To that end, there are several dive expos coming up in the first half of 2009. If you’re around when one of these is on, they might be a good place to pick up equipment or liveaboards at a good price.

Asia Dive Expo

3 - 5 April 2009, Singapore
Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre
Started in 1995, this is Asia’s longest running show. It launched the inaugural EcoVillage which featured presentations from international NGOs like the World Wide Fund for Nature and Reef Check Malaysia. ADEX will continue to highlight the importance of marine conservation through its various channels alongside its core purpose of bringing together the best in Asia’s diving industry.

Thailand Dive Expo

14 - 17 May 2009, Bangkok
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
Sixth annual edition of the show. Open from 11:00 to 20:00. Free admission.

Malaysia International Dive Expo

3 - 5 July 2009, Kuala Lumpur
Putra World Trade Centre
An exhibition for Diving, Water Sports & Travel Adventure will be on everything from dive to eco travel, resorts destinations, tourism boards, environmental NGO’s, live boards, dive equipments, latest on underwater photography and videography innovations.

About the trip: The boat for this trip was the Colona VI, from the Colona Group. The Colona was comfortable enough, with twin bunk rooms that had en-suite bathrooms. The crew and the dive masters were excellent, which makes the Colona an excellent value for money. The boat makes regular trips to the Similans in season. See their web site for the schedule.

The currents are running in a different direction this morning, so even though we dive in at about the same spot, we see a completely different side of the reef. The thermoclines are still there, and in addition to the other fish I saw yesterday, I see my first blue-spotted ray skirting the edge of a patch of staghorn coral.

From Koh Bon we head back to Similan 8 for another drive on Three Trees. In addition to the fish I saw on the first dive here, this time I spot a large, lone crown of thorns starfish. It’s quite a sight. The last dive of the day is another visit to East of Eden.

After breakfast we head off to Koh Bon for our second dive of the day. We go down on the west ridge. The currents are brisk, as are the thermoclines. I pass through several of these as we drift up and down over the boulders. They don’t affect visibility, which is excellent, they just make the dive a bit more "refreshing". The actual temperature difference is not much – just a degree or two. Enough to feel, but it won’t give you the chills. We see many varieties of surgeonfish, as well as more Moorish idols and some sweetlips.

Next we head of to Koh Tachai. I decide to skip the Tachai Pinnacle, as I’m still not very good in strong currents, but we do have enough time in the day to dive Leopard Shark Reef on the north side of Koh Tachai. It’s near dusk, too late for the reef fish to be out and about, and too early for the night critters to be around. But the thick forests of staghorn coral are a fantastical sight.

But, by the time I can bring myself to get out of bed this morning, we’re anchored in a very calm bay, and it even looks like the sun will come out. My first dive of the day is East of Eden, off Similan Island 7. This is quite a sprawling site, but I manage to see a lot of it, including its most famous resident, "Emma" the moray eel. She lives under a large table coral that just out of the sandy bottom. We also see a number of clown triggerfish and parrotfish.

The second dive is on Three Trees, on the north side of Island 9. This particular site isn’t well mapped, but it’s between the better-known sites of Breakfast Bend and Rocky Point, and quite similar to both. Currents we rather strong, but we have the luxury of drifting and having the boat pick us up where-ever the tide takes us. I see my first turtle, as well as a lot of surgeonfish and some baracuda.

We move back to Island 8 to moor for the night, and make a night dive - my first - on Beacon Reef. I spot a few lobsters out and about, as well as some parrotfish sleeping in the nooks and crannies of the coral. Later, back on the boat, the lights attract a large school of squid.

The base of operations for the group is the Paradise Palm Beach Resort, one of a small handful of dedicated dive resorts in Tulamben Bay. The bay itself is rather pretty and wild looking, as aside from the few resorts, there’s not much else here. The thing I’d heard about diving here was that it was a “beach entry”. What I hadn’t heard was that the beach wasn’t sand, but large stones around the size of a fist. It’s a hard surface to make your way over, even without more than 20 kilos of weight on your back.

Fortunately, you don’t have to haul your tank and BCD the 100 yards up the beach for the entry. No, that job is left to some rather dainty ladies, who carry the tank, BCD and Octo assemblies up the beach for you, on their heads.

Of course, like almost all dives, once you’re in the water, all is forgotten. Oddly, once you get to deeper water, the stones give way to sand. We follow the bottom directly away from shore for a while. I’m such a newbie, I’m distracted for a moment adjusting my strange BCD, and suddenly when I look to my left, I find the stern of the Liberty looming over me. My guide and diving buddy Dendra motions for us to proceed down and around the wreck.

The old ship is almost completely covered with corals, and alive with many different fish. A large bannerfish is nicely framed by part of the superstructure. Not far from here, Dendra swims up close to a large fan coral and begins looking closely over the delicate veins. He seems to find what he’s looking for, and hands me a magnifying glass, point to a spot on the coral. It takes me a while to see what he’s trying to point out, but I finally make it out: a pygmy seahorse. It’s not much bigger than a flea, and exactly the same color as the coral it has its tail wrapped around, which is why it’s so hard to spot.

Not long after this, it’s time to start heading back. It’s always disappointing having to call an end to a dive, but I’m especially left wanting for more this time. So, I’ll definitely be back to dive on the Liberty again.

See the Liberty Shipwreck dive site page for all the specifications and other details.

The boat has moved from Hin Wong around to Mango Bay, on the north side of Koh Tao. I’ve heard good things about this site, so I’m looking forward to it. Once we’re under the water, I can see why so many people like this site. It’s very large, for one thing, and the landscape of the sea floor is exceptionally varied. There seems to be an infinite variety of corals, from big boulders to barrels to staghorns. There’s lots of fish as well. At one point, I spotted a lone angelfish (I think) whose scales shimmered golden in the light. It seemed almost ghostly in appearance.

As this is a certification dive, I have to do one last exercise: taking the mask completely off, putting it back on and clearing it. There’s one other beginning diver with us, so he goes through his exercises first. As I kneel on the sandy bottom waiting for my turn, I feel a sort of pin-prick on my ear. I shake my head, but soon feel another one. After three or four more, I’m really wondering what’s going on. That’s when I spot a small stripped cleaning fish making its way from me to my dive buddy. It seems that is what is responsible for the pin-pricks: I was getting my ears cleaned. It seems Adam has set us down in the middle of a cleaning station.

Our maximum depth on this dive was 12 meters. Visibility was good, if not great, at 6 to 7 meters.

I’m hooked. So, I’m back in Samui doing my last two dives for my open water certificate. As before, my instructor is the patient Adam from Rainbow Scuba. The sea around Nang Yuan is a bit rough today (don’t even ask about the trip from Samui), so we’re diving at Hin Wong on the east side of Koh Tao.

The weather top-side may be less than perfect, but beneath the waves it’s a great day. Visibility is about 6 meters or so; enough for a good look around. The landscape here is a steep sandy slope that can go down to 26 meters, but we don’t get below 10. There’s a nice row of coral boulders around this depth, with lots of curious fish to keep you company.

A pair of brightly stripped wrasse watch me do my fin pivots with a great deal of fascination, then it’s time to surface.

For now, I’ll be busy building out the rest of this site’s contents, so don’t expect too much here right now.