Welcome to Big Blue

Big Blue Diving Khao Lak operates 3 of our own boats to provide our customers with a full range of options for visiting and diving in the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock. Select from any of our trips below.

_______________________Day Trips

We make daily dive trips to Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and the Similan islands aboard our fast and quiet speedboats. Everything is included in our full- service trips. We’ll even pick you up right at your hotel.

_____________________Liveaboards

If you have the time, a liveaboard is the best way to see the Similans. 4 dives per day, frequent stops at deserted beaches, and more time to relax aboard our luxurious MV Pawara, where every cabin has a private ensuite.

________________________Courses

We offer courses from Beginner to Professional. Come diving in the Similans with us for a day, even if you’ve never tried it before. Our highly trained staff all have years of experience looking after our customers and giving them the experience of a lifetime.

Big Blue Blog

Monday, March 1, 2010

Wow, so much has happened since our last blog update. Namely we've been really busy with a lot of customers, so we havent had much time to make updates. For those interested, Manta Season is still upon us in the Similans and on most of our trips to Koh Bon or Koh Tachai we are seeing multiple playful Manta Rays. However, make sure you don't book a trip that Rick is working on as he seems to be bad luck. The only trip that Mantas were NOT seen on in the past month was the only trip that Rick WAS on. However, Fanette seems to be the good luck charm recently as she saw Mantas in the North Similan Islands the other day, which is quite a rarity.

For anyone who's been on one of our recent Pawara trips, you might have been greeted by me saying "Sorry, our normal boat master Ric (also known as Boat Ric as I am known as Office Rick) will not be on this trip as his girlfriend is expecting twins any day now". We'll as of March 27th, Ric and his girlfriend gave birth to two healthy beautiful girls. Mom and girls are doing great.

Now that the season is slowing down, Big Blue is going back to one speedboat. We had two speedboats for the majority of the season, with one going to Richelieu Rock and Koh Bon and Tachai, with the other going to the Similans every day. Well, March is when things start to slow down a bit, so we've cut back to one speedboat. Which makes it the perfect time to come. Great visibility, hardly any waves, more Mantas and not as many divers.

Last but not least, the Big Blue Tech Team from Koh Tao made one of their regular trips out here recently and kidnapped Rick and Fanette and took them to the Koh Sok National Park and made them go cave diving. It was a very awesome experience. The caves were formed when the valley was dry over millions of years, but was flooded 25 years ago when they build the dam. So theres a lot of stalagtites and stalagmites you can swim around. Another neat thing is that there are forrests of trees underwater, standing where they did the day it flooded. They dont fall over naturally because there are no large waves and no currents, but they're so brittle you can push over a 10m tall giant tree with one finger. If you want to try to get on one of their cave trips, check out www.bigbluetech.net

-Rick

Click here to read past updates.

About Big Blue Diving

Big Blue has been offering quality diving in Thailand for nearly 20 years and has offices in Khao Lak (across from the new McDonalds) and in nearby Bang Niang as well as operating the Big Blue Diving Resort in Koh Tao. We also have booking offices in Chumphon across from Farang Bar and in Bangkok, just off Khao San road.

Our 2 Khao Lak offices are only open from November to April each year, as the monsoon rains make any Similans diving difficult and dangerous outside of these months. If you're traveling to Thailand from May to October and want to dive, check out our Koh Tao Dive Resort for great year round diving.

We are more than happy to help you with your travel arrangements to Khao Lak or Phuket, as well as setting up accommodation for your stay here. While we don’t offer accommodation of our own, we’ll help you select the resort that’s right for you and help you in booking it. We can also assist in booking elephant rides or rainforest treks in Khao Sok national park for any non-divers you may be traveling with.

Over the past years in Khao Lak, Big Blue has built a reputation for quality focusing on customer satisfaction. We maintain this by hiring the most qualified staff, being on-time with our schedules every day, and giving people what they want - great diving with our fun and safe staff.

Big Blue Khao Lak is a Swedish and Japanese owned and managed PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Resort. We take safety very seriously and ensure the highest standards for all divers and snorkelers with our team of experienced and professional instructors, divemasters and snorkel guides who will provide you with the utmost care and attention. All courses and dive trips are set at a relaxed pace with small groups.

All our rental equipment is quality from Scubapro and regularly serviced by our in-house certified technician. If you prefer, you can also purchase your own gear from an extensive range of top brand equipment and accessories available in the Big Blue shop or by our bi-weekly delivery from major suppliers.

The Similan Islands have been rated among the top ten dive destinations in the world. It also provides spectacular snorkeling. Combine this with the experience and personal service provided by Big Blue and you have the recipe for a perfect day!

Khao Lak

With 16km of golden sandy beaches and lush mountainous jungle, in Khao Lak you will find activities to suit all ages and all tastes, both above and below the water.

The Similan Islands, considered the jewel of the Andaman Sea, lie just 60km west of the coast, making them easily accessible for day trips. A spectacular chain of nine, granite islands, each with tropical jungle, brilliant white sandy beaches and surrounded by warm, crystal clear water which is teaming with colorful marine life and stunning corals.

Khao Lak is very accessible as Phuket airport is only one hour away and lies on the main bus routes to Bangkok and the South.