Diving Phuket

There are lots of Scuba Centres and Diving Schools in Phuket that organize day trips to the nearby dive sites, such as Racha or Phi Phi Islands, or multi-day cruises with living on board to Racha Noi and Phi Phi Islands or farthest Similan and Surin Islands. The cost of a one day tour ranges from 3,000 to 5,500 THB, depends on the number of dives planned throughout the day, usually 2 or 3, and the selected sites. The costs are slightly higher for the newbie who needs training in a swimming pool first real dive.

The majority of these tours include the transfer by minivan from your hotel, the roundtrip by dive boat from Chalong Pier, diving equipment, lunch buffet, tropical fruit, drinking water, assistance by dive guides and insurance. Pick-up from hotel start at 07:30 - 08.00 a.m.. The return is at 15.00 p.m., in the case of day trip which provides 2 dives, or at 18.00 p.m. in the case of 3 dives. Multi-day cruises to the sites in Racha Noi and Phi Phi Islands usually last two to three days, and provide 3 or 4 dives per day. The costs depend on the chosen boat, by diving equipment and services on board, indicatively ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 THB per day per person. The price includes the transfer by minivan to Chalong Pier, accommodation in cabins, tanks, weights and weight-belts, assistance by dive guides, insurance and all meals on board; are excluded personal diving gear and Nitrox.

The dive cruises to the Similan and Surin Islands run from November through to May. The two National Parks are closed for the rest of the year. The multi-day diving cruises depart from Chalong Pier in Phuket or Thap Lamu Pier in Khao Lak, Phang-Nga Province. Comfortable dive boats allow you to dive in these wonderful sites for several days with multiple daily diving. Cruises are available by a minimum of 4 days / 3 nights up to a full week. The costs depend on the chosen boat, by diving equipment and services on board, indicatively ranging from 6,000 to 10,000 THB per day per person. Discounts are provided for cruise passengers who do not make diving. The price includes the transfer by minivan from your hotel or airport to the piers, accommodation in cabins, tanks, weights and weight-belts, assistance by dive guides, insurance and all meals on board; are excluded personal diving gear, Nitrox and Marine Park fees, 1,800 THB diver/1,000 THB non diver.

Koh Racha Yai

Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi are twin islands located 20 km south of the southern tip of Phuket. The locals also appoint them as the Raya Islands. Koh Racha Yai is the largest of twin islands, about 10 square kilometres, and is the closest dive site to Phuket, just 1 hour with boat. The stunning palm covered island has small sandy beaches surrounded by hard coral reef. Racha Yai is a granite island which means the water is always clear. Its protected bays are suitable to divers and those practice snorkelling, and make it an ideal trip throughout the year. Ultimately, Racha Yai is Phuket's most popular destination for scuba diving day trips. The best diving is off the east coast, where the current is bit stronger. Here is a sloping rocky wall covered by hard corals surrounded by large shoals of tropical fish. Marine life includes Clownfish, Parrotfish, Harlequin Rasbora, Pufferfish, Moray Eels, Titan Triggerfish, Cuttlefish, Octopus and large shoals of Snapper and Yellowtail Barracuda. In this side of island is also a wreck of a dive boat. It sank a few years ago and now it’s home to some Batfish and a big Sting Ray.Read More  

Koh Racha Noi

Koh Racha Noi is located about 10 kilometres south of its twin Racha Yai. It's a smaller island, just a long thin strip of granite rock uninhabited covered with forest, but it is one of the best locations in the area for game fishing and experienced scuba divers. Surrounded by hard coral reef, with huge granite boulders descending to depth at the north and south points, Racha Noi's waters offer the best visibility of all diving sites around Phuket. On the northern tip of Racha Noi are two beautiful little bays well-known for their deep clear water and colourful coral formations which providing ample opportunities for both snorkelling and scuba diving. At Northern Point there are some of the healthiest coral formations in Thailand. The descent to 13 metres is undemanding, like swimming in a natural pool toward the sandy seabed. On the bottom are large patches of green sheet corals, porites and bottle-brush corals. Moving to the eastern edge of the bay are large boulders covered by hard coral. Marine life here includes Clownfish, Parrotfish, Cuttlefish, Lobster, Squid, Crabs and Octopus.The southern tip of Racha Noi is suitable to experienced divers, but it offers the best chance to see Mantas Ray and Whale Shark around Phuket. At South Point the dive begins with a free descent to 18 metres along sloping reef; at end you'll find yourself on great rock formation, large boulders and pinnacles, with hard and soft corals surrounded by large shoals of colourful tropical fish. The marine life here also offers sightings of Black Fin Sharks, Leopard Sharks and Barracuda and other pelagic fish.Read More  

Koh Dok Mai

Koh Dok Mai is a tiny limestone outcrop, jungle topped, located southeast of Phuket, just over one hour boat ride on the way to Phi Phi Islands. The rock juts vertically from the sea in a shape like a tulip, in fact Dok Mai in Thai mean flower. The island is just a rock and therefore has no beaches, but it's however well known by divers as a good scuba location, with an excellent wall dive. The rock is one of best spot around Phuket for macro photography and offers good chances to see, in season, Whale Sharks and Nurse Sharks swim out into the big blue. Diving here is a descent along a steep slope down to 33 meters with hard staghorn corals to the west and a series of caverns and caves on the east side of the island. Koh Dok Mai is, in fact, also a Cave Diving spot consequently if do not have all required certifications you'll need to dive with a Divemaster.The marine life is spectacular around both the sheer walls with constant sightings of Seahorses, Angelfish, Harlequin Ghost Pipefish, Moray Eels, Clownfish and Parrotfish. There's also a huge variety of invertebrates, such as Octopus, Cuttlefish, Lobster, Squid, Crabs, Zigzag Clams, Pencil Urchins and Oysters. On the sandy bottom you may find Groupers, Bamboo Sharks and occasionally Leopard Sharks or Grey Reef Sharks.Read More  

King Cruises Wreck

King Cruises Wreck is a ferry sank May 4, 1997 hitting Anemone Reef in perfect weather conditions. The ferry was quite large, 85 metres long by 25 metres wide with 4 decks; it was originally a car and passenger ferry in Kobe, Japan. There were over 500 people on board when it sank, but no lives were lost and now it has become one of the most popular dive sites around Phuket. The wreck is resting on the bottom at a depth of 32 metres. It lies in an upright position sufficiently intact, as if it were still in navigation, with the captain's cabin the shallowest area at 12 metres deep. The wreck with its multiple decks, the spacious open areas and window holes allows easy access to the interior. However, the depth and the frequent strong currents make the dive unsuitable for beginners. In August 2003, the floor of the upper deck collapsed through the main deck; more recently both the trunk and the bow areas have deteriorated significantly, so the penetration is no longer safe. King Cruiser is providing sheltered living quarters for large numbers of fish and crabs. The interior of the wreck is home of some Lionfish, the largest quietly swimming in the toilet area at the rear of the main deck. A Nurse Shark, a large Barracuda and a Hawksbill Turtle are permanent residents into the wreck. The 4 decks are home to literally hundreds of Scorpion Fish, be careful because they are perfectly camouflaged with the rusty steel. There are huge shoals of fish around the whole wreck, including Surgeonfish, Kingfish, Yellowtail Barracuda, Mackerel, Giant Trevally and other pelagic fish.Read More  

Anemone Reef

Anemone Reef is one of the best dive sites on the Andaman Sea. The site consists in a stunning submerged pinnacle. The pinnacle is known by the locals as Hin Jom which means Submerged Rock in Thai. Its top is five metres below the sea surface which goes down to 25 metres with a sloped channel at the south. The west side dives down to a sandy bottom, while the east side is a steep wall. Anemone Reef derives its name from the numerous lime green and sky blue anemones that cover the entire pinnacle. The superb forest of colourful anemones is main attraction of this site, a great opportunity for underwater photography. At Anemone Reef the dive begins with a free descent to the top of the pinnacle which is at about 5 metres down. Upon arriving on the underwater summit you can see the beautiful anemones that cover the rock and provide shelter to numerous Clownfish. The descent to the bottom usually goes in circles around the pinnacle; if the currents make it difficult to circumnavigate the reef the descent continues on a zigzag up one side of the pinnacle. During the descent to the sandy bottom you can be admired stunning lemon sea fans, lime green and sky blue anemones. All along the pinnacle the marine life is prolific and including Cuttlefish, Seahorses, Sea Snakes, Anemonefish, Pipefish, Clownfish, Butterflyfish, Trumpetfish, Cornetfish and Parrotfish. About 7 metres down on the eastern slope of the pinnacle there is a little cave, about 1 metre high, and inside there are Jans's Pipefish, Durban Dancer and Coral-banded cleaner Shrimps. On the sandy bottom you may find Groupers, Moray Eels, Leopard Sharks and occasionally Turtles, Grey Reef Shark and rare Zebra Moray. In the surrounding waters swim large shoals of pelagic fish, such as various families of Snappers, Soldierfish and Fusiliers. Into the deep blue are also reported sightings of Whale Shark, less frequent than other sites but still possible in the right season.Read More  

Hin Musang aka Shark Point

Hin Musang, best known by divers as Shark Point, is one of the best scuba diving spots around Phuket. Shark Point is located about 27 Km east of Phuket and about 20 Km north of Phi Phi Islands. The site is very close to two other famous dive sites: King Cruiser Wreck and Anemone Reef. Hin Musang, which in Thai means precisely shark rock, derives its name from the frequent sightings of docile Leopard Sharks resting on the sandy bottom. Shark Point is made up of 3 huge limestone pinnacles at different depths. Pinnacles are aligned in the direction north to south, with the northern-most known as Pinnacle 1 and the southern-most as Pinnacle 3. Pinnacle 1 is the largest and the only one visible from the sea surface. The main attraction of site, in addition to sharks and vast shoals of tropical fish are the pink and purple soft corals, the gorgonian sea fans as well as the numerous barrel sponges that decorate these huge pinnacles. Shark Point offers therefore great opportunity for underwater photography. Along the slopes of the pinnacles, the marine life is really great with all the reef life of the Andaman Sea, such as Cuttlefish, Lionfish, Scorpionfish, Tiger-tailed Seahorses, Blue-ringed Angelfish, Pufferfish, Durban Dancer, Zebra Moray Eels, White-eyed Moray Eels, Shrimps and many different types of Pipefish. shoals of Fusiliers, Barracuda and Tuna swim all around the reef, as well as Grey Sharks and White Fin Sharks. It is also reported rare sightings of Whale Shark and Turtles. On the seabed at the base of the pinnacles are residents the Leopard Sharks. These docile sharks reach a maximum of 2 metres and a half in length, are nocturnal, and they sleep all day on the sandy bottom at the edge of the reef. Near the bottom, Bamboo Sharks can also be found hiding under coral ledges.Read More