Scuba Destinations

 

Cambodia

Uncharted, virgin scuba diving sites, amazing visibility with marine life comparable to the Gulf of Thailand . . . .
Overview:

Although not known as a top dive destination the waters around the Cambodian coast line are now becoming one of the world's newest diving destinations which have yet to be explored properly for diving. After a 40 year period of virtual isolation from the outside world the Cambodian government has made a decision to allow limited, environmentally conscious tourism development in the islands.
 
Although diving is a recent development in Cambodia, the Koh S'dach Archipelago offers some splendid diving and untouched coral reefs. A hidden jewel, just waiting to be explored!

Diving the Koh Sdach Archipelago:
 
The best time to dive the Koh Sdach Archipelago is November and May. The peak season is from January until Mid April. The second week of July brings in the monsoon season and for this reason our diving is sometimes limited due to the weather in the months of July/August/September.
 
August and September too are wet months and although diving in these months come with their own charm; generally these months offer slightly reduced visibility and rougher seas than the peak periods.
 
With water temperatures not dropping below 27°C and averaging 29°C, diving here is extremely comfortable and enjoyable to learn. Visibility in our surrounding waters can vary from 10m-40m depending on the site and the season. Currents can range from nothing to strong and are completely dependent on the dive site and the tides.

There are dive sites suited for all levels of divers; however some of the best ones require an advanced level of certification.
 
Existing dive sites have proven to amaze and thrill divers of all levels; however there are areas of undiscovered and un-dived waters which hold much more to be explored.

Cambodia shares borders in the north with Laos and Thailand, in the east with Vietnam and in the southwest with the Gulf of Thailand.  Here's the map.


Thanks to James Vervoort, Koh Kong Diving Resort for contributing to this page.

What to see:
  • Explosion Reef - an off-shore reef formation - this site has some of the best visibility in the area.
  • Three Bears - a favourite site, you often find yourself followed by schools of batfish.
  • Sting Ray Alley - a huge amount of sting rays to be seen here both during the day and especially on a night-dive.
  • Beady-Eye Bay - best for night diving! 
  • Fly By Reef - a reef drift dive extending over rocks from the shore with the best corals at around 12m and a diversity of marine life. Great visibility.
  • Koh S'dach Archipelago
Need to know:
  • Yellow fever vaccination is required if travelling from infected areas within the previous week.
  • Landmines are still a threat in Cambodia, (estimated at some six million live mines dotted around). Stick to the beaten track.
  • As a general rule, check with the Foreign Office website for up-to-date information before travelling.
Useful stuff:
Language: English, French & Khmer
Currency: Riel
Time: GMT +7
Climate: Tropical
Natural hazards: None
Diving season: Year round
Water temperature: Jan to March - 28C/82F
June to October – 29C/824F
Hyperbaric chambers: Bangkok, Koh Samiu

South East Asia - Cambodia: Latest User Reviews

Great service and lots of fun  Angkor Dive Cambodia, South East Asia 5 Star Rating Added: 9th July 2011 by scubatraveler
I went diving with Angkor Dive in March 2011. They are a new dive shop and haven't been operating for long and only have a shop on the island of Koh Rong Samloem. Me and my girlfriend did our Open Water course with them and we stayed on the island...
Scuba Nation best choice in Sihanouk Ville  Scuba Nation Diving Centre, Cambodia 4 Star Rating Added: 5th June 2011 by trustmetom
Scuba Nation Review June 5, 2011 I have been diving in Cambodia (Sihanouk Ville) for several years and have used all three main dive centers. My first choice is Scuba Nation. Over all, the food was better, the personnel were more professional, the boats a bit cleaner and more seaworthy, etc....
A slightly different story  The Dive Shop, Cambodia 4 Star Rating Added: 14th January 2011 by r_a_bannister
I must admit that I hadn't read the reviews on here when I stumbled off my bus and into The Dive Shop; if I had, I probably wouldn't have gone in which would have been a huge shame. I spent a couple of days doing my advanced open water and was...
Save your diving for Thailand or go with another operator.  The Dive Shop, Cambodia 2 Star Rating Added: 6th July 2010 by sep313
See the previous review and that about sums these guys up. I think the dive master barely introduced himself to me and on day 2 when it ended up just being me and the dive master, i found out that the DM hadn't really been in Cambodia that long and...
good service  Scuba Nation Diving Centre, Cambodia 3 Star Rating Added: 27th April 2010 by monkeyfish
Did a fun dive with scuba nation. There are only 2 padi shops in Cambodia listed on the padi website and the second one “the dive shop” put us off by the stroppy girl at their shop who asked us not to interrupt while she went through their sales pitch....
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