Dive Site of the Month - HTMS Prab Wreck

July 29, 2019 A wreck can tell many stories. Many of the ocean's best dive sites have artificial reefs or wrecks that have sunk through the ages. It is an amazing feeling to follow in the footsteps of the past and to be able to look at a piece of history underwater.

History of the HTMS Prab Wreck

Our Dive Site of the Month is the HTMS Prab wreck. It was scuttled (purposely sunk) just south of Ko Ngam Noi in 2011. The vessel was commissioned in 1945 and was designed by the US Navy for Pacific island-hopping campaigns in World War II. It was eventually gifted to the Thai Navy and was used as a training vessel, before finally being decommissioned and gifted to Chumphon Province for use as an artificial reef. The Prab is the sister ship to the HTMS Sattakut, which is another scuttled wreck just off Koh Tao. The two ships are almost identical, though the Prab now lies at a shallower depth than its sister ship, making it far more accessible to less experienced divers. Important facts The warm waters of the Thai Gulf have proven to be an excellent coral nursery, coating the wreck in healthy corals, sea urchins, and mollusks. This in turn has attracted a variety of marine life, including large schools of one-spot snapper, fusiliers, and even the occasional hawksbill turtle or whale shark. The Prab is an excellent choice for divers of all experience levels, but particularly for those learning the art of wreck penetration.

Where you can find the dive site?

The Prab lies east of Chumphon and is a short journey from Chumphon City. A very popular dive site, this wreck is visited often by local dive centers and even by clubs of divers travelling down from Bangkok to stay in the area for a few days. This area of the Gulf is visited by certified recreational scuba divers and freedivers alike. The season for visiting Chumphon Province is from March to July.

SSI Wreck Diving Program

Did we make you curious? Would you like to visit this dive site? For a full list of SSI Training Centers which are near the Prab wreck, click HERE. To gain more experience and safely dive close to wrecks, we recommend the SSI Wreck Diving program. This program gives you the skills and knowledge required to safely scuba dive above and around these underwater treasures.