July 21, 2009

Epic downpour has driven me inside to a small, crowded shop in Karon Beach. Just chilling today after a challenging, yet rewarding day yesterday spent diving at Racha Yai Island off Phuket, Thailand. The boat trip out to the island was extremely rough and one poor woman from Honk Kong emptied her insides overboard more than once en route.

Once we moored offshore at Racha Yai Island, we quickly enteredt he water for our first dive. We descended to about 30 feet or so and explored some nice coral and colorful fish. We saw a target fish, which our instructor unfortunately to too close too and received a bite. I heard his scream under the water, but fortunately, it didn't break the skin...just a bruise.

Our second dive we went a bit deeper, perhaps 40 feet or so and fed some groupers some bananas. I must have had 50 fish feverishly swarming around my head as they urgently competed for the banana which quickly evaporated before me in the water.

The boat trip back was even more challenging as the angry seas lifted the waved to grand swells, rocking our boat significantly and causing the same woman to contribute something to the Andaman Sea. I practiced severe mental games to offset the seasickness, which came very close to expelling what little luch I had eaten a few hours earlier.

Finall, an hour and a half after departing Racha Yai, we landed at Chalong Bay.

A good day overall though...gaining confidence in my diving.

Cheers,
keith