Ao Nang Scuba

Ao Nang Scuba is an SSI dive center located on the main beach road in Ao Nang, Krabi's primary tourist beach town. The center serves as a convenient gateway to the Andaman Sea's premier dive sites for the large number of tourists who choose Ao Nang and nearby Railay Beach as their base rather than staying on the islands themselves. This mainland location means guests can enjoy the wider range of hotels, restaurants, and activities available in a developed beach town while still accessing world-class diving.

Daily boat trips depart from Ao Nang's longtail boat pier, heading out to the Phi Phi Islands and surrounding dive sites. The journey to Bida Nok and Bida Nai takes approximately ninety minutes by speedboat, providing access to the same blacktip reef shark encounters, soft coral walls, and diverse reef life that island-based operators offer. Shark Point with its resident leopard sharks and the King Cruiser wreck are also regular destinations, along with local reef sites closer to the Krabi coastline that offer good diving with shorter transit times.

The local reefs around the Krabi islands provide interesting alternatives for days when sea conditions or schedules do not favor longer trips. These nearshore sites feature hard coral gardens, small wall formations, and a variety of reef fish species in shallower, calmer waters that are well-suited for training dives and beginner-level exploration.

SSI courses from Try Scuba through Advanced Adventurer are offered, along with Deep Diver, Nitrox, and Night Diver specialties. The center's staff provide thorough briefings on each site and maintain a full inventory of rental equipment in good condition. Nitrox is available for certified divers seeking extended bottom times on the deeper sites.

Ao Nang's central location also makes it a practical base for multi-activity holidays, with easy access to Railay Beach rock climbing, island-hopping tours, kayaking, and the Four Islands tour — all without the logistical challenges of island-based travel.