Dive Site Name: Koh Chuang
Location: Largest island dived around Samae San almost 8km south of the harbor.
Conditions : generally good all year round
Average depth: 8m (20ft)
Maximum depth: 18m (60ft)

With it’s picturesque beaches and rocky headlands Koh Chuang offers several shallow dive sites, ideal training sites for beginner or novice divers. Usually you enter the water and follow the fringing coral reef down to a sandy bottom with patchy coral. It is not uncommon to see turtles around here, numerous fish including blue spotted sting rays, moray eels, fusilier, angel and butterfly fish make Koh chuang their home.

Dive Site Name: Koh Chan ( Pronounced Ko Jarn)
Location: Beautiful secluded dive site at the far most tip of the samae san chain of islands
Conditions : Generally good all year round
Average depth: 6m (20ft)
Maximum depth: 12m (60ft)

This island can also be divided on either side due to winds and currents.The southern most tip of the island has huge rocks that have fallen from the cliff, where it has eroded over the centuries. If you are anchored here for your lunch break it is well worth a snorkel trip around the shallow waters, it’s not uncommon to see small Black Tip reef sharks.

The best dive site here is the headland on the south east corner of the island on the seaward side. On entering the water follow the coral reef down. Upon reaching the bottom head south toward the headland, it will be shallow to start then rapidly getting deeper, large rocks covered in sea fan, whip coral, hard and soft coral. Many blue spotted sting Rays, schools of Yellowtail Fusiliers and lion fish can be seen feeding in the currents.

Dive Site Name: Koh Ron Khon & Kah Ron Nang
Location: Just next to Koh Chuang and the hardeep ship wreck
Conditions : Offers a dive in many conditions since has protected front and exposed ear for drifting
Average depth: 6m (20ft)
Maximum depth: 25m (80ft)

When entering the water on a incoming tide start at the southern end of the rocks on the eastern side, then let the tide take you the whole length of the two islands. On a good flooding tide you will move the whole length of the dive site quite quickly, this is not a problem, when reaching the northern end follow the rocks around to the other side, here you can remain out of the current for the rest of your allowable bottom time.

The northern tip of these islands is very deep and is popular with Tech divers as depths can well exceed the limits of recreational divers. You will see many clusters of filter feeding corals and sponges attached to the boulders

Dive Site Name: Hin Lak Bat – Shark Fin Rock
Location:  Approximately 1 Km west of the Hardeep ship wreck lies a small rock resembling a shark fin
Conditions : During northerly winds this site is quite suitable for novice divers. Southerly winds, however, make it suitable for more experienced divers only. Visibility ranges between 5m (16ft) and 15m (50ft). Strong currents can make the site unsuitable for novice divers, although one side or the other is normally protected.
Average depth: 15m (50ft)
Maximum depth: 28m (95ft)

Although at first sight Shark Fin looks to be a very small dive site, once in the water a large reef appears. On the north western side of the rock the reef close to rock is shallow,large areas of stag horns brain corals, barrel sponges and anemones are abundant. The main attraction is the South eastern side with it’s 16 m (55 ft) vertical wall almost breaking the surface. The north eastern side has a single rock formation that is vertical on the west and has a large sand bank sliding down to 25 m (80ft) on the east, this is home to some large Black Spotted Sting Rays. On a good day this is the best dive site Pattaya has to offer. Marine life is plentiful and varied.

SAMAE SAN SHIP WRECKS – THE HARDEEP AKA SUDDHADIP. SEE OUR WRECK DIVING SECTION FOR THE FULL DETAILS ON ONE OF THAILAND’S BEST AND MOST INFAMOUS WRECK DIVE SITES.