Author Topic: Langkawi / Pulau payar (Read 2615 times) Share

gty · « **on:** December 10, 2011, 07:12:16 PM »

Hello,
Could someone introduce or suggest any dive master or trip to langkawi or payar in Feb 2012???
thanks a lot

meme.may.fire · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2011, 08:56:45 PM »

hi
i was interested in pulau payar too couple months back.
found this link

http://www.eastmarine.com.my/

there are one more dive centre that dives payar i cant remember.
hope this helps

toodus · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2011, 11:48:58 PM »

One must always try out Payar diving.... to appreciate the rest

Chip · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2011, 07:54:19 PM »

Quote from: toodus on December 10, 2011, 11:48:58 PM

One must always try out Payar diving.... to appreciate the rest

hahaha...

do you mean that divers should go to Payar once in a lifetime so that they can appreciate more the other dive site... kekeke...

toodus · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2011, 08:29:57 PM »

Hehe ..exactly

Chip · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2011, 09:17:41 PM »

Quote from: toodus on December 12, 2011, 08:29:57 PM

Hehe ..exactly

hoho...

you should warned me earlier... i've dive there last year on dec... the water was so murky, the visibility was so bad that you can even see your own hand clearly... hehehe... the worst diving site that i have been... kekeke...

perhaps its the wrong time or seasoon to go there at the first place...

atieshaali · « **Reply #6 on:** December 13, 2011, 11:34:35 AM »

isthe visibility that bad huh? baru cadaang2 nak dive ke payar when I am in langkawi this weekend. Not cheap also RM350 for 2 dives inclusive all equiptment.

ScubaArtist · « **Reply #7 on:** December 13, 2011, 12:01:28 PM »

thought of going there last week but called of coz freind told vc was bad

glad I did not go

Chip · « **Reply #8 on:** December 13, 2011, 12:33:15 PM »

Quote from: atieshaali on December 13, 2011, 11:34:35 AM

isthe visibility that bad huh? baru cadaang2 nak dive ke payar when I am in langkawi this weekend. Not cheap also RM350 for 2 dives inclusive all equiptment.

yup definitely expensive... tp 350/= tu termasuk ngan harga ferri + lunch + free flow of drinks... kira ok lah kot... :p but kena check vc ngan kengkawan dulu baru ambil package tu kalau x jadi mcm I lah... kekeke...

Malxn · « **Reply #9 on:** December 13, 2011, 02:15:03 PM »

Been to Payar 4 years ago..that time maybe not so bad..... Now days... more polution...more tourist....

mamakpenang · « **Reply #10 on:** December 14, 2011, 10:12:09 AM »

gty,
now pulau payar is green, full of algea, that what i heard from friends. i did dive in pulau payar last year in july i think.
if you were in langkawi in feb 2012, may i suggest u to go to koh lipe, an island just above langkawi but belong to thailand. it is 42km (23 nautical miles) from telaga harbour langkawi. u can take speed boat from telaga harbour for RM248 (2ways) the journey is around 1 hours. u can have ur passport stamp at koh lipe, near bundhaya resort.
i have been there early dec 2011, & dive with forradiving.com, 3 dive a day for 2 days, charge around RM100 per dive with lunch on board of double decker ship - it is a big boat (haha... not small wooden boat anyway), check their website or browse youtube for more info....koh lipe should be good from nov2011 until early may 2012....

mamakpenang · « **Reply #11 on:** December 14, 2011, 10:16:20 AM »

Quote from: toodus on December 10, 2011, 11:48:58 PM

One must always try out Payar diving.... to appreciate the rest

haha...couldn't agree more, lets go dive payar.....

Tim · « **Reply #12 on:** December 14, 2011, 11:50:37 AM »

Quote from: mamakpenang on December 14, 2011, 10:12:09 AM

gty,
now pulau payar is green, full of algea, that what i heard from friends. i did dive in pulau payar last year in july i think.
if you were in langkawi in feb 2012, may i suggest u to go to koh lipe, an island just above langkawi but belong to thailand. it is 42km (23 nautical miles) from telaga harbour langkawi. u can take speed boat from telaga harbour for RM248 (2ways) the journey is around 1 hours. u can have ur passport stamp at koh lipe, near bundhaya resort.
i have been there early dec 2011, & dive with forradiving.com, 3 dive a day for 2 days, charge around RM100 per dive with lunch on board of double decker ship - it is a big boat (haha... not small wooden boat anyway), check their website or browse youtube for more info....koh lipe should be good from nov2011 until early may 2012....

I just came back from Koh Lipe. The best time to go is Oct 20-Nov 20.

They consider that period low season. That means prices are a bit lower, there are fewer tourists. But that also means there are fewer boats going there from Langkawi. Because of the odd timing of the flights and boats, you have to stay over night in Langkawi then take the 9am boat from Telaga Harbour. Nice big boat. There are also boats to Koh Lipe from Kuah Harbour, but I don't know the timing on that. Firefly return is the best way, not Airasia, because Airasia return flight from Langkawi to KL is quite late at night.

Ex-Langkawi is the best way to get there. You can go via Hat Yai then Pak Bara jetty, but that takes so much more travel time.

Diving is not bad. Coral is very full of life. Not much nudis. Lots of eels and lion fish. Dive sites tend to be very far off to the west. So you have to take 1-2 hours boat ride there every day to dive 2-3 times then return. Some dive sites are closer. But the better ones are further.

I dived with Castaway. Nice resort. But you know with gwailo DMs, you sometimes get the fresh off the boat idiots. We were very unlucky and got that one idiot DM. Forra is probably the better choice because the resident DMs have lived and dived there many years.

mamakpenang · « **Reply #13 on:** December 15, 2011, 04:17:30 PM »

tim,
yeah koh lipe was nice, 3 of us dive with a young lady DM from greece and a young guy DM trainee from argentina, cool, they have a few of DM trainee to escort us, the 2nd day we have 1 DM & 2 DM trainee to escort us.
both of my friend did specialty course - deep dive from a lady Instructor no problemo, because they wanna dive Yong Hua Wreck at 30m-40m depth, greeted by yellow tail barracudda.
the soft coral garden at pakacem & stonehedge is splendid (what more can i say)
there are 2 dive centre with big boat (double decker)
1. oceanprodivers.net
2. forradiving.com
whereby u don't have to come back to the island to change tank, after your 1st dive u only need to change tank, relax at upper deck for a refreshment ie drink & eat fruits, once the boat arrive at ur 2nd dive site, u just come down and dive. when u come back from 2nd dive just change the tank & go the the upper deck to relax, lunch & refreshments, then the 3rd dive....
maybe next time u can try forradiving.com

ps.
i drive from penang to pak barra pier & then take speed boat to koh lipe, cheaper only RM100 2 ways hehe....

gty · « **Reply #14 on:** December 16, 2011, 12:00:55 AM »

hi mamak
i went lipe last year, nice place
want to try other new place..............

Narco · « **Reply #15 on:** December 16, 2011, 02:19:31 AM »

I will do Lipe next year!!

mamakpenang · « **Reply #16 on:** December 16, 2011, 04:35:26 PM »

Quote from: gty on December 16, 2011, 12:00:55 AM

hi mamak
i went lipe last year, nice place
want to try other new place..............

oraitt, let us here know ur experience diving in a new place bro.....
narco,
will dive with u in koh lipe next year, insyaAllah.

pilotHans · « **Reply #17 on:** December 18, 2011, 02:05:51 PM »

Ive a book a ticket to Langkawi next year in July...7d6nites......me + wife 1st time there......

Langkawi got 99 islands...pulau payar jer ade? + need to go to Koh Lipe in thailand somemore?

99 islands no dive place? pelik laaa..or there are secret dive sites?

Looking at ur comments...i'll stike off p.palar.........Koh Lipe sounds nice...how long would it take?

it's like going to Samui..then spending whole day to the dive sites.....

was just snorkling + island sightseeing.. at koh Tao......

zaff1984 · « **Reply #18 on:** December 18, 2011, 09:32:53 PM »

I also would like to go to Koh Lipe this CNY 2012... but the dive rate is quite expensive... RM120-RM150 per dive (as usual more dive cheaper)...

Narco · « **Reply #19 on:** December 19, 2011, 12:03:59 AM »

Bro zaff1984, Mamakpenang has got quite a connection in LIpe. Why not u ask him. When he was there recently, i think it was quite a cheaper dive. And sounds fun too!

I'm planning to try Forra for Lipe. But we are now eyeing for Pulau Weh.. haha

So much places to go, so little money and time we have!!

zaff1984 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 19, 2011, 12:32:09 AM »

Quote from: Narco on December 19, 2011, 12:03:59 AM

Bro zaff1984, Mamakpenang has got quite a connection in LIpe. Why not u ask him. When he was there recently, i think it was quite a cheaper dive. And sounds fun too!

I'm planning to try Forra for Lipe. But we are now eyeing for Pulau Weh.. haha

So much places to go, so little money and time we have!!

Ok Narco... FYI, I just come back from Pulau Weh last monday

I did 6 dives with Steffen Sea Sport and I will come back there next year..

@mamakpenang: can you suggest cheap2 accommodation and 'must go' dive site there... because I plan just to do 2-3 dives only.

p/s: ishh lama tak mai Penang nih...

mamakpenang · « **Reply #21 on:** December 19, 2011, 07:34:21 PM »

zaff,
i was there during high season, peak season more expensive, i dive with forradiving.com, u can browse 4 more info.
basically they charge me 1200baht per day for the bungalow tripple sharing with 25% discounts on the day u dive with forradiving, they have 3 dives daily from big boat and charge me 2800baht for 3 dives with my own equipments, with rental equipments somewhere around 3200baht, inclusive of lunch after 2nd dives, (let them know if u are vegetarian or need muslim/halal food & they will cater for you) they also provide drinks and fruits during surface interval, very relax, no need to come back to the island to change tanks. the boat will move slowly to another dive site.
u can skip a dive and only do 2 dives instead of 3 dives, and they will charge u 2 dives.
among dive sites u should visits.
Yong Hua wreck worth diving - quite big wreck and around 30-40mtr depth, if u don't have AOWD, u can take specialty course Deep Diving somewhere around 500baht, need to read the AOWD book and answer questions haha....then the instructor will bring u down to 30mtr, u will be greeted by yellow fins barracuda & others big fish & marine life & of course Yong Hua Wreck.
others dive sites for soft coral garden, u can visit Pakacem & Stonehedge - the soft coral really blooming - splendid.
the instructors, divemasters are very helpfull, imagine 3 of us, escorted by 1 DM and 2 DM Trainee, haha....private diving...i really enjoy diving with forradiving.com

zaff1984 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 19, 2011, 07:55:40 PM »

Quote from: mamakpenang on December 19, 2011, 07:34:21 PM

zaff,
i was there during high season, peak season more expensive, i dive with forradiving.com, u can browse 4 more info.
basically they charge me 1200baht per day for the bungalow tripple sharing with 25% discounts on the day u dive with forradiving, they have 3 dives daily from big boat and charge me 2800baht for 3 dives with my own equipments, with rental equipments somewhere around 3200baht, inclusive of lunch after 2nd dives, (let them know if u are vegetarian or need muslim/halal food & they will cater for you) they also provide drinks and fruits during surface interval, very relax, no need to come back to the island to change tanks. the boat will move slowly to another dive site.
u can skip a dive and only do 2 dives instead of 3 dives, and they will charge u 2 dives.
among dive sites u should visits.
Yong Hua wreck worth diving - quite big wreck and around 30-40mtr depth, if u don't have AOWD, u can take specialty course Deep Diving somewhere around 500baht, need to read the AOWD book and answer questions haha....then the instructor will bring u down to 30mtr, u will be greeted by yellow fins barracuda & others big fish & marine life & of course Yong Hua Wreck.
others dive sites for soft coral garden, u can visit Pakacem & Stonehedge - the soft coral really blooming - splendid.
the instructors, divemasters are very helpfull, imagine 3 of us, escorted by 1 DM and 2 DM Trainee, haha....private diving...i really enjoy diving with forradiving.com

Thanks for the crystal clear explanation... yup I am OWD certified only, if I take Deep Diving specialty course.. is it valid for lifetime..? or I have to take it every time I want to dive more than 18m? I like big fishes more than macro creatures... haha...

Guess this CNY is peak season..?

errrmm.. I should take Advance asap la mcm nie....

mamakpenang · « **Reply #23 on:** December 20, 2011, 10:24:39 AM »

zaff, once u pass Deep Diving specialty course, they will give u a cert to attached to your log book, and it is valid & u can do deep diving when u go diving

(just show the cert)
forradiving.com Peak seasons - Dec 21st - March 4th.
for bungalow at forra diving.com, they give 25% discount on the room on the days that you dive with them. they charge 1200-1400baht for 2pax twin sharing additional 1 pax for 200baht. well if u have a lot of kachiing haha...(like narco always said) u can do your advanced asap or u can spend u kachiing for more dive.....enjoy your diving, let's say after 20 or more dive then you can do your advanced

zaff1984 · « **Reply #24 on:** December 20, 2011, 04:45:10 PM »

Quote from: mamakpenang on December 20, 2011, 10:24:39 AM

zaff, once u pass Deep Diving specialty course, they will give u a cert to attached to your log book, and it is valid & u can do deep diving when u go diving (just show the cert)
forradiving.com Peak seasons - Dec 21st - March 4th.
for bungalow at forra diving.com, they give 25% discount on the room on the days that you dive with them. they charge 1200-1400baht for 2pax twin sharing additional 1 pax for 200baht. well if u have a lot of kachiing haha...(like narco always said) u can do your advanced asap or u can spend u kachiing for more dive.....enjoy your diving, let's say after 20 or more dive then you can do your advanced

I see... good to know that. TQ mamak

so when I taking my AOW I can skip the Deep Diving chapter (bcoz I took deep diving earlier)...? now I have 12 log dives maybe when I reach 15 or 20 I will take AOW... my buoyancy is getting better so got little bit confidence taking AOW.