Id like to know if you bring your own airtank if they will refill it and at what price. I can understand them beeing affraid to loose business. I have dived off Ko chang with my budy no dive master (im one myself) and i loved it. Did similan of the island with my budy too but its just a hassle to get airrefils because everywhere they fear to loose business.

Most dive shops will fill your tank for a price. A tank will cost around 100- 110 baht. Diving alone is frowned upon unless you are properly trained to do so and carry back up air etc. The beauty of diving with a dive master on a site you do not know is the guide will show you the best bits. I remember 2 guys diving alone at Chumphon pinnacle. Experienced divers who insisted they needed nobody to show them round.They dropped straight down off the boat and saw absolutely NOTHING. Missed the pinnacle altogether, all they saw was sand. We on the other hand saw loads, sharks, big school of barracuda, bat fish etc.If you have your own gear you can get a dive for around the 600 - 800 baht mark. Why lug around a tank for the sake of a few baht ?

Most dive shops will fill your tank for a price. A tank will cost around 100- 110 baht. Diving alone is frowned upon unless you are properly trained to do so and carry back up air etc. The beauty of diving with a dive master on a site you do not know is the guide will show you the best bits. I remember 2 guys diving alone at Chumphon pinnacle. Experienced divers who insisted they needed nobody to show them round.They dropped straight down off the boat and saw absolutely NOTHING. Missed the pinnacle altogether, all they saw was sand. We on the other hand saw loads, sharks, big school of barracuda, bat fish etc.If you have your own gear you can get a dive for around the 600 - 800 baht mark. Why lug around a tank for the sake of a few baht ?

Because i know Thailand's dive site, i have been around here for a while. The place that will give you a dive for 600-800 bath a dive i still have to find. I hold the divemaster license myself and have done some dives alone (with my buddy). I have also dived alone once or twice in shallow waters.

Recently i did my own diving from the similan island it was great i saw enough nice things and saved a lot of money. But its not only a money thing its also often a much nicer experience when you lead the dive yourself with a trusted buddy. I can remember the times i was in groups with lousy divers that had to be helped all the time and that took up most of the dive time. We all know that dive shops are to make money like every business. They don't always care for your diving pleasure and have no problems in putting beginners with experienced divers. As such that isnt a problem but if that means an easier less nice dive to suit the needs of the beginners its no fun for the more experienced divers.

But be honest how many of those experienced divers do you really see making mistakes like that when diving together and how many times do you see dives get messed up for good divers by beginners ?

I just like the freedom of roaming around with my buddy (who is also my wife). I know how she dives and she knows how i dive we are a good team. We have all our gear (except tanks and were thinking of getting those but if you cant get air its not a good investment). So far the only good diving i did myself was in Similan where i could rent some stuff from local Thais, Koh Chang where i could rent complete tanks from my former dive instructor.

I have been thinking of phi phi but then i would have to rent a boat too so just going with a operator there and asking to dive with my buddy alone would be better.

Thanks for your awnser, sorry for ranting on.