- Open Water course
- ₫11,700,000
Updated July 2026
Good to know
Good to Know
- There are two distinct diving areas near Da Nang: Son Tra Peninsula (close, near-shore, easy for a half-day) and the Cham Islands (Cu Lao Cham), which require a boat transfer from Hoi An and work better as a full-day trip.
- Neither area has liveaboard operations — this is day-boat diving only, so plan trips around the April-September dry season when seas are calm and visibility is best.
- October to February is the monsoon window: rough seas and poor visibility mean many operators simply don't run dive trips, so avoid booking diving for this period.
- Several of the best Cham Islands sites (Hon Tai, Hon La, Hon Mo, Hon Kho Me, Hon Kho Con) sit inside strictly protected Marine Protected Area zones and are essentially only reachable through a licensed tour operator, not independently.
- Reviews of Cham Islands dive/snorkel operators are mixed — some travelers have reported itinerary changes (e.g., island visits cancelled for 'weather') and disputes over refunds, so confirm cancellation/refund policies before booking.
- Most 'Da Nang' dive courses are actually run out of Hoi An dive shops with a boat crossing to Cham Island — factor in the transfer time and a possible Da Nang-to-Hoi An pickup fee when comparing prices.
- The Cham Island diving season runs roughly March to September; outside that window rougher seas can mean cancelled or snorkel-only trips, so build in flexibility if you're doing a multi-day Open Water course.
- If you want a more relaxed, shore-based dive experience without committing to a boat day, Son Tra Peninsula sites (Bai But, Bai Rang) inside Da Nang itself are shallow and easy — good for a first Discover Scuba Diving try-dive before committing to full certification out at Cham Island.
Dive Sites And Conditions
- Overall Accessibility Summary
- Diving here is genuinely day-boat based, not liveaboard-dependent — there is no liveaboard scene in the Da Nang/Hoi An area. Son Tra offers the closest, near-shore option right off Da Nang; the Cham Islands require a dedicated day trip with a boat/speedboat transfer from Cua Dai (Hoi An) and are the richer, more varied diving destination of the two.
Regions
Cham Islands (Cu Lao Cham)
- Conditions
- Visibility typically 10-25m in season, occasionally reaching 30m after calm spells; water temperature runs roughly 24°C (spring) to 30°C (summer), so a 3mm wetsuit is generally sufficient.
- Access Type
- Day-boat only — NOT a liveaboard destination. Almost all dives depart as a day trip: hotel pickup in Hoi An (sometimes Da Nang for an extra fee), transfer to Cua Dai Wharf/Port, then speedboat crossing.
- Best Season
- Dry season, roughly late March/April through August/September, is consistently cited as the dive season, with peak visibility from mid-May to early September. Monsoon months (October-February) bring rough seas, strong winds and visibility that can drop under 5 meters, and diving is generally not run then.
- Access Detail
- The speedboat crossing from Cua Dai to the islands takes about 15-45 minutes depending on the source and boat type; a slower traditional wooden boat option takes roughly 60-90 minutes and runs on a limited daily schedule.
- Marine Life Overview
- Across the Cham Islands generally, divers report sea turtles, seahorses, frogfish, moray eels, lionfish, barracuda and manta rays (seasonal), on top of the site-specific highlights above.
- Distance From Da Nang
- Approximately 45 km from Da Nang city; the islands themselves sit about 15-18 km off Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An.
- Wreck Note
- One tour-operator source mentions limited wreck diving in the wider Da Nang area 'on historical sites from the Indochina Peninsula wars,' but no specific named wreck site was corroborated across sources, so this should be treated as unconfirmed rather than a documented, bookable wreck dive.
- Protected Area Note
- The area is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area). Five sites — Hon Tai, Hon La, Hon Mo, Hon Kho Me and Hon Kho Con — are designated strictly-protected zones, and independent access to them without a licensed tour operator is difficult under Vietnam's biodiversity conservation law.
Sites
Hon Dai
- Type
- reef / rock formation, shallow
- Depth
- Roughly 5-7m at the shallow sites; described elsewhere with dramatic rock formations and swim-throughs for more advanced divers
- Marine Life
- Hawksbill turtles, sea cucumbers, coral gardens
- Notes
- One of the largest islands in the group; a popular beginner/photography site as well as a deeper option with rock swim-throughs depending on the exact spot dived.
Bai Bac
- Type
- reef, sheltered bay/beach dive
- Depth
- Roughly 3-12m (some sources cite 5-7m for the shallow section)
- Marine Life
- Schools of red snapper and butterflyfish, clownfish, sea slugs
- Notes
- A secluded beach on the north coast of the main island (Hon Lao), good for both beginners and more experienced divers.
Hon Tai (Also Called Ear Island / Two Turtles Island)
- Type
- reef / coral boulders, strictly protected zone
- Marine Life
- Octopuses, cuttlefish, rich reef ecosystem
- Notes
- One of the five strictly-protected Marine Protected Area zones; commonly included on organized dive-tour itineraries near Bai Huong village.
Hon Mo
- Type
- reef slope, strictly protected zone
- Depth
- Roughly 4-35m
- Marine Life
- Hard and soft coral, trumpetfish, clownfish, nudibranchs, seahorses
- Notes
- Frequently described as the flagship dive site of the Cham Islands; also a favored spot for independent-style exploration.
Hon Nhan / Hon Nhon
- Type
- pinnacle / drop-off
- Depth
- To about 40m
- Marine Life
- Nudibranchs, ribbon eels, barracuda
- Notes
- A more advanced pinnacle dive; Hon Nhon is also used as a shallow 'sea-walking' (helmet diving) site for non-swimmers.
Hon Lao (Main Island)
- Type
- wall / deep reef / caves
- Depth
- Roughly 10-45m
- Marine Life
- Large fish schools, nudibranchs
- Notes
- The deepest and most adventurous option in the group, with rock walls and sea caves for experienced divers.
Bai Xep
- Type
- shallow fringing reef
- Notes
- Reef sits very close to the surface — a snorkel/free-dive favorite rather than a deep scuba site; calm, sheltered bay.
Bai Ong
- Type
- reef
- Notes
- Largest beach in the group, with coral reefs that sit somewhat deeper than at Bai Xep.
Hon La, Hon Kho Me, Hon Kho Con
- Type
- reef, strictly protected zones
- Notes
- Named as part of the five strictly-protected MPA zones; less frequently detailed individually in available sources but included in the marine reserve's core protection area.
Son Tra Peninsula
- Access Type
- Near-shore / short-boat accessible — the most convenient option for nomads based in Da Nang itself, without the boat transfer needed to reach the Cham Islands.
- Best Season
- Same broad window as the Cham Islands — April to September is the recommended dry-season diving period, with October to February generally avoided due to rain and rough seas.
- Marine Life Overview
- Coral beds with sea anemones, crustaceans, pipefish, sandy-patch invertebrates, and reef fish; described as generally shallower and calmer than the Cham Islands.
- Distance From Da Nang
- About 8 km from downtown Da Nang.
- Protected Area Note
- Son Tra has an officially designated coral protection area covering about 134 hectares across five zones.
Sites
Hon Sup
- Type
- shallow reef
- Depth
- Shallow, close to the surface
- Marine Life
- Butterflyfish, sea cucumbers, clownfish, sea stars, occasional octopus
- Notes
- A quiet island off Son Tra, often chosen for beginners thanks to its shallow reef and calm water.
Bai But
- Type
- shore dive
- Notes
- Cited as one of the easiest access points for scuba diving in the Da Nang area.
Bai Rang / Bai Nom
- Type
- shore/secluded cove dives
- Notes
- Named among the coral-protection zones on Son Tra; dive sites here are tucked into secluded coves along the coastline.
Dong Bai Bac, Huc Lo
- Type
- reef zones within the Son Tra coral protection area
- Notes
- Listed as part of Son Tra's five officially protected coral zones; less individually documented for scuba (vs. snorkeling) but part of the same reef system.
Certification Availability
- Other Bodies Mentioned
- SSI is referenced as an alternative recognized standard by at least one operator review site, but we could not confirm a specific SSI-branded shop name locally — PADI is overwhelmingly the standard here.
- Primary Certifying Body
- PADI (dominant body advertised by essentially every operator found)
- Typical Course Structure
- The PADI Open Water course here is typically run over 3 days: an e-learning/knowledge-development portion plus pool (confined water) sessions, followed by open-water dives out at Cham Island. The Advanced Open Water course is typically run over 2 days covering 5 adventure dives.
Typical Pricing
PADI Open Water Diver Course (3 Days, Full Certification)
- Price
- ₫11,700,000
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course (2 Days, 5 Dives)
- Price
- ₫9,375,000
Discover Scuba Diving / Try-dive Day (1 Dive + Snorkeling on Second Site)
- Price
- ₫1,800,000
Fun Diving Day Trip, Certified Divers (2 Dives, Non-course)
- Price
- ₫2,100,000
Levels Commonly Offered
- PADI Discover Scuba Diving / 'try dive' (no certification, no prior experience needed)
- PADI Open Water Diver (entry-level certification)
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
- PADI Divemaster (professional level) — advertised by name at Cham Island Diving Center and Blue Coral Diving, up to Instructor level at the latter
Operator Density
- Summary
- Da Nang's real certification-course diving industry is centered almost entirely on Cu Lao Cham (Cham Island), reached by a roughly 30-40 minute boat ride, with the dive shops themselves mostly headquartered in nearby Hoi An rather than in Da Nang city proper — though they run daily hotel pickup services from Da Nang.
- Density Estimate
- A handful of established named operators (roughly 3-5 confirmed by name) rather than a huge, saturated market — smaller than major Vietnam dive hubs like Nha Trang or Phu Quoc, but enough for genuine choice and price comparison.
- Other Named Shops
- PADI's own shop directory lists additional 'PADI 5 Star' dive centers serving Da Nang/Hoi An with multiple instructors on staff, though exact additional shop names beyond the above were not independently confirmed at the time of research.
- Genuinely Da Nang Based Sites
- Separate from the Cham Island scene, some operators run half-day trips directly out of Da Nang's Son Tra Peninsula (about 20 minutes from Dragon Bridge) to shallow sites like Bai But, Bai Rang and Hon Sup — good for Discover Scuba Diving and shore-entry dives, but this is more of a casual dive/snorkel scene than a certification-course hub, and no specific dive shop name based there was confirmed.
Named Operators Confirmed
- Cham Island Diving Center (CIDC) — based in Hoi An Old Town, describes itself as one of the largest dive centers in Vietnam with over 20 years running, PADI Five Star certified, offering courses from Open Water through Divemaster
- Blue Coral Diving (Hoi An Diving Center) — PADI dive center offering fun dives, snorkeling tours, and courses from Open Water to Divemaster and Instructor
- Danang Scuba — a smaller, individual-training-focused operation run by a PADI Platinum Course Director with 17 years' experience in Vietnam, positioned as an alternative to the more crowded Cham Island group operators
Freediving Crossover
- Details
- At least one major operator (Cham Island Diving Center) explicitly accommodates freedivers on its regular boat trips at the same price as snorkelers, and customer reviews describe instructors giving informal freediving tips/lessons during snorkel trips. This is casual crossover on shared boat trips rather than dedicated, structured freediving certification courses (e.g. no AIDA/SSI freediving course was confirmed as a standalone offering here).
- Genuine Crossover Confirmed
- Yes
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.