Samae San (Wreck Of
Bremen)
Submarine Rock
Location:
Submarine Rock lies
about a 12-mile
northeasterly trip from
the port at Sattahip, 14
miles south of Pattaya,
and half a mile east of
Koh Khram. (NOTE: Koh
Khram is a restricted
naval area; avoid
landing on the island.)
Access:
Approach from
any direction except the
west. Anchor to the
north or the south of
the rock in 10-15
meters.
Sea and Weather
Conditions:
This site is
best dived during the NE
monsoon (November-May)
or during good weather
in the SW monsoon
(May-November). During
periods of maximum
current, the flow
becomes quite
turbulent.
Diving:
Rating:
***
Depth: 5-18m
Visibility: 3-12m
Snorkeling
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Wreck
of the Bremen
Location:
This
ship went down off
Sattahip, about 2 miles
south of Submarine Rock,
coming to rest in about
23-24 meters.
Access:
Finding the
precise location is
difficult, without the
expert help of a local
boatman. If once you
found the wreck with a
Global Positioning
System (GPS), it would
be easy to relocate it
using those coordinates.
Anchor on the wreck if
you're diving then you
can release the anchor
before you come up.
Anchor off the wreck
only at the risk of not
being able to find the
wreck once you begin
your dive.
Sea and Weather
Conditions:
The best time
to dive the Bremen is
during the NE monsoon
(November-May), when it
is protected by the
mainland to the east. It
can also be dived in the
SW monsoon
(May-November) during
periods of favorable
weather.
Diving:
Rating:
***
Depth: 12-25m
Visibility: 3-9m
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Wreck
of the Hardeep
Location:
The
Hardeep lies in about 28
meters of water,
approximately 1/4 mile
off the northwest corner
of Koh Chuang. The
latter island is itself
situated 4 1/2 miles
south of the fishing
village of Samae San.
Access:
This wreck is
easier to find than the
Bremen but, once again,
it's best to rely on
local knowledge the
first time, since the
landmarks are difficult
to describe. Anchor on
the wreck if you're
diving; you can release
the anchor before you
come up. Anchor off the
wreck only at the risk
of not being able to
find the wreck once you
begin your dive.
Sea and Weather
Conditions:
The Hardeep,
because of its sheltered
location, can be dived
year-round. Currents of
2 to 2 1/2 knots are
common during maximum
changes of tide.
Diving:
Rating:
***
Depth: 12-28m
Visibility: 3-12m
...................................................................................
The
Vertical Wreck
Location:
Lying
about 12 hours by boat
from Pattaya, the wreck
is located in open
ocean. GPS coordinates
are a must.
Access:
Due to the
depth here (over 60
meters), anchoring the
boat is not recommended.
Instead, drop a weighted
buoy on to the top of
the wreck in order to
know where to descend,
and then conduct
"live-boat" dives.
Sea and Weather
Conditions:
The wreck is
exposed during the SW
monsoon, so diving
during the NE monsoon
will give you better
results. There are no
islands here to offer
protection from the
weather.
Diving:
Rating:
***
Depth: 5-60m
Visibility: 10-50m
...................................................................................
Koh
Nok
Location:
This
site lies in the Samae
San area, about 1/4 mile
northeast of Koh Chuang.
Access:
Approach from
the western side of Koh
Nok. You can anchor in
the channel in 24-25
meters between Koh Nok
and Koh Chuang, but
live-boat diving is
recommended. It's not
good holding for
anchors, given the poor
bottom plus a current in
the channel. Besides
that, it's too long a
swim from the anchorage
to the site.
Sea and Weather
Conditions:
Depending on
the strength of the
current, either a drift
dive or a straight dive
may be in order. A
falling tide with a
gentle north to south
current is best, since
this means the dive can
begin near the
southernmost rock.
Diving:
Rating:
***
Depth: 9-22m
Visibility: 5-12m
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Koh
Chan
Location:
Koh
Chan lies about 1/2 mile
east of Koh Chuang. The
dive site is just south
of the Hardeep on Koh
Chan's southern point.
Access:
Approach from
seaward. You can anchor
in 10-20 meters, either
to the east or the west
of the point, but
live-boat diving is
recommended. It's not
good holding for
anchors, given the poor
bottom.
Sea and Weather
Conditions:
The dive site is mainly
recommended for the NE
monsoon season
(November-May). A drift
dive is the best way to
investigate the area,
the direction of your
explorations being
determined by the
tides.
Diving:
Rating:
***
Depth: 6-23m
Visibility: 3-12m
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