Merdeka 1 — a classic ironwood dive boat for small groups

Merdeka 1 suits divers who want a small liveaboard with a traditional ironwood hull and a straightforward diving setup. Up to 12 passengers share the boat, so the group stays limited without turning the trip into a private charter. The trade-off is clear: there is no nitrox, no technical-diving programme and no Wi-Fi. Choose this boat for its compact scale, its established working character and its access to Thailand’s Similan diving area, not for resort-style extras.

Built in 1996, Merdeka 1 has the settled character of an older working dive boat rather than a new floating hotel. Ironwood is the defining material, and the layout is made for a small group moving between cabins, the indoor saloon and the dive deck. English is the crew language. The boat can also be booked for groups or charters, which makes its limited passenger capacity useful when the aim is to keep familiar faces around the table and on the dive deck.

Merdeka 1 is sized for up to 12 passengers, with an English-speaking crew and an indoor saloon that keeps the group together when everyone is back on board. The atmosphere is likely to suit divers who prefer a compact boat to a large resort-style vessel: there are fewer people to navigate around and fewer separate spaces to disappear into. Groups and full charters are also possible, making the boat particularly coherent when the passengers already know one another.

An English-speaking crew runs the boat, and the vessel carries full safety equipment. Beyond that, the available information does not give the guide-to-diver ratio, guide qualifications, logged-dive requirements, course programme, briefing format, recall system or the onboard emergency equipment. The boat is therefore best judged here by what is confirmed: English-language support, a dedicated dive deck, tender access and a diving setup aimed at recreational rather than technical operations.

The dive operation is built around a dedicated dive deck and a 3.4-metre RIB that takes divers to and from the water. Rental gear is available for a surcharge. Nitrox is not available, and the boat is not set up for technical diving. The specifications do not give the tank material or volume, valve type, compressor details, camera facilities, rinse tanks or return shower, so those points should not be assumed. Divers planning a particular equipment setup should check it before boarding.

Between dives, Merdeka 1 gives passengers two different places to settle: the sun deck with loungers when the weather calls for open air, and the indoor saloon when shade is preferable. There is no Wi-Fi, so the quiet hours are not built around a screen. The boat’s useful comfort is simple and close to the diving—somewhere to sit, dry off and wait for the next call to the deck.

Meals are served buffet-style, combining Western and local food rather than limiting the table to one tradition. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated. The format fits a dive boat well: food is available for the group without turning every meal into a formal service, leaving the table to do what it should after a dive—feed people and bring them together.

The cabin choice is simple. Four Bunk Bed Cabins have twin bunk-style beds, while two Deluxe King Cabins replace the bunks with a double bed and add an ensuite bathroom with hot water. Fans are fitted in every cabin, and pillows, bed linen and towels are provided. The Deluxe cabins offer the more private night; the bunk cabins keep the arrangement practical for divers who care more about the day’s diving than cabin space. Wi-Fi is not available, so the boat’s nights stay separate from the online world.