I asked two diving school on Ko Lipe, here are the ansers:

1.Ocean pro Divers / Ko Lipe

The diving is definitely better at koh Lipe. The water is clearer and the corals both soft and hard are much more abundant.As for diving now or in a couple of weeks should not be miuch of a difference, still at the end of rainy season There is a couple of ways to get to Pakbara, depending on where you are coming from. The bus from Trang is about 1 hour and 20 min. to Pakbara or you could got Had Yai and mininbus from there also about the same bus time The ferries leave about 1:00 pm. the best 1 is Adang Sea Tour. We accept Visa/mastercard, We do not have bungalows but can assist in helping you find something that fits into your budget

2.sabye-sports / Ko Lipe

The middle of November is usually much better vis. Right now it is a bit stirred up by the weather. The diving is much better here than on Ko Tao. Yes you can come via Trang and then catch a mini van to the pier in Pak Bara. You can catch the mini van just to the north of the train station in Trang and they will take you right to the pier. About a 1 1/2 hour ride. See Adang Sea tour right at the pier for the regular ferry boat or check out one of the speed boats that make the trip in half the time. Check the wind and seas first at the speed boats can be dangerous at that time of year if the seas are rough. You can pay us by credit card but we charge the VAT and a 5% fee on top of that. If yo pay cash there aren't any fees. Our price for the five dive course is 11500 baht. We do not provide accommodation but there is a resort right next door. Rooms start at 400 baht per night.