FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers from Phuket Dive Center about pickups, boats, diving, and your trip.

Day trips on Mandarin Queen Fleet, we offer free pickups from Layan, Surin, Bangtao, Kamala, Nakalay, Tritrang, Kalim, Patong, Karon, Kata, and Chalong, depending on where you stay between 6:30 am, and 7:45 am. Please let us know in which hotel you are visiting and forward us their reception telephone number and room number. Do not forget to let us know 1-2 days in advance where to pick you up! Pick up times Phuket Island: Pick up Time 6:30 am. Layan 6:40 am. Surin 6:45 am. Bang Tao (Laguna) 7:00 am. Kamala, Nakalay, Tritrang & Kalim 7:15 am. Patong 7:35 am. Karon 7:40 am. Kata 7:45 am. Chalong Our complimentary round transfer to Phuket is only included on departure and arrival days of the Day trip and to the specific times shown.

• • Make sure that you drink enough fluids during the day to compensate for the loss of water. • Remember, dehydration is the most common source of “Decompression Illness” and ill-being. • All diving is guided on our boats by a certified Divemaster or instructor with a maximum of 4-5 divers per guide. • If you miss the dive briefing, you will not be allowed to join the dive. • You are required to do a buddy check before every single dive. • The maximum depth for recreational diving is 30 meters on all Mandarin Queen Fleets. • No alcohol is permitted before or between dives. Your first beer is your last dive. The same rule applies for snorkelers. • A dive computer is not mandatory but highly recommended for your safety. You can rent a dive computer booked in advance. • Maximum dive time is 60 minutes or 50 bar rest pressure in your tank at the surface except sunset and night dives. • Stay close to your buddy and group. • A 3 min @ 5 meters safety stop is required before surfacing to the surface • Inflate your buoyancy compensator at the surface and pay attention to the guide or instructor during the pick up by the diving vessel. • If your air consumption is high, we strongly recommend that you rent a 15-liter tank that will allow you to stay longer underwater. • If a diver gets lost during a dive, we comply with the international rule of not searching for more than a minute and ascend to regroup on the surface with the missing diver. If a dive can’t be continued after finding the missing diver, there will be no refund for the dive. If you get separated from your dive group, search for no longer than a minute and ascend to the surface. Watch out for boat traffic before surfacing. At the surface, inflate your buoyancy compensator and call the next boat close to you for assistance. • If a dive site has to be changed due to lousy weather or safety issue, no refund will be given • If you are using a digital camera underwater, you need to comply with the “Safe Diving” and the “Ecological Awareness” rules of the diving center our guides/instructors will prohibit the use of the camera or ban you from diving! No refund will be given! • Any piece of equipment that you rent has to be returned to the diving center. If you lose parts of the stuff, we will need to charge you for the missing piece of gear. • If you rent a digital underwater camera and a dive computer and you flood it, you will be charged for the broken piece of equipment. • You are required to listen to the dive guides/instructors. The dive guides/instructors on the boat can prohibit participation on dives at their discretion based on lack of respect for marine park rules and regulations, lack of respect – or “handling” of any marine life, alcohol consumption between dives or not abiding by international safe diving rules. In this case, we will not refund you for the missed dives.