Dive trip with DiveRACE Class X - 4 nights

DiveRACE Class X is a new 35-metre by 9-metre steel liveaboard created for dive safaris in Thailand's Andaman Sea. Its published layout spreads guest and working areas over four levels and limits capacity to 20 guests, supported by 12 boat crew and six dive crew. A broad beam, an 18-person operating team and two dedicated tenders are intended to keep dive preparation, meals and surface intervals organised without turning the vessel into a high-capacity cruise ship.

The vessel is specified with an SS400 steel hull, a cruising speed of about 10 knots, two 120 kW generators and a solar-energy installation intended to reduce generator load. The operator also lists an onboard watermaker, four life rafts, fire alarm and detection systems, and a night-watch arrangement. These are useful design indicators, but final statutory certification, flag, inspection record, medical oxygen inventory and commissioning status should be requested when those details matter to a club, charterer or insurer.

Indoor social life centres on an air-conditioned dining room where meals are individually plated. Snacks and coffee are advertised throughout the day. The published design also includes indoor lounge space, a library and movie or games options. Outside, guests are promised open and shaded seating, a rooftop bar and a sun deck with a 360-degree outlook. A jacuzzi and massage service appear in the operator's guest information. All leisure facilities remain subject to final completion, operating conditions and availability; a rooftop bar does not mean alcohol is complimentary.

The dive deck is supported by two custom HDPE tenders, each approximately 4.6 metres by 2.3 metres with a 50 hp Yamaha outboard. Their design includes a removable side opening and a heavy-duty folding ladder to simplify water entry and pickup. A membrane Nitrox system is planned onboard. Published environmental and service choices include reusable water arrangements and solar assistance, although neither eliminates normal liveaboard fuel use.

Class X is a purpose-built diving vessel rather than a general leisure cruise. Non-divers can still enjoy meals, decks, movies, games, permitted snorkelling and occasional beach visits, but there is no promise of a separate tender, private guide or parallel excursion programme. Marine-park rules, minimum water depth over coral, route timing and sea conditions determine which companion activities are possible.

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Cabin

DiveRACE Class X has exactly 11 guest cabins and 20 berths in its current sales inventory. The categories reconcile as follows:

• 2 Upper Deck Premium Double Cabins — 15 m² each, maximum 2 guests: each has one fixed king-size bed and a private ensuite bathroom with both a shower and a bathtub. These are not twin-share rooms and should be booked only by guests who will share the king bed.
• 5 Upper Deck Double/Twin Cabins — 12 m² each, maximum 2 guests: each can be prepared either with one double bed or two separate single beds and has a private ensuite wet/dry washroom. The required layout must be requested before departure rather than assumed onboard.
• 2 Lower Deck Double/Twin Cabins — 11 m² each, maximum 2 guests: each converts between a double and two separate singles and has a private washroom. These provide the same two-person flexibility on the lower level in a slightly smaller published floor area.
• 2 Lower Deck Single Cabins — 7 m² each, maximum 1 guest: each contains one fixed single bed and a private washroom. They account for two genuine single-occupancy berths and should not be marketed as double cabins or assumed capable of taking a second guest.

The arithmetic is important: 2 premium doubles × 2 guests, 5 upper double/twins × 2, 2 lower double/twins × 2 and 2 lower singles × 1 equals 20 guests. Some older deck drawings and reseller pages do not align cleanly with this current category summary. The copy above follows the operator's present cabin dimensions and current live booking inventory; the assigned deck, cabin number and bed setup should still appear on the final confirmation.

All 11 rooms are marketed with private bathrooms, hotel-grade 10-inch mattresses, hotel-quality bed linen, a safe and indoor and outdoor towels. Operator material also describes the cabins as air-conditioned. Premium bathrooms specifically include a bathtub as well as a shower; a bathtub should not be promised in the nine other cabins. Exact mattress width, bathroom floor plan, storage volume, window or porthole type, hairdryer, toiletries, USB ports, voltage at each socket and whether temperature can be individually controlled are not all published consistently.

The operator's current images of completed cabins and public rooms are design renders rather than evidence of a finished interior. Cabin finishes, colours and loose furniture can change between the drawings and the commissioned vessel. Request current dated photographs if an exact aesthetic or bathroom arrangement is material to the booking.

Sharing guests should choose one of the seven convertible double/twin cabins and obtain written confirmation of two separated beds. The two fixed king cabins are unsuitable for strangers sharing, while the two singles are the only published rooms designed for one person without a roommate. Single supplements or sole occupancy of a two-person cabin depend on the quotation and should not be inferred from the cabin inventory.

Movement between decks appears to require stairs. No lift, wheelchair-adapted cabin or accessible bathroom is advertised. Guests with reduced mobility, a CPAP machine, refrigerated medication, a service animal or another specific need should request a written suitability assessment and power-continuity plan before paying.

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Diving

The core Class X season covers the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, the Surin Islands and Richelieu Rock, with some routes extending south to Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Koh Haa and Phi Phi. Standard programmes advertise up to 14 dives on 5 days / 4 nights, 18 dives on 6 days / 5 nights, or 22 dives on 7 days / 6 nights. Those totals are operational ceilings, not guarantees: weather, park permission, moorings, currents, group experience, illness, equipment or vessel issues can reduce or change the plan without a per-dive refund.

Open Water certification is the published minimum. Advanced Open Water is strongly recommended for the seven-day expedition and recommended on the shorter northern routes. Under the operator's terms, an Open Water diver without a recognised deep qualification remains limited to 18 metres; every guest is also restricted by the maximum depth and conditions allowed by their own certification. The guide and captain may decline a site or profile even when a card technically permits it.

Groups are normally organised by experience, with a published maximum of five divers per guide and an average closer to four. A private guide may be reserved in advance, currently listed at THB 2,500 per day, subject to availability. The regular safari product is recreational no-decompression diving. The vessel design may support different equipment configurations, but a formal rebreather or technical-diving programme is not currently advertised and must not be assumed.

A standard 11-litre aluminium cylinder, air fills, weights and weight belt are included in normal dive operations. Cylinders use DIN valves with yoke inserts. Limited 15-litre aluminium cylinders can be prebooked at a current rate of THB 300 per day. Nitrox around 32% is optional and paid: current published prices are THB 200 per 11-litre fill, THB 2,500 for 14 fills or THB 3,200 for 18 fills; 15-litre Nitrox is THB 300 per fill, THB 3,600 for 14 or THB 4,500 for 18. A valid Nitrox certification is required. Availability, fill count and price must be reconfirmed for the selected date.

Every diver must carry a surface marker buoy. Guests can bring one or rent one, currently THB 100 per day. The current equipment list prices a XDeep backplate BCD and a Scubapro regulator at THB 400 per item per day; a mask at THB 100; a 3 mm full wetsuit, full-foot fins, Suunto Zoop computer and torch at THB 300 each per day. Sizes and quantities are limited, full-foot fins do not include open-heel fins or booties, and loss or damage fees apply. Prebook every required item and record sizes on the guest form.

Optional onboard training is advertised through RAID. Current examples include Explorer 30 at THB 8,500, Nitrox at THB 7,500 including instruction, learning material, certification and two fills, and a two-day DPV course at THB 20,000 subject to equipment and a minimum of two students. Course completion, dive count and price depend on prerequisites, instructor availability and conditions.

Thai marine-park camera rules deserve special attention. The operator advises that a diver may use an underwater camera in the Similan and Surin parks only when holding Advanced certification or showing at least 40 verified logged dives. Cameras are not used during training dives unless a dedicated photographer is assigned. Each diver should also carry proof of certification, recent experience and insurance.

Personal travel and dive insurance is mandatory under the operator's terms. It must cover the planned diving plus medical treatment, evacuation, personal liability, travel interruption and cancellation; English-language proof including evacuation and recompression coverage may be requested. The operator's passenger insurance attached to the national-park ticket is not a replacement for this personal cover.

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Other Information

Prices and benefits vary by duration, cabin type, sales channel and departure. The dated invoice and booking terms control the transaction. The following separation uses the operator's current itinerary, FAQ and price list and avoids treating an optional service as a standard inclusion.

Normally included in the published safari price:

• Accommodation in the confirmed cabin for the stated cruise duration
• Individually plated meals, plus routine snacks and coffee throughout the day; advise dietary or religious needs in advance
• Planned recreational dives with a group guide, subject to certification, conditions, park rules and the advertised route ceiling
• Standard 11-litre aluminium cylinder, air fills, weights and weight belt
• Use of the two purpose-built dive tenders when required by the dive plan
• Bed linen, hotel-style mattress, indoor towel and outdoor towel
• Scheduled shared pickup and drop-off shown on the selected programme for the stated Phuket or Khao Lak zones; exact hotel, airport, time and any out-of-zone surcharge must be confirmed
• Safety, vessel and dive briefings

Mandatory, not included in the base safari fare unless the invoice expressly says otherwise:

• National-park, boat, pier and passenger-insurance ticket, payable onboard. Current published totals are THB 2,300 per diver / THB 1,200 per non-diver on the 5D4N route; THB 2,700 / THB 1,500 on 6D5N; and THB 3,100 / THB 1,800 on the 7D6N Koh Lanta–Similan–Surin expedition. These government-linked amounts can change.
• Personal dive and travel insurance meeting the operator's required scope
• Valid passport, entry permission and any immigration or arrival costs applicable to the traveller

Optional or normally payable separately:

• Nitrox, 15-litre cylinders, rental equipment, SMB rental, private guide, training and DPV services
• Massage, currently advertised at THB 600 per hour and subject to therapist availability
• Soft drinks, beer, wine, alcohol and personal onboard purchases; the current list gives examples of THB 40 per canned soft drink, THB 80 per beer and THB 1,200 per bottle of wine
• Flights, hotels before or after the safari, private or off-schedule transfers, excess baggage, visa services and other personal transport
• Crew gratuities; no fixed tip is published, so any amount remains voluntary unless the booking contract states otherwise
• Costs caused by missed departure, late arrival, medical treatment, evacuation, trip interruption, lost equipment or damage