Phu Quoc’s reefs are shallow — most of the good coral is between 3 and 8 metres — which makes them well suited to freediving: you can reach the bottom on one breath, and the water is warm all year. It is also much cheaper than scuba diving. Two things to know before you come: we could not find a freediving school running courses on the island in 2026, and you will be sharing the best reefs with a lot of boats.
Where to freedive
These are the three spots we like best. All of them are reached by boat.
- Pineapple Point (Hon Thom) — off the island at the end of the cable car, in the An Thoi archipelago. Coral at 5–7 metres on the shallow side; the south side drops much deeper and has strong currents, so stay on the reef top.
- May Rut Point (Hon May Rut) — channels between big coral heads at around 5 metres. One of the stops on many snorkelling trips.
- Trystan’s Trench (Turtle Island, Hon Doi Moi) — off Ganh Dau in the north-west, with anemones, soft coral and whip coral at 5–6 metres. Watch out for boats; this is a busy stretch of water.
More about the reefs, what lives on them and which islands to visit in our snorkelling guide and An Thoi archipelago guide.
When to go
The dry season, November to April, is the time: calm seas and the best visibility, which is still rarely more than 8 metres. From May to October the west coast is rough and boat trips are often cancelled; the north-west spots are only good in the dry season. Late November to mid-December is jellyfish season, so wear a long-sleeved suit. See our weather guide.
How to get out to the reefs
Without a school, the practical way to freedive here is to join a small-group snorkelling trip and freedive at its stops. Choose an operator that spends real time at each reef rather than a big island-hopping tour, and tell them before you book that you want to freedive — our snorkelling guide lists the best-reviewed ones. If you are a group, a private boat from An Thoi gives you more time in the water and the choice of reef.
Courses
We could not find a freediving school running courses on Phu Quoc in October 2026; the dive centres we checked teach scuba only. The nearest courses we know of are in Ho Chi Minh City, where VietDivers runs an SSI Try Freediving session (900,000 dong) and a Basic Freediver course (2,500,000 dong) in a pool. If you have never freedived, take a course before you come and freedive here only within what you have been trained to do.
Safety
- Never freedive alone. Always dive with a buddy who watches you from the surface, one up, one down.
- Use a surface buoy or flag, and stay close to your boat. Speedboats and tour boats move fast between the islands.
- Do not hyperventilate before a dive, and rest at the surface between dives.
- Wear a long-sleeved suit against the sun, the coral and jellyfish.
- Do not touch or stand on the coral, and do not take anything from the reef. The An Thoi islands are part of the Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area.
Course prices: VietDivers website, October 2026. Dive centre offers checked October 2026.
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