Houbihu

The profile does most of the work here. The bottom falls away gradually rather than in steps — sand with coral reef rock set into it — and the lower part of the slope sits in 13 to 18 metres, which keeps the whole dive inside recreational limits. There is no wall to follow and no route to memorise: you work out across the sand, pick up the line of coral rock, and come back shallower along it.

What holds the attention is the coral. Coverage across this stretch is high and the community is mixed, soft and hard species growing together on the rock that interrupts the sand, so there is a line of structure to follow rather than a bare bottom, and the open sand between the outcrops rewards searching slowly rather than covering ground.

Houbihu is a working port as well as a dive site. The harbour takes 350 fishing vessels, with the fishing fleet on the outer side and a 120-berth yacht dock inside, so boat movements decide where you enter and where it is sensible to surface. The water is also inside Kenting National Park's regulated zone, where the park sets out the type, area, timing and conduct of permitted water recreation — worth checking before the day rather than at the slipway.