Koh Samui has for many years been one of Thailand's premier tourist destinations, as travellers and backpackers were drawn to the cheap cost of living on this tropical paradise with its stunning white beaches and crystal clear waters. Fortunately, strict planning laws and legislation have ensured that much of Koh Samui's laid back charm has remained in tact despite increasing numbers of visitors each year.
Today, Koh Samui has become home to a successful diving industry, and every year large numbers of scuba divers travel to Koh Samui to sample some of the excellent dive sites which can be found in the waters surrounding the island.
The scuba diving in Koh Samui tends to be focused in three main areas. The shallow bays such as Chaweng Bay, which are local to the island, the Angthong National Marine Park, and the sites to the north of Ko Pha-Ngan where some exceptional dive sites can be found.
Many of the dive centres on Koh Samui will also offer day boats which travel to the nearby dive sites around Koh Tao, including the world class Chumphon Pinnacle dive site.
Sail Rock is undoubtedly the most well known of the dive sites in Koh Samui, and on its day Sail Rock can offer diving as good as any to be found in the Gulf of Thailand. This granite rock, which stands approximately 15m above the surface, goes down to approximately 40 metres below the surface, and is surrounded by a series of smaller pinnacles. Sail Rock's main feature is a large underwater chimney, which you can enter via a large orifice at 18m, and from where you can ascend and come out at around 10m. Caution is advised here though, as the entry to the open water is often guarded by a resident Scorpionfish, so do dive slowly and carefully around the chimney area.
Samran Pinnacle is another of Koh Samui's more popular dive sites, and is often dived in combination with the Sail Rock dive site. This series of pinnacles is well known for the large number of pelagics which visit the site, and Dog-faced Tuna, Big-eyed Jacks and Spanish Mackerel can all be sighted here on a regular basis.
Scuba diving in Koh Samui is available on a year round basis, although it should be noted that the visibility in the region does improve significantly during the months of May to October.
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