Dive Inn Ko Phangan – Fun & Honest Scuba Diving

Dive Inn Ko Phangan – Fun & Honest Scuba Diving

I had never dived before I lost my Scuba-ginity at the Dive Inn Koh Phangan. I had always wanted to try it, but never had the opportunity. I talked to a bunch of locals and divers on the Island and the Dive Inn Ko Phangan came highly recommended.

Ko Phangan is an exquisite place to dive with loads of beautiful sites to swim in. It is only 20 kilometres away from the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand. Groups are small with the typical size of one to four people per dive instructor. The radiant coral reef along the island’s west coast is a site to behold.   It is also a super cheap place to learn to dive, with PADI Open Water courses offered for some of best rates in the world.

Here is a video of the one of the sites the Dive Inn can take you:

I knew right away that The Dive Inn rocked within my first email exchange with the awesome Manager Alan. I told him I was interested in diving and he right away told me that visibility had been awful as of late. When you dive it is all about visibility. That is how far in front of you that you can see clearly. Around Ko Phangan visibility is usually 20 meters (yards) which is awesome. The week I wanted to go visibility had been a dismal 1-4 meters.

Some other dive companies just want your money. They will never warn you that the visibility is bad and it is not worth going. The Dive Inn will tell you everyday in the AM what the real visibility is like so you can decide to go or just cancel free of charge.

dive inn ko phangan scuba diving

On my dive visibility was only 4 meters, but I adored it. It is like the first time you have sex, even though it may not be the best it feels like the best since you have nothing to compare it to.

Since I did not have a scuba license I had to go on the Discover scuba which gives you the option of one or two dives. I met Johnny who was out sweet and hilarious instructor. The Brit had me smiling and laughing all day with his cheeky humor.

dive inn ko phangan scuba diving

I decided to do the trip to Sail Rock, which is the best and most famous dive site in the Gulf of Thailand, this large pinnacle (which begins above sea level) provides a superb wall dive effect. The largest pinnacle hosts the famous Chimney, a large vertical swim-through with its deepest entry point around 18m, reaching the top at around 8m.

dive inn ko phangan scuba diving

Sail Rock boasts an array of marine life including Barracuda, Mackerel that form huge schools around the rock. There is also an incredibly varied ecosystem formed by countless species including Groupers, Wrasses, Snapper, Batfish, Angelfish, Damselfish.

Depending on season and conditions, Sail Rock is also one of the Gulf of Thailand’s sites most commonly visited by the world’s largest fish, the immense Whale Shark.

dive inn ko phangan scuba diving

Johnny taught me the basics of diving and then we suited up. It was weird to get used to the air tank on my back and huge flippers. We jumped off the ship and swam to the magnificent Sail Rock. We practiced the lessons I had learned and the slowly descended into the pristine blue water.

It took me a couple minutes to acclimate myself. It was very strange and even a bit scary at first. The most important thing to do is relax and breathe normally. Once I convinced myself to relax I adored it. I felt so free swimming beneath the ocean and getting a firsthand account of the beautiful marine life swimming around us. My first dive lasted 30 minutes and went to the deepest allowed 13 meters depth. It was then time to break for lunch to fuel up again.

The food on the DIve Inn Ko Phangan boat was surprisingly awesome. I had very low expectations since we are on a boat in the middle of the ocean, but the Massaman curry they served for lunch was one of the best versions I have had in Asia, and Massman is my favorite, I get it everywhere. They also had rice, vegetarian options and cookies and fruit for dessert.

dive inn ko phangan scuba diving

After lunch we did our second dive and this one lasted 44 minutes. I saw tons of fish and had a simultaneous serene yet exhilarating experience. I can not recommend enough that you should try scuba diving. It is a marvelous experience. If you are ever in Ko Phangan go with The Dive Inn Ko Phangan for a fun, honest and very special scuba dive. For more details you can visit their website here.

Click Here for the a Marvelous Food Experience in Koh Samui


About Ari Kane

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Bouncing around the globe sharing the best pleasures, restaurants, hotels, tours and festivals...

2 Comments on this post

  1. […] Click Here for Breathtaking Scuba Diving in Thailand […]

  2. Nice one!!! Thanks!!

    Greets from the guy in the whaleshark-pic (on the right side, in the back!)!!

    Aksel Bierman / Reply

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