Home › Great Places for Diving › Asia › Thailand › Pattaya › Koh Klung Badan
Scuba Diving at Koh Klung Badan Pattaya
It's one of the least dived destinations for Pattaya divers, but you can get good shelter from strong water currents and choppy seas.
This Koh Klung Badan dive guide contains practical information for scuba divers and snorkelers, with extra details about the sea life found in the Northeastern Gulf of Thailand.
Which Months are Best for Diving in Pattaya
Unlike the Andaman Sea coastlines, the eastern shores of Thailand are unique for several reasons:
- The shallowest coral reef dive sites are ideal for divers of all experience levels.
- You can also find challenging dives (including some of the best wreck diving in Thailand).
- The eastern seaboard tends to get shelter from the worst of monsoon rains that sometimes rule out diving in areas like Phuket and Phi Phi.
It's fair to say that most scuba divers want to explore top diving destinations that have calm conditions underwater and lots of dry sunny weather above the waterline.
In fact, Chonburi Province has more than 300 days of year-round sunshine and the water temperature rarely drops below 29° Celsius (84° Fahrenheit).
As a result, the white sand beaches and clear blue water found at the islands around Pattaya have transformed the region into one of the top places for diving holidays in Thailand.
Here's the thing:
As a consequence of that, diving in Pattaya tends to be an annual activity. Even so, divers need to be mindful that the southwest storms usually arrive towards the end of October and can last for several weeks.
At certain times of the year, the north eastern gulf can have twenty (20) metres of underwater visibility. Thus, the best months for scuba diving and Pattaya snorkeling trips are from the beginning of September through to the end of February.
Pro Tip: Check out our sea life section for interesting facts about sharks (e.g. blacktip reef sharks) and rays (e.g. spotted eagle rays) that sometimes put in an appearance at the outer islands.
Tips for Diving at Koh Klung Badan
This small islet takes a little over an hour to reach by boat from Pattaya Pier. Klung Badan island is located south of Koh Hu Chang and not too far from the popular diving spot of Koh Rin Island.
Shelter from gusts of wind and squally waves are the primary benefits when diving in the large bay at the back of the island.
Besides, the southern tip is also an ideal place for inexperienced divers to practice underwater buoyancy skills and a great location for learning about snorkeling.
Why?
The average depth is about nine (9) metres and the maximum is about fifteen metres (49 feet). Divers can expect to have between three (3) and twelve (12) metres of underwater visibility with moderate currents.
As a consequence of that, Koh Klung Badan is a popular choice for boat captains on diving days when the weather is blustery.
Pro Tip: The quiet bays at Koh Klung Badan are mostly void of boat traffic and jet skis. Thus, it's an ideal location for dive schools to conduct the Discover Scuba Diving introductory program. The rugged topography also provides a superb backdrop for underwater photography and learning how to free dive.
Sea Life at Klung Badan Island
Having the opportunity to experience interesting topography, clearer underwater visibility, and a superabundance of aquatic creatures are the main reasons divers make the trip to the Far Islands.
Most of the Pattaya dive sites are good places to see big fishes (e.g. pelagics). Plus, divers should expect to catch sightings of common marine life native to the northern Gulf of Thailand, especially during the plankton blooms in March and April, such as:
- Angelfishes (e.g. blue ringed angelfish)
Butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae)- Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus)
- Damselfishes (e.g. the dusky damselfish)
- Gobies fish
- Lionfish
- Moray eels
- Octopuses
- Pufferfish
- Scorpionfish
- Seahorses (Hippocampus)
- Sea anemones (including clownfish)
- Sea turtles (e.g. hawksbill sea turtle)
- Stingrays (e.g. bluespotted ribbontail ray)
- Wrasse fish
Pro Tip: Koh Hu Chang dive site is a great location to explore diverse reef life and marine invertebrates that live around hard and soft corals. It also creates a neat way to combine reef diving and shipwreck diving on the same day, such as at the nearby HTMS Khram and HTMS Mataphon wreck.