Cave Diving Expedition to Ang Thong

We just returned from a great cave diving expedition to Ang Thong National Park in the Gulf of Thailand. The aim was to locate the cave that feed the saltwater lagoon on Koh Thali Nai, this saltwater lagoon is in the center of the island and surrounded by sheer cliffs. The lagoon is a saltwater cenote and fed by an underground cave to the sea.

  

Ang Thong National Marine Park

 

 

We found this map by some French cave explorers locating the entrance on the eastern side of the island. The main problem would be locating the cave and predicting the flow in the cave, as at sometimes the cave would turn into a syphon, pushing you into the cave making it difficult or impossible to exit if the cave is impassable. Syphonic conditions are also dangerous as you need more gas to exit and sediment stirred up will washed into the cave with you.

 

Entrance to the cave

 

 

 

 

We quickly located the seaward side entrance not far from the beach, with a high flow running out of the cave just one hour before low tide, as the lake was emptying into the sea. The cave was wide nearly 5 metres across but only 70 cm high making sidemount diving the only choice. After a primary tie off on the surface we descended to the entrance. With 3-4 knots current flowing out of the cave, it was impossible to swim against. Tim Lawrence and Myself had to push and pull ourselves along through the restriction. Each metre of penetration was hard work wriggling through the restrictions and pulling against the current. Fish and rocks came hurtling past, and any sand we disturbed was quickly swept away.

After 20 minutes of struggling against the current we decided to exit, and return the next day at a different state of tide.

 

Ang Thong National Marine Park view inside the cave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the following day we dived three hours after high tide, hoping that this would be the slackest time to dive. Flow out of the cave however was not reduced; we managed to lay around 50 metres of new cave line into the cave and must have been close to the exit but again were turned around by the current. We walked over to the lakeward side and quickly located the entrance by following the flow out of the lake. 

 

Day afterwards we reached the lake inside the island and so beat Leonardo Di-Capro to the real beach in Ang Thong National Marine park!

 

Ang Thong National Marine Park view inside the lake...

 

 

 

 

In the picture below the yellow line shows the cave running through the Island

 

 

 

 We have more tech diving thailand blogs on techdivingthailand.com frontpage. Have alook at our latest cave and wreck diving expeditions

SHIPWRECKS

Koh Tao local dive sites

Chumphon Pinnacle

Sail Rock 

Japanese Gardens

Twins

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Twins 

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KHAO SOK  NATIONAL PARK

Tri Mix Diving Thailand.

Tech Thailand offers TDI, DSAT and BSAC Tri Mix courses, DSAT Tri-Mix 65, DSAT Tri Mix Diver, TDI Tri Mix and Tdi Advanced Tri Mix Diver, BSAC Sports Mixed Gas Diver, BSAC Explorer Mixed Gas and BSAC Advanced Mix Gas Tri Mix courses in Thailand. Our courses are run on the island of Koh Tao in the gulf of Thailand. Our courses run using DIR standard mixes. We offer our helium at a great rate making it very affordable, as we run a our tri mix through continous flow trimix blending system designed and built by Tech Thailand. Courses start in our 5 Star facilty in Koh tao, Thailand and can be completed on our wreck liveaboards or at in the sunken village at Khao sok. Our great prices include training, equipment, boat fees, certifications, course materials, transports to Khao sok, accomodation and food at Khao sok. Helium is charged at just 1.5 baht a litre and for the full DSAT course costs 17,000 baht. We offer some of the most intensive and thourgh tri mix courses available, covering mordern dive theory, including Ratio deco, ICD Isobaric counter diffusion and all the latest helium theories.

DSAT Tri Mix 65

Course Overview

The Tec Trimix 65 course is the natural continuation of the air tec courses. It builds on the knowledge learned and introduces divers to trimix diving. The Tec 65 course qualifies the successfull student to dive down to 65msw using trimix (min oxygen content 18%), perform gas switching and entering unlimited decompression obligations using nitrox or pure oxygen.

Pre-requistes

• Minimum age of 18.
• Advanced Open Water diver certified.
• Rescue diver certified.
• Tec 50 certified or equivalent.
• Proof of 100 logged dives.

Details of the course

The Tec 65 diver course covers:

• Trimix diving depth ranges
• Exposure planningSelecting a mix
• Argon inflation systems.
• Handling three or four decompression cylinders
• Decompression modelsEmergency procedures
• Face masks and multi-gas computers

Course duration and number of dives

• The Tec Trimix 65 diver course is a 4 day course and 5 dives are required

DSAT Tri Mix Diver

The DSAT Tec Trimix Course is designed for individuals already certified and experienced in technical deep decompression diving with air and enriched air nitrox. The course is designed to extend your depth range capabilities utilizing trimix to a max depth of 75m.

Pre-requisites :

• Certified as a PADI Rescue Diver or have a qualifying certification in diver rescue and accident management from another organization
• Certified as a DSAT Tec Deep Diver or have a qualifying certification in deep decompression diving using air/enriched air from another organization

Diver course.Minimum age: 18 years old

Course Duration: 5 day

TDI Tri Mix Diver

The objective of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards and proper procedures of utilising custom oxygen / helium / nitrogen mixtures as breathing gases with hypoxic Oxygen content, and utilize Nitrox mixtures and Oxygen for decompression to a maximum depth of 100 msw This course is for students looking at diving deeper reducing the effect of nitrogen narcosis and handling Oxygen Toxicity. This course is the highest diver rating achievable via the TDI course routes, it is extreme diving so therefore requires extreme levels of tuition. Students will master advanced planning techniques and open water skills required for this type of diving.

Student Prerequisites

• Minimum age of 18
• Minimum certification as a TDI Advanced Nitrox Diver and Decompression Procedures Diver (or equivalent)
• Minimum of 100 logged dives

This course is run over four days and consists of one day of theory and three days boat diving. However, students who have already completed the Extended Range course may be credited two dives towards this course.

TDI Advanced Tri Mix Diver

Student Prerequisites:

• Minimum age of 18
• Minimum certification as an Extended Range Diver or Trimix Diver (or equivalent)
• Minimum of 100 logged dives

This course is run over five days and consists of one day of theory and four days boat diving.  
The objective of this course is to train divers in the benefits, hazards and proper procedures of utilising custom oxygen / helium / nitrogen mixtures as breathing gases with no less than 18% Oxygen, and utilize Nitrox mixtures and Oxygen for decompression to a maximum depth of 60 msw (200 fsw). This course is for students looking at diving deeper reducing the effect of nitrogen narcosis and handling Oxygen Toxicity. This course has fast become the course of choice over the TDI Extended Range course.