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3 Days experiencing the World-Famous Dive Sites of Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai? Liveboard diving to one of the world’s ten best dive sites? All that – plus some of the best food around, fun staff and the only ecologically friendly dive boat…all waiting for you!

Why Join our Richelieu Rock & Koh Bon Liveaboard??

• The Very Best Sites in Thailand
• Small Groups – Big Fun
• Ethically operated dive boat
• Nitrox, Specialty and Ecological training available
• Only 4 guest per dive guide
• Incredible food, great service

Our Richelieu Rock Liveaboard Tour of the pinnacles just north of the Similan Islands will excite and amaze any diver! This is the diving experience everyone looks for! The dive sites such as Koh Tachai, Koh Bon, and Richelieu Rock are famous for the possibilities of seeing the BIG fish that we all cross our fingers for, as well as an abundance of all of the little things that hide in cracks and are hard to spot! These sites are listed among the very best in SE Asia and always reward anyone who dives them. Check our 2013 – trip schedule to see which trip suits you.

Wicked Diving offers a unique opportunity to benefit the local community, improve the world around us and have a great diving vacation! We use 2% of all income to support local projects that support the local community, marine research or marine conservation (or all three!). When you dive with Wicked, you make a difference. Please read up on our various projects, and policies on the Ethical Diving page. Did you know the eggs on your trip will be from free-range, organically fed chickens? And the Honey and Jam will be from the Baan San Fan Orphanage?

Richelieu Rock Liveaboard Safety

With safety features you’d expect on huge luxury liveaboards (large life raft, radar, satellite phone) and amenities you’ll never find on a budget liveaboard in Thailand (flat screen tv, DVD players, Nitrox) we are not sure if we are “cheap luxury” or “fancy budget”? I guess you might say we are “just right!” Our Richelieu Rock Liveaboard tours are great fun, reasonably priced and offer you the chance to join 3 day or 6 day trips. What? A 6 Day Similan Island Liveaboard? Yup – combine two trips and make this an experience of a lifetime!

Richelieu Rock Liveaboard – Marine Life to expect!

With the reputation of “world-class” diving – the marine life is even more impressive. The Harlequin shrimps, the Nudibranchs, the tiny Pineapple fish – yes all the small stuff will amaze and baffle. Sure – there are Leopard Sharks, Manta Rays and even the very occasional Whale Shark – but you want to join this trip to experience the little stuff – right?

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There are thorough briefings before each dive and an extensive marine safety and environmental briefing at the start of the trip. In addition our experienced and safety orientated staff will guide you to some amazing scenes – vast forests of soft corals, whole fields of corals and even show you a few incredible animals you would never expect! The Wicked Dive Team also love to have a laugh and often we end up doing all kind of games in the evening when the diving is done. If you are interested – why not book your Richelieu Rock Liveaboard now?

Wicked Diving always works in small groups. With only 4 divers per guide – you will feel the personal touch. The Richelieu Liveaboard trips are a perfect place to do additional Training! On the boat you can find other guests doing theirAdvanced courses or Nitrox Specialty

Similan Liveaboard – November 2012

Starting in November 2012, Wicked Diving Thailand inaugurates our new Similan Liveaboard.

The Mariner1 has a few more cabins ,a larger dining are and a larger dive deck.

 

She sleeps 18-20 and has air-con cabins. With lots more space and newer amenities, she offers a great opportunity for each of our guests to enjoy the Similan Islands even MORE! there is a stunning sundeck and chill-out space as well as new staff cabins – so the staff you know and love are well-rested and ready to make your trips perfect!

 

Our schedule is the same as are all of our policies and ethos! Same great dive center – new boat!

Life on the Richelieu Rock trips…

We dive is small groups and have plenty of surface interval in between each dive. There are thorough dive site briefings before each dive and an extensive dive safety and environmental briefing at the start of the trip. Our staff are not only very experienced and safety orientated, they also love to have a laugh and often we end up doing all kind of games in the evening when the diving is done.

There are nice long surface intervals in between the dives. So when you are not diving or eating, feel free to relax, join a beach trip or do a bit of snorkeling in the calm bays. It’s all up to you….

Dive sites

Koh Bon: Koh Bon is one of the better places to see manta rays, almost all year around except normally at the beginning of the season. With wing-spans sometimes in excess of five meters they are a spectacular creatures to behold! Last season has been very good with Manta Rays almost everyday from mid-December until May. Of course it’s no guarantee, but Koh Bon has plenty of other marine life with big schools of fusiliers, sea snakes, octopus and lionfish. We typically jump in at the West Ridge, which is a beautiful wall covered with soft corals and with lots of nooks and cracks for small stuff to hide. Currents can be strong, but there is always a sheltered side and it is an ideal site for the first dive of the trip.

Koh Tachai Plateau: Koh Tachai is a stunning site. A collection of submerged rocks which begins at 12 meters and extends beyond 35 meters to a vast sandy area. To the south of Koh Tachai island this site lies exposed to strong tidal currents which can often make the dive a rather lively if challenging one. But with currents comes marine life and although it can be a bit hard work, this dive sites can blow you away!

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Koh Tachai Reef: On the East side of Koh Tachai you find one of the most beautiful beaches you can imagine. In front of the beach is a beautiful and very long reef that parallel to this side of the island. It is an easy, relaxed and beautiful dive site. The water is normally very clear here and there is a very good chance on seeing a few leopard sharks. And next to an abundance of smaller marine life we’ve had a few special surprises like manta rays and blacktip reef sharks. This site is ideal for a late afternoon dive or a night dive.

 Richelieu Rock: Richelieu Rock is Thailand’s premier dive site and one of the best places in Thailand to see big pelagics like Manta Rays, Barracuda and Trevallies. This huge pinnacle climbing from the depths of the Andaman Sea attracts scuba divers from around the world. Huge fish, soft corals and an incredible array of small fish make Richelieu famous around the world. There is so much to see on this site, that we often spend 2 or 3 dives here. Visibility can vary a bit and so do the currents, but it is always diveable and never seems to disappoint anyone. In years past, Richelieu Rock was a place to encounter Whale Sharks. In the past 5 years the numebr and frequency of encounters has radically dropped. There is no longer a “season” and sightings are reported about once a month.

Surin Islands: The Surin Islands are famous for their crystalline beauty and infrequent visitors.

The corals and snorkeling is the very best in Thailand, and yet few people visit. There are a few really interesting dive sites too and the Surin Islands seem to have a surprise for us each time we go there. And the dive sites are easy and relaxed, which make them ideal for sunset dives or night dives.

 

WICKED MEDICAL AND HEALTH ABOARD SIMILAN LIVEABOARDS

If you have any health problems, are on any form of medication or have had any illness, injury or operation that you think may affect you whilst diving, please let the staff of Wicked Diving know in advance. If you are allergic to any form of medication, please state this clearly on the Registration Form. Anyone requiring vegetarian food or with any food allergies should advise us before the Similan Liveaboards. Should you have any restrictions or requirements and not inform Wicked Diving previous to your trip departures, it may be difficult or impossible to meet such demands.

Please also note the following conditions to ensure a safe diving trip for all our customers:

Asthma. Please be aware that we do not accept divers with asthma or who take medication for prevention or treat ment of asthma on our Similan Liveaboards if you have had an attack in the last 5 years. If you had an attack between 5-10 years ago, we will ask to see the results of a Spirometric test (lung function test) dated not older than 3 months.
Diabetes. Unfortunately we do not accept divers with this condition, as our staff are not medically qualified to a level to deal with any medical problems that may arise.
Thyroid Disease. Divers with thyroid disease or having no thyroid gland should bring a medical statement dated within the past 3 months proving that their cardiovascular system has been critically assessed.
Wicked Diving also can not accept divers with Hypertension (high blood pressure) or divers using anti-depressants (e.g. Prozac) on our Similan Liveaboards.
Please note that for the above mentioned conditions we do NOT accept medical statements issued locally, unless they are from an internationally accredited hospital. If you need any assistance or further advice on this subject, please contact us for further information

For your safety and enjoyment, please avoid flying at least 24 hours after your last dive on our Similan Liveaboards!

3 days / 3 nights Richelieu Rock/Koh Bon/Koh Tachai

SCUBA Diving – $585 USD

Similan Liveaboards Inclusions

*The trip price includes: Pick up from your hotel (in the Khao Lak area) – transport to the pier and back – full room and board on trip – Organic Cotton towels and linen – tea, coffee, water and electrolytes – tanks and weights – dive guides – lots and lots of delicious food – good times, great memories and lots of fun on the Simlan Liveaboards

*The trip price does not include: Pick up from other areas – use of dive equipment (this can be rented for  Baht per day and Includes a dive computer) – soft drinks and beers – Park Fees – or bad attitude