Ao Nang Diving

Nestled on Thailand’s Andaman Coast, the underwater action here is unparalleled and can rival even some of the best diving spots on Earth. With diverse topography and prolific amounts of marine life, beginners and seasoned divers are bound to endure an unforgettable subaquatic adventure.

 

Diving in Ao Nang

Ao Nang is located on Thailand’s Andaman Coast in the popular Krabi province. Characterized by warm turquoise waters, white silky sandy beaches and lush mountainous greenery, it’s a postcard-perfect place for beach bums and adventure-seekers alike.

Ao Nang itself boasts plenty of activities to enjoy, with scuba diving being one of the favourites. Diving here is suitable for all skill levels, and with lots of dive areas to discover, it’s no surprise divers come back time and time again to the region. 

Dive sites in and around Ao Nang typically entail rocky pinnacles and boulders that form interesting caves and swim-throughs, in addition to long, shallow, bustling coral reefs that overflow with tons of tropical life. Macro life is just as thriving, and it’s entirely possible to encounter the big stuff, such as manta rays and whale sharks. 

Dive courses are a good choice here, especially for beginners that want to take an open water certification, as shallow, easy diving conditions are the norm. Experienced divers can opt for advanced courses, and even cave and wreck training, as there are lots of exciting sites that permit such adventure.

Within the region, the two main diving hotspots are the Ao Nang local islands, which are around 40 minutes by longtail boat or 10 minutes by speedboat from the mainland, and the world-renowned Phi Phi Islands, which are around a two and a half hour ride away. The local islands are very different to the Phi Phi Islands, as conditions are more unpredictable. However, macro life here is exceptional, which keeps photographers entertained for multiple dives. The Phi Phi Islands experience more crowds, not only because they’re internationally famous thanks to the movie “The Beach,” but also due to their magnificently beautiful and varied dive sites.

Diving here is easy to organise in Ao Nang or on Railay Beach, as well as a few other local places. Many of the abundant dive centers and dive resorts offer daily trips both locally and further afield to iconic sites like King Cruiser Wreck, Anemone Reef and Shark Point, and also Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. Boats venturing to the Phi Phi Islands and the sites that are further from Ao Nang mainland are usually two or three-tank dive trips, leaving early in the morning and returning in the late afternoon.

Liveaboard safaris are extremely easy to find, with plenty offering trips all around Ao Nang and Krabi. For those that just want to dive dive dive and skip the multiple-return journey time, it’s possible to dive all the best spots in the region via liveaboard, all within a relatively short space of time.
 

Best time to dive

Ao Nang diving is great all year, with warm ocean temperatures lingering between 27°C-30°C (80°F-86°F) through all seasons. Visibility is also welcoming, averaging between 8-30 metres, though it can be quite unpredictable at times. The best visibility of up to 30 meters is seen during the half-moon period during any given month when the tidal variation is minute.

The high and dry season is from November to May, and diving conditions are most favorable. Seas are calmer and the best dive sites experience the least waves and winds, though do expect sites to be a little more crowded.

The rainy season, from around May/June to October, still promises good diving, as critters aren’t affected by the livelier weather, and some clear, sunny days do occur. Plus, dive sites are much quieter, and there are good deals on diving and accommodation to be found during this time.
 

Types of diving

Boat diving is common practice in the region, though some shore diving is possible from a few beaches. Liveaboard boats and day-trips are the best options for diving in Ao Nang.

Reef diving is very popular with beginners and advanced divers alike, as the reefs are teeming with vibrant life, and are home to an abundance of diverse species.

Wreck diving is also a good choice, as the area is home to some phenomenal shipwrecks, including the world-famous King Cruiser and Kled Geaow wrecks.
For qualified divers, cave diving is possible, as the rocky boulders and exciting underwater seascapes that dominate the dive sites provide interesting structures to enter and explore.
 

What to see

The usual Indo-Pacific suspects are hugely abundant in Ao Nang, from colorful hard and soft corals, tiny nudibranch, shrimp and porcelain crabs, to large pelagics like manta rays and whale sharks, the area truly has it all. Reef fish like anemonefish, angelfish, batfish, lionfish, and enormous schools of yellow snapper are everywhere, in addition to moray eels, sea snakes, and even hawksbill turtles. Blacktip reef sharks are a popular sighting, and some divers might even spot a resting leopard or nurse shark, or a number of blue-spotted stingrays in the sand. Camouflage kings like cuttlefish, octopus and scorpionfish can be found by observant divers, while huge schools of barracuda and trevally form silver slow-moving walls.

Best places to dive

The Ao Nang Local Islands are several rock islets that feature caverns, walls, swim-throughs and drop-offs. Some of the well-known sites include Koh Yawabon, Koh Talu and Koh Sii. Marine life is as equally mesmerizing on the rainbow reefs, and passing pelagics are possible too.

The Phi Phi Islands, accessed by day-trip, boasts lots of memorable sites, including Viking Cave, Maya Corner, Palong/Malong and of course, the world-famous Bida Islands. All sites here have everything, from artificial reefs, endless walls, shallow pretty reefs and epic topography. The spots here are especially known for tornadoes of yellow snapper, black tips, hawksbill turtles, and seemingly infinite reef species.

Anemone Reef is a submerged limestone pinnacle that is covered by carpets of swaying anemones. It’s an unforgettable dive site, with plenty of fish action and the possibility of passing whale sharks. The King Cruiser wreck is an encrusted ferry that sank in 1997 after colliding with Anemone Reef and now rests on the ocean floor. Home to tons of lionfish and pufferfish as well as a plethora of other species, this is a spectacular shipwreck that shouldn’t be missed.

Shark Point is a series of underwater pinnacles that are bursting with literally everything you would want to see on a dive. From vibrant hard and soft corals and colorful macro creatures, to schooling fish, reef sharks and endless rainbows of reef fish, this site comes in at one of the favourites for many of the locals.