Vietnam | May 2024 |
While in Hoi An during my 1-month motorcycle tour of north and central Vietnam, I learned one can go diving there. So I signed up for a day out with Cham Island Divers. I am writing this a few months later and I lost all my photos to a faulty SD card - so this post is not heavy on details. Regardless, you can here glean a few tips about diving at Cham Island and who to go with.
There are a number of dive operators in Hoi An and Da Nang, taking people to nearby Cham Island. I signed up with Cham Islan Dive Center based on their reviews and after stopping at the shop and talking to one of their partners, a high-energy Italian guy (forgot name). I could tell from the get-go that this was a reputable shop and the type of people I like to go diving with. It was explained to me that visibility was not great at the moment.
The next day I rode my own scooter to the pier (everyone else got a pick-up and ride there. The boat is impressive, a huge traditional wooden junk. The boat trip out of the harbour is interesting, a chance to visualize Hoi An's interesting history as a major sea trading crossroads. I was pretty surprised by just how many people were out for the day, seemed like 15-20. I dived with Joe, French, a career dive pro who had been working in Hoi An for 8 years, and a few other divers from Australia and Europe.
Once in the water, it was clear that the visibility was not great (pun intended). And there wasn't a lot of sea life action in the water in the 2 sites we visited.
In retrospect, I don't give Cham Island a high rating as a dive destination. But, I did have a great day out with a fun group of people and really enjoyed it - diving is not just about the actual diving. If you are in Hoi An and looking for something interesting to do, away from the massive hoards of tourists, diving is a great alternative activity.
The only picture I managed to save from the day
Questions?
Contact me at sdasia@gmail.com, happy to help.
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