Dive and Relax The wonderfully titled “Dive & Relax” is the 5-star PADI dive center located on the premises of Lanta Castaway Resort. The dive shop is right next to the reception and restaurant of the resort, so there was zero commuting involved the next morning. I was greeted by my dive buddy for the day, “Oh”, right at our breakfast table. Oh is a Thai lady that has been diving professionally in Koh Lanta for 12 years, and has racked up over 4000 dives here alone. I didn’t even need to stand up from my table as she pulled out her iPad and went through our dive briefing right there as I devoured my muesli, showing me dive site maps and images of the marine life we could encounter. I was beginning to see the “Relax” part of the center’s name was taken more seriously than I thought, and I liked it! Myself and the other divers were led the 10 meters down to the beach where we were met by the sleek speedboat that would take us to our destination of Phi Phi Island in 35 minutes. Our total group size of 13 people included no fewer than 5 staff members, not counting the captain and boat boy. It was a good number for the journey, giving us enough room to be as comfortable as you can get on a speedboat, without always being in someones face. The equipment was already set up onboard, the spotless dive gear strapped to shiny tanks and all secured neatly in rows, with no hanging hoses, errant masks on the floor or dripping wetsuits on seats. We were offered plenty of drinks, cool water, fruit juices and cokes before we departed. Once we were all set, off we roared towards the horizon. I could now talk for several pages about the diving we experienced once we arrived, but I won’t. You can find a wealth of articles online about the incredible marine life, warm waters and generally stellar dives you can experience. I think it’s more important to highlight the trip itself and they way it was handled by the staff and crew onboard. The owner, Cameron, is a veteran of the Phi Phi diving scene and having worked • • • • • •
on the island for several months, he was determined to make something different here, and inject the “Relax” part into his venture. One of the first changes he made was to employ more “mature” staff members. This means that the youngest Divemaster/ Instructor here is a respectable 29 years old. This has the effect of drastically reducing the chances of having large egos on board, which can be disastrous for all concerned. There was no “pomp”, no showing off and no bragging of any kind - just a lot of laughter, chatter and lounging in the scorching sunshine.
into our named bags under the benches, all while we sipped cool drinks and talked excitedly about the dive. We took our seats and were soon speeding off towards the coast of Koh Lanta, where we arrived 35 minutes later. After a short walk up the beach, we were met at the resort by another staff member who welcomed us back with a smile. We flopped collectively into the same chairs we had our morning coffee in just a few hours earlier, and eyed the lunch menu hungrily. The name “Dive and Relax” is inspired, as this is exactly was you get here. Dive trips done the way they should be. Simple.
Even though there were very experienced divers mixing with those doing it for the first time, the atmosphere was social, calm and, yes - relaxed. The logistics of getting your gear on in a small boat of 12 others is not easy, but they had done it so many times before, it was a well-oiled machine and I was in the water before I knew it. I was also delighted to discover that my “Medium” wetsuit zipped up all the way. I little more snug than I remember, but it was on! In-between the 2 dives, we were served a delicious lunch that made us fall silent for the first time of the day as we devoured our meal. Back on the boat an hour later, after our second dive, the “machine” was back in action as our gear was quickly disassembled and packed away neatly
Dive and Relax are beginning their 4th season on Koh Lanta Dive groups are strictly limited to 10 divers per boat With 2 speedboats, they can offer 2 different dive destinations each day - with enough interest They have 18 staff members The minimum age of staff members is 29 years. They are all very experienced with no recently qualified Divemasters or Instructors. With a strict “No Classroom” policy for PADI learners, they give students portable DVD players so they can watch their instructional videos on the beach with a fruit shake! • The speedboat captains and boat crew for Dive & Relax are trained to PADI Rescue Diver standard • Dive & Relax are ranked Number 1 on Trip Advisor for tours on Koh Lanta
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