What is Pattaya famous for? Beaches, greenery, a huge variety of excursions, and more. For many years, it has been a destination for underwater enthusiasts. The tropical weather allows for diving all year round.
Diving in Pattaya: Prices, Clubs
There is a diverse selection of dive sites in the Pattaya area. Therefore, there are quite a few diving clubs in the city. Some of them have already earned an excellent reputation.
Map of shops and companies engaged in diving in Pattaya:
| Dive Centre / School | Type / Service | Price / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seafari Dive Centre | 2-dive trip for certified divers (own equipment) | from 2,700 THB |
| Seafari Dive Centre | 2-dive trip + equipment rental | ~3,000 THB (equipment +300 THB/day) |
| Seafari Dive Centre | Discover Scuba Diving (for beginners, 2 dives) | 4,500 THB |
| Seafari Dive Centre | Open Water Diver course (full certification) | 14,990 THB |
| Pattaya Dive Centre | 2-dive day for certified divers | 2,700 THB (own equipment) / 3,000 THB (rental) |
| Pattaya Dive Centre | 10-dive package (equipment rental included) | 12,000 THB |
| Pattaya Dive Centre | PADI Scuba Diver course (12m) | ~10,800 THB |
| Pattaya Dive Centre | PADI Open Water course (18m) | ~16,800-17,800 THB |
| Pattaya Scuba Adventures | 3-day package: 6 dives (own equipment) | 7,990 THB |
| Pattaya Scuba Adventures | 3-day package: 6 dives (equipment rental) | 9,490 THB |
| Pattaya Scuba Adventures | 3-day package: 9 dives (advanced, own equipment) | ~9,990 THB / 11,490 THB (with rental) |
Adventure Divers and Watersports
One of the most popular centers. The owners are originally from South Africa. The center owns a ship with a crew.
The club has a store with necessary diving equipment. Equipment rental is available.
Language: English.
Translator: for an additional fee.
Contact number: +(66)38364453
Aquanauts
The school owners are British. They operate officially with government permission.
The club owns a two-deck ship. Trips are organized at any time and to any distance. This school has one of the record numbers of dives in Pattaya.
Center services:
- beginner training;
- conducting specialized programs;
- training and certification of divemasters and instructors.
Language: English.
Contact number: +(66)38361724
Dive South East Asia
The center is famous for its experienced staff. A large selection of diving locations. Meals are provided for club members.
Language: Thai, English.
Contact number: +(66)868448088
Mermaids Dive Center
The school was organized about 30 years ago. This center boasts the largest number of issued divemaster and instructor certifications and licenses.
The club owns 3 boats. You can travel to nearby dive sites as well as distant ones.
Language: Thai, English.
Translator: for an additional fee.
Contact number: +(66)38303333
Ikhtiandr
The school organizes trips to locations up to 30 km from the city. A wide range of services includes:
- dives;
- preparation and training;
- issuance of category certificates.
Language: Russian, Thai, English.
Contact number: +(66)899387171
Dive Pattaya Info
The club organizes dives for both beginners and experienced divers. Here you can also be trained as a divemaster or instructor assistant.
Language: Russian.
Contact number: +(66)800688291
The cost of dives for obtaining an Open Water certificate starts from 16000 Baht ( 492.48 USD) (Updated from 14,000 THB). The course is three days.
Advanced Open Water from 14000 Baht ( 430.92 USD) (Updated from 12,000 THB) for a 2-3 day course.
After completing the training and dives, the diver is issued a temporary certificate. The PADI original is sent to the trainee’s address within 1-3 months.
Prices
The price for diving depends on several factors:
- the location chosen for the dive;
- the diver’s experience and certificates;
- availability of equipment.
The standard tour price includes:
- transfer from the hotel to the ship and back;
- food and drinks;
- instructor;
- equipment.
The price for diving in Pattaya starts from 2400 Baht ( 73.87 USD) per person. Dives are conducted near the nearest islands, such as Koh Larn, Koh Rin.
For distant locations, the price will accordingly be higher.
Excursions in Pattaya: Prices and Description
Excursion programs are mostly standard. There are only 2 differences:
- Location. Each company has its favorite islands.
- First dive. For beginners, it is usually conducted in shallow water; for experienced divers, it is immediately at depth.
The tour starts at 8 AM and ends at 5 PM. The program includes:
- Travel from the hotel to the pier;
- Briefing and equipment preparation on the ship while moving to the designated location;
- First dive;
- Lunch with a transition to a new location;
- Second dive;
- Return to the pier;
- Travel back to the hotel.
Such tours are conducted every day.
The cost of the standard program for beginners will be around 2900 Baht ( 89.26 USD) (Updated from 2,700 THB). For experienced divers with certificates, it is slightly cheaper – 2600 Baht ( 80.03 USD) (Updated from 2,400 THB). You can also bring friends along. For accompanying persons without diving, the excursion will cost 1500 Baht ( 46.17 USD) (Updated from 1,200 THB).
Photos and videos are ordered from the instructor and cost 1000 Baht 30.78 USD. It is very interesting and sometimes funny to watch the video of your first dive.
Best Seasons for Diving
It is no secret that eternal summer reigns in Pattaya. Accordingly, dives take place all year round. However, even here, the best season for divers is highlighted. It lasts from November to April. This is when there is practically no rain and the underwater visibility is excellent, up to 20 meters. Undoubtedly, this is the best period for a beginner’s first dive.
From May to October, the weather is cloudy and rainy. This reduces visibility by 3-4 times. And at this time, divers will see a lot of interesting things during the dive. There are several spots where the bottom is clearly visible even in bad weather.
Islands near Pattaya where you can go diving
The most popular island near Pattaya is Koh Rin. It is located nearby, but the underwater world is very diverse. Sea turtles and pufferfish are found here. With special luck, you can encounter a whale shark.
Moray eels, sea stars, and turtles live in the waters around the group of islands Koh Larn, Koh Krok, and Koh Sak. This is the closest point to Pattaya, and tourists are often brought here.
The uninhabited island of Koh Pai is located a little further. More experienced divers are brought here to see a sunken ship.
Among the distant dive routes are the Samae San area and Koh Chang Island. The journey to these places is not short, and part of the route will be by land.
Near Koh Chang, at a depth of 30 meters, there is a sunken vessel, 100 meters long. Beginners are not allowed on this interesting dive, but there is plenty of interest for them too.
The Thai government is increasingly closing access to some areas due to coral death.
The beauty of the Gulf of Thailand will not leave anyone indifferent. Try diving in Pattaya once, and you will want to repeat the experience again and again.
