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Scuba Diving in Hoi An

Open Water course
₫10,520,000
Water temperature
21–27°C

Updated July 2026

Good to know

Good to Know

  • Diving here means a boat trip out to the Cham Islands (Cu Lao Cham) — there's no shore diving directly from Hoi An itself; boats depart from Cua Dai Harbour, about an hour each way.
  • The best diving window is roughly March–September; outside that (especially Oct–Feb), rough seas can cancel boat trips entirely, so don't book a Hoi An stay purely for diving in the off-season.
  • Some of the best reef sites (Hon Tai, Hon Mo, Hon La, Hon Kho Me, Hon Kho Con) sit inside a strictly protected conservation zone — you generally can't visit independently and need to go with a licensed local dive operator.
  • The submerged site 'Ranh Manh' is explicitly for certified/experienced divers only, not for snorkelers or beginners.
  • If you just want a taste of the underwater world without diving, most operators also offer a beginner-friendly helmet 'sea-walking' option (notably at Hon Nhon) that requires no swimming or certification.
  • All diving here is a boat trip to Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands) marine park, not a shore dive from Hoi An — budget roughly 1-1.5 hours each way by boat.
  • Diving season is roughly March through September; visibility and trip availability drop off outside that window, so an Open Water course booked in winter may simply not be possible.
  • Only two well-established PADI centers dominate the market (Cham Island Diving Center and Hoi An Diving Center/Blue Coral Diving) — course pricing and schedule should be checked directly with them since fewer competing shops means less room for last-minute discounting.
  • Visibility at Cham Island is often described by past divers as mediocre by regional standards — worth setting expectations accordingly rather than comparing to renowned dive destinations.

Dive Sites And Conditions

Season Detail
The dry season (roughly March to September) is the main diving window, with calm seas and clear water from March to May and peak underwater visibility typically June to August. From October to February the area enters its rainy season, and rough seas frequently suspend boat trips and diving altogether.
Access Summary
Diving here is genuinely day-boat-based, not liveaboard-dependent and not shore-accessible. All diving happens at the Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands) archipelago, reached by boat from the mainland near Hoi An — there is no shore diving directly from Hoi An itself.
Marine Life General
Across the Cham Island dive sites divers commonly report clownfish (anemonefish), lionfish, molluscs, sea slugs, starfish, an abundance of hard coral species, nudibranchs, barracuda, razorfish, and pufferfish.
Location And Transfer
Dive operators pick divers up in Hoi An and transfer them to Cua Dai Wharf/Harbour to board the dive boat.

Named Sites

  • Hon Tai (Also Called Ear Island or Two Turtles Island)
    Type
    reef
    Access
    Boat-accessible on organized dive tours; independent access is difficult since it sits in the strict conservation zone
    Location
    Near Bai Huong Village; one of the sites inside the strictly-protected core zone of the Cham Islands Marine Protection Area
    Best Season
    March to September (dry season), with June–August often cited as peak visibility
    Marine Life
    Coral gardens and tropical reef fish typical of the protected zone; commonly included on organized dive-boat itineraries
  • Hon Mo (Tomb Island)
    Type
    reef / rocky reef with deep sections
    Access
    Regularly included on organized dive-boat itineraries; boat access only
    Location
    Near the main island, inside the strictly-protected core zone
    Best Season
    March to September
    Marine Life
    Coral gardens and unique underwater rock/granite formations
  • Hon La
    Type
    reef
    Access
    Boat access only, within the conservation zone
    Location
    Part of the strictly-protected core conservation zone
    Best Season
    March to September
    Marine Life
    Protected reef habitat; specific species not separately documented
  • Hon Kho Me
    Type
    reef
    Access
    Boat access only, within the conservation zone
    Location
    Part of the strictly-protected core conservation zone
    Best Season
    March to September
    Marine Life
    Protected reef habitat; specific species not separately documented
  • Hon Kho Con
    Type
    reef
    Access
    Boat access only, within the conservation zone
    Location
    Part of the strictly-protected core conservation zone
    Best Season
    March to September
    Marine Life
    Protected reef habitat; specific species not separately documented
  • Hon Dai (Also Called Hon Giai / "Long Island")
    Type
    shallow reef, snorkel- and dive-friendly
    Access
    Boat access; shallow enough that it's used for both snorkeling and diving
    Location
    Western side of the Cham Islands
    Best Season
    March to September; visibility peaks June–August
    Marine Life
    Thriving, largely untouched coral ecosystems described as a snorkeling paradise
  • Ranh Manh ("the Sunken Island")
    Type
    submerged pinnacle/reef, for certified divers only
    Access
    Boat access only, and explicitly restricted to experienced/certified divers — not a snorkel or beginner site
    Location
    A fully submerged islet near the main Cham cluster
    Best Season
    March to September
    Marine Life
    Not specifically documented beyond general reef fauna
  • Hon Nhon
    Type
    shallow reef / sea-walking site
    Access
    Boat access; primarily used for the helmet 'sea-walking' activity along a shallow underwater path rather than scuba
    Location
    Cham Islands
    Best Season
    March to September
    Marine Life
    Vibrant coral species and tropical fish in shallow water (5–6m)
  • Bai Xep ("Coral Beach")
    Type
    shallow fringing reef
    Access
    Boat access; shallow water suitable for beginners and non-swimmers as well as divers
    Location
    East coast of Hon Lao, the main Cham island
    Best Season
    March to September
    Marine Life
    Considered the largest and most diverse coral reef area in the Cham Islands
  • Bai Bim
    Type
    shallow reef
    Access
    Boat access only
    Location
    South of Bai Lang, Cham Islands
    Best Season
    March to September
    Marine Life
    Coral reefs supported by calm, sheltered conditions; largely undeveloped coastline
  • Bai Bac
    Type
    reef
    Access
    Boat access only
    Location
    Northern coast of Hon Lao
    Best Season
    March to September
    Marine Life
    Variety of coral and marine life

General Conditions

Current
Generally light, around 1 knot
Site Types
Predominantly reef diving, with some sites classified as wall and drift.
Water Temperature
21°C to 27°C
Average Depth Range
23m to 32m across the main dive sites
Note On Data
Depth/temperature figures come from an aggregated dive-site database covering the Cham Island cluster as a whole rather than being broken out per individual named site.

Typical Course Costs

  • Hoi An Diving Center (Blue Coral Diving)
    Hoi An Diving Center (Blue Coral Diving)
    ₫6,600,000
  • Hoi An Diving Center (Blue Coral Diving)
    Hoi An Diving Center (Blue Coral Diving)
    ₫10,520,000
  • Cham Island Diving Center
    Cham Island Diving Center
    ₫11,700,000
  • Hoi An Diving Center (Blue Coral Diving)
    Hoi An Diving Center (Blue Coral Diving)
    ₫9,863,000
  • Cham Island Diving Center
    Cham Island Diving Center
    ₫9,375,000
  • Hoi An Diving Center (Blue Coral Diving)
    Hoi An Diving Center (Blue Coral Diving)
    ₫9,200,000

Certifying Bodies And Levels

Primary Body
PADI
Notes
The two main established operators explicitly advertise the full PADI pathway from Open Water through Divemaster, including Instructor-level mentions at one shop, though Divemaster/Instructor candidates are a small niche compared to Open Water/Advanced students.

Levels Commonly Offered

  • Discover Scuba Diving (try dive, non-certified)
  • PADI Scuba Diver
  • PADI Open Water Diver
  • PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
  • PADI Adventure Dives / Specialty courses (e.g. Fish ID, Navigator, Buoyancy, Underwater Photography)
  • PADI Emergency First Response (EFR)
  • PADI Rescue Diver
  • PADI Divemaster

Operator Density

Summary
Small — two established, foreign-owned dive centers dominate the market, both running the full PADI training ladder and daily Cham Island boat trips. This is a modest number of operators compared to major regional dive hubs, not a large cluster of shops.

Named Operators Found

  • Cham Island Diving Center (CIDC) — booking office at 41 Tran Hung Dao St, Hoi An Old Town
  • Hoi An Diving Center / Blue Coral Diving — PADI Five Star Dive Center

Diving Season

Diving season runs roughly March to September; outside this window sea conditions around Cham Island are generally too rough for boat trips and courses may not run.

Location Note

All diving in Hoi An is done via boat trips to the Cham Islands (Cu Lao Cham) marine park, roughly 15-25 nautical miles offshore (about 1-1.5 hours by boat) — there is no diving directly off Hoi An itself. Dive shops/booking offices are based centrally in Hoi An Old Town, but the actual diving takes place at Cham Island.

Freediving Crossover

Found
No
Detail
No evidence found of dive shops in Hoi An offering dedicated freediving (AIDA/SSI freediving) courses, nor of Cham Island sites being specifically marketed for freediving. The shops identified are scuba-focused (PADI). This should not be assumed true without direct confirmation from an operator.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026

This section has no cited sources.

More About Hoi An

Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.