Technical Dive Sites
 
 
[Thailand, all locations]
Depths 80-300meters; Trimix technical
diving onlyonly
(Please email me Steve
Burton to add your dive site's details)
The "Samaesan Hole"
Dive Site Details
At a depth 85meters/ 280ft This is the deepest dive site in
the Gulf of Thailand, and is for full TRIMIX certified divers only. Sunlight
rarely permeates down to the bottom here, and the use of Both Hypoxic TRIMIX (at
this depth), multiple torches, multiple computers, and formal technical diver
training should be considered the minimum equipment and experience necessary to
survive this dive. The dive site is also in an area of very strong currents
(maybe the strongest in the Gulf), AND is also an inland waterway with a heavy
daily traffic of oil and gas tankers who's hulls reach down well into your top 4
stops. Oh, and I forgot to mention the unexploded bombs littering the sea bed
here in what is labeled on the chart as an 'explosives dumping ground'. A better
idea of the strength of currents at this site can be gauged by the fact that it
is not unusual to meet the 1 meter diameter teardrop buoy submerged by current
at your 15meter stop. Deploying the lift bag at this point to 'drift on the bag'
with the current could result in surfacing either in Pattaya or Cambodia
depending on which way the currents running once the 'stops' are completed if
dived during a 'spring run'. I have been 'officially lost at sea' during such a
dive, returning home someway up the coast after luckily bumping into an Ocean
going Deep sea trawler. May I humbly suggest this site is dived at slack water
only.
The first successful dive into the bottom of this 'black silty
hole of death' was made by myself and Claes Martinsson in 1998. It was an
unlucky day. All torches imploded, 3 out of the 4 dive computers including
backups all failed (permanently) &/or gave stupid indications of depth or
time. This dive site is now used as the 'passing out dive' for local TRIMIX
technical dive students.
GPS Location
WGS84 N12'32.322" E100'57.605"
Last dived by:-
Mark Ellyatt,
Steve Burton, Bruce
Konefe, Andrew Yates, Lars
Steffensen, Claes Martinsson,
Phuket Deep holes
[top]
Dive Site Details
Although in the Gulf of Thailand, the maximum depth
attainable is only 90meters, Within a few hours off Phuket, the continental
shelf ends and quickly drops off to 'world record breaking' TRIMIX dive depths.
Courtesy of Mark
Ellyatt, Holder of the world record deepest ever wreck dive, most dangerous
ever cave dive (Coniston Copper mine) and strangely still alive to tell the
tale...has kindly revealed where there are some interesting incredibly deep
holes of death where one might chose a little Helium in the back gas and a
trustworthy support team to hold you on your deco stops for a few hours while
you rotate in a swirling cloud of your own vomit. A phone call to the chamber, a
good inner ear hypo baric doctor plus US$50,000 in cash for treatment prior to
heading off down on these dives with a slight bit of current and descent line at
45 degrees might also be a good idea. Further recommendations include that the
support divers have dived to the planned support depth before, can plan their
own TRIMIX deco dives, can read both a watch a SPG and understand what happens
when the SPG needle enters the 'red zone'... will further encourage success.
251meter Hole at N07'45" E097'52
254 meter Hole at N07'28.6" E097'54.5"
317 meter Hole at N07'43.1" E097'49.5" | 
