Koh Samui Diving
The warm temperatures and cool waters around Samui make scuba
diving a popular activity. Short accredited dive courses are
readily available and have become quite a popular activity
with tourists. Owing to its popularity, you can find a wide
range of dive shops offering beginner courses at very competitive
prices. Not only is the pricing competitive but in many instances
you can find dive course conducted in the language of your
choice.
All this, inspite of the fact that the water does not offer
the best visibility and the nearest dive sites are about two
hours away by boat.
One of the attractions, which make dive courses so popular,
is the good location from which it is conducted. Usually your
instruction is straight off the beach in the shallow claim
waters off Chaweng, Coral Cove or one of the other quiet coves
around the island.
The water visibility is anything between 2 to 15 meters and
currents in and around Samui itself are variable and not often
too strong.
Most dive shops are easily located and can be found throughout
the main tourist areas. For the novice and those with little
time to spare, the local reefs offer several enjoyable dives
accessible by boat within 5 - 25 minutes including: Lamai
Reef, Chaweng Reef, Koh Matlang, and Waikiki Reef. For the
more serious enthusiast, there are many dive sites within
2 hours by boat including: Ang Thong National Park, Kao Tao,
Sail Rock, Red Rock and Kho Nang Yuan - to name a few.
Koh Tao Diving
About 70 kms north of Samui is the island of Koh Tao. There
are numerous dive sites in and around Koh Tao (Turtle Island)
The Island is a tropical paradise offering jungle walks and
white sandy beaches. Here the water visibility ranges from
15 to 30 meters and includes the popular dive spots of Chumporn
and Southwest Pinnacles (which are sunken granite rocks) Nang
Yuan, Green Rock, White Rock and Red Rock. Around the island
the waters are home to an abundant range of marine life including
barracuda, tuna, snapper and sea turtles.
 Chumporn
Pinnacles
Considered one of the more challenging dive sites with occasionally
strong currents and depths of 10 - 35 meters, the site consists
of submerged pinnacles, The highest peak approx 16 meters
below the surface. Swim with man - sized Groupers and other
large pelagic fish including schools of Barracuda, Tuna and
Mackerel.
Southwest
Pinnacles
This site is a series of 3 rock formations, which range
from 4 to 30 meters under water - representing a series of
short wall dives. At the top of the pinnacles are blankets
of under water plant life in a stunning array of rainbow colours.
Between the rocks are many bushy black Coral Sea Whips and
Gorgonian Sea Fans. Leopard Sharks can readily be found and
it is even possible to find the occasional Whale Shark. Giant
Groupers are common here as are Scribbled Filefish, Masked
Porcupine fish, Yellowtail, Barracuda and Snapper.
Samran
Pinnacles
This dive site tends to attract the more advanced diver, because
the water is deeper and the currents are certainly much stronger.
The pinnacles are submerged in 12 meters of water and attract
large schools of Jackfish (bigger varities), Trevally, and
giant Barracudas.
Green
Rock
The site provides a good selection of swim through opportunities
in depths of 4 to 25 meters. The rock consists of large archways,
caverns, caves and rock crevices. Common sites are Harlequin
Sweetlips, Blue Ringed Angelfish and Morays. Sometimes you
can spot Whitetip Reef Sharks and further out in deeper water
- large Groupers, schools of Yellow Tail, Fusilier and Silver
Fish.
White
Rock
This dive explores two submerged pinnacles, which are only
two meters above the serface but extend between 18 - 22 meters
under water. Schools of butterfly fish and Angle fish predominate
and colonies of Staghorn corals attracting Breams and Damsels
to make their home here. On any given dive look out for the
more exciting sightings of Sea Snakes, Turtles, Moray Eels
and the Blue Spotted Rays. An interesting an equally exciting
part of your dive here is an encounter with White Rock's resident
Titan Trigger Fish - territorial by nature and supremely erratic.
Sail Rock:
North of Samui between the islands of Koh Tao and Pha-ngnan
is this internationally renowned dive site of Sail Rock. Although
only 15 meters above the water, the structure extends 40 meters
below the surface. The attraction about this dive site is
a naturally formed 15-meter high underwater dive wall or chimney.
Divers can ascend from 18 meters, up the chimney wall to the
surface - making this a unique diving experience. Visibility
is usually excellent at around 30 meters. The structure itself
is marked with small holes making it the ideal home to White
Eyed and Yellow Margin Moray Eels and large anemones. Sightings
of Reef Sharks and Manta Rays are common as are large schools
of Tuna, Jacks, Trevally and Barracudas. During the winter
months Whale Sharks can be seen on occasion.
Angthong National Park
Angthong national Marine Park lies approx. 30 kms to the
north west of Samui. Popularised lately by the movie "The
Beach" starring Leonardo Di Caprio - the park comprises
80 islands and offers some of the best beginner and intermediate
dives in Thailand. Koh Wao and Koh Yippon are the popular
diving sites with some of the best swim through experiences
not to mention other encounters with cave, tunnels and passageways.
The water visibility is 15 to 25 meters and is best visited
in the months of September through January. As its name suggests,
the marine park is a proverbial spawning ground for many fish
species and is home hundreds of different varieties of colourful
soft and hard coral.
Hin Wong
Hin Wong situated to the east of Koh Tao, is a large and
very varied site ranging in depths of between 10 - 30meters.
Unfortunately, the only shortcoming of the site is the unpredictable
water visibility, which cannot be assured at all times. Nevertheless,
the site abounds with delicate Sea Fans and spiraling Wire
Coral and is home to many types of fish including Groupers,
Filefish, Snapper, etc. If you are lucky and keep your distance
you may even see sea turtles feeding off the rich variety
of food the reef has to offer.
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