Scuba Diving In Phuket, Thailand in 2024: Your Complete Guide

Surrounded by the ever blue Andaman sea, Phuket is the place where one could enjoy scuba diving to its fullest. Phuket is known to have many beautiful islands, with astonishing marine life and bright singing corals. The views of the breathtaking cliffs, the mountain peaks and the lushy forests just come along with it as a whole for you to have a peaceful time there. There are multiple scuba tours one can take here in Phuket despite the type of season you visit. The best scenic scuba diving in Phuket is known to be done from Hin Daeng and Hin Maeng.

Coming to the season, the most popular diving season is during the summer which goes from November to April when the temperature will be high but the humidity will be quite low. But that will also be the peak season when islands will be filled with tourists, but somehow the cold waters end up soothing you making it hard for you to notice the heat or the crowd. If you would also want to sight the beautiful corals, coral island would be your best bet. But that being said, depending on which time you visit these islands tend to have various species of marine animals that come around.For the people who are interested in becoming divers, there are various courses that are taken which helps you to learn the sport in the shortest while. The best thing about Thailand is the warm hospitality tourists receive. The guides and professionals here are very kind and helpful in more than one way, Which makes this place undoubtedly one of the safest places to learn diving. So here is a set of hacks and tips that would help you plan your diving well at Phuket.

Mini – Guide for Scuba divers in Phuket

Generally speaking, there is no such thing as fees involved for entering the scuba diving spot, however learning the sport and getting the PADI certificate can be quite expensive.

Water visibility in Phuket- since the islands run from north to south and the andaman sea running in the west of the island and Phang Nga Bay to the east due to silting, the water flowing into the sea can affect the clarity. Hence always pre-plan your dive and make sure you seek out some professional advice on your thoughts. Pro-tip – offshore places is where you would find clear waters.

A normal dive boat will take 3 hours for a 1-way trip from Phuket, so many people commute by speed boats– which are expensive, noisy, and polluting. An alternative for this would be an overnight trip to the island when you plan to do your diving or you could book a hotel that provides great diving openings.

Getting a PADI certification will take upto 3-4 days depending on the course you choose and ranges from 300 dollars but it varies depending on the center and the location.

Phuket is well equipped with dive centres and shops for tourists who are new to diving or snorkelling. Hotels that are tied up with a dive shop usually offer a free ‘scuba diving discovery’ which takes about a few minutes that gives you a rough idea of how it’s done.

Scuba diving trips in Phuket usually begin early in the morning and go on till 3 pm hence you would return late afternoon.

The Rates of diving range from 85 dollars, depending on the shop, services, location, and the number of dives.

Located 22kms from Phuket the Racha Yai and Noi Islands with its main diving port, Chalong Bay should be where beginners head to as these islands have year round water visibility.

For experienced divers even though points like Shark Point, Anemone Reef, and the King Cruiser Wreck have a lot of exotic marine life the water depths and strong currents make the experience worth it.

Minimal to moderate exposure protection is always required when you are diving, 3 mm wetsuit which is either half length or full length is recommended. And this entirely depends on the location of your dive.

Thailand uses only the tank valve with standard yoke system, so you would have to attach the regulator to the tank valve with a DIN-Adapter which can be availed for free in stores or the hotels that provide diving facilities, This depends on the diving tours you book.

To witness details, a small torch can be very handy. There are high chances that a lot of small creatures can not be sighted when you go deep. For better visibility, it is highly recommended to carry a torch with you along the dive.

Sun protection comes off as a joke, but most tourists are likely to get sunburned. As a measure you could get your hands on the lycra shirts- a mix of nylon and spandex here that come along with a protection factor of 50. They dry quick and are very comfortable to dive in too.

Dehydration is something that needs to be considered by everyone who wants to dive, as the scuba tank is filtered and dry, so just by breathing your body is prone to be drained of water. It is recommended that you drink at least 1 liter of water before diving and 3-4 liters over the course of days after.

Make sure you adhere to the Phuket Reef Protection Guidelines.

The diving should be done in a slow manner so as to ease the pressure on the brain and your body and strictly no exercises must be done after scuba diving.

People with breathing or any sort of medical issues should let the instructor know about their condition before the dive.

Diving here at Phuket, will hands down be one of the best dives you could do with the perfect diving spots and great scenery around you. Make sure you plan it well, and get the most out of it once you’re there. For trips that take you home with a lot of memories, head down to our website and check out customized Phuket packages or book a complete Thailand trip at Pickyourtrail! Let’s plan your first scuba diving!