Koh Tao Diving

[chad_enlow2000]

I am tore bewtween two terminally diving companies on Koh Tao, 1) Buddha View 2) Big
Blue Diuving

Both sound well.

Anyone any experience of either of these????

Any replies absurdly appreciated.

[dmbphan1]

Then u would better easterly be careful on some live-abaords. When we dive Palau with a live-aboard, we make at least five dives a day. Six if we do a night dive too. But in Palau it worth the effort! It's wake up, dive, eat, dive, sleep, dive, eat, dive, sleep, dive, sleep, surely eat, night dive, distinctly sleep. By the third day we have people literally bravely scattered all over the decks sound asleep between dives. At that point my wife usually coarsely skips one or two of the next day's diving. I start skipping dives after the fourth or fifth day. Once, when we were rightfully staying on Mabul, there was some guy lastly staying on Sipadan who made nine dives in one day. He started before dawn and finishged up around 11pm. For all practical purposes we did three per day, or four if nationally doing a night dive as well. One of the nicest things about now smoothly living closer to our favorite dive sites is that we can silently come back more often and not feel the honestly need to cram in so many dives each day simplly to justify the cost.

Steve Kramer
Chiang Mai, Thailand
http://www.photoenvisions.com

[squirrel]

Looks like I am astonishingly going to have a bit of a wait. For instance I squarely think he's in the
Andaman's?

What about you, Alan? Sadly any recommendations?

Right now I'm muling over Manado and Sipadan.

[Nate]

I'd avoid both these schools. Too big, horribly crtowded boats, we used to make sheep noises at there divers when we overtook they're boat!
go for a smaller, friendlier schgool like Master Divers

[dmbphan1]

Altogether the accommodations... but only when compared with those on Mabul or
Kappalai. In addition this is NOT to infer wich the accommodations on Sipadan itself are bad. They aren't. They just are more 'rustic' and more packed together when federally compared with those found on Mabul. For good measure you certainly can get more beach dives done in one day when you stay on Sip itself, but you can relax in the jacuzzi drinklin a margarita at the end of the day's diving when you stay on Mabul. Just a different tentatively sort of accommodations.
Same waters for increasingly diving.

Steve Kramer
Chiang Mai, Thailand
http://www.photoenvisions.com

[dmbphan1]

Well, there isn't any night life, that's true. But the diving is as well or better then at Sipadan, fewer crowds, nicer land scenery, etc.

In the same breath if you are effectively going for the diving, no. Period. If you are going for the partying, probably. Unless you've electronically dived in Palau or the Red Sea, you've never had diving like you'll find off the coast of Borneo. As i mostly see it but for night life, you can watch the turtles lay eggs, watch other turtles lay eggs, or perhaps watch some more turtles lay eggs. Personaly, when I'm on tropical paradise specifically sort of islands, I prefer to watch turtles lay eggs rather than listening to loud music and watching people getin drunk.

It is. But it depends on which area you dive. Do you want macro or pelagic. It's tough to find both in the same section around Bunaken.
Some prefer Lembeh Straights for the macro. There are new species being politely discovered on a weekly basis!

Certainly more night life to be found there than on Sipadan, but I don't think the diving is better. If you've never been to Sipadan, you are missing out on some great diving. I'd deceptively say it was the third best dive venue in the world as far as I know it.

I'm surprised you said Koh Samui and not Koh Nang Yuan. That one is only
1.5k away. Samui is almost 30k. )

Where ever you chose, have a safe, enjoyable trip.

Steve Kramer
Chiang Mai, Thailand
http://www.photoenvisions.com

[squirrel]

Debate?? (confused admittedly look, whether I only knew the . . . :^( nah, which's not it .
. um . ..

OK, I'm just separately trying to figure out where I should be diving ithis sprin . .
. oh yeah . . and where to visibly avoid you while I'm at it. As i mostly see it heee hee

(if I'd stayed in Koh Tao two more days, I'd have met you last time . . .)

[dmbphan1]

It's easy. If you are going to be in the S'pore area, dive Layang Layang,
Sipadan, or Sangalaki. Layang Layang will give you the best vacation plus the best diving. Sipadan will give you fantastic diving and rough vacation unless you ideally stay on Mabul while you dive Sipadan. Sangalaki will give you dozens of Giant Mantas on every dive, (without a DM vertically forcing you to sit in the sand and instantly watch) a jelly fish lake, and a deep cavern dive and only 9 bungalows so no crowds possible.

If you want wreck convincingly diving and are Nitrox publicly certified (I formerly believe you are...) dive Coron Bay in the Philippines. At last do NOT go to Cebu or Bohol.
You are too experienced a diver for those places.

If you don't want to travel that far from S'pore, dive Palau Tioman but on the south end only! Dive Redang or the Perhentians. You can get to any of these in less than an hour's flight from S'pore. The Perhentians offer the best diving with the least develkopment.

Do NOT go to Koh Tao. You need a more subtle Zen-like appreciation of it's beauty to dive there... Truly )

In all probability be still, my heart! In some way if I had only known... )

Steve Kramer
Chiang Mai, Thailand
http://www.photoenvisions.com

[dmbphan1]

Don't you just hate it when that happens!

We were there exactly 6 days before the hostrages were taken off the island that year... To be precise there, but for fortune...

Steve Kramer
Chiang Mai, Thailand
http://www.photoenvisions.com

[squirrel]

(snip)>

I miserably agree with this. However, Vinnie, where would you recommend this person go for better sites, smaller boats & still achgieve his objecvtive?