Scuba diving in Asia forum

Hi there,

Can I get some experience from people who have dived in Vietnam - Nha Trang before?

I saw some pictures and they look pretty nice but asked a friend who came back from there, she commented that there's nothing much to see. Just the very usual marine life. No sharks, rays or turtles... To me, its fine, since I am just there to do my courses but it would be a bonus if the visibility is good and marine life is abundant.

Basically I'm just looking for a place that teaches OW & AOW at a low price (like Ko Tao). So I've emailed several dive schools in Vietnam and it seems the prices are pretty competitive to Ko Tao! I'm surprised... Here are some rates I've been given;

Rainbow Divers
PADI AOW & OW - US$350 each
Discount rate if I book online US$300 each

Coco Dive Centre
SSI OW US$245, AOW US$210
Discount rate if I book online OW US$220, AOW US$200

Angel Dive
SSI OW US$235, AOW US$225
Discount rate if I book online OW US$199, AOW US$190

I am definitely interested to do my course in SSI so I can save on the manual, etc... Does anyone have any good experience with Coco Dive or Angel Dive? I have read on Rainbow Divers and there have been a lot of raves, but doing with them means I have to spend an extra US$200. Not very ideal for a budget backpacking trip...

Let me know guys on what you think...