Phú Quốc Diving — Vietnam

Phú Quốc's An Thới archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand offers easy, warm-water diving at bargain prices. The island's rapid resort development has brought dive infrastructure while coral gardens around the southern islands remain healthy. Dugong sightings are rare but possible in the seagrass beds.

Score
61.8 / 100
Country
Vietnam
Region
Asia-Pacific
Area
Kiên Giang Province
Nearest airport
Phú Quốc (PQC)
Visibility
5–18 m
Water temperature
26–30 °C
Max depth
22 m
Current strength
mild
Dive types
reef, shore, wreck
Best months
November, December, January, February, March, April
Minimum certification
Open Water
Access type
boat
Average 2-tank dive cost
$60 USD
Budget tier
budget
Key species
dugong, seahorse, cuttlefish, clownfish, bamboo shark
Google rating
4.3 (180 reviews)
Top operators
Flipper Diving Club, Phu Quoc Diving
Nearest hyperbaric chamber
Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City (~200 km)
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World Class
Beginner Friendly
Phú Quốc
VietnamAsia-Pacific
61.8

SCORE

10.2270°N

103.9570°E

Phú Quốc's An Thới archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand offers easy, warm-water diving at bargain prices. The island's rapid resort development has brought dive infrastructure while coral gardens around the southern islands remain healthy. Dugong sightings are rare but possible in the seagrass beds.

Vietnam's Emerald Island Diving

Visibility5–18 m
Temperature26–30°C
Max Depth22 m
Currentmild
2-Tank Dive$60
Best MonthsNovember, December, January, February
CertificationOpen WaterBeginner Friendly

Score Breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

ML52.0CH42.0VIS42.0SV52.0TMP88.0DA48.0OP65.0TS80.0GT72.0VAL88.0CRD60.0SP52.0

Marine Life

52.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity
50
Megafauna Encounters
38
Reef Fish Abundance
55
Macro Life
58
Endemic Species
42
Marine Life Diversity
52.0
Coral & Reef Health
42.0
Visibility & Conditions
42.0
Dive Site Variety
52.0
Water Temperature
88.0
Depth & Access
48.0
Operator Quality
65.0
Topside Experience
80.0
Getting There
72.0
Value & Cost
88.0
Crowding
60.0
Social Proof
52.0

Key Species

dugongseahorsecuttlefishclownfishbamboo shark

Dive Types

reefshorewreck

Traveling with Non-Divers?

Great news for traveling couples and families — this is a budget-friendly destination with plenty of affordable topside activities to keep non-divers happy while you explore below the surface.

Activities for Non-Divers

VinWonders theme parkPhú Quốc night marketfish sauce factory tourSao Beach

Nearby Cultural Sites

  • Phú Quốc Prison Museum
  • Dinh Cau Temple

Non-Diver Partner Score

9/10

Excellent for non-divers — they'll love it here.

Family FriendlyYes
Restaurants & Nightlifemoderate

Safety & Emergency

Dive Insurance

Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.

Learn More at DAN.org
Hyperbaric Chamber200 km — Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City
Nearest Hospital10 km

Local hospital on island; air evacuation to Ho Chi Minh City for serious cases

Skill LevelBeginner Friendly
Current Strengthmild

Top Operators

Flipper Diving Club

PADI

4.5
140 reviews

Phu Quoc Diving

SSI

4.4
110 reviews
Compare This Dive Site
Honest reality check

What your dive shop won't tell you

The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.

Recommended logged dives
10+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification
Open Water
“Accessible to most certified divers with basic open water skills.”

What will challenge you

  • →Nearest hyperbaric chamber is ~200 km away. Evacuation is slow. Dive conservative profiles and get DAN insurance before you fly.
  • →Variable visibility
  • →Navigation in low viz

What will surprise you

  • →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 4°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
  • →Phú Quốc has more marine life variety than most divers expect
  • →Local operators know spots the guidebooks miss
Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: First light to 11am for best visibility..

Morning
  • Viz
    moderate
  • Current
    mild
  • Crowd
    light
  • reef exploration
  • photography

Best light and calmest conditions before afternoon wind picks up.

Afternoon
  • Viz
    moderate
  • Current
    mild
  • Crowd
    moderate
  • drift diving
  • second tank

Wind chop can reduce viz. Still diveable but morning is better.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month Viz (m) Temp (°C) CurrentSea RainConfidenceHighlights
Jan12–1828MildCalmLight70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good, peak season crowds
Feb12–1828MildCalmLight70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good, peak season crowds
Mar12–1828MildCalmLight70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good, peak season crowds
Apr12–1828MildCalmLight70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good
May12–1828MildCalmLight70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good
Jun5–1229ModModWet70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good
Jul5–1229ModModWet70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good, manta season
Aug5–1229ModModWet70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good, manta season
Sep5–1229ModModWet70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good, manta season
Oct5–1229ModModWet70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good
Nov12–1828MildCalmLight70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good
Dec12–1828MildCalmLight70%reef fish active, wreck visibility good
Shoot here

Photography brief

Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.

Macro subjects62
Wide angle52
Viz stability38
Hover friendliness100
Natural light36

Recommended kit

  • →General reef kit — mid-range wide or a 60mm macro depending on the specific site
Level up here

What this site will teach you

The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.

Budget
$1,750–$2,400

Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats

Flights (RT from US)
$1,100–$1,300
Accommodation / day
$25–$50
Diving / day
$50–$60
Food / day
$10–$25
Transfers + misc
$50–$150
Mid-range
$2,650–$3,800

3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants

Flights (RT from US)
$1,550–$1,850
Accommodation / day
$60–$120
Diving / day
$60–$80
Food / day
$30–$60
Transfers + misc
$50–$150
Splurge
$4,400–$6,700

Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators

Flights (RT from US)
$2,250–$2,750
Accommodation / day
$150–$300
Diving / day
$80–$100
Food / day
$70–$140
Transfers + misc
$50–$150

Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.

Pair with

Build a trip around it

Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.

Best dive types here