As I’m spending a couple of days in Khao Lak after diving the Similans, I thought I’d drop in and check out Wicked Diving. I’ve been hearing good things about this outfit, and I’ve been following Paul Landgraver on Twitter for a long time, so it was good to finally meet him and some of the staff personally. Paul and I had a rather long chat, along with the manager (Klaus) of the local Hyperbaric Services, who also happened to be in the shop when I wandered in.

Wicked is one of the oldest dive operators in Khao Lak. I noted that there seem to be a lot of dive shops here – too many I think – but many of the shops are merely booking agents for the various live-aboard boats. Wicked operates their own boat, with a full schedule of tours to the Similans. They can also offer day trips to some of the closer dive sites, such as the Boonsung wreck, which is within sight of the shore here.

My conversation with Paul convinces me that everything I’ve heard about Wicked is true: They’re a class act, that really looks after their customers, whether they’re just learning, or experienced divers looking for a good boat with good guides who will look after them. Definitely keep them in mind if you’re visiting the Phuket or Phang Nga area.

Just got off the boat from a trip through Thailand’s Similan Islands. It was a fantastic week of diving, but that’s pretty much a given with the Similans. I’ll be posting more details and updating the site over the next few weeks, but here’s one of my favourite videos I captured during the trip.

I’m not sure if this moray is ticklish, or if the shrimps are pinching it, but it’s certainly tolerating the services of these two cleaners. One brave crustacean even goes into the eel’s mouth!

It’s our last day on board the Colona VI. Our last dive is Anita’s reef, and it’s a great way to finish the trip. The giant stack is indeed very interesting, but I actually have the most fun “riding” the currents over the boulders during my safety stop. It’s a bit of a thrill ride. When we surface, the clouds are gathering and it begins to rain. It’s just a short shower, but it’s a good sign that our trip is over. We return to Phuket via Khao Lak.

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.