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Published: April 23rd 2012
I've uploaded 79 pictures, 3 videos...is there really need to write anything about our adventure...well...where should I start!
First thing first, the host of the week, the Forra diving Liveaboard. This is a first for Tiffany and Leslie, we spent 3 nights and 4 days on our way between Koh Lipe and Koh Phi Phi, with main stops in Hin Muang/Hin Daeng as well as Koh Ha. This is also my 11th liveaboard....by far the most basic one, by far the best one too!
What you will find on the Forra liveaboard....you have a choice of sleeping in a cabin...they provide a total space for 12 people....or sleeping on the sun deck...way more romantic. The boat has a total of 2 toilets/showers....with cold water. There is clearly no "en-suite" here. Cabins have a fan, but this on is not working most of the time, as it is only on when the engine is running. So you picture it, when I say basic, I mean basic!
Depending how you count, my second/third dive of the day, back to 45.4 meters...and some more deco time, this time it was Magic Mountain. Nobody is diving
this...it's a site discovered by Antoine, and you basically dive from Hin Muang to Hin Daeng.
By now you are going to ask me...but what the hell is he speaking about....this place is the place to dive in Thailand...better than Richelieu...way more fun. I dived here four years ago, and have a picture ot a manta and a whaleshark on the same pic...go figure out....but today we saw nothing.
I know some of you want a proof...check on
We had a pretty busy boat on the first two days. On our first night, we were the only one staying on the boat. Antoine joined us, but the kids loved to have their "own" boat for the night...and trust me, they didn't get bored.
The serious fun started once leaving Lipe heading straight north to Hin Muang. We we four adult guests, Leslie and Tiffany. The three others were basic open water Padi...ready to move on a fast-track to the advanced level. With us, we had the Thai crew...plus three dive instructors and yes...3 more dive masters...that's a ratio of one to one...pretty cool...
The food
was pretty amazing. The first two days we are close to Koh Lipe, so the food is arriving directly from Forra Bamboo resort. On the second day the cook board the boat, and stay there for the all duration of "the luxury cruise" (smile!)! So here it's Thai food...and freshly cut french fries as a pre-dinner snack!
The master of ceremony was...as usual...Antoine. This is the first place where I see the owner being actually still in love with diving. This is like a little holiday for him, away from the day to day running of a dive center. The Forra liveaboard is running twice a month from mid-November till the end of April.
The idea of the Forra is flexibility...well...as long as you love being on the water...and below it! The full package is a 6 day trip leaving Lipe, back to Lipe. The first two days, we are joined on the boat by the "day-trippers" coming from Lipe, than on the second afternoon...we sail north....for the real fun! We chose to board in Lipe and disembark in Phi Phi...but the choice is basically yours...depending of your time and money, you can chose
the stay you want...simple! Pretty cheap too, running at maximum 4500 bahts per day, including the food, a bed in a cabin, and 4 dives a day. I say maximum as you could get it cheaper bringing your own diving gears, or sleeping on the sun deck.
Tiffany did one bubble maker dive per day...she now has 11 dives logged, and went down for a first time to around 10 meters. On Leslie side, 7 dives in 4 days...and 33 logged dives. He is now more than ready to do his Junior Advanced Open Water....well....that will actually look like kindergarden to him. I won't tell you how deep he dived...but fun it was. He also did his first night dive...and he loved it!
So the diving between Koh Lipe and Koh Phi Phi. First, let me tell you that this liveaboard is about sport diving, not really leisure diving. Antoine will bring you to amazing drifts, amazing depths too....this is adventurous diving, but with seriously high qualified guides. As the three other adult divers were less experienced than even Leslie...we ended up diving mainly with only the dive masters and the dive instructors.
First day...
We started at 8 mile rock, south of Koh Lipe. Bad visibility at the surface, huge current, and the top of the reef is at 18 meters...not really an easy dive. But 2 minutes in the dive, here it is, the whaleshark! Imagine this, this is the first whaleshark of the season....this means...first sighting since around May last year...and I was there. Sadly, Leslie went on the second dive. On that dive, we spotted a devil's ray....kind of smallish size manta....but the big whaleshark was gone.
The gentle giant stay with us for a good 25 minutes, swimming in a big school of jacks between 25 meters and 35 meters deep. The visibility down there was pretty good for 8 Mile, but this is still way far from perfect...would say around 30 meters to be on the safe side. That giant was amazing. Imagine that in more than 430 dives, it's only my third sighting of a whaleshark while diving. It's easy to spot them on snorkeling trips...less obvious down there...
Take for exemple Flo, been a dive instructor here for 6 seasons...3 sightings...and Francois....4000 dives...no sighting. But as
mentioned Flo...seems I know where and when I need to dive? I dive, and I can be pretty lucky at that game. We did 2 dives at 8 Mile, and from the first dive...deco time...
Next we moved to Stonehenge...here, it's macro galore...but my camera housing has done over 230 dives, and is more and more capricious...resutling simply on refusing to move to macro mode, refusing to switch off the flash...when I go below 20 meters. Sometimes it works properly as I wish, most times, it simply doesn't...worst than a woman... Time to upgrade pretty soon. We saw ghost pipe fishes, huge scorpion fishes, seahorses...and seriously healthy corals...plus schools after schools of fishes. Leslie was there too!
My night dive was with Antoine, after dinner, just in front of Forra Bamboo resort, on Koh Ossin...cuttie of a night dive.
Next morning we moved to dive first thing in the morning the wreck of the Yong Hua . I didn't take my camera that morning, as we went down to 41 meters...for info, don't ask me how often we went in deco...we went a lot! Nice wreck...with a very so so visibility.
Next we moved for a dive in Koh Sarang, and one in Koh Pong....Leslie joined us on both. Koh Pong was not new for him, he had already gone through the solid drift of the place. We than greeted bye bye the day trippers...and went on for the 6 hours ride to Hin Muang. Remember, at this point, you speak about 4 guests, plus Leslie and Tiffany....and 6 DM or above! Ready for serious dives...here we are!
Hing Muang and Hin Duang...the fun begin...
When does a day start...at sunrise...or at midnight....here it started at midnight!
Remember what they say on TV....this should not be attempted at home....well...kind of...
Next point...I have nearly as many dives as our three french dive masters together!...Ok, they are french...they'll survive! Meaning...this is sport diving...seriously fun!
First thing first...my first night dive at midnight thirty...and rest assured...none of us had a drink before...because we went do...my count, 36.6 meters on a night dive at Hin Muang...didn't spot any giant...but wow, that was fun.
Than in bed for few hours...and by 7.30am, back down
again. This time, 56.4 meters....next time I try deeper, I didn't want to push it this time. Went down once to 42.6...but never that down. My head was right, my brain too, I just made sure I didn't stop using it...so this was our first day dive at Hin Muang...nice start...
Oh yes, you may wonder...Leslie was nicely on the boat.
Next dive...depending on the way you count, second or third, we are doing Magic Mountain. This site has actually been discovered by Antoine and he is the only one doing it...I name, diving between Hin Muang and Hin Daeng. I went down to 45.4 meters...ans yes the deco time was building solid!
You are going to ask me...but what is the fuss about this Hin Muang and Hin Daeng...this is simply the bext diving in Thailand, way ahead of Richelieu for me. I dive here first time three years ago and have a whaleshark and a manta on the same picture...go figure out!
I know some of you have asked for the pic, here is the entry...
The beginning of a new adventure...but first, Banyan Tree, Whalesharks and Mantas! On the second pic, you will see the manta
in front, and the whaleshark in the back...sadly for us, in 2012...no manta, no whaleshark, but what a day!
My third dive was with Leslie...this time Hin Daeng. We went down again, but more reasonnable...won't tell you, Leslie was here. By two third of the dive, we had to let Leslie go with another DM...Antoine and I were on 12 liters alu tanks...we both dried them...properly! Never been left with less than 10 bars...Antoine was just above the 10...78 minutes dive...and 75 minutes in safety stop on three dives...told you...sport diving! To the question of few of you for the safety of this, the answer is simple. We are all equipped with dive computers...follow your dive computer, and you'll be safe!
We than went on to cruise to Koh Ha for three hours, and another wonderful sunset. My fifth dive of the day, and Leslie second...was also his first night dive. Impressive to see how this little guy has such an easy time under the water...like this at 11...wondering how is it going to be at 15th if we continue to dive! We saw rays, scorpion fishes, lion fishes, ghost pipe fishes, moray eels,
shrimps and many crabs...what a dive!
Fourth day and our last...we did two dives in Koh Ha...Chimney first with Leslie...and a very nice and long swim through. Plus we spotted sea snakes, lobsters, and zebra moray eels and a lot more. Leslie went too deep too long for his age, so he couldn't join me on my last dive to explore the caverns of Cathedral....but whatt a dive.
Antoine and his team dropped us at the Phi Phi pier...we stay there five minutes, just enough time to board our ferry to Phuket. The dream was over. Antoine and his team were on for more...their next stop Snake Cave in Phi Phi...they are the only ones diving this...way too more adventurous for the youngsters of Phi Phi...and a night dive in Maya Bay...try this!
Diving can be a bragging right, here it's a passion...not suitable for all....4 days of sport diving...four days of pure happiness. I would never have done this with Leslie in most dive centers...but here...serious goes with extreme...and wow...that was fun!
Thanks Flo, Sergi, Lou, Lucas, Cyril...and thanks Antoine for what you are...the team you have...and
the pleasure you give! We'll be back....sooner or later...always back!
Let's dream...let's dive! I think Leslie and Tiffany will never forget their first liveabord...never!
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MichaelnFaye
Michael & Faye Johnson
Wow, wow, wow...
I know where we'll be heading the moment the boys are old enough to dive... unless of course we bring the grandparents for babysitting!!! :)