Phi Phi Island Overview Guides

The best diving on Phi Phi is on a day with strong sun, excellent visibility, good friends, good companions on the dive trip, a good dive boat and the luck to see something you haven't seen before. On top of that you can choose from one of Phi Phi Island's best dive sites and you can experience a top class adventure.

The best diving on Phi Phi traditionally happens in high season when the weather is at it's finest. From November till the end of April you can experience more calm days with bright sunshine than in the low season.

Having said that, May, June 10th till 20th August and the end of October during the low season avoids the 2 monsoons and can have high-season-like weather. These low season months can be a great time to visit when the island is quieter and room rates are up to 50% cheaper. See Phi Phi weather in July article for more.

Best diving on Phi Phi by company

The best diving on Phi Phi is effected by what dive company you choose and more importantly on their style of diving suiting your style. Mosquito Diving has 3 first class boats and diving equipment, able to get you out to the reefs in fine style. Phi Phi Scuba Center is probably one of the islands largest dive schools with 7 boats including speedboats. Phi Phi Scuba Center will have more courses starting per week and is most likely to have boats going out to the more remote or specialized-advanced dive sites. Blue View Divers at Phi Phi Viewpoint Resort use Longtail boats which means the dive party is kept small. Harlequin Divers has an afternoon departure where as 95% of all dive boats leave at 9 o'clock in the morning. So you can see there are a great number of styles of Phi Phi Diving which is great for the diver as he/she will always have something that works for him/her.

Best diving on Phi Phi at the Luxury Resorts

The best diving on Phi Phi might be said to originate from the seamless process of diving from your resort. The Zeavola Phi Phi Resort, Holiday Inn Phi Phi Island and Phi Phi Island Village Resort And Spa have dive facilities that get you out to all the best reefs. The Zeavola gives you flexibility as to what time you wish to dive.

Best diving on Phi Phi by dive site

The best diving on Phi Phi would probably be Phi Phi Ley and Bida Nok and Bida Nai. The diving is typified by wall dives and diving through swim through between 10-15 meter tall boulders. As you move round these rock formations you never quite know what you might surprise next. Often you come across leopard shark, turtle and large grouper which glide away. The trevally and barracuda swarm and shoal just off these walls and can often be seen in a feeding frenzy making a dizzying spectacle if your dive group has time to just watch.

Keeping an eye out to sea can get you a sight of the large pelagic Whale Sharks or manta ray though these are more predominant in high season during their yearly migration. The whale shark and manta are far more common on one of Phi Phi's deepest dives Hin Daeng. Hin Daeng is 45 minutes south of Phi Phi by speedboat and is arguably the island's best diving. Hin Daeng breaks the surface at low tide but is 60 metres deep on the west side and 18m deep on the east. Far from any land and on one of the key migration routes, you have the best chance on seeing whale shark and manta here.

The Best diving on Phi Phi is not all about the the large and obvious and so you will be happy to know that the 20 km of Phi Phi reefs have a whole eco system of small and minute marine life. My favourite are the colourful nudibranchs and the enigmatic sea horse. Also the ecosystem itself is a wonder with totally un-connecting marine life living symbiotically with each other. Examples of this are; the clown fish and anemone look after each, the clown fish cleaning the anemone and the anemone providing the sting to keep off predators; the blind shrimp works with goby to dig a burrow in the sand and both hide there after the goby flicks the shrimp with it's tale. Sometimes the minutiae is more engrossing than spotting the large underwater species.

Best diving on Phi Phi Information

For over 50 articles on Phi Phi Diving go to the main Phi Phi Diving page and from here you will be able to plan your next trip with ease. If you have any further questions feel free to ask away under this article and we will do our best to get you an answer.

Last Updated: 11 Jun 2012