we are back in action from the Surin Islands, north of Khao Lak, and perhaps closer to the Burmese coast than Thailand. I have joined a 3 day, 3 night liveaboard diving trip. The concept with liveaboards is quite simple. It’s like an all inclusive boat trip, where you do nothing but dive. Sounds pretty damn good to me. This trip would include 9 dives in 3 days, at some world class diving sites, including Richelieu Rock, a site regularly rated in the top 10 worldwide. The hosts for the adventure would be the talented Sea Dragon dive crew based in Khao Lak.
It got underway with a 1.5 hour drive to the harbor where we boarded our vessel, got briefed on the boat, found our bunk, and hit the hay for our journey out to sea. The next morning we were woken at the ripe hour of 6 am to begin our first day, including 4 dives, the last being a night dive!
Frankly, it’s all a bit of a blur right now. The dives on the first day were great. We got comfortable with our groups, and saw some great stuff. I made quick friends with my dive buddies, Alex from Atlanta, Manos from Greece, and our divemaster Marina from San Diego. The night dive was exciting for me, as my only night dive had been during my certification on Gili T, and it was unpleasant. I had gotten spooked by a squeaky regulator which sounded like a woman screaming. Not what you want to hear in the pitch black under the ocean at night. Also, the visibility, and the site was kind of shit for the first night dive. This time around, it was clear, there was some good stuff to see, and minimal current. I regained my confidence for the night time, and look forward to doing it again!
In between dives, the talented Thai crew would prepare us meals, and we would rest. This would be the routine for 3 days. Wake, dive, eat, rest, dive, eat, rest, sleep, repeat!! The sites were stunning, and the company was great. The last day highlighted the trip with Richelieu Rock. It lived up to it’s reputation, and was absolutely amazing. Huge pillars of vibrant soft coral, more fish variety than you can imagine, and perfect visibility. The best moment for me, seeing 13 lion fish frolicking next to some coral. Words cannot do it justice. Luckily, I did get the GoPro going for this one, and got some videos and photos. I have yet to pull them off so stay tuned.
The 3 days flew by, and it was sad to say good bye to the trip. However, it had perked me up as desired, and I’m now feeling strong going forward.
Manos, Pari ( Manos’ wife ), Alex and I grabbed some drinks and food back in Khao Lak that night and celebrated our time in the ocean. Alex also had some great insights on my upcoming travels to Nepal as he had spent 3.5 months there this year trekking. But that is for the future!
The Sea Dragon crew were amazing, and I will happily and hopefully return to them at some point for another visit!
Next up, I head to the fantastic jungle paradise of Khao Sok national park where I aim to do some serious hiking through the jungle, and if I’m lucky, sleep on the famous Cheow Lan Lake in a floating bungalow.
Until then!