King Cruiser & Shark Point, Training dives with Gavin

Dive 114: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 30.7m ; Bottom time: 44 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 115: Shark Point
Max Depth: 17.0m ; Bottom time: 55 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 116: Koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 19.5m ; Bottom time: 47 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Gillmanoids Invasion on Halloween

Friday, 30th
Dive 103: Lucy's Reef, Raya Yai
Max Depth: 22.8m ; Bottom time: 52 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 20-30m

Dive 104: Bay 2, Raya Yai
Max Depth: 23.4m ; Bottom time: 53 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 20-30m

Saturday, Halloween's Day
Dive 105: Koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 20.7m ; Bottom time: 40 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 106: Shark Point
Max Depth: 17.6m ; Bottom time: 38 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 107: Anemone Reef
Max Depth: 15.2m ; Bottom time: 58 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Comment:
the gang from KL came to dive :-) Sophi, Mogan, Sabrya, Remar, Ian, Maggie, Marc. Ivy, Andrew, Alicia & Ashima invaded Phuket dive sites. somuch fun and really good dive conditions for the 2 days... Photos of the dive trips are posted on our Picassa website. Click here to view.

king Cruiser - Shark Point Area

Comment: An almost perfect day in Phuket, sunny skies, calm seas, and super nice cool breeze for our boat ride to the Shark Point Area. The king Cruiser has sunken a little bit deeper. On Nittrox 32%, Matt J and I spent the majority of our dives between 30m-19m, with the only shallow area at about 15m, where the wheel house used to be. Soon, this dive site is going to be an advance level,with Nitrox require to get any decent dive time on it, CooL! Shark Point and koh Doc Mai were nice as usual. I saw 3 swimming leopard sharks at shark Point, first time in a long time that happened. The beautiful red Frogfish is still at the same coral, at 13.3m, 3om from the second cave :-) See some photos during an Advance Course here.

Dive 082: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 30.7m ; Bottom time: 38 min; EANx: 32%
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 5-10m

Dive 083: Shark Point
Max Depth: 18.5m ; Bottom time: 60 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 084: koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 19.2m ; Bottom time: 55 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

a Day with Andrew Johnstone

Dive 045: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 31m ; Bottom time: 39 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 15-20m

Dive 046: Shark Point
Max Depth: 18.9m ; Bottom time: 46 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 047: Koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 22.2m ; Bottom time: 46 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10-15m

Comment: A fantastic day diving in May, the weather was cloudy and the sea was flat. We arrived on the King Cruiser just in time for almost slack tide, which meant no current. Andrew is retired, and recently fell in love with diving. He held his air usage very well as my dive buddy, thus allowing us to extend our bottom time on all 3 dives. Amazing fish life at the wreck, leopard sharks are back at Shark Point (we saw three), and the red frogfish and white seashorse are still on the wall at Ko Doc Mai. Few photos of the day are on my Picassa album.

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.

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-26th February: PADI Specialty Instructor Course

Wednesday, 25th February
Dive 018: Kata Reef
Max Depth: 5.7m ; Bottom time: 31 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5-10m

Dive 019: Kata Reef
Max Depth: 5.7m ; Bottom time: 25 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5-10m

Thursday, 26th February
Dive 020: King Crusier Wreck
Max Depth: 31.7m ; Bottom time: 38 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 021: Shark Point
Max Depth: 17.9m ; Bottom time: 51 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5-15m

Dive 022: koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 18.9m ; Bottom time: 50 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5-10m
Comment: Joecim (DMT) and Kazu (IDCS) joined me as players for the specialty training dives. Unfortunately the candidate who the dives are planned for the boat trip was a no show. But, we did 3 fantastic dives with me witnessing Kazu performing a perfect demo of the "Underwater vomitting through your Reg Distinctive Specialty" Skill :-) on top of the King Cruiser Wreck. I was bummed that I did not switch my camera quick enough to video mode, it would have been a video of the year. See some photos from the dives at my Facebook album.

16th - 17th September: Specialty Instructor Training Program

Tuesday, 16th: Raya Yai Island
Dive 99: Andaman Eagle Wreck
Max Depth: 27.4m ; Bottom time: 42 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5-10m

Dive 100: Home Run Reef
Max Depth: 17m ; Bottom time: 57 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5-10m

Wednesday, 17th: A-S-K Triangle Area
Dive 101: Anemeone Reef
Max Depth: 25.3m ; Bottom time: 59 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5-20m

Dive 102: Shark Point
Max Depth: 18.2m ; Bottom time: 52 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5-15m

Dive 103: Ko Doc Mai
Max Depth: 17.3m ; Bottom time: 50 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5m

27th - 28th August: Alistair Jr Advance Course

Wednesday, 27th: Raya Yai Island
Dive 92: Staghorn Reef
Max Depth: 15.8m ; Bottom time: 42 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 15m+

Dive 93: Home Run, Bay 1
Max Depth: 13.7m ; Bottom time: 41 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 15m+

Thursday, 28th: King Cruiser - Shark Point Area
Dive 94: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 21.6m ; Bottom time: 23 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10m+

Dive 95: Shark Point *
Max Depth: 14.9m ; Bottom time: 38 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10m+

Dive 96: Koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 17.3m ; Bottom time: 39 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10m

Comments: Alistair, a Gillmanoid's Sea Star original member dropped in for a couple days of diving. He hasn't dive since his 4th dive after his jr OW course, so there were lots to be done for his Jr Advance. Unlucky for Alistair, he got me as his instructor :-), so now he saw how Sophiya got tortured during her time diving with me in Phuket.
The weather was a lot wetter this month, with rain on and off during both of our diving days. The occasional wind stirred up the sea for a bit of bouncy boat ride. Alistair did very well, handling some of the more challenging conditions: current, thermocline, low viz etc. at the King Cruiser Wreck & Ko Doc Mai. He saw his first shark (2 leopards), and sorta overcame his fear of "BiG FiSh" though i'm not sure if he'll swim up close to anything larger than his arm :-) More photos of Alistair's trip is located at my Picassa Album.

14th - 16th August: Gillmanoids Invasion

Thursday, 14th: Phi Phi Islands
Dive 86: Shark Point *
Max Depth: 15.8m ; Bottom time: 37 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m+

Dive 87: Ko Bida Nai *
Max Depth: 14.3m ; Bottom time: 48 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10m+

Friday, 15th: Raya Noi Island
Dive 88: Raya Noi Bay
Max Depth: 15.5m ; Bottom time: 49 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 40m

Dive 89: Banana Bay
Max Depth: 14m ; Bottom time: 49 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 40m

Saturday, 16th: Raya Yai Island
Dive 90: Andaman Eagle Wreck* & Bay 2
Max Depth: 24m ; Bottom time: 48 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m+

Dive 91: Staghorn Reef
Max Depth: 13.1m ; Bottom time: 48 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m+

Comment: Can't get any better for the monsoon season this year! We had a great 4 days of fantastic weather for diving. A leopard Shark swam at us minute after we descent at Pinnacle 1, got the kids excited immediately. Alex & Gary were doing their fish ID adventure dive, so one easily recognized. First day back in the water for Sophi, newly nick-named Twerp, she saw 2 leopard sharks & hung out with a Green turtle for a few minutes. Raya Noi on the second day was spectacular, I haven't seen 40m viz in a long time. It's a drift dive for the group, where we also saw the "Moiseys" doing their OWC skills in clear blue water. Alex & Gary got the opportunity to dive the Andaman Eagle Wreck on the third day, their first wreck dive. Good viz & nice current extended our dive easily, as we drifted lazily across Staghorn Reef for the group last dive of the trip. More photos of the trip is located at my Picassa Album.

10th August - Koh Doc Mai, King Cruiser & Shark Point

Dive 83: Koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 24.6m ; Bottom time: 52 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m+

Dive 84: King Cruiser Wreck *
Max Depth: 21.6m ; Bottom time: 40 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m+

Dive 85: Shark Point *
Max Depth: 19.2m ; Bottom time: 52 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m+

Comment: Beautiful day for diving, flat sea and sunny skies! I was joined by Brem & Maaike, from the Dive Shop Cambodia (their first dive in the Andaman), Saskia, and Brendan, my current padi-wan DMT. Condition also was fantastic under water. We got 20m+ Viz for all 3 dive sites, and very little current. King Cruiser has collapsed a little bit more now, as the stern where the toilets are located, sunk another 5m or so deeper. It's one storm away from falling to the bottom. Brendan did a good job getting the gang through Ko Doc Mai for the first dive. The bow of the King Cruiser is covered with thousands of snappers. We saw a pair of hunting baracudas on pinnacle 1 of Shark point, and the safety stop, a 1.5m leopard shark cruised by to show of his graceful swim... Overall, cool diving day. Photos are uploaded to my Picassa album.

See a video clip of the car deck, in the King Cruiser's Bow:

Tuesday, 18th: Phi Phi Overnight (Day 2)

Tonsai Beach at dawn, Phi Phi Don Island.

Dive: 31
Dive Site: Ko Bida Nai (*)
Max Depth: 30.4m
Bottom time: 51 min
Water Temp: 28c
Visibility: 20-25m
Activities: Best dive of the trip! Spectacular viz after we left our sandy bottom at the start of the deep dive. Blue spotted stingray, yellow lip sea krate, a couple sighting of leopard sharks & a green turtle wedging itself in between layers of a table coral were in the first 10 minutes of the dive.


Dive: 32
Dive Site: Shark Point
Max Depth: 18.5m
Bottom time: 53 min
Water Temp: 29c
Visibility: 5-10m
Activities: typical shark point, beautiful coral life & school of fish returned. The eel rock still reward us with gang of white eyes morays swimming & feeding. Current picked up, thus the drift dive went a bit quick from pinnacle 1 to 2.


Dive: 33
Dive Site: Ko Doc Mai
Max Depth: 17.6m
Bottom time: 48 min
Water Temp: 29c
Visibility: 15m
Activities: Stronger current, but manageable. It's the usual wall dive without any spectacular spotting this time.

Saturday, 9th: Shark Point Marine Sanctuary

Dive: 14
Dive Site: Ko Bida Nai, Phi Phi (*)
Max Depth: 22.5m
Bottom time: 48 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 20m+
Comments: Dive with Mogan to Fantasy Garden, saw a blue spotted stingray and leopard shark immediately after swimming out of the swim through. The garden was covered with school of yellow-lined snappers, common lionfishes hanging and hiding from the current behind giant gorgonian sea fans, and barely seen the school of resident pickhandled barracudas in the blue. Current went mad, where I can't tell if it was head north or south, we were trapped in between both, inside the bay, like a washing machine!

Dive: 15
Dive Site: Shark Point
Max Depth: 15.8m
Bottom time: 48 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-5m
Comments: Sophiya's 50th dive! And remember that white eyed moray eels rock in my previous logged dive? well, they are still alive and kicking. Back scatters, low viz, and loads of water movement made the dive quite challenging for my young jedi. Though she still logged one of her longest dive yet...

Dive: 16
Dive Site: Ko Doc Mai, West side
Max Depth: 11.5m
Bottom time: 28 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-5m
Comments: Surge, low viz, and just difficult condition for us to enjoy the dive, ended it early half way through for safety reason.

Tuesday 23rd: Shark Point Marine Sanctuary

Dive: 3
Dive Site: King Cruiser Wreck (*)
Max Depth: 31.4
Bottom time: 44 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-15m
Activities: Wreck Instructor Specialty Course, with Mikael.
comments: superb condition today, no current and good visibility. I can see the wreck 3m into the descent. We were rewarded with a 1m Leopard Shark, resting peacfully on top of the car deck, 17m deep. Features: bamboo shark in the same tire in the sand at the stern, school of Bigeye snappers, glass fish, rainbow runners, jack trevallies, and a beautiful bright yellow Chromodoris sp. slug crossing through a black sea urchin.

Dive: 4
Dive Site: Hin Musang (Shark Point) (*)
Max Depth: 17.3
Bottom time: 51 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-20m
Activities: Navigation specialty Instructor course
comments: moderate current moving South from pinnacle 1 toward 3. Pinnacle 1: feeding blue spotted stingray, white eye moray eels rock is spectacular, 20-30 eels feeding, swimming through school of glass fish covering the rock. Common lionfish hung out in group of 6-8 hiding behind giant gorgonian sea fans. Pinnacle 2: a leopard shark at shark point :-), walking devil scorpionfish in the sand between the pinnacles, extremely healthy field of giant gorgonian sea fans (spanning 2-4m wide). Pinnacle 3: haven't been here in months, covered in soft anemone corals, almost gotten ran over by a school of black trevallies (50+cm) cruising through the channel between pinnacle 2 & 3.

Dive: 5
Dive Site: Ko Doc Mai
Max Depth: 16.4
Bottom time: 51 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-15m
Activities: wall dive
comments: the living wall rewarded us with non-stop feeding action, covering in school of glass fish. Full of phyllidia sp. wart slugs, banded boxing cleaner shrimp came out in full view. Calmer sea in the afternoon ride home.