Giamani — a small, dive-first wooden liveaboard

Giamani is for divers who would rather share a boat with nine other divers than queue on a large platform. Her size keeps the trip personal without turning the vessel into a cramped day boat: five cabins, a small passenger group and a dive deck arranged around the work of getting wet four times a day. She also suits groups who want the boat to themselves, since private charters are available. The reason to choose her is simple. The crew can keep track of the people, equipment and pace of a small group, while the itinerary reaches both the southern and northern Andaman Sea. Board for the diving, then enjoy the comfort that makes repeated dives easier.

Giamani was built in 1998 and renovated in 2013, and the impression is that of a purpose-built wooden dive boat rather than a floating resort. Boarding leads quickly to the practical parts of the vessel: the dive deck, equipment stations and tender, with the saloon and open-air areas set aside for meals and recovery. The wood gives the boat a warmer feel than a bare steel platform, while the air-conditioned indoor spaces matter when the sun is high. Movement is straightforward because there are only a few guest areas to learn. By the second day, the boat's layout is familiar: cabin, dive deck, rinse tank, shower, saloon, then back to the water.

The atmosphere is shaped less by formal luxury than by the small group. With a maximum of 10 divers, briefings, meals and surface intervals happen around the same people, while the crew can keep the day moving without losing sight of individual needs. The fixed team includes a cruise director, dive instructors and guides, captain, engineer, deck hand, chef, hostess and licensed Thai tour guide. That gives the boat an unusually close crew-to-guest feel when full. In the evening, guests tend to gather in the saloon or open air with photographs, books and the day's sightings. Giamani works best for divers who like company but not crowds.

Giamani's itineraries connect the southern and northern Andaman Sea rather than repeating one small patch of coast. Southern trips cover Koh Haa, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Phi Phi, Shark Point, King Cruiser and Koh Doc Mai; northern trips run through the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock and the Khao Lak wrecks. The 4-day northern itinerary carries 14 dives and combines the Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock. A longer 6-day or 7-night Similan-Surin itinerary reaches 24 dives, while the southern and northern combination links 22 dives across both regions. The sites range from granite island reefs and exposed pinnacles to walls, wrecks and the concentrated marine life of Richelieu Rock. Conditions can change the order.

Koh Haa →

Max. depth · 40 m

Hin Daeng →

Max. depth · 65 m

Hin Muang →

Max. depth · 67 m

Shark Point →

Max. depth · 25 m

Koh Doc Mai →

Max. depth · 32 m

Similan Islands →

Max. depth · 40 m

Koh Bon →

Koh Tachai →

Max. depth · 40 m

Richelieu Rock →

Max. depth · 35 m

Dive groups are planned around a maximum guide-to-diver ratio of 5:1. The multilingual team speaks English, French, Italian, Spanish, Ukrainian and Thai, and a licensed Thai tour guide is part of the professional diving operation. Guides and instructors handle the briefings, organise the groups and accompany the dives rather than leaving guests to work out the site from the deck. Giamani also runs PADI training on board, including Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Enriched Air Nitrox, Wreck Diver and Deep Diver courses. The boat lists full safety equipment, but no detailed inventory of oxygen, defibrillator or recall system is given. Rebreather support is available; technical diving is not.

The dive deck is built for repeated recreational dives and for photographers who need somewhere reliable to prepare and rinse equipment. It has a camera table, a separate rinse tank for underwater cameras, charging stations, rinse hosts and warm-water showers. Two Bauer Mariner compressors handle filling, and DIN adaptors are carried on board. Nitrox is available for mixes up to 36% at an extra charge. Rental equipment is available at an extra charge through the boat's Aqualung partner centre, with standard and premium sets; a 15-litre tank is also available as a rental option. Rebreather divers are supported, while technical diving is not a focus. The 3.80-metre, 20HP tender takes divers to and from the sites, so entries and exits happen from the tender rather than from a large ship-side platform.

Between dives, Giamani gives guests two different ways to disappear for a while. The air-conditioned saloon is the place for shade, a film, a book from the marine-life library or a review of the day's photographs. The open-air saloon and sun deck are better for watching the islands pass, drying out and talking through the last dive. Photographers can work at the camera table and return equipment to the separate rinse tank before settling down. On longer crossings, the boat's smaller scale helps: there is no resort complex to navigate and no crowd competing for every seat. The quiet hours stay close to the diving.

On the longer Similan-Surin itinerary, the day starts with a 06:30 wake-up call and a light breakfast before the first briefing and descent at 07:30. A second dive follows at 11:00, with lunch after it; the third goes in at 14:30, and a fourth is scheduled late in the afternoon. Snacks fill the short gaps, while the longer surface intervals hold meals, equipment checks, photographs or a beach visit. On some days, a night dive follows at 18:30. Other days finish with the boat moving to the next anchorage, so the soundscape changes from compressor and deck work to engines and open water. Then comes dinner, a last look at photographs, and sleep before the next early start.

Meals are served buffet-style on the main deck, with Thai and international dishes appearing across the day. The galley can handle dietary restrictions when told in advance, and snacks, fruit, hot and cold soft drinks are available between meals. That matters on a liveaboard where breakfast follows the first dive and the next meal has to support another descent rather than interrupt it. The table is shared, practical and close to the dive routine: eat, hydrate, return to the deck, then do it again. Alcoholic drinks and spirits are available on board, but they belong after the diving is finished.

The five cabins are divided between Deluxe and Master categories, all with air conditioning, an en-suite bathroom, warm-water shower and mini-fridge. The Master Cabin is on the upper deck; the four Deluxe Cabins are on the main deck and have sea-view doors. Cabins are arranged for double or twin sharing, with the Master using a sofa-bed for twin occupancy and the Deluxe cabins an additional bunk-style bed. The rooms are not presented as oversized suites, and that is not the point. They give each diver a private place to dry off, sleep and shut the door between dives. Outside, the open-air areas provide the space most guests will use while awake.

Departure and return ports depend on the itinerary. The 4-day Similan route boards at Tab Lamu Pier near Khao Lak and returns there; the longer Similan-Surin route departs from Chalong Bay Pier in Phuket and returns to Phuket. Hotel transfers are available on request and are not included. Arriving in the area the night before is the sensible choice, especially when the boat departs in the afternoon and road delays could otherwise reach the pier.