Deep Six

Deep Six sits off the north point of Similan Island 7 (Koh Payu), in the Similan Islands National Park, Phang Nga Province, Thailand. The name is a historical holdover: Koh Payu was originally numbered Island 6 before a 1980s renumbering (which required islands to have their own vegetation) made it Island 7 — the dive site kept its old “Six” name (idcphuket.com, diving-thailand-phuket.com search consensus).

Overview

The site is a V-shaped boulder formation with large granite boulders, swim-throughs, and a notable feature referred to by operators as “The Living Room.” Deep dives here typically run 30–40 meters (idcphuket.com, rayadivers.com). This corrects the site’s previously stated location (western face of Island 7) — sources consistently place it at the north point.

Site Information

• Location: North point of Similan Island 7 (Koh Payu), Similan Islands National Park, Phang Nga Province, Thailand
• Entry Type: liveaboard
• Site Type: Boulder
• Difficulty Level: Advanced
• Maximum Depth: 40 meters
• Typical Visibility: 15–35 meters
• Current: Moderate to strong
• Best Time: November to May

Marine Life

Sources report whitetip reef sharks, leopard sharks, and stingrays in the deeper sand areas, along with giant trevally, dogtooth tuna, rainbow runners, and large schools of fusiliers (idcphuket.com). This replaces the previous marine-life list, which included Napoleon wrasse and ghost pipefish not corroborated by the sources reviewed in this pass; those have been removed rather than carried forward unverified.

Dive Profile

Deep dives here explore the boulder field down to 30–40 meters, where leopard sharks and stingrays are most reliably found in sandy pockets. “The Living Room” — a named overhang/chamber feature reported by operators — is typically visited as part of the standard route. Divers ascend through the boulder swim-throughs as the dive progresses.

Entry and Exit

Liveaboard access only. Zodiac entry with giant stride; guides adjust the exact entry point based on current conditions at the north point.

Tips and Recommendations

• Scan sandy pockets in the deeper boulder gaps carefully for resting leopard sharks — they blend into the substrate
• Ask your guide to point out “The Living Room” feature, a named overhang reported by several local operators
• Watch for dogtooth tuna and rainbow runners hunting at the edge of the fusilier schools in the current

Safety Considerations

Current and depth are the defining hazards here — this is a genuine deep, current-exposed boulder dive requiring Advanced certification and comfort with drift conditions. Maintain contact with the formation and monitor no-decompression limits carefully given the 30-40m working depth.

Photography

Wide-angle compositions of the boulder architecture with a diver for scale work well here. Leopard shark portraits require a slow, low approach from the sand level. Fast-moving pelagics (tuna, trevally) reward a wide field of view and quick shutter response.

Sources: IDC Phuket, Raya Divers, Divezone, Diving Thailand Phuket. Last updated 2026-07-05.