Similan Islands, the area around Deep Six

Similan Islands · Thailand · Drift · Reef · Pinnacle

Deep Six

Strong-current ridge with soft coral gardens and big boulders

Area photo: KOSIN SUKHUM · CC BY-SA 4.0

Deep Six is off the north tip of Similan Island 6 and is classified as both a deep and a drift dive. A V-shaped ridge runs from 5 m down past 40 m, with hard coral, soft coral gardens, sponges and huge granite boulders along it, and the current here is strong. The normal profile stays between 10 and 25 m, which is as much as most groups take of a ridge that deep.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Deep Six: typical dive 10–25 m (33–82 ft), deepest point 40 m (130 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit10 m25 m40 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

8.5985° N, 97.6370° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The ridge is V-shaped and runs from about 5 m down past 40 m, so the depth taken is a decision made on entry rather than one the site makes for you; the normal band is 10 to 25 m. Huge granite boulders sit along it with hard coral, soft coral gardens and sponges growing over them, and the coral took notable damage in the 2004 tsunami and is described as slowly recovering.

Current here is strong and it sets the shape of the dive: you go in with it, cover ground along the ridge and finish where it puts you rather than back where you started. Giant trevally, dogtooth tuna and rainbow runner work that water, and whitetip reef sharks, leopard sharks and blue-spotted stingrays are found lower down on the rock.

Marine life and season

  • Trevally & jacks
  • Tuna
  • Reef sharks
  • Stingrays
Month-by-month season rating for Deep Six
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimeGoodOff-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonGoodPrime

Season follows Similan Islands: Similan National Park closes mid-May to mid-October for monsoon recovery; calm seas and peak manta/whale shark sightings run December-March.

Know before you go

  • The current is strong and the site is dived as a drift; carry a marker buoy and expect the ascent to be made in open water away from where you went in.

Sources

  1. Deep Six — Divezone
  2. Deep Six — Scubago
  3. Similan Islands dive sites — Dive The World
  4. Similan Islands — Wikivoyage

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