Southeast Asia · Thailand
Koh Samui & Koh Phangan
Longtail reef dives at Koh Ma and Rock Point off Koh Phangan
Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are neighbouring islands in the Gulf of Thailand, each with its own dive schools. From Phangan, longtails reach Koh Ma and Rock Point, and the west coast offers long, relaxed dives over hard coral at Mae Haad and Haad Yao. Samui's speedboats run to the limestone islands of Angthong Marine Park and on to the Gulf's offshore pinnacles. Most local sites are shallow and easy, with the bigger pinnacles a day trip away.
About diving in Koh Samui & Koh Phangan
On Koh Phangan, longtail boats from Chaloklum Bay run the local dives: Rock Point lies on the east tip of the bay, five minutes away, and a longtail lets divers work all the way around Koh Ma off the north-west corner. From Samui, speedboats reach Angthong Marine Park, Sail Rock, Chumphon Pinnacle and Koh Tao in under an hour, so short local dives sit alongside full-day trips to the bigger sites.
Underwater the terrain changes from site to site. Koh Ma shelves steeply, with hard coral and, at depth, soft and whip corals. The west-coast reefs at Mae Haad, Haad Salat and Haad Yao give long, relaxed dives over a good range of hard corals and typical reef fish, while Laem Chua and Laem Tian begin on reef, round a shelving point of rock and finish on the reef of the next bay. Angthong's 42 limestone islands add caves, swim-throughs, overhangs and sloping reefs.
The islands suit divers who want relaxed reef dives close to shore, a course from beginner to professional level, or a base for adding the offshore pinnacles as day trips. Most local sites are shallower, shelving reefs that suit beginners and Discover Scuba Diving. Divers after serious diving day after day are better based on Koh Tao or aboard a liveaboard; the shops on Samui are geared to casual day trips.
Best time to dive Koh Samui & Koh Phangan
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
Diving runs all year in this part of the Gulf. January through April brings the calmest conditions and the best visibility. June to August is the other favoured stretch around Samui, although the monsoon brings more rain and occasional rough seas to Angthong from July to October. November is the one month to avoid, when the north-east monsoon can make conditions difficult.
Dive types & marine life
Barracuda and queenfish hunt around Koh Ma when a current is running, with big grouper, bannerfish and schooling fish on the same island; the west-coast reefs hold typical reef fish. Whale sharks are a Sail Rock day-trip animal, peaking there from March to May with a second window in August and September.
- Reef
- Wall
- Drift
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
Best dive sites in Koh Samui & Koh Phangan
- 1
Koh Ma
Steeply shelving island off Phangan's north-west corner, dived to about 24 m.
- 2
Rock Point
A miniature Sail Rock of small walls and swim-throughs off Chaloklum Bay.
- 3
Laem Chua
Reef start, then a drift around a rocky shelving point, to 18 m.
- 4
Mae Haad
West-coast coral reef for long, relaxed hard-coral dives to about 14 m.
- 5
Samran Pinnacles
Pinnacles where currents are often strong; for experienced divers only.
Site guides
Artificial reef
Four man-made reef units on the floor of Chaloklum Bay
Table corals and barrel sponges straight off the beach
Reef
An artificial coral nursery beside a gentle island reef
A miniature Sail Rock of small walls and swim-throughs
Reef
Barracuda and queenfish hunting along a steep island slope
Reef
A drift around a rocky point between two coral bays
Banded sea kraits and great barracudas on a calm reef
How to get to Koh Samui & Koh Phangan
Koh Samui has its own airport, with flights from Bangkok and other Thai cities. Ferries from Samui reach Thong Sala pier on Koh Phangan several times a day. Phangan's dive schools sit at Haad Yao, Haad Chao Phao and Chalok Lam; on Samui the shops cluster in Chaweng and the dive boats leave from the piers at Bophut and Bang Rak.
Dive videos
Plongées en Thaïlande - Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui [GoPro HD] · François Delon on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is there a fee to dive Angthong Marine Park?+
Yes. Visitors pay a national park entrance fee that varies by nationality and age, generally between 25 and 300 baht.
Is shore diving on Koh Samui worthwhile?+
Generally not. Shallow bays and sandy beaches silt the water and cut visibility off Samui itself, so diving from Samui is mostly done by boat to Angthong and the offshore sites.
Can divers based on Koh Phangan reach Sail Rock and Koh Tao?+
Yes. Phangan's schools add day trips to Sail Rock, Koh Tao and Angthong Marine Park to their local longtail dives.
Why is Rock Point only dived at some times of year?+
Its visibility varies through the year, which makes it a seasonal site rather than an everyday one.
Sources
- Local Dive Sites - Koh Phangan — Chaloklum Diving
- Silent Divers — Silent Divers
- Diving in Koh Samui — PADI Blog
- Haad Yao Divers — Haad Yao Divers
- Ko Pha-ngan — Wikivoyage
- Ko Samui — Wikivoyage
- Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park — Wikipedia
- Ko Samui Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
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