 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Dive on Phu Quoc Island
 This beautiful island lies 65 miles off the south-west coast of Vietnam and is genuinely unspoiled by time & tourism. Travelers say that “Vietnam is like Thailand 20 years ago”. If that’s true, then Phu Quoc is like Vietnam used to be 10 years ago!Phu Quoc is about the same size as Singapore, 600 sq. kms and is the largest of all Vietnamese islands. There are 99 mountains and hills covered in green primitive forests with majestic waterfalls and babbling streams. The fresh sea breezes and stunning sandy beaches touching crystal clear blue waters make this a true paradise.  The tourist season is similar to Thailand’s. The good weather and calm waters start mid September and last until late May. During the rainy season diving is normally only available in around the An Thoi islands where it is more sheltered. Information on the Internet about the island is limited and what there is tends to be outdated and can give a dire overview of the fate awaiting tourists! Our advice is ignore this and discover for yourself one of the best kept secrets in SE Asia. Scuba Diving and PADI were introduced to the Island during 2002 by Jeremy Stein, better known for his 5 Star diving and Instructor Training Centres in Nha Trang, Hoi An, Con Dao & Whale Island. So whilst diving is now well established you have the chance to dive with the islands most experience operator.  Diving in the North is similar to the rest of Vietnam, whereby there is not a proliferation of large fish life, nor the pelagics, Mantas or Sharks. It is however teeming with smaller reef fishes and is a perfect site for new divers or divers who have not dived for a while. The hard & soft corals are pristine around the mass of small islands to the South and are home to a huge variety of small colourful reef/coral fish, many of them endemic to the Vietnamese waters. At times it is difficult to see the corals due to the masses of Fairy Basslets & Damsel fish!All PADI diving and experience courses are offered here, as well as daily dive trips and is run by the highest qualified Instructors in Vietnam together with the Rainbow Divers team.  Jeremy Stein is an English PADI Course Director. He has lived in Vietnam for many years and is responsible for introducing PADI into the country in the 90’s. Jeremy and his team at Rainbow are considered to be the pioneers of diving in Vietnam. PADI Instructor Development Courses are run at their 5 Star IDC centres in Nha Trang 6 times each year.The General Manager of the diveteam on Phu Quoc is Georges Erhard (English PADI Master Instructor) and he is ably assisted by Vietnamese MSDT Hoang Nguyen, English IDC Staff John Land, Belgium MSDT Rafeal Wuestenberghs, English OWSI Jane Lester, French MSDT Lise Rochier, Swedish Divemaster Alex Engman, Vietnamese Divemasters Quan Nguyen and Toi Thanh. This multinational teams primary focus is to ensure that you have fun and safe diving experiences! There are limited medical facilities available on the island and no recompression chamber. Therefore safe diving practices are essential and full medical & evacuation insurance is recommended. Policies are available through PADI and DAN SEAP (Divers Alert Network) – Please click on the DAN icon on the left side of this page for immediate 30 day cover. If you are intending to take a PADI course during your trip, please download and check through the medical questionnaire. If you answer yes to any of the questions, please visit your doctor and obtain medical clearance before arriving, as there is no diving doctor on the island.  Diving in the North begins at 8am with a 90 minute trip to the sites. It’s a 2 dive trip, also available are ‘Try-Dives’ and Snorkelling. Trips to the South start at 7.00am. The journey is for 2 hours 30 minutes. Again, it’s a 2 dive trip, with ‘Try-Dives’ and Snorkelling available. A cooked lunch and drinking water is included in your trip on the way back to harbour. Soft drinks & beer are also available on board to buy, or you are welcome to bring your own. We do restrict the number of divers to ensure comfort, relaxation and enjoyable day. Accordingly, we recommend that you book early to avoid disappointment.
ALL PADI COURSES INCLUDE YOUR OWN ORIGINAL PADI MANUALS & MATERIALS If you are intending to take a PADI course during your trip, please download and check through the medical questionnaire. If you answer yes to any of the questions, please visit your doctor and obtain medical clearance before arriving. DISCOUNTS CAN BE OFFERED FOR MULTI-DAY DIVING, GROUP BOOKINGS, OR IF YOU BRING YOUR OWN FULL EQUIPMENT. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR DETAILS IN ADVANCE. Get Started with PADI eLearning
The Rainbow Bar & Restaurant. No accommodation but just an excellent place to be!  HOW TO GET THERE- AIR: Vietnam Airlines ATR72 planes leave from Ho Chi Minh City (45 mins) & Rach Gia. - SEA: Public boats leave the mainland from Rach Gia (7 hrs) and Ha Tien (4 hrs). HOW TO CONTACT RAINBOW DIVERS To book for diving or a PADI course, please speak to your Resort receptionist and we can arrange to meet with you at The Rainbow Bar & Restaurant on the beach or alternatively at SASCO Blue Lagoon Resort. Alternatively, you can speak to the ‘infamous’ Tony or ring the dive centre reception on: Tel: +84 (0)913-400-964 or via email to georges@divevietnam.com Contact details for our other branches: 
RAINBOW 24 hr ‘hotline’ 0908-781-756
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
