Phuket Cave Diving - Courses & Excursions

Cave Diving From Phuket

There are two types of cave diving available from Phuket: the sea caves at the Phi Phi Islands, and the mainland freshwater caves in the Krabi and Trang provinces. Both offer excellent, yet very different, experiences.

Naturally, diving these cave systems requires a recognized cave diving certification or enrollment in a certified cave diving course.

Diving Phi Phi's Sea Caves

Diving Phi Phi's caves from Phuket requires joining a suitable three-dive day trip on a large boat. Cave access may only be on two of the dives, and there are some other limitations.

Access to the caves is seasonal (November to April) and must be pre-arranged with the boat operator. Total dive time is usually limited to around 50 minutes. Cave penetration is naturally shorter, with the remainder of the dive spent on the marine-life-rich open reefs.

The caves tend to be quite shallow. While some are small, they feature interesting cavern areas that are great for a check-out dive and line practice. Some of the larger systems have beautiful speleothem formations, while others offer lobsters and reef sharks. Either way, with warm, clear water, they certainly add great variety to a cave diving trip.

Diving the Phi Phi Islands requires a 600 Baht marine park fee, payable in cash on the boat. As cave divers, you should already have excellent buoyancy control; however, please maintain extra care and attention throughout the marine park.

Mainland Fresh Water Cave Diving

Diving the freshwater caves such as Song Hong's sinkhole (Tham Song Hong) in Trang or the Sra Kaeo caves in Krabi involves a 4-to-5-hour road trip from Phuket and at least one overnight stay at a local hotel.

You will want at least two days to get the best out of a mainland cave diving trip - perhaps a few dives in Song Hong's main lake and one traverse dive starting from the smaller lake. Sra Kaeo also features multiple blue mineral-water springs and siphons to explore.

Visibility in these freshwater cave systems varies quite a bit, though it is usually good at deeper levels in Song Hong. Although you may see a catfish or two, some freshwater shrimp, and maybe even a crayfish, it is the sculpted limestone walls and ceilings that give these caves their own beauty, especially against the dark water backdrop in Song Hong.

To get the best out of the mainland caves, you'll want to be deco-certified and have the right gases for some nice deep dives, free from the time limits of boat diving trips. Extra thermal protection is also advised.

Why (I) Go Cave Diving?

Cave diving offers a rare opportunity to explore unique, hidden waterscapes that remain completely off-limits to most other divers.

Diving into these naturally formed subterranean environments is a paradox of sensations: it is thrilling and awe-inspiring, yet profoundly calm and peaceful. Beyond the breathtaking views, the sport delivers a deep sense of accomplishment. The careful planning, thorough preparation, precise communication, and sharp technical skills required to execute a cave dive safely carry their own immense sense of reward - making the journey just as fulfilling as the destination itself.

Cave Trip Environments Include:

• Caverns & Shallow Sea Caves
• Tidal / Low Flow
• Halocline
• Freshwater Karsts & Sinkholes
• Springs
• Siphons
• Low / No Flow

In my experience, a well-arranged boat drop-off at the Phi Phi caves - on a day when the visibility on the open reefs is also good - is a cave diving day trip that's hard to beat! Meanwhile, the relaxed timing at the mainland sites, with systems that'll certainly broaden your cave diving experience, also has huge appeal. So, if you can, do both!