There are no diving spots in Langkawi Island itself. You have to go to Pulau Payar Marine Park Group of islands. They are located about 30km south east of Langkawi Island and North of Penang. There are many dive operators on Langkawi who can get you there during a day trip.
The diving there is good but nothing spectacular as on other diving destinations around Malaysia like Sipadan in Borneo or the Perhentians Islands on the East Coast. However it is the best scuba diving along the Malaysian west coast. It is a good destination for inexperienced divers with no current and shallow reef.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexissoon/5326527517/
The marine life around these islands is very good with a good chance of spotting pelagic fishes such as barracuda, jacks and blacktip reef shark as well as the usual reef fishes.
There are also very easy wreck diving sites like the Kaca Sunken Wrecks dive site with dozens of fishing boats sunk to make artificial reefs at Pulau Kaca. Coral is pretty with many varieties of hard and soft coral. Grouper farm is also a great spot to explore the reef and see many Groupers!
Unfortunately the visibility is not as good as on the east coast of Malaysia due to the high density of plankton. It ranges from 5 to 20 meters depending of the season. The visibility is often better at Pulau Segantang located 13Km from Pulau Payar.
In this page you will find more detailed information about scuba diving in Langkawi Island.
Table of contents
Best time to Dive in Langkawi Island
Langkawi Island is a year round destination with much the same tropical temperature year round (25 to 32 °C). However some months are affected by heavy rains.
- Dry season from mid November to mid April, with very little rain
- Mid-season runs from April to August with light precipitations.
- Rainy season from September to November. It rains every day for about 2 hours and at night.
The peak tourist season is during the dry season. However prices drop during the rainy season and it can be a great deal for low budget travellers.
The best diving time also runs during the dry season with better visibility.
Hot tips
- If you are planning to visit Langkawi Island around New Year’s Eve, you really need to book in advance as most of the accommodation will be fully booked.
Snorkelling in Langkawi Island
Snorkelling around these islands is very rewarding with a good chance of spotting juvenile blacktip reef sharks in very shallow water around the marine park centre.
Fishes and Coral
Fishes
You can spot all the usual reef fishes of Southeast Asia and some pelagic fishes such as barracuda and trevallies. Blacktip and nurse sharks are also common.
Coral
There is a good variety of hard and soft coral around the Pulau Payar Marine Park.
Travel Guide
Now that you know all about the underwater world, you might want to start planning your scuba holiday! Check out our Langkawi Island Travel Review for information about how to get there, activities and excursions, where to stay, and more.
Dive spots in Langkawi Island
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Grouper Farm dive site is a nice reef with a nice hard coral cover. It goes down to 15 m deep to a sandy bottom. This...
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House Reef is a perfect dive site for muck diving. If you look close enough you may find many Ghost pipefish, Seahorses,...
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On the Kaca Sunken Wrecks dive site you can find the wrecks of dozens of fishing boats which were confiscated, thus creating...
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Pulau Segantang is located 13 km West of Pulau Payar. The two twin rocks outcrop go down 20 m deep to a sandy bottom....
User reviews
If you have been diving in this area, you can share your experience with other divers by posting your Dive Review in the comments below:
If you have any other feedback or updated information about this destination, please leave a comment. We regularly improve our Diving reviews after reviewing your feedback!
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