Scuba Diving Sail Rock
Scuba diving Sail Rock (likewise known as Hin Bai), is characterized by submerged peaks, the chimney, colourful corals with lots of marine life and a great chance to see whale sharks. Scuba diving Sail Rock is suitable for novices and advanced divers alike. The boat trip takes around an hour to get to from Koh Phangan, so you have plenty of time for some breakfast, dive briefings and equipment setup. If you’re fortunate enough, you might even see some dolphins en route!
Location
Sail Rock is a high granite pinnacle half way between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao and is considered the very best dive site in the Gulf of Thailand. There are no other rocks close by, so it functions as a meeting point for all fish in the surrounding area. The real highlight has to be the whale sharks, which are commonly sighted here. Whether you are on the surface snorkelling or diving below, you will be surprised at how long these sharks stay around while you’re scuba diving Sail Rock, taking pleasure in the presence of their visitors.
Topography
The main pinnacle drops down to 30 metres in the sand and is normally dived in a circular path around the rock, spiralling slowly shallower. If currents are strong nevertheless, dive guides take you around the sheltered areas, preventing tough finning in the currents. The rock can easily be navigated the whole way round on one dive, with decent’s and accent’s normally taking place close the main pinnacle via fixed lines.
Scuba diving Sail Rock is known for its chimney, which is a large swim through that can be entered at around 18 metres and can be exited in two other locations. First at around 10 metres and shallower at around 5 metres deep. The chimney’s cavern-like area is a sanctuary for all sorts of fish life, with many corals, sponges and crustaceans that survive on the walls, which provides you plenty of things to look at – either going on the way up or down. It also makes for some good buoyancy practice!
Another wonderful sight when scuba diving sail rock is a smaller sized pinnacle (Secret Pinnacle) that begins at around 18 meters and goes down to about 30 meters. This slightly smaller pinnacle lies 3 minutes swim away, over the sandy bottom to the east. Often a lot quieter with divers than the main rock due to its depth.
Marine Life
Big schools of fish, including Yellow Tailed Barracuda circle the pinnacle, and the shape of the rock itself makes the dive similar to a wall dive, with fascinating creatures and critters right the way to the top. In between the Secret Peak and Sail Rock there is now a large artificial reef, made from huge hollow blocks stacked atop one another that’s produced a brand-new environment for the fish.
Sail Rock has made its reputation due to the large volume and diversity of marine life that lives here. Barracuda, Trevally, Batfish, Butterfly Fish, Angel fish, Damsels, to name a few – as well as a big variety of smaller creatures, such as vibrant nudibranchs and shrimps, can all be seen here.
Dive Trips
Taking a dive trip to Sail Rock from Koh Phangan allows qualified divers time to enjoy 2 quality “fun” dives. Costs are around 2500 THB and include a dive guide, all standard equipments, refreshments on the boat and pickup/drop off to your resort. For complete novices, you can opt for 2 intro dives (PADI Discover Diving – 3900 THB) or go for your PADI Open Water course here at around 10,900 THB.
Scuba diving Sail Rock can usually be enjoyed throughout the year. Nevertheless the peak season, which sees the optimal conditions, runs from March to September, with visibility reaching up to 30-35 metres. There may be a decrease in vis during the October to November period when monsoon winds and swells can be present. However these are hardly ever enough to interfere with dive trips – except for possibly making boat journeys a little bumpier. Please note though, that in severe circumstances (huge waves) trips will be cancelled until weather permits.
Water temperature while scuba diving Sail Rock can vary between 27 ° C and 30 ° C, with the coolest water in the months of October and December. The coolest time of the year however, is also the best chance to see Whale Sharks in the area as they prefer colder waters. Whale sharks primarily visit the area in March and April, and once again in September and October but you never know when they will turn up!
Scuba Diving Sail Rock Should Not Be Missed
All in all, whether you’re an experience scuba diver or would much like to have a one day scuba diving experience, scuba diving Sail Rock is a “must do” activity during your visit Koh Phangan! For all the best dive experience on Koh Phangan, check out our highly recommended dive centres.
Have you scuba dived at Sail Rock before? Share your experience in the comments section below!