Hin Daeng & Hin Muang Diving — Thailand

Hin Daeng (Red Rock) and Hin Muang (Purple Rock) are remote pinnacles 70km offshore from Koh Lanta. Hin Muang features Thailand's deepest vertical wall — plunging 70m+ draped in purple soft corals. Manta rays cruise through from March to April, and whale shark encounters peak when plankton levels rise.

Score
64.3 / 100
Country
Thailand
Region
Asia-Pacific
Area
Krabi
Nearest airport
Krabi (KBV)
Visibility
15–30 m
Water temperature
30–35 °C
Max depth
70 m
Current strength
moderate
Dive types
cave, pelagic
Best months
November, December, January, February, March, April
Minimum certification
Open Water
Access type
boat
Average 2-tank dive cost
$120 USD
Budget tier
mid range
Key species
manta ray, whale shark, seahorse, nudibranch, frogfish, whale
Google rating
0 (0 reviews)
Top operators
Lanta Diver, Scubafish Koh Lanta
Nearest hyperbaric chamber
SSS Hyperbaric Chamber, Phuket (~80 km)
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World Class
Intermediate
Hin Daeng & Hin Muang
ThailandAsia-Pacific
64.3

SCORE

7.1500°N

98.7667°E

Hin Daeng (Red Rock) and Hin Muang (Purple Rock) are remote pinnacles 70km offshore from Koh Lanta. Hin Muang features Thailand's deepest vertical wall — plunging 70m+ draped in purple soft corals. Manta rays cruise through from March to April, and whale shark encounters peak when plankton levels rise.

Thailand's Deepest Wall & Manta Station

Visibility15–30 m
Temperature30–35°C
Max Depth70 m
Currentmoderate
2-Tank Dive$120
Best MonthsNovember, December, January, February
CertificationOpen WaterIntermediate

Score Breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

ML82.0CH32.0VIS81.0SV45.0TMP78.0DA80.0OP78.0TS64.0GT68.0VAL50.0CRD57.0SP57.0

Marine Life

82.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity
96
Megafauna Encounters
56
Reef Fish Abundance
98
Macro Life
90
Endemic Species
60
Marine Life Diversity
82.0
Coral & Reef Health
32.0
Visibility & Conditions
81.0
Dive Site Variety
45.0
Water Temperature
78.0
Depth & Access
80.0
Operator Quality
78.0
Topside Experience
64.0
Getting There
68.0
Value & Cost
50.0
Crowding
57.0
Social Proof
57.0

Key Species

manta raywhale sharkseahorsenudibranchfrogfishwhale

Dive Types

cavepelagic

Traveling with Non-Divers?

Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.

Activities for Non-Divers

day trip includes Koh Rok snorkeling stop

Non-Diver Partner Score

2/10

Dedicated dive destination — not ideal for non-divers.

Family FriendlyNot recommended
Restaurants & Nightlifenone

Safety & Emergency

Dive Insurance

Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.

Learn More at DAN.org
Hyperbaric Chamber80 km — SSS Hyperbaric Chamber, Phuket
Nearest Hospital80 km

Open ocean pinnacles; speedboat to Koh Lanta or Phuket for medical care

Skill LevelIntermediate
Current Strengthmoderate

Top Operators

Lanta Diver

PADI

4.7
380 reviewsNITROX

Scubafish Koh Lanta

PADI

4.8
290 reviewsNITROX
Compare This Dive Site
Current conditions
10/10
Waves0.38 m
Swell0.28 m
Wind10.5 km/h
Air29.9°C
Partly cloudy
9d ago
Honest reality check

What your dive shop won't tell you

The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.

Recommended logged dives
70+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification
Cavern Diver minimum. Full Cave certification for anything past the daylight zone.
“The deepest and most dramatic wall diving in Thailand. Hin Muang's purple wall is unlike anything else in the Andaman.”

What will challenge you

  • →Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
  • →Recreational limit of 40 m is reachable here (max depth 70 m). Gas planning and NDL tracking matter.
  • →Overhead environment. Standard recreational training does not cover you past the entrance. People die here doing what they'd do on an open reef.
  • →Deep walls and strong current. 70m bottom is not recreational.

What will surprise you

  • →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 5°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: Nov-Apr season. Exposed sites. Day-trip from Koh Lanta is 3 hours each way..

Morning
  • Viz
    high
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    light
  • manta rays
  • whale sharks
  • deep wall

Hin Daeng is red, Hin Muang is purple. Hin Muang drops to 70m — Thailand's deepest wall. Morning for mantas at Hin Daeng cleaning station.

Afternoon
  • Viz
    high
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    light
  • wall drift at Hin Muang
  • soft coral photography
  • reef sharks

Afternoon drift along Hin Muang's wall. The purple soft corals at depth are absurd. Plan your gas.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month Viz (m) Temp (°C) CurrentSea RainConfidenceHighlights
Jan19–2732ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
Feb18–2633ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
Mar18–2633ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
Apr19–2734ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
May19–2834ModCalmDry78%conditions vary
Jun19–2833ModChopLight65%conditions vary
Jul19–2732ModChopLight55%conditions vary
Aug18–2632ModChopWet55%conditions vary
Sep18–2632ModChopWet65%conditions vary
Oct19–2733ModChopWet78%conditions vary
Nov19–2833ModCalmLight88%conditions vary
Dec20–3033ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
Shoot here

Photography brief

Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.

Macro subjects72
Wide angle61
Viz stability65
Hover friendliness70
Natural light0

Recommended kit

  • →Macro lens (60mm or 105mm), focus light, dual strobes positioned for fill
  • →Two independent light sources minimum; video lights beat strobes in caverns
Level up here

What this site will teach you

The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.

Budget
$2,250–$3,150

Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats

Flights (RT from US)
$1,100–$1,300
Accommodation / day
$50–$100
Diving / day
$100–$120
Food / day
$10–$25
Transfers + misc
$50–$150
Mid-range
$3,500–$5,100

3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants

Flights (RT from US)
$1,550–$1,850
Accommodation / day
$120–$220
Diving / day
$120–$160
Food / day
$30–$60
Transfers + misc
$50–$150
Splurge
$5,750–$8,800

Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators

Flights (RT from US)
$2,250–$2,750
Accommodation / day
$260–$500
Diving / day
$160–$200
Food / day
$70–$140
Transfers + misc
$50–$150

Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.

Pair with

Build a trip around it

Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.

Best dive types here