Back when we were attending classroom sessions and pool training, our instructor Ada would always tell us that our open-water skills assessment would be held at Longdong Bay on the Northeast Coast — but that it was essentially just a training ground for northern divers, with very little marine life to speak of. He'd advise us not to get our hopes up.
I still remember the day of our open-water skills test. We woke up at the crack of dawn, bleary-eyed, and piled into a minivan for the journey north — through the highway, through the tunnel — bracing ourselves for what we'd been told would be a perfectly unremarkable stretch of the Northeast Coast. Then, all of a sudden, an enormous expanse of ocean appeared before us: a brilliant, luminous blue that washed away every worry in an instant. The mountains rising alongside the sea gave the sweeping landscape a quiet sense of solidity, and as the van rolled on, I felt as though my soul had found its way back to where it belonged.
I later learned that Instructor Ada had deliberately downplayed the Northeast Coast so that we'd be genuinely surprised when we first laid eyes on it. All I can say is that his plan worked perfectly — and I hadn't even dived yet when the Northeast Coast had already left me completely awestruck.
For a long time, I actually thought "Northeast Coast dive sites" referred solely to Longdong Bay. Early this year, I even told Divemaster A-Jia that I hoped to dive every site on the Northeast Coast before the year was out. Little did I know just how naïve I was — Longdong Bay alone is divided into Sites 1, 3, and 4, and branching out from there are spots like the Bunker, Jinsha Bay, Maoao Bay, and more. One summer simply isn't enough to dive them all!
And that's not even mentioning what I discovered later: that the Northeast Coast dive area stretches all the way from Yilan to Chaojing in Keelung, with each site having its own distinct character. People just dive here so often that they stop noticing what makes it special — and stop thinking that our Northeast Coast can hold its own against overseas destinations or even other dive sites in Taiwan.
But no matter how beautiful other places in the world may be, the Northeast Coast dive sites mean something more to me than just a training ground for northern divers. They feel like my first home in the ocean — a place of deep personal significance. That's why I'd like to share more of my diving experiences here going forward. Because the sea never runs out of surprises, I believe that every person who dives the Northeast Coast — at different angles and at different times — will encounter something entirely their own. I'm always eager to hear about yours.
Note:
The main dive sites on the Northeast Coast include Thumb Rock, 84K, Longdong Bay Site 1, Longdong Bay Site 2, Longdong Bay Site 3, Longdong Bay Site 4, Sijji Bay, Hemei, Maoao, Jinsha Bay, Xianglan, Magang, Yingge Rock, and Shicheng — and of course, the widely celebrated Chaojing. (The above information is referenced from the Northeast Coast Divers Inn official website: https://diver228.divers.com.tw/)
【Carol's Diving Diary: 2020/1/7】
First glimpse of the Northeast Coast dive sites
The Northeast Coast — mountains on one side, ocean on the other
Longdong Bay Site 3 on the Northeast Coast — the dive base where we completed our training
Longdong Bay: the yin-yang sea — a rare phenomenon you can only catch when it rains
Once, as we were ascending to the surface, we suddenly found ourselves unable to see our hands in front of our faces. It was only when we broke the surface and drifted there that we realised the clear skies from our descent had turned to rain, and the sea surface had taken on a muddy, ochre hue. As it turned out, we'd been lucky enough to stumble upon the famous yin-yang sea at Longdong Bay.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How is a BlueTrend dive trip different from an unknown, no-name dive group?
Choosing us means full peace-of-mind protection and a smooth experience from start to finish. Every trip we run holds to three things.
First, full legal protection and a professional dive leader: we strictly follow Taiwan's travel regulations and provide complete travel-agency liability insurance, travel insurance, trip-inconvenience insurance and dive insurance. Every group is accompanied by a certified, foreign-language dive leader who joins you on both the dives and the land itinerary, liaising seamlessly with local dive shops and operators on your behalf to keep things running smoothly — the person our travellers trust most.
Second, fully licensed with secure payments: every payment goes into a licensed travel agency's account, with multiple safe payment channels (bank transfer, credit card and more) and a legal collect-and-remit receipt, so every transaction is open, transparent and protected, avoiding the fraud and dispute risks of transferring money privately to an individual.
Third, hand-picked quality we vet in person: every trip, dive site and partner shop is scouted on the ground by our own team, from the guides' professionalism and safety standards to the food, lodging, environment and service details on land, all vetted by us so you don't get caught out.
I want to sign up for a dive trip. Are there certification-level or logged-dive requirements?
Each dive site is different, so the entry bar varies. 'Bali Tulamben', for instance, is relatively beginner-friendly. 'Malapascua in the Philippines' is also beginner-friendly, but since thresher sharks tend to cruise between 20 and 30 metres, we recommend AOW certification with 20+ logged dives to enjoy this trip comfortably. For 'the Maldives' or 'Palau', we suggest AOW with 50+ logged dives for a more relaxed experience. If you're not sure whether your experience fits the trip you want, message us and our dive editors will assess it and help you find the trip you'll feel safest on.
Can I join if I'm signing up alone? How are rooms arranged?
Plenty of our travellers sign up solo! For rooms and beds, we prioritise pairing you with a same-gender traveller, and if you'd rather have your own space you can pay the difference to upgrade to a single room. For the diving, our professional leader will pair you with a suitable buddy, and with the happy vibe on our trips you'll quickly make a great group of dive friends. Many people sign up alone, make new friends, and end up organising the next trip together!
Does the trip fee include dive insurance, gear rental, taxes and instructor tips?
It depends on the trip, the destination's regulations and the local operators. Every BlueTrend dive trip has a detailed web page with a clear 'included / not included' list, transparent and with no hidden charges. All payments are collected by a licensed travel agency, with a standard-form contract for your protection.
I'm a new diver / haven't dived in a long time — will I fall behind the group?
Before you complete your booking, our team assesses a suitable trip based on your certification level and experience. Before departure, we strongly recommend taking time to refresh in Taiwan with an instructor, or a fun dive to get your feel back. On the trip itself, our professional dive leader groups and pairs everyone by experience, keeps a close eye underwater on travellers who need extra care, and steps in to help right away.
Will the photos and videos taken during the trip be shared with us?
During the dives, 'safety' is always the leader's top priority, so whenever it's suitable and safe the leader will capture great shots and record the best moments. During or after the trip, we compile a cloud album for all travellers to download, so you go home loaded with memories!
Besides your scheduled trips, can you arrange a private group charter or independent travel for me and my friends?
Absolutely! Besides group trips, we also arrange private group charters and independent travel. We can communicate, enquire and coordinate services with local operators based on your needs, saving you time and effort and taking the language barrier off your plate, to tailor the smoothest, most reassuring dive trip just for you. Contact our LINE support and our editors will arrange it for you!
![[Carol's Dive Log] Northern Taiwan Dive Site – Yingge Rock: A Special Ocean Cleanup Dive to Remove Wooden Lures](/_astro/15763185497611382810092_mh1576321790031-%E8%A4%87%E8%A3%BD-1_Z1OUlvx.webp)
