Chumphon Pinnacle - Gulf of Thailand
Chumphon Pinnacle sits out in the Gulf, a decent boat ride from Koh Tao. It’s a solid granite pinnacle that bottoms out around 24 meters, making it a good spot for newer divers looking to get a bit more exposed than the island’s sheltered bays. You’ll typically see plenty of barracuda schooling here, often circling the top of the pinnacle. Keep an eye out for batfish too, they’re usually hanging around the mooring lines. Sometimes you’ll even get lucky with a whale shark passing through during peak season, though we wouldn't promise it. The currents can pick up a bit, especially on spring tides, so it’s worth checking with your dive shop beforehand.
- Location
- Gulf of Thailand, Thailand, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 10.149900, 99.785100
- Type
- pinnacle
- Maximum Depth
- 24m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Suratthani Environmental Protected Area
Best Time to Dive in Gulf of Thailand
The warmest water temperatures in Gulf of Thailand occur in January, averaging 28.2°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.2°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.2°C (air: 26.9°C)
- February: 28.2°C (air: 27.3°C)
- March: 28.2°C (air: 28.2°C)
- April: 28.2°C (air: 29.1°C)
- May: 28.2°C (air: 29.1°C)
- June: 28.2°C (air: 28.6°C)
- July: 28.2°C (air: 28.1°C)
- August: 28.2°C (air: 28.2°C)
- September: 28.2°C (air: 27.6°C)
- October: 28.2°C (air: 27.2°C)
- November: 28.2°C (air: 27.0°C)
- December: 28.2°C (air: 26.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Gulf of Thailand
- Ao Cheweng
- Ao Kruad - 10m
- Ao Mook - 15m
- Ao Tien - 14m
- Aow Leuk - 8m
- Aow Lok Gum / อ่าวลกกำ - 9m
- Ban Pla Aow TongTom (Artificial)/ บ้านปลา อ่าวท้องตม - 10m (wreck)
- Bio Rock - 14m (reef)
- Buddha Rock - 5-25m (pinnacle)
- Buoyancy World - 14m
- Chalok Bay - 10m (reef)
- Chip Chip Wreck - 29m (wreck)
- Chong Talu - 16m
- Construction Artificial Reef - 18m (reef)
- Coral Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Chumphon Pinnacle
- Abyssal Deep Dive
- All Scuba
- Asia Blue Scuba - ["PADI"]
- Ban's Diving Resort - PADI
- Blue Horizon Diving and Adventures - SSI, PADI, CMAS
- Buddha View IDC
Marine Life in Gulf of Thailand
Home to 167 recorded species including 126 reef fish, 18 hard corals, 7 sharks & rays, 6 seagrass & algae, 2 sea cucumbers, 2 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Rock Cod (Epinephelus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Blue Spotted Hind (Cephalopholis cyanostigma) - Reef Fish
- Rock Cod (Cephalopholis boenak) - Reef Fish
- Estuary Cod (Epinephelus coioides) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Rock Cod (Cephalopholis formosa) - Reef Fish
- Common Coral Trout (Plectropomus leopardus) - Reef Fish
- Redcoat (Sargocentron rubrum) - Reef Fish
- Slender grouper (Anyperodon leucogrammicus) - Reef Fish
- Banded maori wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Telescopefish (Epibulus insidiator) - Reef Fish
- Eight Banded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon octofasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Floral wrasse (Cheilinus chlorourus) - Reef Fish
- Longnose Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema setosum) - Sea Urchins
- Honeycomb Grouper (Epinephelus quoyanus) - Reef Fish
- Big-eye trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora millepora) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for Chumphon Pinnacle
Based on average water temperature of 28.2°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories