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Liveaboard Diving in Surin Islands
What To Expect on A Surin Islands Liveaboard
A liveaboard dive tour to the Surin Islands in Thailand will take divers to some of the best diving available in the Andaman Sea. Situated in the picturesque Thai province of Phang Nga, the Surin Islands archipelago is about 60km (37 miles) away from the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Designated a National Marine Park in 1981, the Mu Koh Surin National Park comprises 2 large islands, North and South. The islands are covered in granite outcrops ringed with pristine coral reefs that provide an underwater spectacle of life and color. Still relatively untouched, liveaboard diving is the best way to experience diving on these islands and enjoy nature's finest. Due to its remoteness, some liveaboards only offer a short 4 days schedule.
Surin Islands Underwater
The abundance of marine life in these waters is staggering, with regular sightings of cruising white tip reef sharks, barracuda, batfish, ghost pipefish, bump head parrotfish, napoleon wrasse, octopus, mantis shrimp, blue-spotted jawfish, and the rarer sightings of seahorses, frogfish, manta rays, and whale shark. Look closely; you may spot black and blue ribbon eels hiding amongst the crevices.
Be wary of the sometimes aggressive titan triggerfish, especially if nesting and protecting their young. Depths range from 5 to 30 meters with warm, clear waters; the coral formations in these waters act as a good barrier, with fields of staghorn corals dominating the shallows. These reefs gently slope down to a sandy bottom, and if you look into the blue, you may see the occasional passing eagle rays.
Dive Sites Of Surin Islands
Liveaboard dive cruises to the Surin Islands usually include diving at Koh Tachai, Koh Bon, and the famous Richelieu Rock:
Koh Tachai is teeming with marine life and is known for many leopard sharks. With a coral plateau sloping from 12 - 35 m, this site can be challenging with strong currents. Usually done as a drift dive, these currents bring high plankton levels during February – May and, in turn, the larger pelagics feeding on them, such as the Manta Ray and Whale Shark.
Koh Bon, south of Surin Island, is known as the perforated island, classified as a deep dive due to a fantastic wall dive that goes down to 42m on the southwest side. Also frequented by many leopard sharks, the usual suspects such as the morays and white tip reef sharks cohabit these waters. Also, a popular cave diving spot should only be attempted with the right certifications.
Richelieu Rock, southeast of the Surin Islands, is renowned for whale shark sightings and other pelagics like the Manta Ray, barracuda, giant trevallies, and dogtooth tuna. For the avid macro lover or photographer, this site also provides a plethora of critters, porcelain crabs, tiger tail sea horses, pipefish, harlequin shrimp, nudibranchs, and more. The current here is mild to strong.
Other dive sites include: Bon Soong Wreck, Ko Torinla, Koh Chi, Hing Gong
Top Tips For Divers
Liveaboard trips to the Surin Islands run from November to May. February to April season often sees an increase in currents attracting the larger marine creatures like whale sharks and manta rays. Visibility ranges from 25-30m during this period, and water temperatures range between 26-29c, so a 3mm neoprene wetsuit should be enough. Some dive sites can be more challenging and are best reserved for the more experienced diver.
Getting To Surin Islands
Some International flights fly directly to Phuket, or you can get a connecting flight from Bangkok, with low-cost carriers such as Air Asia also available. Before arranging your international flights, you should check your departure port with your liveaboard operator. Most Thailand liveaboards leave from Phuket or Khao Lak. Some may also leave from one port and return to another. Diving in Thailand is accessible to all, and liveaboards are suitable for all budgets.
Surin Islands Diving Reviews
- 9.3 Superb
- 134 Verified Reviews
Surin is good..best diving point in Thailand
Diving Surin Islands in December on the The Junk
Amazing visibility, diverse dive sites
Diving Surin Islands in October on the Hallelujah
Alive marine life. Some current, beautiful landscape.
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Pawara
Strong current, but very good experiance
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Sawasdee Fasai
Nice warm water and beautiful fish!,Unreal! Breathtaking!
Diving Surin Islands in January on the The Phinisi
Colorful and loaded with fish.
Diving Surin Islands in March on the Pawara
The was first stop and was a great intro as to what was to come.
Diving Surin Islands in November on the Manta Queen 7
The most marine life I have ever seen!
Diving Surin Islands in November on the The Phinisi
Not as memorable as Richelieu Rock, but the visibility was better
Diving Surin Islands in January on the Hallelujah
Very good, tough currents, not recommended for newbies.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the The Phinisi
Excellent, the vis was very bad but that’s nature!!
Diving Surin Islands in February on the The Phinisi
Beautiful dive sites! Varying visibility but plentiful sea life
Diving Surin Islands in February on the The Phinisi
Also good visibility, great reef health, but no big things.
Diving Surin Islands in December on the The Phinisi
Was was warm and vis was good
Diving Surin Islands in January on the Pawara
Great first few dives. Saw octopus and eagle rays.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Bavaria
Surin was where we saw several turtles and noted
Diving Surin Islands in March on the The Junk
Nice beach, warm waters, visibility murky, saw blue spotted stingrays, morays, hard corals
Diving Surin Islands in November on the Peterpan
Abundant sea life; both micro and macro.
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Bavaria
Really busy. Boats overhead the whole time.
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Sawasdee Fasai
We were unlucky on our dives and didn't see any large marine life. Unfortunately, most of the reefs in this area of Thailand are bleached, so without sea life the dives are a little disappointing. We know of other divers that have seen a lot more and that would have made our dives better - we may have just been unlucky.
Diving Surin Islands in January on the Andaman
Great! A huge wreck we were able to cover in our last dive here.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Bavaria
Some strong currents but the diversity was amazing
Diving Surin Islands in March on the Smiling Seahorse
was good and bad, depending from the dives
Diving Surin Islands in March on the The Junk
Visibilities were not super good, but a nice variety of animals.
Diving Surin Islands in November on the Similan Explorer
Real coral garden - every kind of coral in one sight.
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Thailand Aggressor
Stunning, Some cold currents but great diving
Diving Surin Islands in January on the Similan Explorer
No words to describe the experience. Highlight was my first night dive and the ship wreck an. Richelue rock
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Similan Explorer
Interesting to see unique geography.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the The Junk
Really beautifull, great life and night dives, nothing to complain.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Similan Explorer
A lot more diverse fish, change in topography with more limestone formations. Beautiful pink and red corals
Diving Surin Islands in March on the Similan Explorer
Many enjoyable dives seeing many new species.
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Sawasdee Fasai
Even better visibility the further north we got and the sandy patches are just beautiful
Diving Surin Islands in October on the Pawara
Nice place to dive, especially because we were alone on the diving sites.
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Similan Explorer
Beautiful. Saw many shrimp, lobstar, turtle, rays etc.
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Manta Queen 7
We particularly liked Torinda Original dive site - very colourful ref dwellers, several morays, sea horse...
Diving Surin Islands in January on the Similan Explorer
Really good lots of schools of fish
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Sawasdee Fasai
sehr gute Vielfalt an Korallen und Fische
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Sawasdee Fasai
Good for beginners. Lots of drift diving.
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Hallelujah
The Barracudas school was awsome.Much like the Simillan, very strong currents but lots of fish and marine life
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Sawasdee Fasai
Challenging current and surge but so much fun,Challenging current and surge but so much fun And beautiful reef
Diving Surin Islands in April on the The Phinisi
Very good dive, water was very warm in Thailand, 32 Celsius. Many fishes and corals.
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Sawasdee Fasai
Diving in the remote Surin is an experience not to be missed.
Diving Surin Islands in November on the Hallelujah
Visibility wasn’t the greatest but we did encounter Mantas which is always nice.
Diving Surin Islands in November on the Thailand Aggressor
same as Similan: fishes, fishes, fishes and healthy corals
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Thailand Aggressor
Beautiful reefs and the islands were idyllic. As with the Similan Islands, there was plenty of healthy reef life there and the diving was similar but with yet more life.
Diving Surin Islands in December on the The Junk
Beautiful - though we had quite cold currents in some places ("the green monster")
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Thailand Aggressor
Great diving, some thermoclines and green water. Overall beautfiful underwater life
Diving Surin Islands in December on the The Junk
Beautiful .. Huge school of Barracuda's
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Bavaria
That was fantastic place to dive. Defenitely plenty to see under the water. Clear waters. There was very nice gesture by the crew to organise visit of the islands during the trip.
Diving Surin Islands in December on the The Junk
Great. More diversity that Similan Islands. Saw some species I had not seen previously
Diving Surin Islands in January on the Manta Queen 7
다양한 생물들이 살아서 좋지만 시야가 그리 좋지 않다
Diving Surin Islands in January on the Sawasdee Fasai
Again nice dive sites easy diving and plenty of life down there.
Diving Surin Islands in January on the Thailand Aggressor
Reasonable diving experience, it's luck as to what's going to be there and we didnt see too much here.
Diving Surin Islands in January on the Hallelujah
Many sea turtles, sting rays, moray eels, … great diving spots.
Diving Surin Islands in January on the The Junk
Cold water 24-25 not good visibility Great marin life
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Sawasdee Fasai
Great. Recommend AOW as a minimum.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Manta Queen 7
Via was an issue but if you want to see many as and whalesharks it's what you expect.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the The Phinisi
Poor visibility and some strong currents
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Thailand Aggressor
Lots of school of fishes but not special.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Hallelujah
Easy dive, perfect to get warm for the Richelieu rock
Diving Surin Islands in February on the The Junk
Great abundance and variety of Sea Life. Hin Luang dive site will likely be best diving I will ever see.
Diving Surin Islands in March on the Manta Queen 7
Almost a relief to get here after the West Ridge and Koh Tachai which certainly raise the blood pressure. Fabulous drift dives over verdant reefs.
Diving Surin Islands in March on the The Junk
Manta's, Manta's and more Manta's, need I say more
Diving Surin Islands in March on the Marco Polo
Good diving. Good macro photographers.
Diving Surin Islands in November on the Bavaria
Ran into rough current but still good.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Sawasdee Fasai
Because of big waves we did not end up at Surin, but only dived Similan, Richelieu,... Which was I think a good, safe dicision.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Sawasdee Fasai
Great visibility and variety of life
Diving Surin Islands in March on the Manta Queen 1
Good. Somewhat difficult conditions.
Diving Surin Islands in March on the Sawasdee Fasai
School of Baracuda is sick
Diving Surin Islands in May on the Pawara
Good condition of the reef and a lot life everywhere. Richelieu Rock amazing.
Diving Surin Islands in November on the Dolphin Queen
Diving was decent on the Surrin aislands. Lots of fish.
Diving Surin Islands in November on the Sawasdee Fasai
Here's where we saw the black tip shark, which made my day
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Dolphin Queen
The best dive sports for me! The visibility was not that good, but it was so amazing.
Diving Surin Islands in December on the Pawara
My favorite. Richelieu rock is the most famous dive site but it’s usually crowded and this time visibility was not the best. But there are other sites that are as good as Richelieu.
Diving Surin Islands in January on the The Phinisi
reefs had good coral and sea life, no pelagics
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Bavaria
Lovely dive site, easy shallow dive with amazing and healthy corals.
Diving Surin Islands in February on the Sawasdee Fasai
Surin visibility was great
Diving Surin Islands in March on the Manta Queen 1
Exceptional. Interesting underwater landscape.
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Andaman
Lots of large granite boulders which makes for really cool underwater seascape with really cool swimthroughs. Less marine and coral life than later dives.
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Manta Queen 3
Good. Easy morning dive with lots of stingray and hard corals
Diving Surin Islands in April on the Pawara