PADI 5 STAR IDC DIVE CENTRE
PATTAYA DIVE SITES
Welcome to the Pattaya Dive Sites section, here you can find a write up on all of Pattaya's recreational dive sites. Here you'll find links to all of Pattayas dive sites located at Pattaya Near Islands, Far Islands, Samae San Islands and Shipwrecks.
Each write up is taken from our friend Paul Lee's DIve Guide to Thailand
PATTAYA NEAR ISLANDS
PATTAYA FAR ISLANDS
SAMAE SAN ISLANDS
PATTAYA SHIPWRECKS
Text supplied courtesy Paul Lees. Author of Dive Guide Thailand
KOH LARN
Location: In the Near Island group Koh Larn is the largest of three, just over 12km (7 n. miles ) west of Pattaya Beach.
Conditions: All year round diving, offers good protection from strong currents and winds when far islands cannot be reached. Although the near islands is not the first choice for experienced divers, novices and training divers will find interesting spots. Visibility ranges between 5m (16ft) and 15m (50ft).Average depth: 7m (23ft) | Maximum depth: 15m (50ft)
Though not one of the area's strongest sites, this is worth an occasional visit when conditions are favorable. A word of warning, the near islands are used by hundreds of tourist everyday and boat traffic can be hazardous, especially at the north end of the islands. A surface marker buoy is essential. Koh Larn Vac has numerous corals in very shallow water, ideal for snorkellers and novice divers. In the bay at the southern most point of the island is a breakwater and a small concrete platform, about 50m (150 ft) form this platform are large concrete rings under the water. These rings are covered in soft corals and fans, many reef fish have made the rings their home. The reef getting a little deeper as it rounds the south west headland, it will continue north until reaching the next bay. You will find a few very large coral boomies along this stretch of coast line. Although you might not be able to get any deep water here you will be pleasantly surprised at the varied amount of marine life in the shallow waters.
KOH SAC
Location: This is the northern most island of the three near islands 10km (6 n. miles ) west of Pattaya Beach.
Conditions: During southerly winds this is a good site for novices. Visibility ranges between 5m (16ft) and 15m (50ft).
Average depth: 5m (16ft) | Maximum depth: 9m (30ft)
This site must be the most dived site by many of Pattaya's dive shops as a training site, but extreme care must be taken when in the centre of the bay or on the surface due to large tour boats, speed boats and jet skis, surface markers are a must.
The east and west headlands do offer some interesting shallow reef, as little as 3m (10 ft) in the centre of the bay at low tide. Due to the fact that the dive area is protected from the weather most of the year it some times has some of the best visibility. Divers will often see turtles, marine life is plentiful and varied.
KOH KROK
Location: This is the closest of all the dive sites off the Pattaya coast, 9km (51/2 n. miles ) east of Pattaya Beach.
Conditions: During northerly winds this is a good site for novices. Visibility ranges between 5m (16ft) and 15m (50ft).
Average depth: 7m (23ft) | Maximum depth: 12m (40ft)
Though not one of the area's stronger sites, it's worth an occasional visit when strong incoming tides are present, drift dives along this side of the island can be quite fun. Koh Krok is one of the least dived sites and anchor damage to corals is much less than some other areas at the near islands. One interesting feature here is an artificial reef project that was conducted by local divers a few years ago. Car and truck tires and cement blocks where put in the water, over the years soft corals, mussels and sponges have grown on the tires Hard corals along the southern side are home to many reef fish and a few turtles.
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