DiveRACE Class X — a modern steel liveaboard built around diving

DiveRACE Class X suits divers who want a new boat without giving up the reason for being aboard: access to Thailand’s strongest sites and a deck that keeps the diving organised. The boat reaches reefs, pinnacles, walls and wrecks around Phuket, Koh Tao and Khao Lak, with departures ranging from compact Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock trips to a longer South to North Andaman route. Back on board, the comfort is deliberate rather than decorative: en-suite cabins, air conditioning, proper gear storage, custom tenders and a hot tub on the roof. It is a good match for a diver who wants long days in the water, then enough space to review photographs, eat properly and sleep in a private cabin. The boat also welcomes non-diver snorkellers, groups and full charters.

From the dock, DiveRACE Class X presents as a purpose-built steel motor yacht rather than a converted fishing boat. It was launched in late 2025, and that shows in the way the spaces are planned: the diving equipment has a place, the tenders are part of the operation, and the indoor saloon is designed as a cool retreat rather than an afterthought. Teak decks lead towards the large sun deck and rooftop bar, while inside there is an air-conditioned saloon with audio and video entertainment. The boat has enough separate areas for a group to spread out after a dive, without turning the week into a search for somewhere to sit. It feels new, clean-lined and intentional. The 20-passenger capacity keeps the boat substantial, but the 11 cabins give the accommodation a private character rather than a dormitory one.

The atmosphere is built around a mixed international group rather than a formal resort routine. English, French, Spanish and Thai are spoken by the crew, which helps when divers arrive with different habits and levels of confidence. Guides organise the underwater part of the day, while daily cabin service, meals and the working dive deck keep the practical side moving in the background. In the evening, the choice is between the air-conditioned saloon, the open deck and the rooftop bar, with the hot tub available after the day’s diving. Cabins remain a refuge when conversation runs out. That balance matters on a week-long boat: people can share the trip without being required to share every quiet hour. Groups and full charters are possible, and non-diver snorkellers can come aboard too.

The site list ranges from shallow coral gardens to deep current-swept reefs. Racha Noi is known for pelagics, including manta rays and whale sharks, while South Tip uses converging currents to feed a soft-coral garden and reaches 70 metres. Koh Doc Mai is a limestone wall with caves and macro life, including tiger-tail seahorses and ornate ghost pipefish; Koh Waeo stays at 12 metres and combines protected coral gardens with a local tin-mine wreck. In the Similans, coral reefs give way to granite boulders, with the site reaching 40 metres. Richelieu Rock is a solitary limestone horseshoe to 35 metres, where whale sharks may pass among macro life. Khao Lak’s Boonsung Wreck reaches 18 metres. In the Gulf, Sail Rock reaches 42 metres, Southwest Pinnacle and the Similan Islands 40 metres, Sattakut Wreck 30 metres, Twins 25 metres and White Rock 28 metres. Recorded departures include 5-day/4-night and 6-day/5-night Similan Islands to Richelieu Rock trips, plus a 7-day/6-night South to North Andaman route from Thap Lamu to Phuket.

Racha Noi →

South Tip →

Max. depth · 70 m

Koh Doc Mai →

Max. depth · 32 m

Koh Waeo →

Max. depth · 12 m

Richelieu Rock →

Max. depth · 35 m

Boonsung Wreck →

Max. depth · 18 m

Sail Rock →

Max. depth · 42 m

Southwest Pinnacle →

Max. depth · 40 m

Similan Islands →

Max. depth · 40 m

Sattakut Wreck →

Max. depth · 30 m

Twins →

Max. depth · 25 m

White Rock →

Max. depth · 28 m

Barracuda, giant morays, nudibranchs, trevally, fusiliers, snapper and grouper form the recurring cast across this route, with whale sharks recorded at 11 sites and manta rays at five. Reef sharks, turtles and tuna also appear across several sites, but none of these encounters is promised. The reason to keep moving is the site-specific life. Racha Noi is the recorded location for grey reef sharks and garden eels. Southwest Pinnacle has the route’s recorded squid and eels. Richelieu Rock is where a harlequin shrimp may repay a patient macro search. Sail Rock is associated with chromis, mackerel and thazard. Koh Doc Mai is the listed site for bamboo sharks; Twins for the large pen shell; Boonsung Wreck for boxfish; and South Tip for unicornfish. Koh Bon’s cleaning station is where manta rays may arrive for maintenance, sometimes with other pelagic hunters nearby.

Manta Ray →

Mobula birostris

Whale Shark →

Rhincodon typus

Seahorse →

Hippocampus

Nudibranch →

Nudibranchia

DiveRACE Class X lists a guide-to-diver ratio of 6:20, giving the operation a strong guide presence for a maximum group of 20 divers. Guides speak English, French, Spanish and Thai. The entry requirement is Open Water Diver certification or an equivalent level, with at least five logged dives. That makes the boat accessible to certified recreational divers while still leaving the guides to manage different experience levels within the group. Guided dives are included. No technical-diving programme or course offering is listed. The boat carries full safety equipment, but specific details such as oxygen, a defibrillator or the recall system are not given; those points should be covered in the onboard briefing rather than assumed.

The dive deck is laid out for repeated use: individual gear stations, dedicated personal storage, rinse hosts and wide steps for getting into the water. Custom HDPE diving tenders, each fitted with a 50HP outboard motor, take divers to the site and collect them after the dive. The included cylinder is 11 litres with weights and a weight belt; 15-litre cylinders are available as a paid extra for divers who need more gas. Compressors fill the tanks on board, and warm-water showers are available after returning from the water. Nitrox is available at extra cost through a Nitrox Stick System. DIN adaptors are carried, while rental equipment is available for a surcharge. The boat supports rebreathers but is not set up for technical diving. A camera table or dedicated camera-rinse system is not listed, so photographers should not assume one.

Between dives, the boat gives the body several different places to land. The rooftop area has sun loungers, a bar and a hot tub, while the open-air saloon offers shade without closing the group away from the sea. The indoor saloon is air conditioned and suited to reviewing footage, watching a film or simply escaping the heat. A massage service, laundry and land excursions add options for the longer surface intervals and non-divers. The useful detail is the separation: divers can dry out and talk on deck while someone else reads or sleeps inside. After a demanding site, the hot tub changes the pause from dead time into recovery; on a no-dive afternoon, the sun deck becomes the main room.

A day begins with the first briefing, followed by the first entry into the water, and the boat’s routine then turns on the interval between dives. Divers return to the deck, rinse equipment, shower, eat and choose between shade, the open-air saloon and the sun deck before the next briefing. Meals and the all-day snack service keep the short surface periods practical rather than rushed. The tender handles the transfer to and from the site, leaving the main deck free for preparation and recovery. When the boat is underway, the sea becomes part of the interval: some passengers settle in the air-conditioned saloon, others stay outside with cameras or a drink. An afternoon without a dive can be spent on the rooftop, in the hot tub or ashore on a land excursion. The exact dive sequence depends on the route and conditions.

Meals cover both sides of the trip: Western and local food, buffet service and plate service, with dietary restrictions accommodated. Hot and cold soft drinks, coffee, tea, bread, jam and snacks are available through the day, so a diver does not have to wait for the next formal meal after surfacing hungry. Alcoholic drinks and spirits are also served. The table matters on a liveaboard because diving compresses the day into short intervals between briefings, entries and returns; food needs to be ready without making every meal an event. Here, the offer is broad enough for mixed groups, while local dishes give the route some connection to Thailand instead of making every plate interchangeable with one from home.

The cabin choice is unusually clear. Two upper-deck premium cabins offer 15 square metres, a double bed and an en-suite bathroom with both shower and bathtub. Four more upper-deck cabins measure 12 square metres and can be arranged with a double or twin beds; their wet and dry washrooms make a practical difference after repeated dives. Three lower-deck double or twin cabins provide 11 square metres, while two 7-square-metre single cabins give solo travellers their own bed and private washroom. Every cabin has air conditioning, lockable storage and towels, with fresh linen and daily cabin service included. At night, the important things are simple: a door that closes, a private bathroom and somewhere to put dry clothes and cameras. The air-conditioned cabins give the body a proper reset before the next dive day.

Recorded departures leave from Thap Lamu or Phuket, depending on the itinerary, and return to Phuket or Thap Lamu as shown by the route. Transfers to the boat on the departure date and from the boat on the arrival date are included. Pickup details are arranged for the trip dates. Arriving in the area the night before is the sensible choice, especially for a departure from Thap Lamu.

DiveRACE Class X uses renewable solar energy alongside its two 120KW generators. No further concrete information is provided about wastewater, plastics, anchoring or conservation programmes.