Vietnam

[Xizang]

Work might be relocating me to Vietnam late this year or early next year. Is there diving (tech and rec) happening in Vietnam?
I also recently started training for triathlon and was also wondering if there are places there to swim, bike and run. From what I read on lonely planet it seems that the traffic culture is a bit on the wild side but then again I'm from Manila so I wonder how different it is from here.

 

[drbill]

Look for the Rainbow Divers web site. They are based in Nha Trang, but have been expanding their operations into other parts of the country. Although I've never dived there, I've heard good things about what Jeremy and Caroline have created... some of that feedback coming from divers who live in Nha Trang and dived out here on Catalina a few years ago.

My understanding is that, like some parts of China, areas near the river mouths have pretty poor visibility. However, areas more remote from the rivers such as offshore islands may be the best places to dive. However, contact Rainbow as they can give you much better information than this "armchair" Vietnam diver can.

 

[red_barbarian]

Rainbow divers and Sailing Club divers are the 2 op's I'd recommend. The islands Con Dao and Phu Quoc have air service. Nha Trang is on the coast and you can drive up from Sai Gon. (HCM) The viz is seriously affected by rains in Nha Trang. The driving in Vietnam is considerably wilder than in the Philippines. Rainbow Divers is advertising Tec training now.

 

[stevenl]

You will find Nha Trang being the diving capital of Vietnam.

Take the seasons into account, January is not a good time e.g.

 

[DevonDiver]

I've just returned from travelling Vietnam and during that time I stopped in Nha Trang to complete some excellent dives with 'Rainbow Divers'. I'd recommend them to anyone. They offer instruction for DSAT Tec courses, although the underwater topography in that area is very shallow and does not lend itself to tech diving.

The dives that I did tended to be shallow reef dives and there was a nice range of macro subjects to view, including frogfish, leaf scorpionfish, boxfish and a wide range of nudibranch..... If you want to get the most out of diving in Vietnam....get a macro lens for your UW camera and go with the flow in that direction.

IMHO, the nearest 'great' tech diving opportunities are in Thailand...I dive with the guys from the MV Trident (tech exploration/liveaboard) from Koh Tao. They dive virgin deep wrecks all the time and have made some great discoveries. Given the cheap cost of regional flights to/from Vietnam, this would be a real option for you.

 

[Thalassamania]

The last time I dove Nah Trang was way back in 1974 and it was wonderful, I always hoped that it survived the war and the post war development.

 

[clgsamson]

some literature in the link ScubaGlobe Asia Pacific - Search=

(iwan mo na kami?)

 

[Xizang]

thanks for the reply guys...

clgsamson - haha not sure yet. its hanging now, but I'm working on it..

 

[hmoffatt]

Is Nha Trang the best place to go, in early October?
I'm hoping to visit on holiday next month and would like to do a few dives somewhere afterwards. I'm brand new at this (PADI Open Water + 5 dives).

Rainbow Divers' web site lists a few places but it's hard to compare.
Phu Quoc seems to be out in October though.

thanks
Hamish

 

[hmoffatt]

Oh and will equipment rental be safe and practical? I would only have my own mask and fins.