MV Koon 9 is the largest Similan liveaboard at 52 metres long and 10.5 metres wide. It's is simply huge. Although its guest capcity is 40 divers, there is still plenty of room for everyone to relax on board, and to gear up on the vast dive deck before jumping into the crystal clear Andaman Sea. All cabins are en suite, have a large window, and most have a smart tv. The boat's range of itineraries also makes it the perfect choice for a Similan or Richelieu Rock scuba diving cruise.
There are four decks on MV Koon 9, three of which are for guests, and the lower deck is for crew & machinery. The three guest areas are the main, upper and top decks. On Koon 9's main deck there is a vast diving platform, which is well designed to enable everyone to have their own tank slot and space to gear up. There's also plenty of storage boxes, cubby holes and rinse tanks. Just in front of the diving platform you will find the communal bathrooms. These is the perfect place to take a post-dive shower, visit the toilet, or change into your wetsuit. Then we have a sliding door from here into the air-conditioned corridor that leads to all of the boat's cabins. There are eight twin cabins on each side, and at the front of this main deck there are four double-bed cabins. All the cabins are air conditioned, and have a private en suite bathroom.
The upper deck of Koon 9 is where you spend most of your time relaxing indoors. There is a small outdoor seating area at the back of this deck, normally where guests might smoke or relax with a drink. But most of this upper deck is air-conditioned indoor communal areas for dining and enjoying the multimedia systems. Approximately 70% of this upper deck's indoor area is a huge restaurant dining room. Here you can enjoy fresh fruit & snacks all day & night, plus delicious meals served throughout the day. There's plenty of space to eat and the food is what you can expect from a master Thai chef! The remaining floor space is a large lounge saloon with comfortable sofas and armchairs, and a huge television with a games console.
Finally, the top deck of Koon 9 is an exposed area where you can top up your tan, enjoy 360° views, gaze at the night sky, or just enjoy the breeze with a few drinks with friends. There are sun loungers, soft seating and some shaded space up here. Wherever you spend your time on Koon 9, you will have space and the opportunity to relax and enjoy a wonderful diving cruise.
And another thing that makes Koon 9 such a great boat to join is its choice of itineraries. You can choose to join for 2D/1N (overnight trips), 3D/2N or 4D/4N. Plus, you can start your trip on almost every day of the week, to suit your holiday schedule. How is this possible? Well, Koon 9 goes out to sea from Khao Lak every Wednesday evening, and guests on these trips stay for four days and nights, completing up to 15 dives, and then return by speedboat transfer late on Sunday afternoon. Guests for the 2D/1N and 3D/2N trips start in the morning from Khao Lak by speedboat. You dive three times on the first day, and three times on the final day, before returning by speedboat. If you join for 3D/2N you can dive up to four times on the middle day of your trip.
Koon 9 has lots of different itineraries, so please check carefully.
The longest trips are 4D/4N and 15 dives. These trips leave in the evening every Wednesday, and you come back on a Sunday afternoon by speedboat.
There are also several different shorter trips, which all start in the mornings. You join by speedboat transfer from Khao Lak, and arrive on Koon9 at 9.30am. Then you dive for two days & one night (2D/1N) or three days & two nights (3D/2N). At the end of your trip, you come back to Khao Lak by speedboat.
Depending on the day of the week, your trip will visit different diving sites, and there are two different piers that the speedboats use. Therefore, please check carefully to make sure your chosen trip on the schedule matches the itinrary that you are looking at.
The itineraries below are the most-common for each trip, but these can sometimes be changed for a number of reasons. Small changes are made due to weather & sea conditions, special marine life sightings, overcrowded dive sites, local-authorities' instructions, and the needs & requests of the paying guests. The safety & comfort of all guests is most important at all times.
3 x 65person life rafts, Oxygen, First aid, Fire extinguishers, CCTV.
Courses
There's a selection of courses available on Koon 9, but most need to be booked in advance so that the team can prepare staff and materials.
Nowadays, it's common to do eLearning online before you come, to reduce time spent studying on the trip.
The Advanced Open Water Diver and Nitrox EANx courses are the most-commonly chosen courses on liveaboards.
Contact us for more information about courses on MV Koon9
Transfer details
The Koon 9 team collect you from Khao Lak hotels in the morning before the shorter trips, and in the evening for 4D4N trips. Transfers are shared with other guests, and at set times.
At the end of your trip you will be taken back to your Khao Lak hotel, in a van shared with other guests. If you need to go to Phuket, ask our team to help you with a private taxi.
Guests who are unable to meet the scheduled pick ups or would like private transportation are welcome to contact us to arrange a private taxi at the most competitive rates.
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