Scuba Diving and Liveaboards Phuket, Thailand

Similan National Park

The Similan Islands National Park is world famous for white sandy beaches, clear blue waters, beautiful sunsets and amazing huge boulder formations. Here you will find some of the most amazing natural scenery Thailand had to offer.

"Donald Duck Bay"

They are easily the best dive sites Thailand has to offer and very rank high in must visit list of Dive Sites in the world.

MV Scuba Cat Live aboard cruises around these Islands for 6 months of the year allowing divers of any level and snorkelers to take in this amazing beauty in one of the most relaxed atmospheres of all liveaboards in the Similans. She has a unique liveaboard schedule allowing a stay from 2 days 1 night, with a maximum of 20 customers staying on board. We are proud to have so many customers who come back to us year after year – I am sure you will agree after a trip on board.

"The Cat"

Rob Fraser-Thomson is one of our many repeat customers’ with Scuba Cat Diving.

“I started diving in Thailand in 1999 whilst doing my IDC with a company based in Kata. It wasn’t for another 2 years that I returned to Phuket after working in Italy. I had heard good things about a company called “Scuba Cat Diving”, during the IDC from other students and other divers, so decided to book my trip with them.

The MV Scuba Cat is based in Simians during the high season, a spectacular group of islands north west of Phuket. Unlike other liveaboards, the boat is permanently based in the islands, customers are carried to the liveaboard via minibus and speedboat, the Similans are a long way from the mainland so this saves much time. You can be diving within 30 minutes of arriving on the boat, after the boat and dive briefing off course.

I have heard people mention that the transfer takes a long time but most the other dive companies take longer to sail from the mainland, the Similans are far out to sea and a world-class dive site.

During the low season the MV SCUBA CAT is based at Racha Yai, a group off islands south of Phuket, it is usually quieter at this time of the year but the diving is just as good. If you have a good eye, this area is rich in the smaller species you don’t spot in the Similans.

"The View during low season"

Captain Min and his crew are always a bonus being very helpful to new divers on the boat and the old ones! The dive guides are very competent and professional, the only problem I have ever had was with triggerfish.

I still try to do 2 trips a year on the MV Scuba Cat, both to the Similans and Racha Yai. Although I have been on MV Scuba Fun day trips and MV Scuba Adventure, I prefer the MV Scuba Cat with its large dive deck and open plan design.

10 trips and 500 dives later, having seen many other companies and their boats, Scuba Cat is the only company who I would book with and I have no intention of changing.”

"Rob"

5 days and counting……………………See you again next week

It is almost guaranteed that when you dive on coral reef from Phuket, Thailand  you will encounter the vibrant coloured Parrotfish.

"Hello"

Parrotfish are abundant and range in size from 30cm to 1.4m. How did this family of fish (Scaridae) derive the name Parrot?  Just have a look at the dentition; numerous teeth are fused to form a beak, much like a parrot’s beak. The teeth aid feeding activity as the Parrotfish eats algae from coral and rocky substrates, often leaving teeth scars behind. Parrot fish are considered to be herbivores, but they are not necessarily vegetarians as the large Green hump head parrot fish is known to include coral polyps in it’s diet.  The feeding activity of the parrotfish is important in the production and distribution of coral sands. If you watch Parrot fish excrete you will notice that it is fine white sand. This has been responsible for helping create small islands and beaches worldwide. It is estimated that a Parrotfish is capable of producing 90kg of sand per year!!! How is this possible? The beak takes the coral or rock and then it is pulverised by a set of grinding teeth located in front of the oesophagus. The digestion procedure gives sand as the end product. The Parrotfish eating habits are paramount in controlling algae growth resulting in a thriving reef. Another little fact about the Parrotfish is that their teeth continuously grow and by chomping on rock keeps the growth in check!!

"Parrotfish"

Parrotfish are known to reproduce throughout the year, but more predominantly during the summer months. This family are generally sequential hermaphrodites starting their life as female then change to male. However, one exception to this is the Marbled Parrot fish, which is known not to change sex.  Parrotfish are pelagic spawner’s. This means that the eggs are spawned in mid water and are buoyant, the eggs float freely eventually resting on the coral where they stay until they hatch. The Parrotfish larvae appear not to have any characteristic facial features or colouration for the first few days after hatching.

Juveniles have a different colour pattern to the adults and it is possible for juveniles of some tropical species are capable of changing colour temporarily to mimic other species. It is not unusual to see “flocks” of juveniles swimming en mass over a coral reef. Often they are dark in colour and occasionally an individual can be seen changing it’s pigmentation.

The Parrotfish are unique in that they are able to secrete a mucus cocoon from a gland near the mouth. This provides protection from nocturnal predators. Also, it can act as an early warning system allowing the fish to flee if the protective cocoon is disturbed. The Parrotfish is only able to produce this cocoon once during the night, so it is important when night diving not to disturb the sleeping Parrot fish.

The Parrotfish skin is covered in a mucus substance that is believed to have antioxidant properties that can help repair any damage that may occur to the skin. Also, the mucus has anti parasitic properties, repelling potential parasites.

There are approximately 80 identified species of Parrot fish, which are abundant in and around coral reefs worldwide. They are a close relative to the Wrasse family, but there are some distinctive features that help with identification. When trying to identify a parrotfish look for an elongated, blunt head. The body of the fish is deep and brightly coloured with defined large scales and finally look for the unique bird like beak.

"Hump Head Parrotfish"

If you would like to know more about the identification of species why not sign up for on a Aware – Fish Identification Specialty Course, which will enhance your knowledge and highlight the key things to look for.

Recently, introduced a revised Divemaster Course programme to better prepare the next generation of dive professionals.

As the first step from Recreational diving to Professional level diving, the Divemaster course is the foundation for a career in diving and one step away from becoming an Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI). The course is a combination of knowledge development, practical application and water skills development. The changes in the divemaster course are subtle but make a big difference – lets have a look at some of the changes and how it affects our future dive leaders.

Knowledge development

Knowledge and understanding of diving related topics is hugely important for any Dive Professional. A divemaster is expected to make decisions using sound judgement and act how a “prudent divemaster” is expected to act. These are ambiguous terms but it does emphasize the importance of having a good foundation of knowledge and skills to be able to apply in diving related activities. Good decisions are based on a persons knowledge and experiences and the changes in the divemaster course are aimed at giving a newly certified divemaster a better foundation to draw upon.

The new divemaster manual is now a more streamlined manual, which has incorporated several topics from the Encyclopaedia of Recreational Diving to provide a complete knowledge base in a single, easy-to-read manual. Topics such as Physics, Physiology and Dive Theory are presented in an easy-to-understand manner. For additional in-depth information, the Encyclopaedia is of course still included. For those that want to spend less time in the classroom whilst in Thailand there is the option to complete all the Divemaster knowledge on E learning and also practice the Dive Theory on line in preparation for your exams.

Practical Application

This portion of the course consists out of several components. The changes in the new course are aimed at better preparing a candidate to actual diving circumstances and providing them with a broader dive experience.

There are several workshops where students role-play scenarios in a controlled environment and respond to problems during divemaster-conducted activities. This experience is very valuable. When a divemaster finishes with the course, he/she will have already seen what can go wrong in real life scenarios. This is closing the practical gap between the Divemaster programme and the Instructor Development Course (IDC).   Several practical skills have been included to provide a divemaster with broader experiences. Examples are Search & Recovery skills and Deep diving skills.

This additional training will make a student a more experienced diver and as the first step from recreational level to professional level, experience is a key element for success. The changes in the Divemaster course are mainly aimed at providing students with more experience. Like the Rescue course, a divemaster will already have a stronger base in terms of experience to draw upon and in our opinion be better equipped to deal with real-life scenarios, whether they’re responding to problems or making good decisions based on sound judgement.

Scuba Cat Diving will be bringing a small piece of Phuket, Thailand to you in the UK later this year.

Dive 2011, NEC, Birmingham, England , 22nd and 23rd October 2011.

This is the 5th consecutive year that Scuba Cat Diving has had a presence at Dive, this is the biggest Dive Show held in the UK. The show is organized by the Diver Group and has been held annually since 1991.

We will be celebrating of our 5th Anniversary of attendance with special offers and promotions, a free live aboard trip  plus 10% discounts on all bookings made with us at booth 1265 on the Asia Pacific Showcase during the show!

"MV Scuba Cat"

This year representing Scuba Cat will be Sarah, Kath and Clare. If anyone wants to drop buy and buy any of us girls a coffee that will be fantastic, make it a wine………… and you have gained a friend for life!!!!!

After sharing a drink and a chat with us, why not spend time looking around the rest of the show you will get ideas for the latest kit to bring with you on return visit to Thailand along with some fantastic free to enter seminars hosted by top name diving professionals.  Two of the UK’s best-known Diving Celebrates will be there, Paul Rose and Monty Halls. Also Mark Powell, a well-known technical diver, will be addressing the controversial issue of Solo Diving, plus many more famous names………

Do you enjoy underwater photography and would like to know more or update your camera equipment? For the first time Dive 2011 presents “Photo Zone” the area will include exhibitors of leading camera and accessory suppliers, alongside many experts with advise for you on getting the perfect picture.

Ever wanted to know what it’s like to free dive?  Take part in a 10-minute relaxation and breathing lesson followed by a free diving simulation.

Scuba Cat Diving  is renowned for being a complete dive centre offering a whole range of products and services.

At the beginning of high season 2010 this position was reinforced when a Partnership between Scuba Cat and Aqualung was cemented. This has enabled Scuba Cat to offer an extensive range of premium quality equipment, accessories and services. We went through an extensive selection process to gain this partnership and it is proving highly beneficial.

Aquamaster  is the sole Thailand distributor of  Aqualung along with other world renowned brands including  Uwatec, Sea and Sea, Underwater Kinetics, PSI, and Blade fish. The highly qualified technicians for Aqualung Products at Aquamaster are versatile and can repair or service equipment at the drop of a hat as they carry a full range of spare parts for all the Aqualung Products.

If you buy equipment from Scuba Cat, it will be already assembled, so that it is just waiting to get wet!!!  The staff from both Companies are divers, therefore they understand the needs, wants and desires of their customers. Expert, impartial advise is freely available at any time.

It can be a minefield when buying equipment as the range of products on the market is so extensive. How do you know if a particular brand or model will meet your expectations? This is easily remedied by taking advantage of the “try before you buy” option that is offered by the Partnership. This program means that the customer can try various pieces of equipment, so an informed decision can be made before making a purchase.  Aqualung ‘s range includes specific  categories, for example, equipment  designed for women. This range is stylish and has been designed with the female morphology and physiology in mind. One of the latest concepts is the Global traveler. The constraints that are placed by airlines with weight can be very restrictive when travelling with your own dive equipment. Aqualung and Scuba Cat are offering a range with the traveler in mind.  This range includes the lightweight  zuma bcd, which weighs only 2.5kg, the micron regulator, hotshot fins and comes with a compact carry case which is an ideal size to take in the cabin of the aircraft. The other ranges that are offered suit technical divers, cold water divers and junior divers.

Scuba Cat’s partnership with Aqualung has been a very positive move and is beneficial to all parties involved, especially Scuba Cat’s customers.