Diving in Vietnam

[BikerManiac]

I was in Nha Trang in April of 2005. Thinking to go diving for 1 week, but instead I only did it for 1 day. The water was frrreeeeezzing, I bet some divers got minor hypothermia. Some wore 2 wetsuits.

The sites are not so great. Visibility was about 15-20 feet. I dove with Rainbow divers and the hottest DM I have ever seen. Her name was Kat from England.

Nha Trang is a beautiful city. You will like it a lot and people are very nice. In fact, Nha Trang is one of my favorites places next to Dalat, Hoi An and Hanoi.

 

[BlueDivingClub]

CoCo Center and Rainbow Very glad to meet both here ! I'm so scared with 2 dogs of CoCo Dive Center :14: I think them very dangerous :06: So, i think Rainbow is a good dive center here.Maybe Blue Diving Club too :05:
NhaTrang not number one but not bad for diving.It's beautiful city with Underwater National Park at Mun island.And the best for diving in May --> August with visibility >20m.

Now, Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to all !

 

[pelan-pelan]

BikerManiac - yes, can imagine it was cold in April. Dive in July/August and temps are around 27/28 C. And viz is good.

Thermoclines are absolutely amazing - more extreme there than anywhere I've been. You can see the shimmer in the water and you're thinking "Ohoh, is this a good thermo or a bad thermo?" You can have your head in water as warm as a bath and your backside freezing. In amongst the big boulders you can find pockets of warm/hot and sit in them looking up through the thermo shimmer to the colder. Fortunately distance between thermos is only a few yards.

Blue Diving - I have some very interesting pictures also of Nha Trang diving - it should not be written off. There is good small stuff - a range of nudibranchs equal to anywhere (and I've been to Lembeh) and other reef/rock dwellers. Fascinating stuff and the guides are helpful.

And Nha Trang is a great place - yes I would go back and yes I would dive again there. HCMC is a city with western influences. Get out and travel around and see Vietnam. The people are very helpful.

 

[BlueDivingClub]

Hi Pelan-Pelan

Many thanks about your sympathy with NhaTrang and Vietnam.Welcome you come back and diving in Vietnam !

 

[Tom Smedley]

Last I remember the water at Nha Trang looked the consistency of chocolate milk. (Thats a heck of a haul from Saigong) Have you looked into Vung Tau??

 

[BlueDivingClub]

Dear Tom

When you go to dive in NhaTrang at last ? I don't think the water at NhaTrang same same chocolate milk :14: Maybe you go to diving in raining season Try again later !

Happy New Year to you !

 

[Durand]

Shock !!! I'm saw and copy this news from another forum:

CoCo Dive Center was no longer a PADI member.This is newsletter of PADI :

Dear PADI Member,

We are writing to you to advise you that from 1 January 2006 Coco Dive Center, located in Nha Trang, Vietnam, is no longer a member of the PADI International Resort and Retail Association (IRRA). As such, Coco Dive Center is no longer authorized to:

· Represent themselves as a member of PADI

· Display the various marks of PADI in written or electronic form

· Conduct business in the name of PADI Asia Pacific

· Purchase PADI materials

· Use the PADI marks on or about the dive centre facility

Any representation, either verbal or by the use of the PADI marks, that represents Coco Dive Center as a member of PADI is false and misleading.

Sincerely,
____________________________________

PADI Asia Pacific
The Way the World Learns to Dive®
Unit 3, 4 Skyline Place
Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
Australia
Direct:
61 2 9454 2842
Main:
61 2 9454 2888
Fax:
61 2 9454 2999
Visit PADI: padi.com

And this is the link of PADI : http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/qm/report/specialdc.asp

 

[orangelemon]

Going out to Nha Trang at the end of January, to do my IDC, would appreciate any advice, hints and tips that people might have, im going with Rainbow Divers and Flying in to HCMC and then getting a connection flight to Nha Trang, been slightly put off by the average comments about diving in Nha Trang from this Thread as I have heard good things from other sources.

 

[Phil TK]

I did a couple of dives with Rainbow Divers and was not impressed. I didn't get ANY briefing because the Vietnamese guide spoke no English which is simply not acceptable.
Furthermore, my o ring blew underwater which is no big deal and me and my buddy had everything under control, that is until the diveguide interfered and grabbed me then finned me up from 8 metres in much less than 10 seconds!
I am a proffesional diver working in Thailand and I can tell you the proffesional standards in Vietnam are poor in comparison -all of the above simply should not have happened. I won't be diving with Rainbow again and certainly wouldn't reccomend it to anyone.
Oh, and whilst I'm in a bad mood (can you blame me!) I'll side with Jiveturkey in saying that the divesite seemed to be nothing but dead coral, it looked like dynamite damage to me.
Phil TK

 

[pelan-pelan]

Email Rainbow and let them know. This does not sound like the operation we dived with in July 2005. Their response will clarify whether they are still the same. Please let us know if the operation has changed - that would be disappointing but we need to know.

We were briefed and the dive guide was helpful with our questions after the dive - you know - what was this or that etc. English was not his first language but there were no problems with the basics. The staff managing the dive boat were either British or Australian. Dive boat had toilet and shower, refreshment of fresh fruit and superb cakes which everyone was enjoying. They also operated a speed boat for small groups which we found was a decent size and comfortable. We were kept with the same dive guide for all our dives, often just the two of us, occasionally with another one or two. He quickly learnt what we were interested in and made a point of conducting the dive accordingly. He looked after our gear carefully. Bluntly - no-one touches my gear but me until I am very sure of them - and then I still check it all myself - and too bad if they take offense. And he clearly understood this and seemed to appreciate it.

As for the diving - yes, no-one is claiming it is the most scenic in the world, and yes there is evidence of damage in the past. But there are dives with boulder-scapes, swim-throughs, thermoclines to blow your thermostat, and small stuff eg leaf fish and vast variety of nudibranchs, plus a range of of other fish eg moorish idols, sweepers. To enjoy your diving there do some homework on small stuff and particularly nudis so that you know your flabellina from your doris.

But don't go there for spectacular coral and shoals of large fish.