Thailand and diving

So since Mr MC is currently broken (awaiting surgery) we have had to cancel the Chamonix/Verbier MTB plans for next week! So we will subsequently have to do something (for the first time in 8 1/2 years) that doesn’t involve MTB (Surgeons have said to 6-12 week recovery but also to be careful doing hazardous sports for up to 1 year). So I was originally thinking weekend somewhere European, I’m now thinking we’ll have at least 2 weeks leave to use up before Christmas. I was thinking potentially Thailand and learning to scuba dive?

Any advice on what to do/not to? Where to go? Open to other suggestions. Stipulations are somewhere warm and sunny, something to do. I thought about a week last minute all inclusive but realised after 2 days we would be bored senseless!! The knowledge of STW is massive .. hit me with ideas!

If you are recovering from surgery I’d be very cautious about diving, especially in more remote areas such as southern Thailand.

Its surprisingly how stressful it is on the system, and any potential areas or problematic circulation can be a concern. While your open waters will keep you to the 18 mt limit so somewhat safer, its still only a guideline for a fit healthy individual.

I did my Dive Masters at Scuba Junction on Koh Tao Island, and while it does boast some of the most spectacular sites in the world, the nearest decompression chamber is Bangkok, and the flight would have to go above the safe elevation ceiling to get you there.

If you want a relaxing holiday, have a look at Bali which is simply stunning (and allows side trips to the likes of Borneo) or if you do decide all included, mexico and a few ruins.

mm okay so I don’t know anything about diving, I wasn’t planning on going deep!! although how shallow can you go before you WOULD need a decompression chamber? The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow and it’s 6-12 weeks recovery (MR MC tends to heal quickly too) so thought November would be okay. Thing is we want a holiday with something to do, sitting around on a beach just isn’t us and would be bored after 2 days that’s why I thought maybe diving would be quite good. Mexico was the other option on the list, any suggestions on where in Mexico?

how long does it take to qualify diving as well? how long are classroom sessions? I thought about doing theory and pool dives in UK then open water dives out there?? would I have to buy much kit or could I hire it?

i reckon he’d be fine to dive by then tbh…the doc’s prob recommended to stay away from hazardous activity in case of impact to the area operated (could be wrong, but guessing a biking-related injury). diving is totally low-impact in terms of knocks etc. decompression is only needed if you’ve poisoned yourself with excess nitrogen in your bloodstream, shouldn’t be a problem if you’re both reasonably healthy and go with a good dive school.

i did my open water in koh tao – was good fun. think we did the whole thing over the course of 4 days – a couple of half-days in the classroom, pool session and then 4 dives. it’s cheap enough to do it out there – usually stay on a ‘resort’ so when you pay for the course you’ll get accommodation included. a few nice restaurants and bars hidden away but the main area is a bit noisy and filled with pissed up travellers.

could easily do 2 weeks out in SE Asia – a week diving, a few days at angkor wat temples in cambodia and some bangkok touristy stuff. internal flights with air asia would be the way to go as they’re usually pretty cheap.

would be a sweet holiday actually – can i come??

Hi,

The nearest decompression chamber to koh tao is actually on koh samui so getting to that isn’t a problem. I did my padi open water on koh tao which was ok and saw a fair bit but then went down to the perhentian islands in ne Malaysia to do my advanced open water which was amazing. Even just the snorkeling around the islands was incredible. Would highly recommend it, I went with matahari dive school on the small island.

The open water course was 4 or 5 days and the advanced was about the same.

It may be worth checking with dive schools if there are any restrictions on what you can do within that sort of timeframe post op.

Hope that helps
Doug

Learning to dive is an option but certain surgery will put it out of the question, so it depends. Should be a couple of days of pool sessions and book learning (which can be done in the UK, although its probably only really a couple of half days and most of the book stuff can be done in the evening or by the pool so not a big issue if you have a couple of weeks away) then a couple of days to get 5 sea dives. Thailand is a great option but there are a few cowboys out there. Lots of great, chilled out places mostly starting with Ko.

Some other options, Mexico – Never been but heard good things, lots of Americans; Caribbean – More expensive, bit more westernised (good or bad?) but still relaxed; Egypt – shorter flight, cheap, could do a mix of antiquities and diving. South/Southern Africa – Diving a bit tougher, not ideal for beginners but possible, safari.

Your open water lets you descend to 18 metres, which is the acceptable depth you can emergency ascend from without issue under normal circumstances.

Obvious issues are some of the more relaxed dive plans if you do anything other than your course, and discomfort caused by the pressure if the injury is lingering at all.

Other potential problem is the weight, and cumbersome nature of the equipment, you may have to walk in off the beach in full regalia, and part of the course involves removing your BCD while submerged which does require a pretty full range of movement.

Have been to the Playa del Carmen in Mexico a couple of times, and found it ideal. Can day trip to Cancun if you want a bit of shopping / nite life, and plenty of historical sites to do on the day trips. Service is typically very high, and the all inclusive packages provide plenty of good food, and drink to get you through the more sedate times.

The SO always talks about the various spa facilities, which she also rates highly.

or you could go to egypt as well for a diving course…

I would’ve thought he would be fine by then, the surgery is 2/3’s of the tendons connecting his tricep to his elbow have been torn, so they are going to be reattached, so I think the point is anything like MTBing where he is likely to re-tear that injury, so I was hoping diving wouldn’t be in that category!!!

Peachos, Koh Tao what company did you go with? Would you recommend doing theory before hand then? Thinking that it’s depths of winter and all that, not sure Stoney Cove is my idea of fun 😉 how easy is to to get to CAmbodia from Thailand? I have no idea on the layout of these countries but that’s something I fancy! Do you organise all of this yourself individually before hand, or is it easy enough of a coutnry to turn up and book stuff as you travel around?

MM egypy not sure with the current shark on the loose 😉 well I’m sure it’s been caught now. Doesn’t appeal massively for some reason. Thailand still drawing me more, then Mexico I think, but obviouly it depends on Mr MC too.

Oh so many more questions to ask the surgeon tomorrow “Mmmm do you think he could dive in November?”

Excuse the ignorance but what’s BCD!?? I think movement wise he’ll be fine by then, has 98% movement in it now, just a bit of bone and tendon floating up in his tricep somewhere which should be a lot lower ….

BCD is the vest you wear to make you buoyant – basically it fills with air and when you add a weight belt it lets you float around rather than sink to the bottom of the ocean or float on the top.

it was a while ago when i was out there travelling when i did mine, but thailand is DEFINITELY they type of place that you can turn up with no bookings and find places to stay/do a course. in fact it’s probably better as you can check out the accommodation / istructors before you give any money away. can’t remember who we did it with, but it was a pretty decent outfit. you can easily get to seam reap (cambodia) from bangkok by bus or probably fly in. it’s not that far, but if you travelled by bus you’d probably spend a good couple of days of your precious holiday on a dusty bus there and back. could probably get a private car out though which would halve the time…

Peachos that’s useful thank you, it’s such a mine field as I search the internet for ideas it gets bigger!

Bear in mind the guideline is not to fly within 24 hours of diving (minimum from memory is 12 hours after a single dive, 18 after a multi dive).

Can be a hassle on shorter breaks especially if you are planning to do a few side trips while you are there.

Also if you are heading over in November its close to the end of the rainy season (peaks in september), so water visibility can suffer on alot of the in shore sites due to the water run off.

You should be able to do your theory etc before you head out, which will save some of the classroom tedium while you are there, and also allow you do do a few recreational dives after your course, which is what makes it all worth while. Shark Island, and the Pinnacle off Koh Tao are exceptional.

OOO you said the word “Sharks” which gives me shivers! Mr MC was just talking about flying times etc, I would’ve thought we might do a 2 weeks ish holiday. Depends on what fits/would be best/money etc. What’s the difference with the recreational dives then? or do you just mean you can be more relaxed as you aren’t learning in effect?

Recreational = sightseeing 🙂 Lead by a Dive Master so the majority of planning etc is taken care of.

Normally get 3-4 dives in across a day out on a larger boat. Benefit of Koh Tao is the majority of the better sites are within reach, alot of the Koh Samui / Phangan crowd head out there which makes for a much longer jaunt.

Also worth visiting the East coast of the mainland, around the Krabi or Phuket areas if your away for a fortnight.

MC – for more info try asking the folks over on YD – http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/forums/forum.php. It’s a pretty similar community to STW, so you’ll get the full range of helpful responses, ill-informed opinion, banter, bickering, forum jokes, open abuse and trolling.

Thepurist that’ll be useful! I’ll take a look this evening, keep the posts coming! I’m off to take Mr MC to hospital now, fingers crossed. Mmm thought of sun and holidays is keeping me happy!

I’d be careful about diving when recovering from surgery. As said above, he will be carrying a fair amount of weight on land (bcd+air cylinder+extra weight to overcome salt water related buoyancy, (this weekend I carried an extra 22kg to help me sink in the Forth). There’s also the effect of depth pressure to deal with. I’d suggest finding a doctor who knows about diving and asking them. Your local BSAC branch or PADI centre should be able to help.
Also, have you dived before? If not, I’d recommend a Try Dive just to see if you can deal with breathing underwater as some people really struggle. I recently met a guy who turned up to do a pool session, was really excited abut it, but just couldn’t deal with beathing underwater or any of the exercises you need to do (mask off, lost breathing kit, that kind of thing). Again BSAC/PADI (probably PADI) wil probably be able help you out.
You might even consider a PADI referral – do some pool work here, but do the open water sections elsewhere, eg Thailand. That way you come home as qualified aquajunkies.

I dived with these guys when I was in Thailand late last year: http://www.thailand-divers.com/ . Run by a couple of brits, very professional and safety-concious – found them via YD as the guy who runs the shop is a mate of someone on there. We were on a couple of day trips (as my gf and I are both qualified) but the guide we had was great and seemed really well suited to teaching newcomers.

They’re based in Patong, Phuket – which is the seedy town centre but most lively for nightlife. Plenty of accommodation there that is away from the noisy roads though, and you have dozens of different beaches a short ride away.

You’ve been able to do a “referral” for a while and everywhere seems well geared up for it these days. Effectively you split out your open water course – do the book/classroom work and the skills stuff in the swimming pool over here, they sign off a form which you take on holiday and they do the four open water dives. Saves doing the dull stuff on holiday, although if you’ve got a relaxed couple of weeks then it’s not such an issue.

Have a look through the standard PADI medical declaration (you always need to sign this off every time you go diving with a different operator) – if there’s anything on there that might be a concern then get a letter signed off by a doctor that understands diving. A mate missed out on a week of diving because he assumed he could get a local doctor to clear him (as he’d done before) but they refused unless he travelled to Cairo and got a load of tests done.

http://www.maidstonescuba.co.uk/custom/upload/images/PDFs/medical10063ver20.pdf

First a bit of general advice – If you’re taking recommendations from people about the quality of the school or dive sites always ask where else (and how much) they’ve dived. Diving is pretty amazing so people who’ve only dived one location will tell you it’s great when it might compare pretty badly to others. It can be very difficult to find any properly objective ratings for dive locations as sites change over time(generally for the worse – overfishing, over diving, storms, sea warming, increasing pollution and run off from deforestation).

It’s very rare to need to pre-book diving – I reckon you’re nearly always better just turning up and having a chat to them first (make sure you trust/get on with the instructors). Pre-booking accommodation is becoming a bit more important everywhere. It used to be the done thing to turn up in the morning and find somewhere but the internet now means the best places tend to fill up prebooked in season.

First thing to do re the surgery is to ask the doctor. As others have said I suspect it’s ‘re-injury’ they’re worried about rather than anything else. Dive equipment is heavy so putting it on/carrying it about it can be easy to strain back/arms/shoulders but a lot of fat, unfit, people dive so it’s not that bad. Ignore talk of 22kg weights(!) – in warm water with a thin wetsuit you only need a few kg at most.

Once you’re in the water you’re effectively weightless so not a problem. If you do have an issue it is possible to put your kit on in the water (if it’s calm) which can be a big help.

Check the climate carefully in that part of the world – when it’s good on one side of the Thai peninsula it is bad on the other. The weather is better on the west at Christmas – I think little sun on the east then. Check for the other places I mention as well.

Thailand is a wonderful place to visit. IMO it has the best food in the world. It was the first place i’ve subsequently visited in SE Asia and every other country has disappointed on the food front. I dived off Ko Tao back in the early 90’s and wasn’t particularly impressed – however, the only other place I’d dived back then was the Barrier Reef and it was rainy season so the best, offshore, sites were not accessible. Ko Tao will have changed a lot (it was shacks on the beach back then) but I hear good things from people who’ve been recently). The best diving in Thailand is actually off the west coast north of Phuket. That really is “world class” but we got to it on a liveaboard so not sure how accessible it is from shore/for beginners. East side islands remain more developed and package tourists (Ko Lanta’s the best of the bunch), West side still attract more backpackers. Ko Tao still least developed of the Samui/Pha Nang/Tao trio.

Indonesia: climate in all the places that follow is good in December. Huge amount of places to dive but the best stuff is the least accessible/developed as far as I can work out. The diving we did off Bali was a bit disappointing. Gili Islands was better and would be a good place to learn. Further east again I hear great things but difficult to get to.

One place I would hugely recommend is Pulau Weh – Indonesia’s northernmost tip. Easy to get to now you can fly to Banda Aceh from Kuala Lumpur with Air Asia. Fantastic diving, a great place to learn as the bay has superb diving in <10m of water, very cheap. Disadvantages – food not as good as Thailand, few tourist so no nightlife. Muslim country (though beer readily available to tourists).

The other place that would be great to learn is Caye Caulker, Belize. I was there in Summer so don’t know about Nov-Dec. Again, good diving just offshore, great, cheap, super small, super chilled Caribbean island. Incredible diving once you get properly off shore (though it can be a rough trip out). If you have time you can fly cheaply to Cancun and make your way down through Playa Del Carmen (So so diving but the fresh water cave diving is pretty amazing), Tulum (ruins) to Belize City. The bus ride is an experience rather than luxurious but a good one.

Egypt is out at that time of year as the water is too cold. Liveaboard diving there is really good but the coastal towns are nasty or resort hotels.

Egypt is out at that time of year as the water is too cold.

I’ve dived Egypt in December before and it was fine – just went for a full 3mm rather than shorty.

East WEST side islands are more developed and ATTRACT MORE package tourists (Ko Lanta’s the best of the bunch), West EAST side of the Peninsula still attracts more backpackers. Ko Tao still least developed of the Samui/Pha Nang/Tao trio.

I’ve dived Egypt in December before and it was fine – just went for a full 3mm rather than shorty.

http://www.divesitedirectory.com/red_sea.html

Water temperature: 20°C (68°F) in February to 27°C (81°F) from July to October
Suit: 3mm or 5mm wetsuit (November – April), shortie for rest of the year

I think the last time we went was a September (it was a few years back and a liveaboard way down towards Sudan) but we were diving 5mm/3mm full suit and Katie would still have been cold. That said, she gets cold in a full 3mm suit + thermal when the water is 30C. You do get colder if you’re doing 3+ dives per day

So much info to get looking at. I have had a look at the medical questionnaire already that is fine, other than Mr MC doing this tricep tendon damage we are both fit and healthy (well normally!!!!!). Weight isn’t an issue either, normally we both do a significant amount of weight training so weights we can cope with (plus being in uniform at work that’s an extra stone of kit to carry around all day). But it has occurred to me to talk to Consultant about it, i’ll just wait until his follow up appointment after his op rather than right now! (In surgery now 🙁

Thanks for all the advice it’s great and getting me quite enthusiastic about a nice fun holiday with something different.

I did my open water in Koh Lanta (Blue Planet Divers – highly recommended), but the boat took us nearer to Koh Phi Phi. The visibility was superb, and the wildlife truly breathtaking. One piece of advice if you’re booking locally: ask how many people will be in your group. We were very lucky to have 1:2 tuition, with a Dive Master assisting as well. We heard all sorts of horror stories about groups of 6 or even 8, with people having completed the course and still not having a clue.

Ransos – good point. Group size is normally the problem with the cheap places to learn (Cairns, Honduras + possibly Ko Tao). Small dive shops in small places worth looking for.

Katie had 1:1 in Caye Caulker and would have been the same @LumbaLumba on Pulau Weh

I presume if you go diving with these companies included in the price is all the kit, or do I need to provide something of my own?

They’re all set up for people who arrive with nothing.

We carry fins/mask/snorkel (so that we can snorkel when we’re not diving and know our fins fit) and a wetsuit (so we have one that fits properly).

If you already have a suitable wetsuit take it but I’d not buy anything specifically for your first trip.

I have a wetsuit although it’s a full length triathlon wetsuit, is it much different? ooooo exciting there is so much stuff out there! think I might contact some local dive companies for their advice and look into doing some of the theory potentially before hand?? To give us more diving time over there!??

Personally I wouldn’t bother doing anything in the UK.

Save your money and spend it on extra dives when you’re away.

All kit is provided. The only thing I wish I’d bought is a mask – finding one that fits well is a bit of trial and error, so if you find a brand you’re happy with, you might think about buying it. It’s not much fun having to constantly clear your mask underwater…

The only thing I wish I’d bought is a mask

Not having one that fit ruined my first dive. Surprised I stuck with it after that TBH.
m_c, if you’re going to a dive shop to ask for advice, get them to fit you for a mask. It’ll probably cost £30-£40. Simple test, stick it on your face, breath in through your nose, if it sticks as long as you hold your breath, it’s a good start. Visibility ok and you’re pretty much there.

Also, wrt the wetsuit for triathleting – might do, but we’d need some pics to sure.

++ for buying your own mask and snorkel. Even if you never get on with diving, they’ll do fine for snorkelling off the beach wherever you are in the future. Having one that fits and hasn’t been used with the spit anti-fog solution of other people makes for a more pleasant experience too.

Cool that gives me more of an idea! So how long a holiday do you think you would want? Ie how many dives would you do (presuming I get on with it). I see open water PADI takes 4ish days, then maybe 4 days after taht for more diving so I thought a total of 14 day holiday? enough? too much?? Just got some Thailand guide books out of the library!!

wrt the wetsuit for triathleting

I believe they’re no use – they’re made super flexible for swimming but that means they get compressed at depth so don’t keep you warm diving.

Mask, wet suit – sorted
full screen btw

PADI Open Water is 3-4 pool dives and 2-3 open water dives. IMHO do the pool dives here so you can get out and play when you’re there. At the very least, you’ll get some key skills – mask clearing, regulator (mouthpiece) recovery, what to do if your air runs out, etc. You do exercises in the pool that you repeat in the sea. I’d reckon you’ll be more comfortable when you arrive, you’ll enjoy the exercises and get more out of your time there

All IMHO, but..

Whatever you do, it’ll be be fun

LycraLout that video is awesome although gives me the heebie jeebies! Not sure how I feel about big dark holes was just thinking lovely blue water with pretty coloured fish, or am I now being super naive??
I like your theory about doing pool stuff here, are dive companies over here happy to do that? I presume they give you certificate with what stage you may have reached?? Got some Thailand guide books from the library to get stuck into next.

Another question, what airlines tend to be cheapest for flights to Bangkok then? How much should I expect to pay for a flight in November?

The deep dark holes are unusual – your ideas are closer to what you’ll see. It’s just a super cool vid.

It’s called a referral, and your dive centre should be ok with it as long ‘s a PADI centre. Google for PADI referral, and you’ll find something like this. You’ll get a log book to record where you are and future dives.

BTW – I saw that video this weekend. I was shown it at the dive centre as I was being treated for an accident. I fell out of the boat in the boatyard

definitely do the theory and pool in the UK – last thing you’ll want to do is watch videos and do theory when on holiday – ask UK training schools about doing pool and theory so that you can do an ‘open water referral’ the uk schools will probably have contacts overseas and if they aren’t welcoming, don’t dive with them

also, warm water dive outfits focus less on the pool sessions and do more in the sea, whereas UK dive outfits make sure that your skills are sharp before letting you in the sea; therefore you’ll get there and be able to sail through the OW dives