Samae San Marine Park Dive Trip — Hardeep Wreck & Shark Fin Rock
Two dives in the Samae San Marine Park, an hour down the coast from Pattaya, on the centre's own boat stationed there. From ฿2,900 per person, a full day, meeting on Pattaya Beach Road at 08:15.
Pattaya, Thailand · 8h · ฿2,900 Per person for a two-dive day trip with lunch and your own gear. With rental gear ฿3,200. The centre's Pattaya-islands trip is ฿2,700 own gear or ฿3,000 with rental, and a ten-dive package covering both areas is ฿12,000 with free rental gear. · EN
Excellent dive center located right on beach road. The team is experienced and always ready to help. The guys on the boat, instructors, divemasters, and staff are always available, knowledgeable, and friendly. On the second day, the spots we chose revealed their full beauty.
What is this tour like?
Samae San lies just under an hour down the coast from Pattaya, and the boats that make the trip are few — Pattaya Dive Centre keeps one of its three vessels, the Enterprise, stationed at the fishing village so it can dive the marine park regularly rather than occasionally.
The triangle of islands here is the reason to go. Koh Chuang is the largest, its beaches and rocky headlands hiding shallow sites like the Japanese Gardens where turtles, blue-spotted stingrays, moray eels, fusiliers, angelfish and butterflyfish are ordinary sightings, and where the depth stays around eight metres. Koh Chan sits opposite; the channel between the two holds the T-Wrecks, T.94 and T.95, sunk in September 2023. Three hundred metres from Koh Chuang lies the Hardeep, the WWII cargo ship bombed in 1945 whose survivors swam to that beach. Shark Fin Rock, a kilometre west, has a sixteen-metre vertical wall and a sand bank at twenty-five metres where large black-spotted stingrays rest.
A day is two dives with a hot lunch on board, and the boat master picks the sites in the morning from the conditions. Certified divers to Open Water level dive the coral down to eighteen metres; Advanced divers get the wrecks. The centre is a PADI 5-star CDC on Pattaya Beach Road and the day starts there at 08:15.
What are the highlights?
- A marine park that almost no day-tour boats reach
- The Hardeep, a WWII wreck bombed in 1945
- The T-Wrecks, T.94 and T.95, sunk as new dive sites in September 2023
- Shark Fin Rock — a 16-metre vertical wall and big black-spotted stingrays
- Shallow coral gardens at Koh Chuang for easier dives
- A PADI 5-star CDC centre running three of its own boats
How does the day go, hour by hour?tap a photo to enlarge
- 08:15Meet at the dive centre
The daily boat trips start at 08:15 at Tipp Plaza on Pattaya Beach Road: paperwork, gear and the plan for the day.
- TransitDown the coast to Samae San
Just under an hour by road to the fishing village where the centre's boat Enterprise is stationed.
- On the diveFirst dive in the marine park
About thirty minutes from the harbour to the islands. Koh Chuang, Koh Chan, Koh Ron Kon, Shark Fin Rock, the Japanese Gardens or Hin Chalarm — the boat master chooses on the day.
- MiddayHot lunch on board
Fresh food, drinks and snacks between the dives, with a shower and a toilet on the boat.
- UnderwaterSecond dive
A wreck for Advanced divers — the Hardeep or the T-Wrecks — or a second coral site for Open Water level.
- Back to baseBack to Pattaya
Return by boat and road to the dive centre. The exact finish time is confirmed when you book.
What's included in the price?
- Two dives in the Samae San Marine Park
- Transfers
- Professional assistance on the boat
- Hot lunch on board and refreshments
- Standard equipment rental on the ฿3,200 rate
What's not included?
- Dive lights and dive computers — normally charged extra
- Equipment rental on the ฿2,900 own-gear rate
- Course fees and certification
- Diving insurance
- Gratuities
What should you know before you go?
Who runs this tour?
Where do we meet?
Pattaya Dive Centre, 219/3 Tipp Plaza, Pattaya Beach Road, Chon Buri 20150 — 08:15. Transfer to the Samae San harbour is included.
Exact meeting point shared after booking.
FAQ
Is the price per person?
What is the difference from the Pattaya islands trip?
What certification do I need?
What time does the day start?
Which sites will we dive?
What is the Hardeep?
What can we see underwater?
Can I dive here all year?
How do I book and what if the weather turns?
Do you also run courses?
Quick questions
What do guests say?
“Excellent dive center located right on beach road. The team is experienced and always ready to help. The guys on the boat, instructors, divemasters, and staff are always available, knowledgeable, and friendly. On the second day, the spots we chose revealed their full beauty.”
“This place is fantastic. I spent over a week with this crew and each of their dive instructors was absolutely fantastic. They arrange rides, boats and lunch — some of the best food I had in Thailand was on a boat with this gang.”
“Amazing dive center. Super helpful and professional. I can confidently recommend the center for experienced divers and first timers alike. They helped introduce our 3 kids with their first dives smoothly and confidently.”
How can you pay?
You may also like
Pattaya Snorkelling Boat Trip — Two Island Sites and a Hot Lunch
A full day on a real dive boat as a snorkeller: two island sites, snorkel leaders and a hot lunch between them. From ฿1,200 per person, 08:00 to about 16:00 from Bali Hai pier.
Pattaya Speedboat Dive Trip — Islands & Wrecks from Jomtien
Two dives from a 12-metre speedboat that leaves Jomtien Beach and reaches the near islands in 12 minutes. From ฿2,700 per person, about five hours, maximum ten divers on board.
Pattaya Scuba Diving — Try Dive & Certified Dives
Pattaya scuba diving experience — guided dives for certified and first-time divers. From ฿3,800 per person, a full day, meeting at Mermaids Dive Center, Pattaya, at 08:00.
Guides & articles about Pattaya
Tips, destinations and everything water-sports.
Pattaya with kids: which trips work at which age
Of Pattaya's twenty-one water outings, three name an age, two publish a child rate and the rest say nothing at all. Here is which is which, what the numbers are, and what a family of four actually pays.
Read article →
When to go to Pattaya: the season by what you plan to do on the water
Pattaya has no single season — it has four different ones. What the operators actually print about high and low, wind, fishing and diving, how much low season saves, and why the hour of the day matters more than the month.
Read article →
Koh Larn (Coral Island): beaches, ferries and a day out from Pattaya
Koh Larn — the Coral Island of Pattaya — has six main beaches, two ferry ports and a fare of ฿30. Here is which beach is which, how the boats actually work, and when a ฿1,200 tour beats going by yourself.
Read article →