Our dive center in Kamala Beach (just north of Patong beach), Phuket is Scandinavian managed, with experienced PADI Instructors on staff.

We arrange comfortable and well organized live aboard- and day trips to a variety of dive sites around Phuket Island, Thailand. Among the live aboard destinations you find Similan Islands, Richelieu Rock and Burma Banks which are renowned as some of the best dive sites in Thailand and the world. You are most welcome to contact us about live aboard arrangements. We can also help you find accommodation around Phuket Island and you can combine your live aboard experience with our PADI dive courses. We care about your safety, comfort and diving education.

Kamala Dive Center offer PADI dive courses in several languages from beginner level (Open Water Diver) to professional level (Divemaster, Assistant Instructor). We also arrange try-out dives (Discover Scuba Diving). For children under 10 we offer special dive training in a swimming pool (PADI Bubblemaker).

We can also arrange specialty courses such as wreck diving, underwater photography etc. Our instructors has a wide variety of diving specialties, feel free to ask and we will try to meet your special requests.

We offer PADI dive certifications. PADI is the most recognized dive training organization in the world with over 80 percent of the market for recreational diving. PADI is an international organization respected world wide for their stringent safety standards and environmental engagement. As a PADI diver you will be able to do recreational diving anywhere in the world.

If you don't have the time for full diver training, but would like to experience the ease and thrill of diving, join us for our half or full day program. Our instructors will teach you basic theory and familiarize you with the equipment before accompanying you on a beautiful, controlled dive to limited depth. You have the option of diving either at a local coral reef, or in the clear waters off the island of Racha Yai.

The Open Water Diver Course is for the beginner or uncertified diver and will give you all the required knowledge and skills necessary to make your diving safe and fun. The first two days are devoted to diving theory and practice, with five academic modules, four short quizzes, the final exam, five pool sessions and a 200 meter swim test. The remaining two days conclude with four open water training dives under the supervision of your instructor, while allowing you to enjoy the tropical reefs of the Andaman Sea. After completion of the course, you will become certified as an internationally recognized PADI Open Water Diver.

Here you have the chance to expand and continue your diving knowledge and experience in the care of a PADI instructor. You will complete two 'core' dives - underwater navigation and deep diving - after receiving academic training in these areas. You will also select and complete three 'elective' dives in areas such as multilevel diving, wreck diving, night diving, drift diving, photography, underwater naturalist, boat diving and search and recovery. You choose what option interests you the most! If you have difficulty deciding, your instructor will help you choose the specialty training that is right for you.

The PADI Rescue Diver course is designed to develop the necessary knowledge and skills for you to effectively perform rescues and assists, manage diving-accident situations and render proper medic first aid. You'll find the course enjoyable and highly interesting, although the nature and context in which such training may be used is quite serious. The primary objective of this course is to prevent the need for use of rescue skills. A good diver does not only solve problems, he prevents them in the first place! You will do five Knowledge Developments Presentations, ten Rescue Training Exercise Sessions and four Open Water Rescue Scenarios over a minimum of two days.

To begin your professional career in diving, you'll need to attain the PADI Divemaster rating. You'll work closely with a PADI Instructor to expand your diving skills and knowledge to the professional level.
Then, in the most fulfilling part of your course, you'll learn and practice supervising diving activities and assisting with student training.

To find out more about PADI standards visit http://www.padi.com

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• Underwater visibility often exceeds 30 metres, and can extend to 45 metres.
• The water is sufficiently warm to make wetsuits unnecessary.
• There are hundreds of varieties of hard corals and hundreds of species of reef fish, not to mention tens of thousands of species of other reef creatures.
• This is one of the best places in the world to seek opportunities of swimming with whale sharks and manta rays.
• There are dozens of scenic island destinations within range of daytrips and liveaboard cruises from Phuket.
• Weather permitting, daytrips and shorter liveaboards are possible all year 'round.
• During the late-October to mid-May peak season, comfortable liveaboards with great food and expert supervision roam from four days up to two weeks as far as the Similan Islands, (which enjoy the reputation of being among the world's top 10 diving destinations), the Burma Banks and the Andaman Islands in India.

Racha Yai about 1½ hours South of Phuket is a beautiful tropical island with a lot of good hard coral reefs, colorful shallow water coral gardens and a great opportunity for some enjoyable drift diving. There are several excellent dive sites particularly suitable for the beginner and snorkeller, making this island a favorite destination for everyone. Racha Noi offers in addition to Racha Yai's attractions some truly spectacular sites with giant underwater boulders and scenery almost like Similan and a great chance to see manta rays and whale sharks.

Shark Point, a small rock outcropping about 1½ hour East of Phuket, is a famous marine sanctuary due to its tremendous variety of marine life. Particular attractions you should look out for are the colorful soft corals and sea fans decorating the limestone pinnacle, the great range of tropical fish and the famous leopard sharks, found on the sandy bottom.

This submerged reef located not far from Shark Point is similar in character and you will be amazed at its extensive fields of sea anemones. Harmless leopard sharks are also to be found together with some massive schools of smaller fish and some larger pelagic such as tuna and barracuda.

3 hours due East of Phuket, the Phi Phi Islands are a famous destination even for those unaware of the great diving available. As a diver, you will find that the spectacular limestone cliffs above the water become sheer drop-offs and craggy coral encrusted landscape under the water with a rich and colorful diversity of marine life and even whale sharks are known to visit.

the 4th of May 97 King Cruiser, a 85 m catamaran passenger ferry, strayed of course and hit Anemone Reef ripping one of her twin hulls open. Subsequently King Cruiser sunk within an hour with no loss of life. With its multiple decks, great open passages and depths between 12 and 30 meters the King Cruiser is an ideal wreck dive site for all divers.

This small, jungle topped island lies halfway between Shark Point and Phuket. It provides some of the best wall diving in the area with sea fans, soft corals and colorful sea life decorating its underwater cliffs.

The Similan Islands are a group of nine virtually uninhabited tropic islands lying approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Phuket. The group has been declared a marine national park, and increasing efforts are being made to keep them in their currently pristine condition. The islands include some of the best dive sites in Thailand.

The possibilities range from touring coral gardens to adventurous drift diving in strong currents. In the judgment of Asia Magazine (October 18-20, 1991): "Every diver has particular favorites, but few would dispute that the Similans... are one of the best. The visibility tops 100 feet between the November-April peak season, revealing a wonder world among the giant granite coral-coated boulders stacked one atop the other to depths of 90 feet and more." Koh Huyong, the southernmost island of the Similan group offers a magnificent coral garden in 7-14m (23-46ft) of clear waters. This site frequently has over 30m (98ft) visibility, only slight currents and is considered a very safe site.

An extensive reef runs off another of the southern islands and provides at least 4 different dive sites. One bottoms out at 25m (82ft) and has many large rocks which provide a most interesting contour; many large schools of fish inhabit the area. Another part of the reef has an excellent 20m (65ft) dive, with a lot of small lava type rocks which provide a home for colorful anemones, hydroids and soft coral as well as moray eels and red grouper. The visibility is seldom less than 30m (98ft) and frequently more. There is often a strong current here, a good site for drift dives.

The central island of the group, Koh Miang, is the only island that is inhabited. There is also a number of excellent dive sites around this and the small adjoining island, including one that features a jumble of huge boulders with many interesting swim-troughs and caves. This dive often has a strong surge, which attracts a large variety of marine life. Small white tip sharks, rays, snappers and turtles are just a few of the species of marine life encountered at this site.

An excellent night-dive site lies just around the corner and close to a safe overnight anchorage and a beautiful white-sand beach. The coral drops off to 10m-20m (33-66ft), and the almost complete absence of currents makes it ideal for night dives. Lobster and large red crabs are commonly seen here.

Hin Pousar, or Elephant Rock, is one of the best-known dive locations in the area. It offers at least three excellent sites and, again, the dramatic and varied underwater topography makes for great diving. Anemones and coral provide a kaleidoscope of reds, yellows, blues and browns. Large rays, tuna and barracuda are commonly encountered.

Farther to the north lies an off-shore reef that comes up to within 8m (26ft) of the surface and drops off to over 35m (114ft). More passages, overhangs and chimneys provide a site that will appeal to even the most experienced diver. Two large sea cod and a huge resident moray eel add are among the many attractions of this site. Seldom is the visibility less than 25m (82ft) and it's usually even better. These are only a few of the many dive sites available in the Similan archipelago. Each island provides its own special sites and there is something to be found to interest both the novice diver and the much traveled diver.

Diving tours of the Similans generally range from 3-5 days, though these islands are also a standard feature of 7- to 10-day cruises that include other attractions such as the Burma Banks, the Surin Islands, Richelieu Rock, Koh Tachai and Koh Bon.

With new fast boats in the area, one-day Similan dive trips from Phuket are now also possible.

Phuket is considered to be among the top 10 scuba diving destinations in the world. It boasts of crystal clear water, spectacular reefs and rock formations plus a colourful selection of marine life.

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Hin Daeng (Red Rock) and Hin Muang (Purple Rock) are perhaps the best wall diving sites in Thailand situated about 25 kilometers south west of Koh Rock.

Hin Daeng is seen as a rock protruding about three meters above the surface but underwater the rock is huge. To the south it descends straight down to over 60 meters forming the most radical vertical drop in Thailand seas.

The wall is dotted with light growths of soft corals and a few sea fans, with an eastern slope with two long ridges that descend into the blueness where it is possible to swim along these ridges down to 40 meters or more.

There is a vast quantity of soft coral along these ledges and a great diversity of marine life including barracudas, tuna, groupers and of course many different species of reef shark, especially the grey reef shark which can be seen large groups of up to ten. It is an extremely exhilarating sight.

Hin Muang is a completely submerged pinnacle also abundant with a huge variety of marine life. The name comes from the thick purple growth of soft corals that are found here. The pinnacle is about 200 meters long and narrow with steep, vertical sides and a rounded top.

There are many large sea fans including red, white and orange, with a large covering of anemones and clown fish at the top. There is also a good chance of seeing whale sharks and manta rays here and the visibility can be up to 50 meters or more!