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Published: January 14th 2015
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After spending an amazing last evening of 2014 with great friends, we started 2015...on and below the water.
Too early morning for a 1st of January, we are boarding the Forra Liveaboard for few days diving the best dive sites from Lipe to Phuket. This time, we are doing the "grand tour", going all the way back to Lipe 6 days later. On the program, 8 Mile, Stonehenge, Sarang, Ko Pung, Koh Mok, Hin Duang, Hin Muang, Ko Ha Chimneys and Cathedral, Phi Phi with Bida Nok and Maya Bay, Shark Point, Kingcruiser Wreck, Racha South Point and finally Marina Bay. This is basically the best diving South of Phuket available.
Interesting point that Leslie would finish his week very close to his 100th dive, and for Tiffany, being a certified diver only for the last 13 months, this young girl clocks already 50 dives. I know what some of you may think, let say...I wished!
Forra liveaboard is by far the most basic boat I ever spent time on. And till, it his already our third time sharing great dives with great friends. Let put it simply, Antoine's team provide a
very basic stay, but when we do speak about diving, it is closer to extreme diving for divers who love the water...and some serious current! Good my little guys do know what they do underwater these days! From now on, Tiffany and Leslie are doing two dives a day....while I still put 3 to 4 a day....pretty soon they should join me on the full program...pretty soon!
Antoine couldn't make for this trip, but we did dive with Mao, Brad, Allan and Paul. Something pretty fun happened also this week. Mao has been on Lipe for 11 years, and he is the one taking each time the most qualified divers out. Original group would have been with Ilaria (an Italian young instructor), myself and an Italian guy and Thai lady who did claim over 150 dives each. Well...the couldn't go down properly at 8 mile the first day, so out of the boat for the week! I have to admit, 8 mile is only for advanced qualified divers....can be bad visibility and truly solid current....and you go down on a line to a pinnacle at 16 meters....well, it is already here that I saw a whaleshark back
in April 2012. Fun enough, Leslie, and today Tiffany have no problem with this dive site.
So we ended up diving with Mao and Ilaria, Leslie and Tiffany. Leslie becoming de facto the third more experienced diver out of some 15 guests. Took some time (like one evening followed by a first morning dive) for Mao to accept that for the first time ever, he would spend his liveaboard diving with a 12 years old and a 14 years old. I know, put it simply, it make me a little proud. But way more important, it does allow me to dive safely with my kids in some truly challenging dive sites. I'm not so sure many 12 years old divers have ever faced the current at Racha South Point! But i'm pretty sure that if I ask a dive center in Phuket to take us tomorrow to Racha South Point...they will make a funny face!
On the way we spent also the usual one hour in Phi Phi. One hour is more than enough to know that Phi Phi island is simply not a place for us to spend our holidays. Interesting point...many yachts
are anchored in Lipe, we didn't see any in Phi Phi! Really a different crowd!
If you ever want to experience this great boat...be ready...you have the choice between a non-aircon cabin, and forget about a fan too...or simply sleeping onto the outside deck...more tricky when there is a 20 minutes shower rain in the middle of the night! You can take your shower in the open at the back of the boat...or in a small cubicle above one of the two showers. Food will be thai...with rice...for lunch and dinner...and pancakes and fried eggs for lunch. The bar has soft drinks and beer....anything else, bring your own!
The highlights of this week....a very friendly leopard shark at Shark Point, manta a Racha South Point and halerquin shrimps at Sarang, plus 8 beautiful lobsters on Koh Rok night dive. The best of the experience, sharing great time with new friends.
Next Christmas will be a very different trip...on for which I'm actually issuing airline tickets this week...another epic trip. This is the first diving trip of the year, but not the last. I have to admit, 2015 will bring less diving
than 2014, but for sure we will have some amazing diving. I'm bringing the kids in July to a place I truly love diving...a place where very few 12 years old have actually dived before...
Enjoy the pics...as we did enjoy the trip!
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denidax
Deni, Dax and Ella
they've grown so much!