Should I dive Vietnam?

[tangfish]

I'm going to be in Thailand for a week and a half and I'm thinking of making a stopover to Vietnam, is it worth bringing my dive gear along? What is the diving like there? I've already dove Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines so I'm looking for something new around there.

 

[drbill]

Certainly an area I've been interested in trying- Nha Trang area specifically but other sites as well.

Dr. Bill

 

[alcina]

I just had two students here who had spent over a month diving in Vietnam - they raved about it. Sounds like a great experience if you can.

 

[tangfish]

its strange how all the dive books and websites either just gloss over Viet-nam or don't mention it at all. I met one person who said there was splendid diving there as well, and he was an instructor from Thailand. Thanks for the info.

 

[Hoosier]

I don't have a chance to dive over there yet. But, I know that many foreign dive business mans are running the dive resorts in Viet-nam. What I was told is a darn cheap with the full service.

 

[ssra30]

I kept hearing mixed view about it. Generally not as good as other here, ranged from all ruined from dynamite fishing to unsafe equipments, tanks which were last inspected during Vietnam war etc. However, none of these informations were first hand so I definitely would like to hear more from people who have been there as well. Potentially it could be a great place to dive and not very far from Thailand.

 

[jiveturkey]

I dived in Nha Trang last spring with Coco Divers. They were great. The diving wasn't terrible but it wasn't good either. It was passable. There is a lot of damage to the coral and the aren't many varieties of fish. There are no wrecks because apparently everytime a ship goes down, locals salvage them despite the protests of the dive shops.

I was there and wanted to get wet and ended up having fun. I usually enjoy diving even if there isn't much to see. But I certainly wouldn't go there specifically to dive. It unfortunately isn't that good.

 

[stevenl]

I have worked in Vietnam for a short spell, but decided that IMO the diving was not worth it. I worked for Coco, and was very disappointed with their lack of safety conscience.

In general lots of dynamite fishing still going on, not much variety in fish life, good variety in macro life, and bad visibility.

 

[tangfish]

hmmmmm.....thanks guys, i think I'll leave my gear at home and just check out the land based fun.