Site icon Peter & Karen Pecksen

Diving Koh Samui, Thailand

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Some of the thousands of barracuda swirling around.

We did a couple of days of diving while we were in Koh Samui. We had delayed our Thai diving experience until we got here because of its’ proximity to Koh Tao. We had heard the diving there was excellent.

Discovery Divers. One of the top rated companies in Koh Samui. Quite a claim when you realize there are 47 listed dive/snorkel operators on the island.

Our first day of diving was to a site called Sail Rock. Because it is close to Koh Samui it is quite popular. Thank goodness the main attraction here is fish, because if this had been a wreck dive it would have been an absolute Gong Show given the number of divers there. During our surface interval between dives we counted 12 large dive boats moored at the site.

One of the most popular dive sites in the region. Minimal currents and tons of fish.
Rush Hour at Sail Rock. Everyone seems to work well together, but I have to say, it was ridiculous the number of divers in the water. Fortunately the fish are the main attraction so you seem to avoid the congestion that occurs at some popular sites where the attraction is a fixture of some type.
Karen checking her gear before the first dive.
There were some great swim throughs at Sail Rock. The fact that Discovery Divers only has four divers per Instructor/Dive Master certainly explains their good ratings.
In addition to the barracuda the next most noticeable species we saw was Batfish. It was a challenge trying to get a photo without divers in it.
Lots of big Groupers around Sail Rock. Their colouring made them a challenge to spot at times, but they were everywhere. Not the biggest I’ve seen, but certainly the most numerous.
Our second day of diving was off of the island of Koh Tao. Fortunately the boat was not as full as it had been on the first day.
And with this bit of power behind us the trip was only 80 minutes. A bit deaf when we got there but all in one piece.

The day around Koh Tao was excellent. We dropped off some student divers by the island and headed out to Chumphon for our first dive. I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Into the water and this is the first thing we encounter.
It was just the two of us with our guide. It was nice to have some photos taken of us diving together.
The ability to swim through these massive clouds of fish and have them not be startled by us was a unique first time experience for us.
Lunch was served on the beach back on Koh Tao.
Our outstanding guide, Tak. He led at a pace we were comfortable with and took the time to point out dozens of items of interest. He also took some great photos for us to show we actually do dive together.

A cold beer on the ride back after all the dives are completed is a nice way to round out the day.
Koh Samui and Koh Tao were everything we hoped they would be for diving.

Indonesia, you are next on the list.

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