Hardeep is a spectacular wreck used by the Japanese during WWII as a supply ship for its troops.
| Name Dive Site: | Hardeep |
| Depth: | 20-29m (65-95ft) |
| Accessibility: | Boat |
| Inserted/Added by: | lars, © Author: Lars Hemel |
| Rated: | Rated 4.3, 3 votes |
| Specifications: |      |
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Just south of Pattaya near Samea San and Sattaship are many small islands. Right into the channel between Ko Samea San and Ko Chuang sits the Hardeep, a former Thai World War II steamship. It was built in 1918 in Hong Kong named the S.S Suddhadib or Suthathip in devotion to one of King Rama the fifth's daughters. During WWII this officially Indonesian-registered cargo ship was used by the Japanese often loaded with oil supplies for its troops. Allied forced considered it an enemy ship and decided to attack it on May, 1 1942. That day she was docked near Ko Chuang fully loaded with fuel. The Royal Air Force (RAF) hit it with two bombs; luckily the ship only sank and did not explode so all passengers reached shore safely.
The Hardeep is sixty meter long, ten meter wide and five meter high. It is relatively old, sitting on its starboard side and still quite intact. Its bow section has opened and caused for strong flows throughout the wreck, creating enough natural light inside the different rooms. We still recommend bringing a flash light as there are many groups of small critters hiding in the darker holes of the wreck. Entering this unstable ship is possible but not recommended for untrained divers. You can see fire bricks near the huge boilers and an intact crankshaft.
There are two large thousand pounds unexploded bombs just a few yards from the funnel line; do not touch them as the Thai government has not dismantled them. Its foremast lies on the with sand and rocks covered ocean floor. Because of the age of the wreck, coral and marine life had enough time to settle. Jacks, trevellies and angel fish are some of the numerous examples. Fishing on the wreck is difficult which has resulted in healthier fish life here than on its nearby coral reefs. It is one of the top dive sites near Pattaya and just big enough to see most of it with an excellent single dive.
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