Of leopard sharks, turtles and new DMTs!

Hello Everyone! Here comes the Barakuda News!

When a lot of people are getting ready for a new school year, we are lucky enough to not have to think about any sorts of uniforms apart from maybe a new wet suit!

The weather has been good but we had a couple of days of proper rain! Check out the street outside the shop on the picture!

Although it looked impressive, it did not affect the diving so much as we have been seeing some leopard sharks everyday, whether it is at Viking Cave, Bida Nok or Bida Nai। Can't really complain।




We are also sad to announce that our brazilian instructor Luiza has left us! How dare she leaving us to go home! More seriously we will miss her loads, and hope she will come back soon!





But when some are leaving, more are coming: We are welcome २ new additions to our team...Chris and Harriet, our new divemaster trainee। They will be learning how to become a PADI professional with instructor Ally।

If you are in Koh Phiphi, why not come diving with us? Or simply swing by for a drink and chat, we are nice people, we promise!

www.phiphibarakuda.com

It's been a while since we have told you about our adventures, but now we are back.

A lot of things have been happening at Barakuda Dive Centre….

Barakuda News, latest edition:


- A new Course Director!

First of all we are happy to announce that Course Director Rich Reardon has now joined our team on Koh PhiPhi and now run a monthly Instructor Development Course. We are also running a special discount on IDC for low season! Interested? Contact us ! info@phiphibarakuda.com
Stay tuned for our new Barakuda IDC website.

- A brand new website!

Talking about new website we wanted to let you know that we have had a little make over on www.phiphibarakuda.com! We think you should go and check it out!

-"Leopard" Sharks right and left!

On the diving side of things, the marine life is amazing at the moment. The zebra sharks, that we affectionally call "leopard" (as they look quite a bit more like it) are BACK!! We are lucky enough to see them pretty much every dive! Check out our little video of these amazing and gracious creatures.

-Barakuda is going TEC

Barakuda team is also proud to announce that we are opening a new TEC Diving centre in Chalong, Phuket with its own decompression chamber and possibility to enroll in diving medic courses.
Stay tuned for our new Barakuda TEC Centre

-Barakuda staff join PADI On Tour

Two of our lovely staff, French Instructor and Divemaster Ally and Pauline got the chance to join PADI Region 26 and Dive Supply on Cabana beach. They spent the afternoon getting their hands (breathing?) on twin sets, side mount and rebreather. The girls had a love at first breath with the new POSEIDON Rebreather system and are signing up soon for the course!


-Phi Phi Diving Association New Facebook and Clean Up.

Everymonth Barakuda staff goes on to a underwater and beach clean up around PhiPhi Don and Ley. We would love if you could read a little bit about PhiPhi Diving Association and The Keep PhiPhi Clean by clicking on the following links [LINKS x2]. Think twice about throwng anything in the water or on the beach.


That's it folks. Watch out for a lot more of updates and tales of the underwater world!


SO when are you coming to see us? We are waiting for you? Thinking of becoming a certified diver? Dreaming of a life on the beach? Drop us a line! admin@phiphibarakuda.com.

Dive day!

So what's it like to come diving with us? Well grab your gear, I'll tell you exactly....

First of all we’ll have you choose either our morning or after noon boat. Whether you are an early riser or like to have a little lie in, we’ve got it all!
Our typical morning trip starts by meeting at 8:00am at the dive shop where your divemaster or instructor will be waiting for you to take you to our boat the Magnifica. No equipment to carry apart from your weight belt, everything is ready for you on board! We also offer tea, coffee and fresh water!

8.30, we are off! The dive sites will be decided on the day, depending on the weather conditions and tide charts. Generally we try to take you at least to one of the famous Bidas, Bida Nok and Bida Nai! After the first dive, we will be heading to Maya Bay (yes, that’s the one from the Beach, Leonardo DiCaprio not included in the trip) for a freshly cooked Thai lunch and may be a couple of jumps off the boat. That’s the time to show off your back flip skills!

 If not, enjoy a lazy nap on our sun deck during the surface interval.
We will be then off to the second dive site around the marine park in PhiPhi Ley. Once you will have surface up, time to head home, around 12.30 pm. Back at the shop; enjoy a refreshing drink in our cozy up stairs bar where you will be able to fill in your log book. And may be already think about your next dive!

Afternoon trips operate on the same scheme, and we will be meeting at 1.00pm at the shop and we’ll be back around 6pm. Our bar is open until 11pm.
So come make some bubbles with us, we are waiting for you!

 

Shark Dive.

Alain and Sebastien with our new friend

Yesterday was fantastic! We set off as usual in the morning, but as a treat for all the team onboard we headed to shark point PhiPhi, a dive site which need to have good conditions in order to get to.
And that was a pretty good idea. Just 15 min into the dive and we spotted a leopard shark at about 14m!

New Barakuda divemaster Ally and her first leopard shark!!

The visibility was about 15 to 20m.
We were pretty happy as it was with the leopard shark but about 5 min later, another surprise was waiting for us under a rock...

Two bamboo sharks! Not only it was amazing for us but it for our two french customers, Alain and
Sebastien, it was their first sharks. And who can
forget their first encounter with these creatures?



Finally 50 minutes in as we were coming up for our safety stop, we bumped into a small turtle who seemed to be very intrigued by our camera and came right up to it to check out was it was.

Overall a dive that won't be forgotten, beautiful weather and underwater conditions. So what are you waiting for? COME DIVING WITH US! info@phiphibarakuda.com

Best of our dive sites Part 1

Check out these amazing pictures from our local dive sites and the wreck! Tempted? Plan your next dive holidays with us! Say hello to info@phiphibarakuda.com

DOLPHINSSSSSS

On Tuesday we had a beautiful suprise! A big school of dolphins. We were the only boat out on Viking Cave (one our dive site) and as we were coming up from our second dive from the afternoon trip, we spotted some movement in the water. The conditions were beautiful, a nearly still sea, and not a bit of wind. In this eerie atmosphere, we started to hear them splashing water as they came closer and closer to the boat. Instead of they usual quick jump, they came out one by one slowly, giving us the time to fully appreciate the scene. Just like if they wanted attention, they came back several times, before we had to set off.


A last look at their parade and we headed home. But, just as we thought we were done for the day, another dive boat went straight into the blue instead of the bay. What did they see?
Then a long trace appeared in the water. What was out there? Something was clearly making waves in a sea like a mirror. Something big. Everyone had their mask ready in hand and only two words on their lips. Wh... Shark. Just saying the name would jinx it.
Sadly enough when we reached the spot, everything was quiet again. But it was out there. 
Roasted by the sun, salty from the dive and our mind filled with plenty of underwater memories, it was time to finally come back to the shop.

Whale sharks have been recently spotted several times around our dive sites and a baby one in Koh Haa near Lanta. It's time to dive guys! You never know whats out there! Contact us for your first underwater experience or for your water fix if you are already a certified diver! info@phiphibarakuda.com

Congrats to our friend Barbora on her second DSD in her row. Next time Open Water Certification hey?

Bida Nok - Malong 6th January

Wicked dive today! We set off on the afternoon boat under a beautiful sunshine. We started with Bida Nok, one of the two little islands on PhiPhi Lei North.

The visibility was about 12 to 15 meters and the water temperature 28 degrees.

10 min into the dive, we spotted a first black tip and soon another, so we stayed in the shallows waiting for them. And they came. In the end we counted three different ones spotted at least 20 times. Shark diving is just amazing. The power of these animals are very impressive.
Remember to get involved with the protection of these incredible apex predators who are the police of our oceans. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/22/stop-selling-shark-products/


Also on the menu, the usual wonders of our dive sites. Lots of lion fish, moray eels, seal faced puffer fish and other classics.

Our second dive was Malong, known for turtles. Of course we can't promise our customers anything but Malong tend to be a 99% sure chance to see some cute turtles.
And we did. One as soon as we went down, and one at the end of the dive.

No sharks for the second dive but it was a lovely afternoon of underwater adventures! We were also treated to a beautiful sunset on our way back. Good times! Congrats to Ekel on joining the diving world with her brand new Open Water certifications!
Check out our pictures and come diving with us! And don't forget that anyway a bad day of diving is better than a good day at work!
To book send an e-mail to info@phiphibarakuda.com or visit www.phiphibarakuda.com

Barakuda divemasters Ally and Abu with new open water student David.

Coming up to the surface with view on Bida Nai

Gearing up.

Barakuda divemaster Klara ready to jump in with her fun diver.

First time in the water for our Aussie DSDs

Seal faced puffer

Moray Eel getting a teeth clean up

Barakuda Instructor Ian

Lion fish

Turtlleeesssss.

More turtleeessss

Coming up at Malong

Trying to get back on the boat.

Cliff at sunset.

WELCOME!

WELCOME TO PHI PHI BARAKUDA DIVE CENTER!

First of all, Happy New Year!

We are launching a brand new blog for this brand new year. Follow our underwater adventures, get updates on the reef or just enjoy some beautiful shots from our paradise island!

Craving for diving? Contact us to book your next dive holiday at info@phiphibarakuda.com .

You can also check out www.phiphibarakuda.com

And don't forget to say hello on Twitter @BarakudaScuba