Redang & Perhentian Islands · Malaysia · Wreck
Vietnamese Wreck
A troop transport at 24 m, with penetration for overhead divers
Area photo: Ditch Townsend · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Vietnamese Wreck, also called the Pasir Tani Wreck, lies at 24 m off Perhentian Kecil. It was a troop transport that was used by Vietnamese asylum seekers in the 1970s before ending up sunk in Malaysian waters, and that crossing is what gave the site the name divers use. Penetration is possible for divers with overhead certification.
Also known as Pasir Tani Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
5.8966° N, 102.7094° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wreck sits at 24 m, and that sets the shape of the dive: a working depth near the limit of a standard recreational plan, a short bottom time and a descent straight onto the structure rather than a swim to find it. Most of the dive is spent along the outside of the hull, which is where the marine life that has taken the wreck over is easiest to see without going inside.
Penetration is possible for divers with overhead certification, and only for them. The interior is a genuine overhead environment rather than a swim-through, and it needs the training, light and line that go with that; everyone else gets a complete dive from the outside. No visibility or current figures are published for the site, so ask what conditions have been doing before committing to a deep dive on it.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Pasir Tani
- Type
- Troop transport
- Cause
- Not established in published sources; the vessel ended up sunk in Malaysian waters
- Lies
- On the bottom at 24 m off Perhentian Kecil
The name divers use comes from the boat's last working life. It was a troop transport, and in the 1970s it was used by Vietnamese asylum seekers before it ended up sunk in Malaysian waters, where it now lies at 24 m as a haven for marine life. No published source gives the year it went down, the circumstances of the loss, or the vessel's own name and service before that crossing, so the wreck is dated by the story attached to it rather than by any record of how it was lost.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Redang & Perhentian Islands: The marine park is officially closed November 1-February 28 for the northeast monsoon; conditions are calmest and clearest April-September.
Know before you go
- At 24 m the no-decompression time is short. Plan the deepest part of the dive first, watch gas closely and leave the wreck with reserve rather than at the turn pressure.
- The inside of the hull is an overhead environment. Divers without penetration training, a light and a line stay outside the structure.
Questions divers ask
Can you penetrate the Vietnamese Wreck?+
Yes, but only with overhead certification. The interior is a true overhead environment; divers without that training dive the outside of the hull, which sits at 24 m.
Sources
- Vietnamese Wreck - Scubago — Scubago (SSI)
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