Scuba Diving Nang Yuang Pinnacle

Nang Yuan Pinnacle diving site is also known as ‘Red Rock’ by a few because the locals call it Hin Daeng, which means just that. It is one of the most popular Koh Tao diving sites and although not one of the ‘Big Three’ should certainly be on the itinerary for almost every Koh Tao scuba diver. It has a lot going for it and can be a great fun dive location even if the visibility under water is not very good.

Nang Yuan Pinnacle is located right next to the three small but beautifully picturesque islets which make up Nang Yuan. Most people who have seen photographs of Koh Tao above the water’s surface will have seen the sandy isthmus connecting these little islands just at the northwest corner of Koh Tao in Thailand. There are several other great Koh Tao diving sites around the Nang Yuan islets, each offering something interesting and challenging to divers of all levels of ability and experience, but Nang Yuan Pinnacle has a couple of trump cards which most of the other dive sites cannot compete with.

Firstly, at Nang Yuan Pinnacle there is a network of swimthroughs which is almost like a tunnel system into a different world. Less experienced divers need not be worried about becoming lost in caves, as there are several ‘holes’ which allow both light and divers to enter. Even on days of low visibility, this swimthrough at Nang Yuan Pinnacle allows divers to see all kinds of members of the reef life community which like to hide away here during the day. Sunlight from the surface penetrates through the gaps in the rocks which make up the swimthrough and creates a wonderful effect for Koh Tao PADI divers to enjoy between checking out the hundreds of nooks and crannies for something of interest.

Secondly, for Koh Tao divers who have enough scuba diving experience not to have used all of their air supply on Nang Yuan Pinnacle and its swimthrough, there is the opportunity to end the dive at another wonderful Koh Tao dive site on the other side. Japanese Garden is a nearby dive location which is the perfect place to end a deeper dive (such as Nang Yuan Pinnacle) because it is shallow, has calm clear water, and is home to lots of colourful and healthy fish, corals, anemones and invertebrates right up to the surface. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a safety stop without having to worry about currents depth or not being able to see anything interesting. Divers who are unable to preserve their air supply for long enough to get through Nang Yuan Pinnacle’s swimthrough to Japanese garden need not feel short-changed. They can enjoy all of their dive at the pinnacle and then visit Japanese Garden on another dive.

To summarize, Koh Tao is home to dozens of great diving locations, but Nang Yuan Pinnacle really should be regarded as one of the best for its nearby location, great swimthrough system and the opportunity to either spend their whole dive exploring the Pinnacle or follow their Divemaster through to end the dive at another great Koh Tao diving site.