Scuba Diving for the Whole Family on Big Blue’s Similan Liveaboard. Divers from the 9-year-old Bubblemaker to experienced Instructors all came to join us. And Similan Island Conditions are getting better and better!
Bubblemaker in the Similan Islands
There were several Highlights of this trip, but I thought it best to focus on something new. Adam, Elizabieta, Karolina and Piotr: The Scuba Diving Family! Mum and Dad both experienced divers. Sixteen year old daughter, who is already a Rescue Diver and maybe looking to do the Divemaster in a couple of years. Then finally, 9-year-old Piotr who is already a member of the PADI seal team and came on our Similan Liveaboard to do some Bubblemaker dives.
Youth diving obviously has a few more restrictions. Kids cannot start the Junior Open Water Course till 10 years old. So we did our best to give Piotr the best Bubblemaker course in Thailand. He had previously tried the Bubblemaker in a Swimming pool but this was the very first time in the Ocean. On a good day the Similan Islands has Swimming pool like conditions just off of some World Class beaches.
Instructor Neil Thursfield took him on his first Open Ocean Bubblemaker (maximum of two metres) and showed Piotr a surprising amount of Marine life. They saw Lionfish, Giant Moray Eels, Giant Pufferfish, Unicorn Fish, even a Sea Snake and much more. They had so much fun they did it 3 times! I am sure you are going to be a great diver one day, Piotr. Let us know when you are a Divemaster if you would like a job 🙂
Similan Islands Conditions
Other than the Bubblemaker course, the big Highlight of the trip was the diving conditions in the Similan Islands. Just as an example, this is what happened at my dive on Three trees on Similan Island #9. When we entered it was immediately apparent that there was great visibility. Not a drop of current either. Good start! We headed out to the biggest Coral Bommie. We had the opportunity to play with a cleaner shrimp that was cleaning our fingernails and even my teeth. Then around 50 Batfish came to meet us in the way only a Batfish does. They swim right towards you and if you are calm they come and check you out. Diver Mike had a Batfish circle him 4 or 5 times.
As we swam through the School of Batfish I noticed an Eagle Ray cruising past in the distance. I went into my Pointer dog pose and swam out to get a closer look. The Eagle ray swam off into the distance so I looked around elsewhere, only to notice a huge Great Barracuda just above me. I watched for a minute then turned round to find the Large Green turtle that had been beneath us the entire time. I just hadn’t noticed because of all the action. Back up across the sand towards the reef we got right up next to a Kuhl’s Stingray. Then finally onto the shallow reef we observed a Hawksbill turtle munching away on a Jellyfish. Brilliant dive, from start to Finish. Its great there is still so much Life in the Similan Islands.
It was an excellent trip and thank you to everyone who joined us. If you were with us on the trip, click on the Group Photo below to download the large version. And Please leave us a comment below, to let us know what you thought of the trip.
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