Diving Opportunities on Koh Chang

One of the most popular activities to enjoy while on Koh Chang is diving. Whether you are a novice or a pro, there are plenty of sites to keep you busy and you won’t be disappointed with the island’s offerings! The best time to take advantage of the myriad of diving opportunities is between October and April and the best dive sites are found on the western and southern tips of the island – in between Koh Chang and Koh Kood. It’s here that you will find an abundance of coral, anemones, reef fish and moray eels. For something even more special, head south for the chance to spot white-tip reef sharks.

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The dive sites can be separated into two main groups: the ones closer to Koh Chang tend to support larger schools of fish and solitary larger fish, but less corals, while the dive sites in the Marine National Park, with Koh Rang as the centre, tend to have smaller fish but an abundance of corals.

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As well as the copious coral and reef fish, you will also be pleased to know that there are two wreck sites nearby – the closest is simply known as the Koh Chang Wreck. It’s a Thai warship with the name “Thonburi” which was sunk by the French navy in 1941 and sits at just 15 metres deep in Salakphet Bay (on the southern tip of the island). There’s plenty to explore and a great deal of sea life which calls the wreck home.

The other wreck is the Pak One Wreck. This ship sank in August 1996 after hitting a coral reef on its way to Vietnam. It actually resurfaced eight years later but the 900-tonne tanker was a danger to ships on international waters so had to be re-sunk 35 metres below the surface by the Royal Thai Navy and now sits between Koh Chang and Koh Samet.

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When it comes to dive centres, you won’t be short of options; but at the same time there’s less choice than on more developed islands. I feel that this creates a much more persona vibe among the businesses, many of which are family owned. You’ll find all sorts of dive shops and schools, from White Sands Beach all the way down to Bang Bao, all of which offer various PADI courses for beginners and more advanced divers – Plenty to choose from!

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In case you were planning a trip to neighbouring Koh Mak and wanted to dive from there, you’ll also find a handful of small operations on the island but the dive sites offered are the same as what are offered on Koh Chang.

Boat trips to the different sites range in price depending on the distance and each trip will typically include two dives, all of the equipment needed, transportation, food and a dive master.

Since most of the diving trips from Koh Chang start from the Bang Bao pier, a fisherman village in the south of Koh Chang that stands on stilts on the sea, there is not much difference in the distance from either island.

More information on diving off Koh Chang can be found here:

The only independent diving website on KohChang: http://www.divekohchang.com
Detailed descriptions and maps of a few Koh Chang dive sites: http://www.diving-thailand.org/dive-sites/gulf-of-thailand-dive-sites/koh-chang-dive-sites
Overview of Koh Chang dive sites: http://www.allaboutscubadiving.org/divesites-koh-chang.html
Overview of Koh Chang dive sites and site descriptions: http://www.diveguidethailand.com/scuba-diving-koh-chang-thailand.htm
Directory of major dive operators on Koh Chang: http://dive-directory.com/dive/thailand/koh_chang/

All pictures in this Blog are courtesy of BB Divers www.bbdivers.com