Phuket diving seasons

Diving Seasons in Phuket!

We hear many times the season for diving in Phuket is only from November to April. That’s unfortunately far from the truth. The season for Liveaboard cruises to the Similan and Surin Marine National Parks is from November to April simply because the whole Marine national Park is closed from May to October. The prevailing wind direction is such that we usually have dangerously high waves out at this offshore locations and diving there would at best be limited to a few dives sites that are sheltered.

 However, there are many times during the 6 month period the national park is closed where diving would be possible and good but since the park is closed dive boats are not allowed to visit.

 How is this affecting the dives offered in Phuket you may ask? Generally speaking we are also affected any time the weather turns and we have strong wind or high waves but we are also sheltered by the Islands of Phuket, the Raja Islands and the Phi Phi Islands when we go out to dive. The Dive sites around Phuket are much closer and we can always find shelter on the leeside of an Island. We may be subjected to rough seas on the way to the dive sites but it is the job of the Tourleader and the captain to select the best and sheltered dive site possible at the time of the trip. With weather forecasts and some changes to our schedule to avoid the most exposed dive sites diving is possible all year round in Phuket. You actually enjoy trips with less people on the boat and the sun not beating down on you so relentlessly as has been the case the last few month. Some of the better dives sites like the east cost of the Raja Islands with its hard coral reefs and swarms of Yellow Fin Barracudas are in fact only diveable in this time of the year and are not available during the winter season.

So if you find your way to Phuket in the time of May to October the diving will be good and we look forward to providing you with the best diving services available.

 See you hopefully soon in Phuket

Your Dive Asia Team