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
