A Guide to Scuba Diving in Phuket | Oceanic | Kata Beach

Oceanic Dive Center’s Scuba Divers’ Guide to Phuket

Here we take a look at the reasons why it’s a good idea to come scuba diving in Phuket.

Why Come to Phuket to Scuba Dive?

Phuket has been considered one of the world’s best dive destination for many years now, and one of the reasons is because it offers something for everyone. If you don’t already hold a certification, scuba diving in Phuket for beginners is great because it’s a fabulous place to learn: there are plenty of dive sites with interesting marine life, but offering very safe conditions while you hone your skills. Experienced recreational divers will get more “bang for their buck” taking Phuket Scuba diving tours, than at a lot of dive destinations. That’s because there is a lot of variety in the topographies of the dive sites: rugged limestone islands offer wall dives with cracks and crevices for creatures to hide in; impressive boulder sites offer swim throughs with bush and fan corals hanging from enormous canyon-like boulders; soft corals and anemones carpet pinnacles in mid ocean; and pretty sloping reefs fringe every island dotted around the Andaman Sea. Fish enthusiasts and marine biologists marvel at the diversity of marine life that you find on any dives in Phuket. Even a humble beach dive can lead you to stumble across rare creatures that a diver might only expect to see once or twice in a lifetime of diving.   [caption id=“attachment_1591” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]The most experienced divers are impressed with even our humble beach dives![/caption]

Phuket’s Climate

The water temperature of the Andaman Sea remains constant at around 29°C (84°F) for the entire year. So there’s no need for bulky wetsuits for the vast majority of divers in Phuket.   [caption id=“attachment_1593” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]Many dive sites are accessible year round, and some are even better in the low season.
[/caption]   The seasons are very straightforward.The prevailing winds are Westerly between May and October. As most of the popular resorts are located on the West coast, don’t expect beach dives during the monsoon. But don’t expect rain every day either! In the middle part of the monsoon, especially around August, we often have glass-flat sea and clear blue skies. This is often when we have the best Scuba diving in Phuket, because the majority of the dive sites that we reach by boat, and because the dive sites are less crowded than in our busy high season. Phuket scuba diving price does not vary from one season to the next, but hotel and flight costs drop though the floor between May and October From November until April, the prevailing winds are from the East. This results in mill-pond like conditions on our Westerly beaches, and some amazing beach diving! The chances of rain between December and April are very, very low.

Marine Life of Phuket

The marine life that you will encounter scuba diving Phuket is abundant and varied. Of course, everyone is hunting for the big ones: manta rays and whalesharks can appear on any dive site at any time of year. Our sharks are, undoubtedly, becoming rarer, but we still see blacktip reef sharks, leopard sharks and bamboo sharks. Turtles frequent the islands around Phuket too. We’ve even heard of baby turtles hatching from their shells under a lady’s sun lounger on Karon beach! [caption id=“attachment_1592” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]Manta rays and whalesharks may appear year-round.
[/caption]   On most dives around Phuket you can expect to see plenty of glass fish, schooling fish like snapper, fusiliers, juvenile barracuda. They attract the hunters in good numbers - trevally, barracuda, rainbow runners, tuna. Around the natural and artificial reefs we find surgeon fish, damsels, parrot fish, wrasses, grouper, butterfly fish, angel fish, gobies… you name it! Look out for the dreaded titan trigger fish. If they’re nesting, they’ll let you know to keep out of their territory! They are actually far more worrisome to a diver in Phuket than the commonly feared scorpion fish and lion fish, who are always passive, and far less likely to cause an injury!   [caption id=“attachment_1594” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]Artificial reefs shelter many forms of marine life and provide a playground for divers.
[/caption]   The biggest surprise for most divers is the macro life. Seemingly every crack and crevice harbours shrimp of all species (even harlequin shrimp if you’re lucky). You can find very kind of pipefish, including the ornate and robust ghost pipefishes, bent stick pipefish, and their cousins, the seahorses. If you’re lucky your dive guide will know where to find the resident Pegasus fish, Indian ocean walkmen, frogfish and leaf fish. But don’t be disappointed if they’re hiding on the day you’re diving, they are all masters of disguise and very easy to miss! [caption id=“attachment_1596” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]Close encounters with leopard sharks and black tip sharks are common[/caption]  

Oceanic Dive Center - The Best SCUBA Diving Shop In Phuket For All Of Your Diving Needs

[caption id=“attachment_1595” align=“alignleft” width=“300”]Join the Oceanic Dive Center family and come home to Phuket![/caption] Our SCUBA diving Phuket training facility & retail shop is conveniently situated on the main Kata Center Road (number 30 Karon Rd) next door to Two Chefs Bar and Grill, 4 minutes’ walk from Karon beach & 5 minutes’ walk from Kata beach.

A Guide to Scuba Diving in Phuket | Oceanic | Kata Beach is available on www.oceanicdivecenter.com

A Guide to Scuba Diving in Phuket | Oceanic | Kata Beach

Oceanic Dive Center’s Scuba Divers’ Guide to Phuket

Here we take a look at the reasons why it’s a good idea to come scuba diving in Phuket.

Why Come to Phuket to Scuba Dive?

Phuket has been considered one of the world’s best dive destination for many years now, and one of the reasons is because it offers something for everyone.

If you don’t already hold a certification, scuba diving in Phuket for beginners is great because it’s a fabulous place to learn: there are plenty of dive sites with interesting marine life, but offering very safe conditions while you hone your skills.

Experienced recreational divers will get more “bang for their buck” taking Phuket Scuba diving tours, than at a lot of dive destinations. That’s because there is a lot of variety in the topographies of the dive sites: rugged limestone islands offer wall dives with cracks and crevices for creatures to hide in; impressive boulder sites offer swim throughs with bush and fan corals hanging from enormous canyon-like boulders; soft corals and anemones carpet pinnacles in mid ocean; and pretty sloping reefs fringe every island dotted around the Andaman Sea.

Fish enthusiasts and marine biologists marvel at the diversity of marine life that you find on any dives in Phuket. Even a humble beach dive can lead you to stumble across rare creatures that a diver might only expect to see once or twice in a lifetime of diving.

The most experienced divers are impressed with even our humble beach dives!

Phuket’s Climate

The water temperature of the Andaman Sea remains constant at around 29°C (84°F) for the entire year. So there’s no need for bulky wetsuits for the vast majority of divers in Phuket.

Many dive sites are accessible year round, and some are even better in the low season.

The seasons are very straightforward.The prevailing winds are Westerly between May and October. As most of the popular resorts are located on the West coast, don’t expect beach dives during the monsoon. But don’t expect rain every day either! In the middle part of the monsoon, especially around August, we often have glass-flat sea and clear blue skies. This is often when we have the best Scuba diving in Phuket, because the majority of the dive sites that we reach by boat, and because the dive sites are less crowded than in our busy high season. Phuket scuba diving price does not vary from one season to the next, but hotel and flight costs drop though the floor between May and October

From November until April, the prevailing winds are from the East. This results in mill-pond like conditions on our Westerly beaches, and some amazing beach diving! The chances of rain between December and April are very, very low.

Marine Life of Phuket

The marine life that you will encounter scuba diving Phuket is abundant and varied.

Of course, everyone is hunting for the big ones: manta rays and whalesharks can appear on any dive site at any time of year. Our sharks are, undoubtedly, becoming rarer, but we still see blacktip reef sharks, leopard sharks and bamboo sharks. Turtles frequent the islands around Phuket too. We’ve even heard of baby turtles hatching from their shells under a lady’s sun lounger on Karon beach!

Manta rays and whalesharks may appear year-round.

On most dives around Phuket you can expect to see plenty of glass fish, schooling fish like snapper, fusiliers, juvenile barracuda. They attract the hunters in good numbers – trevally, barracuda, rainbow runners, tuna. Around the natural and artificial reefs we find surgeon fish, damsels, parrot fish, wrasses, grouper, butterfly fish, angel fish, gobies… you name it! Look out for the dreaded titan trigger fish. If they’re nesting, they’ll let you know to keep out of their territory! They are actually far more worrisome to a diver in Phuket than the commonly feared scorpion fish and lion fish, who are always passive, and far less likely to cause an injury!

Artificial reefs shelter many forms of marine life and provide a playground for divers.

The biggest surprise for most divers is the macro life. Seemingly every crack and crevice harbours shrimp of all species (even harlequin shrimp if you’re lucky). You can find very kind of pipefish, including the ornate and robust ghost pipefishes, bent stick pipefish, and their cousins, the seahorses. If you’re lucky your dive guide will know where to find the resident Pegasus fish, Indian ocean walkmen, frogfish and leaf fish. But don’t be disappointed if they’re hiding on the day you’re diving, they are all masters of disguise and very easy to miss!

Close encounters with leopard sharks and black tip sharks are common

Oceanic Dive Center – The Best SCUBA Diving Shop In Phuket For All Of Your Diving Needs

Join the Oceanic Dive Center family and come home to Phuket!

Our SCUBA diving Phuket training facility & retail shop is conveniently situated on the main Kata Center Road (number 30 Karon Rd) next door to Two Chefs Bar and Grill, 4 minutes’ walk from Karon beach & 5 minutes’ walk from Kata beach.

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The post A Guide to Scuba Diving in Phuket | Oceanic | Kata Beach appeared first on Oceanic.

Phuket Boat Touring Agency | Oceanic | Kata Beach

Oceanic Dive Center, Phuket’s Premier Boat Trip Agency In Kata

In addition to our diver training, we have been operating as a Boat Tour Agency since 1999. We hand pick the best of the tour boats available in the Andaman Sea to ensure the best experience for our divers, whether it’s a half day tour to the local islands, or several days on a liveaboard to the Similans and beyond.

We have resisted the pressure to become a “bubble factory” preferring to take personal care of our divers. We will work together with you to find the best dive sites, and dive boats, for your experience and expectations, and personally check the fit of your equipment, from our rental stock at Oceanic.

Private longtail available to Koh Puh Island, three minutes from Oceanic

Day Trip Boats

We have day boat tours to a variety of dive sites around Phuket. Our shortest boat tours would be a morning or afternoon dive from a longtail boat at Koh Pu, close to Kata beach. Here, on the Western side, you will find granite boulders offering swim-throughs and schooling fish sheltering in the overhangs, to a maximum depth of around 20m. The Eastern side offers a shallow reef to a mximum of around 12m, interspersed with some smaller boulders and sand patches.

Relax on our spacious day trip boats and enjoy the view between dives

A little further afield are the islands of Racha Yai (Big Royal) and Racha Noi (Small Royal island), also known as Raya Yai and Raya Noi. These islands lie some 12km to the South of Phuket, or around one hour and 45 minutes by dive boat. The water is always clear here providing excellent snorkeling and diving tours for divers of all abilities.

Our boat trips to Phi Phi make three dives during the day tour: two around the islands of Phi Phi (around 45km from Phuket). The third dive is always at a dive site approximately half way. Phi Phi is famous for its resident blacktip reef sharks and it’s also a good place for spotting turtles. At the world famous Bida Nok and Bida Nai we have a variety of topographies with big boulder swim throughs, coral gardens and wall dives, all with plenty of schooling fish and lots of opportunities for spotting macro life.

We have many day trip options to all the dive sites reachable within one day from Phuket

In between Phuket and Phi Phi we find the dive sites of Shark Point, Anemone Reef, King Cruiser Wreck and Koh Dok Mai. These are visited by day trip boats doing three dives in a day, usually Shark Point, King Cruiser and Koh Dok Mai. These three dive sites are all so very different from one another that they have rightly become a firm favourite with our divers: beautiful soft corals and anemones at Shark Point; amazing numbers of schooling fish and soft coral growth on the wreck; and a limestone wall at Koh Dok Mai with many macro species living in cracks and crevices as well as fantastic bush corals and gorgonian fans hanging off the wall.

Liveaboard Boat Trips

We have the best selection of liveaboard boat tours and can offer trips for every budget, from packpacker-style budget tours, to the best of the five star luxury boats; visiting the Similans and Northern islands of Koh Tachai, Koh Bon and RIchelieu Rock, or head South to the less-visited but equally rewarding dives at Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and Koh Haa.

The Similans is, justifiably famous among dives and has been considered in the top ten of the world’s dive sites. The fabulous visibility we’ve come to rely on, throughout these islands, allows divers to enjoy the magnificence of the dive sites dotted around the islands. Granite boulders provide panoramic vistas on many sites, and sloping coral reefs shelter many macro species.

Taking a liveaboard gives you the opportunity to explore dive sites too far away for a day trip

Private Charter Tours

If you’d like to avoid the crowds, you can privately charter a speedboat, sailing yacht or dive boat, for groups of between 2 and 24 people. We are an agency for the best boats available on the island. For a single day you can choose to do do two or three dives, and maybe visit a beach during the day, for lunch or a swimming break.

A mixed group of divers and snorkelers enjoying one of our Phi Phi charter trips

You can go further afield if you take a trip for two or more days. Choose when you want to dive, what you’d like to see, and the captain and our dive team will work out a trip schedule tailored just for you.

Whatever boat trip you choose, dive with the confidence that you’re in safe hands with Oceanic

Thailand is renowned among all dive destinations as having the best food on live-aboard boats, and that applies to private charters too. Our friendly, experienced crews will take care of you like VIP guests throughout your trip.

Avoid the bubble factories join our Oceanic’s divers’ club. We take care of everything you need during and after your trip: if you have your own equipment, we provide a wash, dry and store service for the time that you’re in Phuket. If you don’t have your own kit, or don’t want to pay the excess baggage to bring it here, take advantage of our excellent quality rental kit. We offer a sociable environment at the end of the diving day to share your experiences, and help you out with our local knowledge of things to do and see around Phuket.

Oceanic Dive Center – The Best SCUBA Dive Shop In Phuket For All Of Your Diving Needs

Join the Oceanic Dive Center family and come home to Phuket!

Kata & Karon beach SCUBA diving at Oceanic Dive Center. Our SCUBA diving training facility & retail shop is conveniently situated on the main Kata Center Road (number 30 Karon Rd) next door to Two Chefs Bar and Grill, 4 minutes’ walk from Karon beach & 5 minutes’ walk from Kata beach.

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The post Phuket Boat Touring Agency | Oceanic | Kata Beach appeared first on Oceanic.

Phuket Boat Touring Agency | Oceanic | Kata Beach

Oceanic Dive Center, Phuket’s Premier Boat Trip Agency In Kata

In addition to our diver training, we have been operating as a Boat Tour Agency since 1999. We hand pick the best of the tour boats available in the Andaman Sea to ensure the best experience for our divers, whether it’s a half day tour to the local islands, or several days on a liveaboard to the Similans and beyond. We have resisted the pressure to become a "bubble factory" preferring to take personal care of our divers. We will work together with you to find the best dive sites, and dive boats, for your experience and expectations, and personally check the fit of your equipment, from our rental stock at Oceanic. [caption id=“attachment_1454” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]Private longtail available to Koh Puh Island, three minutes from Oceanic[/caption]

Day Trip Boats

We have day boat tours to a variety of dive sites around Phuket. Our shortest boat tours would be a morning or afternoon dive from a longtail boat at Koh Pu, close to Kata beach. Here, on the Western side, you will find granite boulders offering swim-throughs and schooling fish sheltering in the overhangs, to a maximum depth of around 20m. The Eastern side offers a shallow reef to a mximum of around 12m, interspersed with some smaller boulders and sand patches. [caption id=“attachment_1452” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]Relax on our spacious day trip boats and enjoy the view between dives[/caption] A little further afield are the islands of Racha Yai (Big Royal) and Racha Noi (Small Royal island), also known as Raya Yai and Raya Noi. These islands lie some 12km to the South of Phuket, or around one hour and 45 minutes by dive boat. The water is always clear here providing excellent snorkeling and diving tours for divers of all abilities. Our boat trips to Phi Phi make three dives during the day tour: two around the islands of Phi Phi (around 45km from Phuket). The third dive is always at a dive site approximately half way. Phi Phi is famous for its resident blacktip reef sharks and it’s also a good place for spotting turtles. At the world famous Bida Nok and Bida Nai we have a variety of topographies with big boulder swim throughs, coral gardens and wall dives, all with plenty of schooling fish and lots of opportunities for spotting macro life. [caption id=“attachment_1450” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]We have many day trip options to all the dive sites reachable within one day from Phuket[/caption] In between Phuket and Phi Phi we find the dive sites of Shark Point, Anemone Reef, King Cruiser Wreck and Koh Dok Mai. These are visited by day trip boats doing three dives in a day, usually Shark Point, King Cruiser and Koh Dok Mai. These three dive sites are all so very different from one another that they have rightly become a firm favourite with our divers: beautiful soft corals and anemones at Shark Point; amazing numbers of schooling fish and soft coral growth on the wreck; and a limestone wall at Koh Dok Mai with many macro species living in cracks and crevices as well as fantastic bush corals and gorgonian fans hanging off the wall.

Liveaboard Boat Trips

We have the best selection of liveaboard boat tours and can offer trips for every budget, from packpacker-style budget tours, to the best of the five star luxury boats; visiting the Similans and Northern islands of Koh Tachai, Koh Bon and RIchelieu Rock, or head South to the less-visited but equally rewarding dives at Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and Koh Haa. The Similans is, justifiably famous among dives and has been considered in the top ten of the world’s dive sites. The fabulous visibility we’ve come to rely on, throughout these islands, allows divers to enjoy the magnificence of the dive sites dotted around the islands. Granite boulders provide panoramic vistas on many sites, and sloping coral reefs shelter many macro species. [caption id=“attachment_1453” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]Taking a liveaboard gives you the opportunity to explore dive sites too far away for a day trip[/caption]

Private Charter Tours

If you’d like to avoid the crowds, you can privately charter a speedboat, sailing yacht or dive boat, for groups of between 2 and 24 people. We are an agency for the best boats available on the island. For a single day you can choose to do do two or three dives, and maybe visit a beach during the day, for lunch or a swimming break. [caption id=“attachment_1455” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]A mixed group of divers and snorkelers enjoying one of our Phi Phi charter trips[/caption] You can go further afield if you take a trip for two or more days. Choose when you want to dive, what you’d like to see, and the captain and our dive team will work out a trip schedule tailored just for you. [caption id=“attachment_1451” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”]Whatever boat trip you choose, dive with the confidence that you’re in safe hands with Oceanic[/caption] Thailand is renowned among all dive destinations as having the best food on live-aboard boats, and that applies to private charters too. Our friendly, experienced crews will take care of you like VIP guests throughout your trip. Avoid the bubble factories join our Oceanic’s divers’ club. We take care of everything you need during and after your trip: if you have your own equipment, we provide a wash, dry and store service for the time that you’re in Phuket. If you don’t have your own kit, or don’t want to pay the excess baggage to bring it here, take advantage of our excellent quality rental kit. We offer a sociable environment at the end of the diving day to share your experiences, and help you out with our local knowledge of things to do and see around Phuket.

Oceanic Dive Center - The Best SCUBA Dive Shop In Phuket For All Of Your Diving Needs

[caption id=“attachment_1391” align=“alignleft” width=“300”]Join the Oceanic Dive Center family and come home to Phuket![/caption] Kata & Karon beach SCUBA diving at Oceanic Dive Center. Our SCUBA diving training facility & retail shop is conveniently situated on the main Kata Center Road (number 30 Karon Rd) next door to Two Chefs Bar and Grill, 4 minutes’ walk from Karon beach & 5 minutes’ walk from Kata beach.

The following post Phuket Boat Touring Agency | Oceanic | Kata Beach is republished from http://www.oceanicdivecenter.com

SCUBA Instructor | PADI Courses | SSI Courses | Oceanic

You’re In Safe Hands With An Oceanic Dive Center SCUBA Instructor

Since 1999, Oceanic Dive Center in Kata has been accredited as a PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) 5 Star facility. Since 2010, we’ve also been offering courses under SSI (SCUBA Schools International), and we are an SSI Diamond Dive Center, the highest accreditation under SSI. Every SCUBA Instructor at Oceanic is dual-certified, under SSI and PADI, so we can help you to pick the best agency to choose your diver training system, based on your diving experience and your expectations.

Every SCUBA Instructor at Oceanic is dual-certified, under SSI and PADI

SCUBA Diving Courses With Our Experienced Instructors

All of our SCUBA Instructors have a lot of experience: we have a total of more than 20 years of teaching SCUBA behind us, so you have the confidence to know that your Oceanic instructor can give you the best experience possible, whether it’s your first ever SCUBA dive, or if you’ve already been diving for years.

PADI have been the best known training agency for several years.

We conduct all SCUBA diving courses from our dive shop in Kata Beach, Phuket, where we have all the facilities that are required for the top ranking of SSI Diamond Dive Center and PADI 5 Star Dive Center: our air-conditioned classroom gives you the quiet environment you need to concentrate on the theory portions of your course; we have a pool on site for Confined Water sessions; our well-organised equipment room makes it easy for your SCUBA Instructor to pick out the best equipment for your needs, and we guarantee that you will dive with the same equipment throughout your course; and in our retail area, we have a wide selection of equipment for you to try on before you buy.

SSI offer online training free of charge, when you sign up for a course.

Beginners’ SCUBA Courses

We make it easy for first-time and novice SCUBA divers to gain confidence and progress to the next step. Starting with Try SCUBA – Discover SCUBA Diving – you will take your very first breaths under the water under close supervision of your Diving Instructor, on a real dive, on Kata House Reef, where the abundance and variety of marine life surprises even the most experienced divers. The next step will be to continue with the Open Water Diver course, which will certify you to dive to 18m. Your SCUBA Instructor will discuss the benefits of the SSI and PADI systems and help you to choose the best one for you.

SSI certifications are accepted worldwide

Continuing Diver Education

After the Open Water Course, the most popular next step is to get certified for dives to 30m with the SSI Advanced Adventurer course, or the PADI advanced Diver course. Both of these give you five Adventure Dives, concentrating on a different specialty for each one. Your SCUBA Instructor will help you choose the best specialties for your own course, tailoring it to suit your preference, as well as the local conditions at the time of your course.

We print your SSI cert card right here in Phuket, so you’ll receive your card on the final day of your course!

Our SCUBA Diving Instructors are all qualified to offer a range of Specialty Diving Courses. For example, if you want to dive still deeper, you can take the Deep Diver course which will certify you to dive to 40m. The Nitrox Diver course will certify you to dive on Enriched Air Nitrox, extending your bottom time and reducing your fatigue at the end of a multi-dive day. Perhaps you want to improve the quality of the pictures you take underwater, then the Digital Underwater Photography course is what you’re looking for. We also offer Wreck Diver, Navigation, Search and Recovery and many more.

Oceanic Dive Center was established as PADI 5 Star Dive Center in 1999.

The next steps are Rescue Diver, then Divemaster (Dive Control Specialist) and then on to Open Water SCUBA Instructor. We can help you all the way. We do all of this with the personal service you can only get from a family-run, boutique dive center.

We now offer both SSI and PADI courses and have been awarded SSI Diamond Facility Status.

Avoid the bubble factories and become a family member of Oceanic’s divers’ club. We take care of everything you need during and after your training: we’ll take and process your passport photos, provide lunch on all days, offer a sociable environment at the end of the training day to discuss your progress, and help you out with our local knowledge of things to do and see around Phuket. After your course, we offer free equipment rental for life, and look forward to welcoming you back year after year.

Oceanic Dive Center – The Best SCUBA Dive Shop In Phuket For All Of Your Diving Needs

Join the Oceanic Dive Center family and come home to Phuket!

Kata & Karon beach SCUBA diving at Oceanic Dive Center. Our SCUBA diving training facility & retail shop is conveniently situated on the main Kata Center Road (number 30 Karon Rd) next door to Two Chefs Bar and Grill, 4 minutes’ walk from Karon beach & 5 minutes’ walk from Kata beach.

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