15th - 16th: Phi Phi & Shark Point Area

Wednesday, 15th April
Dive 039: Koh Bida Nok
Max Depth: 20.1m ; Bottom time: 59 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 040: Pilong Wall, Koh Phi Phi Le
Max Depth: 17.6m ; Bottom time: 58 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Thurday, 16th April
Dive 041: koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 23.4m ; Bottom time: 57 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 15-20m

Dive 042: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 23.4m ; Bottom time: 44 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 5-15m

Dive 043: Shark Point
Max Depth: 21.0m ; Bottom time: 45 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 5-15m

comment: Hanni & Joey from singapore, Nuala & Andy (my open water students from 2002) dropped in for a visit and a few dives. Bida Nok was great as a first dive, easy condition, nice viz and great show of fish. We spotted a green turtle feeding on corals at Pilong Wall. Nuala & Andy went to the Similans on the second day, leaving me diving with the 2 beautiful but goofy :-) gals from Sing. We found a couple of Leopard sharks at Shark Point (Joey's main objective of diving in Phuket was met), low Viz didn't allow us any good photo opportunity. See some of the photos at our Picassa Album. And, enjoy a video clip of the girls clowning around on the King Cruiser Wreck.

11th April: Raya Yai Island

Dive 037: Staghorn reef
Max Depth: 12.8m ; Bottom time: 22 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 038: Siam Bay
Max Depth: 10.6m ; Bottom time: 43 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 5-10m

7th - 8th April: Sharkpoint & Phi Phi

Tuesday, 7th April
Dive 032: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 31.4m ; Bottom time: 39 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 15-20m

Dive 033: Shark Point
Max Depth: 18.2m ; Bottom time: 50 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 034: koh Doc Mai *
Max Depth: 19.2m ; Bottom time: 55 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Wednesday, 8th April
Dive 035: Koh Bida Nok *
Max Depth: 24.6m ; Bottom time: 56 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 036: Pilong Wall, Koh Phi Phi Le
Max Depth: 16.1m ; Bottom time: 63 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Comments: Two days of diving with Mikael, came back to visit for the umpteen times from Denmark. After so many dives at our local sites, I am still in awe of the amazing life I see each time I go under... We literally swam into a couple of Leopard sharks, swimming around, unfortunately, to current and low Viz didn't allow us any photo opportunity. See the latest dive condition and marine life at My Facebook photo album.

25th March: Nusa Penida, Bali

Dive 030: Manta Point *
Max Depth: 13.7m ; Bottom time: 67 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 031: Ped *
Max Depth: 23.7m ; Bottom time: 69 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 30m

Comment: A little escape to Bali for me to recharge the system. After much searching for a confirmed dive trip anywhere for 2 days, I was able to joined Atlantis International Bali for a daytrip to Nusa Penida (with the help of Emmanuel & Virginie, our Beuchat Asia Pacific Team). Jerome, of Atlantis, was gracious host. Guy was my dive guide, and did try his best to keep me in check from straying "solo" throughout the dives. Well, Manta Point did not disappoint, as 4 various sized mantas come by often during the 64 minutes dive. They were as friendly to divers as fish can get, hanging in the surge & current for the crowd to take photos. Ped was a nice dive site, with fantastic visibility. The drift dive took us across some of the healthiest reef I've seen in the region. Only sad part of the dives were the amount of plastic bags floating on the surface and caught on corals underwater... the need to educate the evil of plastic bags continue to be a challenge for so many of us dive pro in the region.

17th March: Specialty Training Dives

Dive 027: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 30.7m ; Bottom time: 40 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 028: Shark Point
Max Depth: 20.7m ; Bottom time: 49 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 029: koh Doc Mai *
Max Depth: 15.8m ; Bottom time: 66 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Comment: few Photos for the day are posted on Our Picassa Album.

14th March: Raya Yai (East coast) on MV excalibur

Dive 025: Staghorn Reef
Max Depth: 21.3m ; Bottom time: 55 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 15-20m

Dive 026: Lucy's Reef
Max Depth: 16.4m ; Bottom time: 58 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 15-20m

Comment: A day trip out fun diving with my buddy Mike D from VN. Carey (from VN) & Rainer (a Phuket Expat) also joined us for the "boys day out" on sea Bees day trip boat. I haven't dive with Mike since our last dive together in Nha Trang back in 2004, so the day was quite special for me. Carey was one of my OW students back in 2002, and it was great to also drop in with him. Sunshine, blue skies, flat sea and clear water made the day as perfect as it can get. And since it was Mike's Birthday, the celebration continued late into the night ;-)

7th - 9th March IDC 2009

Saturday, 7th March
Dive 023:Kata Beach Reef
Max Depth: 5m ; Bottom time: 51 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 5-10m

Monday, 9th March
Dive 024:Kata Beach Reef
Max Depth: 6.0m ; Bottom time: 68 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 5-10m

Comment: Mattias (Swedish), Valeriy (Ukrain via Kiwi land), Joacim (Swedish) joined me for the March IDC Program. Anders from South Sea Diving came on to assist the Swedish contingent while completing his IDCS training. Mattias & Val came through the IDC and performed very well at the IE. Joacim came down with a bad flu and fever on the last day of the IDC, thus he missed out on the IE. Fortunately, we'll see him again in just a few months to finish up what he had started so well... a few photos of the boys are on My Facebook album. Anders also posted his photos on South Sea diving, click here to view them.