/ +66076293120 +66076293122 | 94 Thaweewong Rd, Patong Beach 83150 Phuket |
Scuba Cat Diving, Phuket, Thailand, a British owned Dive Center, is a 5 Star PADI CDC Center and has been a 5 Star PADI IDC center for more than a decade. We teach all levels of PADI Scuba Diving Courses, have a dedicated boat for Scuba Diving Day Trips to the best Scuba dive sites around Phuket and Koh Phi Phi Island, Thailand. 2 liveaboards year round in the Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock and all the best Scuba Diving sites in the Andaman Sea, Phi Phi, Koh Ha and Hin Daeng.
Scuba Cat Diving, Phuket, is known worldwide for training quality and customer services having an excellent reputation within the diving industry for producing first class and highly employable PADI Instructors from their PADI IDC's. Scuba Cat Diving, Phuket, Thailand is the only PADI 5 Star CDC Center based on Patong Beach, this is the highest PADI Dive Center achievement possible. PADI CDC distinguishes us from the rest. Scuba Cat Diving, Phuket, Thailand teaches tec diving including Gas Blender, DSAT Tec Rec, Trimix, and rebreather courses up to Instructor level. Many of these courses are onboard our own liveaboard MV Scuba Cat in the Similan Islands at no extra cost. Scuba Cat has Nitrox and Trimix diving capabilities and is the only dive center in Phuket to offer the full range of IAHD Diving courses up to Instructor level. Additionally, Scuba Cat Diving has Scuba Tank filling stations to be confident of both land based and aboard our daytrip and liveaboard boats. Scuba Cat Diving, Phuket, Thailand are proud to have comprehensive diver training facilities at their 5 star PADI CDC Center and a well located Scuba diving shop on Patong Beach including 5 fully equipped classrooms catering for students of all levels and a dedicated scuba dive training swimming pool. Scuba Cat conducts all levels of PADI Courses aboard our liveaboard MV Scuba Cat during the Summer Season at no extra cost including PADI MSDT Instructor training. We pride ourselves on catering for the individual beginner Scuba Diver to the most technical diving addict with many tec dives conducted from our liveaboard boat MV Scuba Cat. We teach all the PADI Courses, Instructor Development Courses (IDC) and other instructor courses. PADI is the largest scuba diving organization in the world. As a PADI Professional Scuba Diver you will find work in more than 180 countries in the world. Scuba Cat Diving, PADI 5 Star CDC Center, Phuket, Thailand offers the most complete Scuba Diving all inclusive Career Internships in Thailand. We give the opportunity to our PADI IDC candidates to have a wide view of the dive industry. Scuba Diving is everywhere. Our candidates get liveaboard experience in the Similan Islands or the Andaman Sea. Scuba Cat Diving was the first National Geographic Center in Phuket - another high dive center status offered through PADI. Scuba Cat also is an active Green Fins Member and has an active Reef Check team. Scuba Cat owns and operates a fleet of dive boats to provide the most enjoyable of day trip Scuba diving, liveaboards, and snorkeling. We are innovators of a variety of diving products in the area; "often imitated - never copied" for liveaboard diving in the Similan Islands and during the Summer Season.
Just Dive It
| Just Dive It www.justdiveit.com/ 02 2822205 02 2822202 | 44 plaza, 36 Chakrapong road 10200 Bangkok |
Just Dive It links to selected dive schools in Thailand - Koh Tao, Koh Lanta, Similan and Surin liveaboards.
Sea Dragon Dive Center
| Sea Dragon Dive Center www.seadragondivecenter.com/ +6676485420 +6676485418 | 5/51 Moo7 82190 Khao Lak |
PADI 5 Star IDC Center & Khao Lak
LIVEABOARD/ DAYTRIP SPECIALISTS & 5 STAR IDC CENTER IN KHAO LAK Sea Dragon, the first dive centre to be based in Khao Lak, was established in 1993. Located only 1 hour north of Phuket Airport on the picturesque west coast of Thailand, we are easily accessible from all major towns. Our local harbour, Thap Lamu, is conveniently the closest departure point to Thailand
A-One-Ranong Diving Center
| www.a-one-diving.com www.a-one-diving.com/ +66 77 832 984 +66 77 830 984 | 256/ Raungrat Rd, Kaoniwat, Ma... 85000 Ranong |
Travel, Dive and enjoy yourself in Green and fresh world.
We organize diving, Snorkeling and Adventure Trip in western coast of Thailand and Mergui archipelago of Myanmar.
Aidc (2005) Co, Ltd
| Andaman International Dive Cen... www.aidcdive.com +66 (0)898141092 +66 (0)77834824 | Phet Kasem Rd. 97/21, Moo 1 85000 Ranong |
World Class Diving in Thailand and Burma. Liveaboard trips from 3 to 7 days.
Thailand, Burma, Andaman Sea, Ranong, Similan, Surin Island, Richelieu, Burma Banks, Black Rock
Liveaboard, Charter
- Scuba Diving Adventures, Khao Lak, Phang Nga
Scuba Diving Adventures
| The most comprehensive source ... www.highclass-adventure.com/ +43 664 494 69 84 | Khao Lak 82190 Phang Nga |
Asia Marine
| Asia Marine www.asia-marine.net +66 76 27 33 20 + 66 76 23 89 74 | Boat Lagoon 83000 Phuket |
Asia Marine is the largest and most experienced yacht charter agency in Phuket, and also Thailand's leading boat broker. Phuket sailing is our special expertise. Sailing Phuket is our forte. We operate from the resort island of Phuket on Thailand's west coast, Asia's center for yacht charters, sailing and a wide range of marine activities, including fishing boat trips, scuba diving, Phuket sailing, pleasure boating, and snorkeling.
Paradise Diving Asia
| Diving Paradise Phuket www.dive-paradise.com/ +66 81 891 55 39 | 116 Moo 1. Sakoo Village, Thal... 83110 Phuket |
Dive Center Phuket Nai Yang Beach. Paradise-Divers lead you to the best dive sites around Phuket. We do Liveaboard to other Islands as Similan or Koh Phi Phi as well as PADI-Courses at the Hotelpool and near beach. We would be pleased to hear from you!
Phuket Thailand 5* Gold Palm Dive Center. Daytrips, Liveaboard, PADI Courses, Similan and Phi Phi Tours
Manta Point Dive Center Khao Lak
| Diving and snorkeling in Khao ... www.mantapoint.com/ 089 8728213 | 91 moo 6 Khukkak 82190 Takuapa |
Thailand Liveaboards
| Thailand Liveaboards www.thailandliveaboards.com | Phuket Phuket |
ThailandLiveaboards.com
You can find all the best scuba diving liveaboard safaris at ThailandLiveaboards.com. Trips from one to ten nights duration, diving at all of Thailand's premier dive destinations including:
The Smiling Seahorse
| Diving Myanmar and Thailand wi... www.thesmilingseahorse.com +66860110614 | 170 Ruangrat Rd 85000 Ranong |
Operating out of Ranong, The Smiling Seahorse offers dive cruises to Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). Liveaboard diving tours to the virgin Islands on Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar (also known as Burma) or the better known Surin and Similan Islands in Thailand
If you want to go diving in Burma or explore the best diving sites in Thailand, The Smiling Seahorse has just what you need: a friendly staff, comfortable boat, exceptional service and breathtaking diving. Our destinations are exclusives, we don't like to dive on busy dive sites we know you don't either. On our Burma trips, you will find it hard to spot another dive boat. You will come back from each one of your dives with stories to tell and new species to search in our fish encyclopedias from the small frog fish, ghost pipe fishes, seahorses to the large whalesharks and mantas, our water got it all! We like to spoil our guests with yummy food and personalized services, which is why we only take up to 12 passengers on our spacious vessel. Beside the amazing diving, we can also organize many extra activities, why don't you take our canoe to the close by mangrove forest or hop on one of the many white sanded beaches and take a swim in the pristine water? PADI and Nitrox available, 1 guide for 4 divers max. double cabins only.
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