I Can't Swim. Can I Still Do a Phuket Island Tour?

Which island stops are shallow?

Khai island, the first stop on Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island: shallow, clear water where the fish come right up to the sand — the card calls it the easiest first snorkel there is. On Krabi tropical paradise the card says Pakbia and Lao Lading have shallow water near the shore where you can stand, and that you can keep a jacket on the whole time.

Coral island's Hin Dam bay, on the half day from Rawai, is another calm snorkel spot.

These are the easiest places to start.

Can I snorkel with a life jacket?

Yes. The jacket keeps you floating face-down comfortably, and you breathe through the snorkel. Stay close to the boat or the shore, and let the crew know you do not swim — they will point out the best place to get in and out.

Masks, snorkels and jackets are included on every snorkelling trip.

Which stops need more confidence?

Open-water snorkels: the Similan reefs, and the early boat's stop between islands 7 and 9. The Racha and Coral card says being able to swim makes the snorkelling stops much better. With a jacket you can still go in — just stay near the crew.

Pileh Lagoon on Phi Phi is swum straight off the boat; a jacket makes it easy.

Is there anything to do without getting in?

Plenty. The viewpoints — Sail Rock on the Similans, the Hong island climb, the Phi Phi Don viewpoint. Maya Bay, where swimming is limited anyway. The James Bond island day, where a guide paddles your kayak into the caves and lunch is in Koh Panyi. Monkey Beach, the Viking Cave, the lagoons from the boat.

And tours with no water at all?

The land days: the Khao Lak safari, the Phang Nga and Samet Nangshe days, Secrets of Krabi, the Phuket sightseeing tour. Rafting is on water but in a raft with an instructor, jackets and helmets — no swimming needed, minimum age six. See jungle tours.

Is the catamaran good for non-swimmers?

It is fun from the deck: the slide and the pool are the water part, and the boat itself is the entertainment. The swimming stops — Racha Yai, Pileh Lagoon — can be done in a jacket, or skipped for the view. Clear canoes and SUP boards need balance more than swimming, and jackets are there.

What about the Similans?

They are the most open-water of our trips, and the reefs are away from the beach. With a jacket and a calm sea you can still look down at the fish, but the beaches on islands 4 and 8 and the Sail Rock viewpoint are the easier parts for non-swimmers. Toilets and a small park shop are only on Islands 4 and 8, so everything else comes on the boat.

Is it worth taking a lesson first?

Not needed for our trips. The crews hand out jackets and show where to get in, and the shallow stops are genuinely shallow. If you want to go further, the diving day accepts complete beginners with a full briefing and an instructor throughout. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide.

Which trips should a non-swimmer avoid?

None is off-limits with a jacket, but some are less fun: the Similan day, where the best parts are reef snorkels in open water; the diving day, unless you want to learn; and the eleven-islands day, which is long and hops fast between water stops. The Phi Phi Khai island day and the Krabi island day give a non-swimmer the most.

How do I get in and out of the water?

From the boat's ladder at sea, or walking in from the beach where the stop is on land. At shallow stops like Khai island, Pakbia and Lao Lading you walk in from the sand. Ask the crew to show you the easiest spot, and keep the jacket fastened.

What should a non-swimmer bring?

Water shoes for rocky entries, a swim shirt against the sun on your back, and a dry bag for the phone. Tell us in the chat when booking; we suggest the calmest trip and pass the word to the crew.

Questions people ask