Dive Review of Mermaid 2 in
Thailand/Similan and Surin Islands

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Mermaid 2, Mar, 2006, by Jonathan Scolnick, ca, USA . Report 2361.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	The Mermaid 2 was nice and rather inexpensive. It was my first livaboard so I have nothing to compare to, but I would take the same boat again. I took the four day trip to the Similan and Surin Islands; they also offer a three day trip to the south of Phuket which can be done together as a one week cruise. On the four day trip, we did four dives a day for the first three days and then two on the last day before motoring home. Good briefings were given before every dive. Some of the sites had a mild to moderate current, but you just had to surface with your marker when you ran out of air and the dingy would pick you up. Beginers and experienced divers all had a good time. The similan and surin islands were amazing. Soft coral everywhere and more fish than I could count in a lifetime. The third day of the trip was my best day diving ever. First dive, 30 minutes with a whale shark. Dive two, manta ray. Dive three had an octpus and many turtles. I spent much of the fourth dive watching blind shrimp cleaning house for a gobi. No matter what you like to see, you will find it here (though to be truthful, many of the divemasters had never seen a whale shark, and Andrea, the leader of the trip, had not seen one in six years). However, even if we hadn't seen any of the large pelagics, the reefs, fish and macro life were so fantastic I will hopefully return again soon.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	51-100 dives
Where else diving	All over Caribean, Hawaii, Bora Bora
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	81-85°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	2
Water Visibility	40-60 Ft/ 12-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	60 minutes for most dives, though I don't know that it was strongly enforced. Divers went down in groups but were welcome to separate under water.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	1 or 2	Whale Sharks	1 or 2
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	There was a camera only rinse tank, but no camera table near the dive deck. There was plenty of space for working on cameras once they were dry in the lounge. The crew were extremely helpful with photography tips from taking care of the camera and housing to taking and editing pics.

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Dive Review of Mermaid 2 in Thailand/Similan and Surin Islands

Mermaid 2, Mar, 2006,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Mermaid 2 in
Thailand/Similan and Surin Islands