Life on board
Diving from a charter yacht in the Andaman
Can I dive from a charter yacht in Phuket?
The short answer
Can I dive from a charter yacht in Phuket?
There are three arrangements. A yacht with its own compressor, tanks and a dive-qualified crew member lets you dive straight off the transom, which is the best of them and the rarest. A yacht that rendezvouses with a local dive operation gets you guided dives without carrying the equipment. And a yacht that simply anchors near a dive centre leaves you booking day trips, which wastes the advantage of being on a yacht at all. Which one you have is worth establishing at enquiry, because it changes the itinerary rather than just the packing.
The three arrangements
- 01Full dive setup aboard. Compressor, tanks, weights, and a divemaster or instructor in the crew. You dive on the yacht's schedule, at the sites the captain picks, with no transfers. Mostly found on larger motor yachts and explorer yachts.
- 02Rendezvous diving. The yacht anchors and a local dive boat meets you with guides and equipment. Common, flexible, and it means the diving happens at the dive operation's times rather than yours.
- 03No dive provision. You are on a yacht near dive sites, booking day trips like a land-based tourist. Perfectly fine if diving is incidental, and frustrating if it is the reason for the trip.
The sites worth planning around
| Site | What it is | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Racha Yai | Sand and hard coral, wrecks, 20 m visibility | All levels, where Phuket teaches |
| Racha Noi | Granite boulders, current, manta February to April | Advanced |
| Koh Haa | The Cathedral chamber and the Chimney | Advanced, overhead environment |
| Similan west sides | Granite swim-throughs and arches to 30 m | Intermediate to advanced |
| Surin reef flats | Largest shallow reef in Thai waters | Snorkelling and easy diving |
| Koh Rok | Sand channel and edge reef | All levels |
Two things to settle before you book
- Certification and currency. Bring the card and the logbook. A guide will ask when you last dived, and an answer of four years ago changes what they will take you on.
- Insurance. Many travel policies cap recreational diving at eighteen or thirty metres and exclude overhead environments outright. The Koh Haa caves are an overhead environment and the Similan west sides go deep. Check the wording, not the summary.
Divers pay a park supplement of 200 baht per diving day in Phi Phi and the Similans, on top of the entry fee. It is small, and it is one of the lines that quietly appears in the APA reconciliation.
Next
- National park fees, park by parkWhat are the national park fees for a yacht charter in Thailand, and who pays them?
- Insurance, the damage waiver and what is not coveredWhat insurance do I need for a yacht charter in Thailand?
- Water toys: what is worth having and what sits in the lockerWhat water toys come with a charter yacht in Thailand?
Last checked 6 September 2026. Rates, fees and regulations in this market change every season, so figures on this page are correct as at that date and not afterwards. How the figures are gathered.