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Up at dawn and en path to the harbor, my abdomen fluttered with each nerves and pleasure.
I had booked an all-day boat dive via my hostel in Phuket, although I hadn’t been scuba diving in years.
Regardless of the fast refresher course I’d accomplished in preparation for the journey, I nonetheless felt uncertain. I hoped I wouldn’t be a nuisance to my dive grasp or the opposite divers in my group.
You see, this was additionally my first solo journey and I used to be alone – no dive buddy to lean again on this time. Nonetheless, my worries weren’t sufficient to sway me. Nothing beats the sensation of respiratory underwater… particularly when the water occurs to be crystal clear and a balmy 89° Fahrenheit. Whereas the Thai island of Koh Tao is well-known for its world class diving, I had no concept what to anticipate in Phuket. I merely needed to revive my scuba expertise and have a enjoyable day trip on the water, even when we didn’t see a lot sea life.
See additionally: Prime Koh Tao Diving Websites
Arriving on the harbor, I used to be launched to my dive grasp Praew (a neighborhood to the island), and one other diver from Germany who would be part of us for the day. Praew briefed us on the dive websites we’d be visiting and patiently answered all of our questions. Approaching the primary dive website and feeling only a tad queasy from the boat trip out, we slipped into our gear and (after a fast security examine), slid into the water.
Right here goes nothing!
As we slowly and quietly descended, my pre-dive jitters melted away and my respiratory relaxed. A complete world opened up earlier than me. Colleges of fish darted earlier than my eyes, a turtle swam within the distance, a sea snake slithered above the sand and big boulders fashioned mini underwater canyons to swim via. Within the distance, my dive grasp identified a reef shark darting out and in of view. This dive was proving to be the most effective of my life. We caught up with a sea turtle and swam alongside it (at a respectful distance), and I quickly misplaced monitor of time.
Earlier than I knew it, our tanks had been working low and we needed to ascend. Again on the boat, we loved recent watermelon and fruit juice as we recounted all that we had seen whereas shifting in direction of the subsequent dive website.
Over the subsequent two days, we encountered numerous extra turtles, reef sharks and fish, together with my favourite – the batfish. I even swam via my first shipwreck and faculties of sea life inched out of my means whereas I explored the assorted corridors.
It was, to place it frivolously, the expertise of a lifetime and one I’ll always remember.
After our last dive, Praew was form sufficient to share his GoPro footage with us (freed from cost!), and I now have lots of of lovely images to recollect the journey.
Again in my room that night, I drifted to sleep exhausted, however ever so content material and glad. I vowed to return to Thailand the next yr for an additional solo dive journey – and I did – this time in Koh Tao. I now plan to proceed to return for years to return.
Scuba diving in Thailand affords the whole lot one may hope for when it comes to service, local weather, sea life and variety, and actually caters to all talent ranges. In truth, there’s no higher place to get licensed if you happen to’re fascinated by turning into an open water diver.
To guide your personal scuba diving journey in Phuket, preserve your eyes peeled for dive journeys departing to Racha Noi and Racha Yai. Journeys are sometimes all-day excursions and your chosen supplier will decide you up instantly out of your resort. In 2017, my journey price $105 USD (3,700 Bhat) and included breakfast, lunch and kit.
Journey Dudes
I am positive you have had comparable experiences I had while touring. You are in a sure place and a fellow traveler, or a neighborhood, tip you off on a little-known seaside, bar or lodging. Nice journey ideas from different vacationers or locals at all times add one thing particular to our travels. That was the inspiration for Journey Dudes.
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