Similan Islands with Wicked Diving – Turtle Filmed while Scuba Diving from Wicked Diving on Vimeo.

From the Wicked Diving Blog!

The weather was on our side as we cruised out on the Parinee from Tap Lamu to the Similans, Captain Kaew at the helm, P’Toon and P’Kaew helping out with equipment, pumping our tanks, and picking us up in the dinghy throughout the trip.

Trip leader Amanda, helped along wonderfully by Tuk, Gae, Roland and JP, had a full boat of guests to take diving and snorkelling – so we picked a fab selection of dive sites to give everyone a good show of the islands. The Eastern side of the Similans have beautiful sloping reefs, with plentiful reef fish, whilst the Western dive sites are characterised more by massive granite boulders. We started out at Honeymoon Bay for the check dive, leaving everyone in awe of the stunning visibility, and finished off the first day of diving on West of Eden, with a curious turtle, clown triggerfish, and a massive school of fusiliers.

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-Similan Islands Diving

This is a beautiful example of Nudibranchs that we filmed while diving the Similan Islands just recently. Great colors, beautiful to watch and very rare!

Should you wish to see this, or similar creatures – why not join one of our Similan Liveaboards? There are spaces throughout the  season and should you wish, we even offer underwater photography and videography courses.

-Similan Islands Diving

The animals, none of which are longer than 15 centimetres (5.9 in), float near motionlessly, with the mouth facing downwards, around a background that makes them nearly impossible to see. On The Similan Islands – this is usually yellow branching coral. They feed on tiny crustaceans, sucked inside through their long snout. They live in open waters except during breeding, when they find a coral reef or muddy bottom, changing color and shape to minimize visibility.

In many respects, they are similar to the pipefishes, but can be distinguished by the presence of pelvic fins, a prominent, spiny, dorsal fin, and star-shaped plates on the skin. Unlike true pipefish, female ghostpipefishes use their enlarged pelvic fins to brood their eggs until they hatch.

Join us on one of our  Similan Liveaboards to experience these first hand.

-Similan Islands Diving

The Similan Islands are renowned as one of the ten best dive spots in the world. This is not referring to a single dive site, or a single wreck…this is due to the 50+ named dives sites, the incredible diversity of marine life and the variety of styles available to divers.

Located 50 Km (35 miles) of the west coast of Thailand – The Similan Islands  are easily accessible. Khao Lak is the departure point for daytrips, overnight tours and Similan liveaboards as it is the main pier and the closest point of land. Easily reached are also the Surin Islands, Richelieu Rock and even some great wrecks that can easily be reached by longtail from Khao Lak.

The diving and snorkeling consists of vast reefs of pristine corals on the protected East coast of the Similans. There is incredible diving and encounters with huge marine life on the deep boulder sites on the West coast of the Similan Islands. At the top and bottom of the islands, where these different styles of sites meet, one finds opportunities for such amazing marine life as Manta Rays, Whale Sharks, Sharks, Napolean Wrasse and more.

While there can be currents – the Similan Islands are accessible to all levels of divers. Choosing the right dive center can assure the visitor of the idyllic experience. Experienced staff and intimate knowledge of the area make the choices easy. For the experienced diver – the deep sites with their strong currents and huge fish make are clear favorites. For the avid fish fanatic as well as the beginning divers, the gently sloping reefs tend to have minimal currents and incredible biodiversity.

The islands can be reached by liveaboards, Khao Lak Diving daytrips and snorkeling boats. It is very important to note that the islands are closed from May1st to November 1st each year. It is both unsafe – due to heavy monsoons, and illegal to visit the park during this closure.

Day trip Diving

Diving Day Trips to the Similan Islands with speed boats from Khao Lak. This day trip is for guests who don’t have the time to do a liveaboard safari or for those of you who wish to enjoy the comfort of a resort each evening in Khao Lak. Most daily trips to the Similan Islands cater to both diving and snorkeling. Accommodation is available on some of the Similan Islands for a spectacular 2 days & 1 night overstay diving package. Plan far in advance for that as spaces are limited!!!

Similan Liveaboard Diving

There are several Similan Liveaboards departing from Khao Lak. There are some of the most luxurious boats in the world all the way down to very bare-bones boats catering to backpackers (lacking beds they sleep on the decks).

Trips range from 1 night tours to 7 or more days. To get a basic sampling of the Similan Islands, try at least a 3 day tour. If you would like a rich experience and sample all the region has to offer, then a 5 day Similan Liveaboard trip is perfect.

The real benefit of liveaboard trips over day trips is the chance to see more of the islands and truly enjoy the evenings on the Andaman sea. There are generally more dives per day and the chance to get to know your fellow divers. In addition getting to know your staff also means they can better cater to your needs. On good Similan Liveaboard tours you will also get the chance to visit the islands, snorkel and experience the islands first hand.

Wicked Diving

Wicked Diving is a small dive center based in Khao Lak, Thailand. As an ecologically award-winning operation, Wicked Diving is proud to offer a full selection of both PADI and SSI courses – from trying out diving for the very fist time to Instructor Training Courses. The only Similan Diving center with a Dive Medic, 2 Instructor Trainers on staff offers guests the highest standards and safety.

Operating two ecologically friendly liveaboards and also longtails, Similan Diving just got easier. Not only that Wicked Diving works with local charities to improve both the marine environment and communities. Not satisfied with donating 10% of profits, staff of this Khao Lak Diving center also actively participate in projects in the region.

For more details on our services and offers – don’t hesitate to visit our web site: wickeddiving.com

Feel free to contact Wicked Diving by email: info@wickeddiving.com

In planning your next SCUBA diving holiday to Thailand and you’re not sure where to go or what to do, then consider going on a Similan Liveaboard diving trip. What is a Liveaboard diving trip? Well, it doesn’t matter if you have 10 or 500 dives under your weight belt; anyone that loves to dive and relax will absolutely love to relax on board of a Dive vessel.
Liveaboard diving trips are quickly becoming the most popular ways of comfortably experiencing diving in locations around the Similan Islands. Liveaboard vessels are exactly that, live on board and you’re eating and breathing diving. Everything is focused on diving, snorkeling or relaxing. You eat, sleep, dive three to four times a day, and you’ll travel from dive site to dive site, seeing the most beautiful places in the region. Similan Islands Liveaboards can offer dive sites usually hard to reach by daily diving boats, making it interesting to visit remote islands or reefs. Liveaboards dive vessels give you a wider range of destinations than day trips and more dives per day. Similan Liveaboard vessels typically range from 18m/60ft to 40m/120 ft in length or larger and offer the ability to cover a wide and extended diving range as opposed to a day charter, which returns to dock each night. If you’re into large crowds or you like solitude and tranquility, you don’t have to worry. There is a vessel for everyone’s needs.
Trip lengths of Similan liveaboard vacation typically range from three to 6 or more days. Most vessels depart the dock in the afternoon or evening, as the distances involved usually require overnight travel. When you awake in the morning, you’re on that breathtaking location and diving commences. While there are 50+ named divvy sites in the Similan Islands – a trip of 3-5 days will usually visit the main sites.
Most liveaboard boats are designed to serve all of your diving needs, as well to provide you a high level of comfort while on board. Similan Diving Liveaboard vacations cater to their customers by providing excellent meals and snacks (who doesn’t love Thai food!); clean and comfortable sleeping quarters; plenty of hot water showers; many boats have photo/video stations for equipment and editing; tanks with air or Nitrox and weights for every dive; and plenty of professional crew members to guarantee your comfort. Live aboard diving trips are about diving and there is no shortage of that. Typically, depending on where you’re diving, you can get up to 5 dives a day if you’re up to it. The average is 3-4 dives per day. For safety reasons, it’s best to make 4 your maximum number of dives.

Liveaboard dive trips are about relaxing as well. Many vessels have lounging decks to work on your suntan, read, or simply catch up on your sleep if you are escaping a stressful job. Whether you want to make only two dives per day, eat heartily, and relax, or make six or more dives a day and pass out in your cabin from exhaustion and get up the next day and do it again, Liveaboard trips can accommodate. A few boats make an effort to visit the beaches and visit the local fauna.

Similan Liveaboard captains and crew are intimately knowledgeable, professional and educated in safety, diving and the area, so each diving opportunity is guaranteed to be spectacular and most of the time just about you and your fellow passengers. You don’t spend time sharing, searching and hunting for a dive spot or waste time trying to find out where you need to go for a good dive. The only thing you need to worry about is getting there as quick as you can, suiting up for the next dive and making sure your camera is ready to go.
No, Liveaboard vacations are nothing like cruise vessels, going into a different port every day or night for sightseeing. They are not meant for a casual visit. If you want to see the Similan (and Surin) Islands – then these trips are for you! As mentioned, Similan Liveaboards are about diving and relaxing on the vessel. Every person on that vessel has the same interest as you! DIVING!. If you’re interested in visiting the islands or area where your Liveaboard is taking place, schedule time either before or after to take in the sights and enjoy the local culture. Best is after so you have enough time between your dives and your flight.
If you think Similan Liveaboards are only for the rich and luxurious – you can wrong! Some boats cater to a wealthy clientele and their prices reflect that. But the Similan Islands are home to many boats ranging form Luxury to simple boats catering to backpackers. Great deals can be had, but always check on basic safety features – like liferafts, satellite phones, radar. If they don’t have these…the boats are a little too budget!!!

Similan Diving

This trip saw Ricky along with Diego and Karin, head out for a trip around the Northern Similan Islands, cruising round islands 7, 8 and 9, as well as a stop-off on the last day to Koh Bon, a dive site famed for frequent manta ray sightings.

To enjoy all of it, our guests this trip were Maria and Annette from Sweden, Averil and Carmel from Ireland, Parry and Denise from Singapore, Giorgia from Italy and – last but not least – Kristian from Sweden (back this time as a fun diver, not for work!), plus our wicked divemasters in training (DMT’s) Kasper, Lucy, Davis and Mick.

The weather’s been glorious, so so very hot, it’s a pleasure to jump into cooler water at times! Seems like someone’s put the monsoon weather on hold for a bit, he visibility’s been lovely, and although a wee bit choppy further north, the sea and diving conditions have been great. All the usual suspects spotted during the dives, loads of garden eels and Kuhls rays in the sandier areas of the eastern dive sites like Three Trees, as well as a huge variety of reef fish over the corals. Plus, the wishes on the firecrackers at the start of the trip worked, snorkelling and diving at Koh Bon on the last day of the liveaboard with manta rays proved for most to be one of the best bits of the trip, especially for those whose first manta it was.

Festivities galore on the Parinee this trip for Carmel’s 31^st birthday celebrations, as Captain Kaew moored up in a secluded bay, relaxation time on the sundeck to appreciate the stunning sunset over the ocean, then everyone joined in for an exuberant game of pass the parcel, and all the Thai crew got involved too – Pi Pa and Pi Lek made a yummy cake, whilst Nuk and Poh sang a few ‘traditional’ Thai songs and treated everyone to a magic trick extravaganza, David Copperfield eat your heart out. It’s not often you get the chance to to celebrate your birthday on a liveaboard in the Andaman Sea – hope it was a good one, all the best for the year ahead!

It’s not all fun and games on the Similan liveaboard though, well, not for the hard-working DMTs it wasn’t! Diego was on hand to help them along with practicing and evaluating their rescue skills, exams and lectures in decompression theory and physiology, as well as assisting the dive guides throughout the trip – the 4 of them are almost finished, not long now! Kasper unfortunately had to sit out the first couple of dives due to ear problems, thankfully they cleared up and he left the books in the cabin and made it to Koh Bon for “mantamania”, although he just missed out on his 50^th dive – save that milestone for the next trip huh?!

We asked a few of the guests what their trip highlights were – I’m afraid that we can’t publish Mick’s incredibly enthusiastic and ecstatic comments on his first manta ray dives (public forum, childrens’ eyes and all that!)

Giorgia’s ‘manta ray party’ seems to sum up the collective excitement from the trip, along with ‘Great food, great fun, great singing, great mantas!’ from Denise, and Kristian’s comment ‘yeah the mantas were brilliant, but they weren’t the highlight, the other people on the boat were”.

Good to hear, and so pleased the manta rays came to play for you all, fingers crossed they stay for everyone else on the last few trips of the season

-Similan Diving

These are close relatives of Clownfish, made famous in the movie Nemo. They spend almost their whole lives in their home – the anemone filmed here.

Dr. Lukas Fischer is Consultant in Anaesthetics – Hyperbaric Physician – HSE approved Medical Examiner of Divers – UK Sports Diving Medical Committee Referee who joins the SSS Recompression Chamber Network from his previous role as consultant for the London Hyperbaric Services and Emergency Diving Services in England.

The lecture covered all topics including the formation of bubbles in the body related to diving and how they can effect a diver. Topics like arterial gas embolism, patent foramen ovale and neurological examinations were explained. For many in the room these conditions were already well known but it was delivered in such great detail that everyone could benefit from the information delivered. The lecture concluded with a short section on conditions associated with the diving medical followed by a question and answer period.

This lecture was essential for Wicked Diving students who are currently enrolled in our Professional Divemaster Internship course and the information gained would be of great benefit in the future if faced with diving related injuries.

Similan Diving