March 24-27, Diving Similans on MV Pawara

No time yet to edit many pictures, so here is a VDO instead:

Pawara 2018 from Vo Sta on Vimeo.

Now leaving for the next trip...

See you under water

March 22-23, Chill Lanta and boarding Pawara

Check dives went ok yesterday, rinsed my equipment and went to bed early.
Thursday March 23 I spent with breakfast, a massage at the resort, really good, made an appointment for tomorrow morning again, going around on Lanta on my scooter, taking a swim at the beach without name I found last year. Looks like nobody could find a name til now, this year there is even a road sign saying "The Way to Beautiful Beach",

so let's call it just that: Beautiful Beach...

Had a swim there and some water in the shade of the big tree,

then continued to ABenz's Light House Bar just 7 minutes of road down south.
Had a nice sundowner there, very chill atmosphere,

and went back to Klong Dao.

Friday March 24 I had another massage at Lanta Bee Garden, checked out, oh this is such a warm hearted family resort, and got picked up for the speed boat Lanta to Phuket.

Doo from Westcoast Divers tried to get me on the crew bus at Rassada Pier at 3pm, but something went wrong, so I just waited there until 5pm as scheduled for the regular minivan.
Used the time for a chicken kebap and a fruit shake, edited some video snippets into a short video about the dives in Koh Haa,
Check Dive Koh Haa from Vo Sta on Vimeo.

and looked forward to go diving in the Similans on the MV Pawara.
The minivan arrived at Tab Lamu Pier in heavy rain, checked in on the boat and did the paperwork for the trip: Liability waiver, Marine Park fee etc etc.
Tourleader Beto has fractured his left foot this morning, so no diving for him. I had hoped to dive with him, he knows the Similans so very well, for years. But, no worries, I will soon have the chance to go down with my favorite guide on the next boat...
The Pawara is filled to the brim, even the spare budget cabin in the captain's wheelhouse is occupied with two passengers, one of them me, I always book the spare budget...

After two hours or so the ceremony startes, at the bow one of the crew prays for a safe trip and lights incense sticks, the fireworks are lit, we leave the port, heading out west to the Andaman Sea.

See you under water

March 21, 2018 Check Dives at Koh Haa

So I wanted to make sure every piece of equipment works fine, before I go on the boats, and what better destination con there be than Koh Haa.
Pickup at my Resort at 7:30, warm welcome by the driver, we know each other from last year. Straight to the jetty behind the bridge, and off we go for a two hours ride to Koh Haa.
This gives me plenty of time to set up my gear. Our guide is Martino of Kon Tiki Lanta, my Buddy is Kim, an Asian living in Switzerland.
Two groups of divers,  two snorkeling groups and an OWD course, the boat is full but not overcrowded.
We jump at Koh Haa Yai, the big island with the caves

March 20, 2018 Here we go again...

 


After that epic 100 day trip in 2017, it felt so strange to get back into the business rat race, that I started booking again as early as August last year. Coming back into the working world in Berlin was harder than I had expected, my longing for coral, saltwater and fish made me book early again.

Starting early has pros and cons, you can