Scuba diving in Cambodia

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

sierrakilo

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
72
Reaction score
36
Location
Philippines
# of dives
Hi.

I'm currently in Cambodia and thought I would just search here on Scubaboard to see what other divers thought of the diving here. Since my search didn’t come up with much, I thought I would contribute a little (for once!), so others might plan a trip here if they should so wish.

Four years ago I traveled through Cambodia and worked a few months for EcoSea, one of the dive companies here. Back then I was really not very impressed with the diving. The diving was pretty similiar to the rest of the Gulf of Thailand, so in other words much like diving at Koh Tao, Pattaya, Koh Chang and so on. A bit better than a good day in Stoney in other words =) ... The visibility of course depends on weather and season, but I’d say that three days out of four, it’s between five and ten meters. The dive shops will probably tell you otherwise, but in my humble experience you should always take visibility claims with a bit of salt, if you hear it from dive operators.

There are three dive shops in Sihanoukville, which as far as I know is the only place in Cambodia, where SCUBA diving is going on. The shops are The Dive Shop Cambodia, Scuba Nation and EcoSea diving. The latter two are the oldest, but it’s my impression is that all three are roughly of the same standard, and are primarily oriented at bargain-seeking backpackers. All three dive operators go to the same dive sites.

A few weeks ago, I was passing through Sihanoukville again, and got to do a few PADI open water courses for EcoSea because I accidentally stepped into the store to say hi while a group of young Danes who wanted to learn to dive was in there. As it happens, I’m Danish as well, so it was quickly decided I’d teach them. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised about the equipment, as it was mostly brand new and in good service. A clear improvement from four years ago, but the dive shop is under different management now, so perhaps that’s why?

Diving and courses are generally very inexpensive. There is a pretty fierce competition between the stores, which of course is great for the customers. You can take the PADI Open Water + Advanced, and get four days of room and board on Koh Rung Sanloem Island, for just 600 USD all inclusive! I noticed that there seems to always be a handful of divemaster candidates as well (no idea about price for an internship, sorry.) Two fun-dives cost $ 60 including all equipment, guide, breakfast and lunch. Please note these are the prices at EcoSea. I'm not sure about the exact prices at the other two stores, but they're bound to very similar.

The diving takes place around the island of Koh Rung Sanloem, and is mostly macro diving. There’s more fish life now than four years ago, but I am still not exactly overwhelmed by it. However, there are plenty of seahorses and other small critters to enjoy. Interesting bottom topography as well. If you want to go, and can spare the time and money, you really should head further out on Koh Tang (located approx. 4 to 5 hours by boat from Sihanoukville) The diving there is pretty cool - the visibility is much better (20 + m for the most part) There not too much to look at, but if you love steep drop offs, walls and excellent visibility, it is worth a few dives I'd say.

Ecosea dive has some very basic but charming bungalows on Koh Rung Sanloem where you can stay overnight. Scuba Nation has a small live aboard instead, and the Dive Shop Cambodia mostly run day trips it seems.

Sadly, every dive starts with one of the guys on the boat dropping a big heavy anchor straight down onto to the corals. It makes you want to scream! However, all three dive shops unanimously say that fishermen steal their bouys when they try to make permanent anchoring-bouys.

I would dive in Cambodia if:

I was there anyway
I loved macro life and critters
I was looking for cheap diving courses
I was looking for a cool place to take my DMT

I would avoid diving in Cambodia if:

All I wanted to see was big stuff - turtles, large rays and sharks are hardly ever seen
I specifically went to Asia for diving - then I'd probably go to the Philippines, Malaysia or Indonesia instead.
 
This is a good informative post about the diving around Koh Rong Samloem. I live and worked on this island as a dive instructor and the reason for the improvement in the diving is due to a company called Marine Conservation Cambodia being there for the last 3 years and putting in a lot of work towards conserving the reefs and putting a stop to trawling around Koh Koun. Marine Conservation Cambodia works closely with the Cambodian fishing administries and government organizations to help create a marine protected area. The reason the reefs and visibility is getting much better is because the trawlers have stopped coming so close to the reefs and destroying habitats and creating a major silt problem. There is now also another new dive shop that has opened on Koh Rong Samloem called Angkor Dive Cambodia who work closely with Marine Conservation Cambodia and the local village in protecting our beautiful reefs.
 
cheers for the info, i have spent a lot of time in cambodia and love it dearly, although i have never dived there, i will get to dive snooky sometime this year i hope, if i can stay out of the bars that is :wink:
 
Thank you for the informative post. I have been doing some research on the dive shops there as to who to go diving with and so far due to bad reviews I have ruled out Ecosea. I also recently came across this article about The Dive Shop Cambodia and have now ruled them out too. They are partners with a company called Coral Cay and this article is quite tragic about what happened.

Private Eye | Official Site
 
Hi.

I'm currently in Cambodia and thought I would just search here on Scubaboard to see what other divers thought of the diving here. Since my search didn’t come up with much, I thought I would contribute a little (for once!), so others might plan a trip here if they should so wish.

There are three dive shops in Sihanoukville, which as far as I know is the only place in Cambodia, where SCUBA diving is going on. The shops are The Dive Shop Cambodia, Scuba Nation and EcoSea diving. The latter two are the oldest, but it’s my impression is that all three are roughly of the same standard, and are primarily oriented at bargain-seeking backpackers. All three dive operators go to the same dive sites.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised about the equipment, as it was mostly brand new and in good service. A clear improvement from four years ago, but the dive shop is under different management now, so perhaps that’s why?

I would dive in Cambodia if:

I was there anyway
I loved macro life and critters

Hi Sierrakilo, thanks much for the review, actually considering to dive with eco sea since based in saigon & just a 10 hour bus (same distance to do dives to Nha trang), made an inquiry and got a fast response from Nero, but the review on trip advisor (5 responses) said staff was pretty lazy & rude. I dont mind spartan accommodations and even requested I'd rather skip the boat dives opting for all muck but lazy and rude staff do turn me off,

so my questions since you were with them are
1. how rude is rude, I'm used to the friendly juxtaposed rude- (maybe a cultural thing in indo china) living in vn for 2 yrs but are the spotters passionate enough to do good guiding? finding stuff
2. how's the macro life really, what have you personally seen? are sea horses as shared quite abundant?

i'm bent on going next week and highly appreciate a heads up, real account, advice/ name of the best critterguide at Eco Sea :D Viz am sure is pretty same here to in Vietnam, 5-10M is cool with me.

tnks and rgds

Jun
 
I would stay away from Eco Sea. This is their latest review on Trip Advisor:
Do not use ECOSEA DIVE in Sihnaoukville Cambodia - Sihanoukville Forum - TripAdvisor

And an article about The Dive Shop:
Private Eye | Official Site

I've also heard that there is a new dive shop opening soon for this high season. Best advice I can give you is not book anything before you arrive there. Just wait till you get there and make your choice then.

The macro life is fantastic. But you need a dive guide that knows the sites and where to look for them. As for seahorses, the dive shops in Sihanoukville never dive on the area where they are located. Only Angkor Dive does. Their guides and instructors know what to look for and where to look. The seahorses have amazing camouflague and are difficult to spot sometimes. Just recently there were many many juvinille seahorses that were no bigger than your thumbs fingernail! Awesome to see.

Good luck
 
I would stay away from Eco Sea. This is their latest review on Trip Advisor:
Do not use ECOSEA DIVE in Sihnaoukville Cambodia - Sihanoukville Forum - TripAdvisor

And an article about The Dive Shop:
Private Eye | Official Site

I've also heard that there is a new dive shop opening soon for this high season. Best advice I can give you is not book anything before you arrive there. Just wait till you get there and make your choice then.

The macro life is fantastic. But you need a dive guide that knows the sites and where to look for them. As for seahorses, the dive shops in Sihanoukville never dive on the area where they are located. Only Angkor Dive does. Their guides and instructors know what to look for and where to look. The seahorses have amazing camouflague and are difficult to spot sometimes. Just recently there were many many juvinille seahorses that were no bigger than your thumbs fingernail! Awesome to see.

Good luck

thanks much, will do this weekend, oh sent pm:)
 
Hi Jun

Sorry I haven't written back before, I wasn't aware there were new posting in this thread. Anyway to answer your questions as well as I can, and please bear in mind that I worked as an instructor freelancer for EcoSea Dive for a month or so a couple of months back. I'll try to be as unbiased as I can possibly be.

There's plenty of really good muck diving. Ecosea, MCC and Angkor divers have diveshop/dive facilities right next to a sheltered bay full of seahorses and other wonderful critters. Scuba Nation also very often anchors up in the same bay. Scuba2011 (obviously the owner of Angkor Divers or someone working for them) is trying to tell you that only they can find seahorses. That's just a big pile of crap! Any DM worth anything working for Scuba Nation, The Dive Shop, EcoSea or Angkor divers can find them! If I was still working there, I'd be glad to offer you a seahorse or your money back guarantee! =) There's plenty, and they're right there! I now work in the Philippines, and I really have no interest whatsoeverin getting dragged into some stupid fight between dive shops in Cambodia. Just take what you hear with a grain of salt, especialy slanderous crap like that. Besides, the wrongful death article linked to about the Dive Shop is something that happened in Fiji, not Cambodia as far as I understand. Check it out yourself as I only skimmed it.

As for macro life, what you can expect to see REGARDLESS of who you decide to dive with is seahorses, carrier crabs, porcelain crabs, ghost shrimps, various pipefish and plenty of octopusses + whatever I've forgotten right now. Ask for the muck sites - not the usual coral sites.

Ok, enough about that. The other thing you ask about is the reported rudeness at EcoSea. All I can say is that in the brief period I worked there, I didn't notice anything that was out of the usual banter in any dive shop anywhere.:wink: I can honestly say that the other instructor, Ken, who was working in the shop at the time was outstanding and the DMs were good. Having said that, the tripadvisor reviews are crummy - I don't know what to think about it, but at least now you know my impression of the dive shop from the brief period I was there.

I personally think all four dive shops are doing equally good - but I dislike the dirty fighting going on in here (and possibly on Tripadvisor as well)

Over and out,
SK
 
Last edited:
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom