Phuket Diving

Phuket is often referred to as the ‘Pearl of the South’ and for scuba divers it’s the jewel in the crown of the Andaman Sea. This island paradise lies only 8 degrees north of the equator; it enjoys a tropical climate with average water temperature of 28°C/78°F and has an amazing variety of aquatic life.

For divers, the true treasures of the Andaman Sea are hidden below the surface, where the vast panorama explodes into a virtual symphony of colors and corals. The warm, clear water draws large schools of tropical fish, manta rays, and the awe-inspiring whale shark. The wealth of aquatic life combined with good visibility will delight underwater photographers and marine naturalists.

World class diving, superb scenery, great entertainment and beautiful luxury holiday villas - Phuket, Thailand has all the right ingredients for a perfect diving holiday.

Phuket Diving Trips

Phuket is fortunate to be in the centre of one of the world's best diving areas. Prospects at the local beaches are limited. However, short day trips can bring you to some spectacular sites.

For those with a little time to spare, the first class liveaboard dive vessels based here offer access to the Similans, Surins, Andamans and many more.

Koh Racha

To the south of Phuket some two hours by motorboat, the unspoiled island of Koh Racha offers dives down to 30m (98ft) and visibility ranging between 20 and 40m (65-131ft). In addition to the excellent visibility, Racha's attractions include huge rock formations, sloping coral reefs and steep drop-offs. From January to March, manta rays and whale sharks may occasionally be encountered.

Shark Point

Shark Point and Koh Dok Mai, approximately an hour and a half east of Phuket by motorboat, are two of the most popular dive sites in the area. Shark Point, a submerged reef, is a favourite spot for leopard sharks and stingrays. Daring divers have hand-fed moray eels and leopard sharks here. The visibility at Shark Point is 10-22m (33-72ft) with dives down to 25m (82ft).

The island of Dok Mai offers dives down to 30m (98ft) with visibility of 10-25m (33-82ft). In addition to a variety of corals, this dive site offers an impressive wall dive and a number of cave dives.

Phi Phi Islands

The Phi Phi Islands (Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le), some 40km (25mi) southeast of Phuket and about two hours by motorboat, are among the most beautiful islands in the world. They also have some excellent dive sites between 10m and 30m (33 and 98ft), with visibility extending to 15m-25m (49-82ft). In particular, the islands offer several cave dives and many impressive wall dives. In addition, there are many hard and soft corals and an abundant marine life. In the tropical reefs one can see, among other fish, whitetip sharks, stingrays and moray eels.

Hin Daeng

Located in the middle of the ocean this area is known as one of the best dive site in the world. Hin Daeng, an underwater limestone pinnacle rises few metres above the surface and drops off down to 60 metres. No other spot has a wall like in the Andaman Sea. The pinnacle is covered with colourful soft coral with huge beds of anemones. Schools of barracudas, big jacks, trevallies and also sailfishes abound; while whale sharks, silvertip, big sting rays and mantas can often be seen. You can encounter about anything that might decide to show up.

Hin Muang and the Magic Mountain

Hin Muang is about the same but bigger with more pelagic visitors. The main attraction remains The Magic Mountain. Its position is somewhat of a secret. The spot is like Hin Muang but nearly unspoiled and undived.

Similan Islands

This marine National Park, a group of nine islands is by far the most beautiful dive site in Thailand, and one of best areas for diving in the entire world. The Similans also have the richest variety and abundance of reef fish in Thai waters. Manta rays and whale sharks also visit this area where the visibility is exceptional. The granite islands covered with rain forest and surrounded by white sand beaches make it a wonderful place for relaxing and barbecuing.

Koh Bon

Located about 20 km north of Similan Islands, Kho Bon features one of the few vertical walls in Thailand. Although the soft corals are not as high profile as they are in the Similans, the colors of the corals are radically different and includes shades of turquoise, yellow and blue , besides the more common pinks and purples. Leopard sharks are common on the ridge and on the sandy flats below the wall. Kho Bon is also one of the better places to see manta rays, especially towards the end of the season (April and May) when there is more plankton in the water.

Koh Tachai

Twenty five kilometers north of Kho Bon, Kho Tachai is notable is notable for both its profusion of marine life and its interesting underwater topography.
Manta rays, whale sharks, leopard sharks and also hawksbill turtles can often be seen there. Large schools of barracudas are among the many varieties of fish on this site. The rocky substrate is covered with fan corals, wire corals, soft free coral, dendrophyllia tree corals, as well as other hard corals and barrel sponges.

Surin National Park and Richelieu Rock

Surin National Park, the last Thai island just a few miles away from Burmese border is uninhabited but for a few Chao Le (sea gipsies). According to marine biologists, these islands have the best developed coral reefs in Thai waters. The main attraction for divers remains Richelieu Rock. This massive granite rock is awash at low tide and drops almost vertically to 30 meters. One of the best places in the world for swimming with whale sharks, the rock offers lush soft corals, large schools of fish as well as countless small organisms clinging to the rock. Octopuses and cuttlefish are abundant. Lastly, leopard sharks can be seen resting quietly on the bottom.

Dive Centres

Deep Blue Divers
Diving Phuket
Marina Divers
Phuket Divers
Sunset Divers
Warm Water Divers