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

 All over Caribean, Hawaii, Bora Bora 

Dive Conditions

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.  

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.  

Overall Rating

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. 

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