Goseong Cheonhakjeong Freediving Tour Review: Exploring Korea’s Best Dive Spot Despite Challenging Conditions

Hello! This is Leo, a freediving instructor from Vonfreedive!

To kick off the 2024 diving season, I visited Cheonhakjeong in Goseong as my first destination!

Although it's not exactly a short trip from Seoul (about 200km), since I left early on a Sunday morning, I arrived quickly without any traffic (took about 2 hours).

Cheonhakjeong is a stunning landmark in Goseong, known for the legend of a crane descending from the sky, set against the backdrop of its clear blue sea and majestic natural beauty. It’s a well-known spot for both sunrise and sunset photography and has recently gained popularity as a freediving destination. It truly is a hidden gem where you can enjoy both nature and history.

I first visited Cheonhakjeong in late summer 2020. Due to the pandemic, overseas diving trips were impossible, and I was in the middle of my freediving instructor course. Cheonhakjeong was selected as a depth evaluation site for instructors, as it was a point where you could dive deep and still manage a day trip. That’s how I ended up visiting for the first time.

One of the advantages of Cheonhakjeong is that it’s one of the closest places to Seoul where you can do deep diving by car. If you time it right, you can enjoy diving in excellent sea conditions. There are a variety of depth points, and there’s even a barge in the middle of the sea where you can sit and rest.

However, there are also some disadvantages. The East Sea is known for its cold water, and the swells can be quite strong. But if you manage the tides and weather well, you can still enjoy a decent freediving experience in domestic waters.

We booked a boat through Cheonhakjeong Resort.

Note: Cheonhakjeong Resort is primarily a scuba diving center, so freedivers need to bring their own gear, buoy system, and personal items.

On the first day, we went out on the boat at noon. It’s about a 15-minute ride from Gyoam Port to the dive point.

After arriving at the point, we did some warm-up dives. You can feel a thermocline around 10 meters, with the temperature gradually changing beyond that. It didn’t feel too bad.

The visibility was about 10 meters, with moderate swells and currents. Surface temperature was 26°C, while it dropped to around 15°C at 40 meters. Since it’s the beginning of September, I expect the sea conditions to remain good for a while.

Our first day of diving was light, focusing on getting used to the sea and warming up.

There was a minor incident. Usually, when drift diving, the boat stays close by, but there are times when it moves away.

In that case, you may drift with the current and end up far from your original location. It’s essential to carry a highly visible buoy with a flag (you can be hard to spot on the sea!), and always bring a phone in case of emergencies.

After completing the dive, we treated ourselves to a delicious moolhoe (raw fish soup). There are many more places to eat and cozy cafes around compared to my last visit, so it’s a great spot to relax after diving.

After lunch, we did a casual fun dive from the beach. At Gyoam Beach, you can enter the water and swim about 100 meters out, where you’ll find a series of tetrapods. The depth ranges from 3 to 7 meters, making it perfect for a light fun dive.

It was a peaceful afternoon, enjoying the calm under the tetrapods and occasionally spotting a few fish.

The day ended at Cheonhakjeong as the sun began to set.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of rain. I looked outside and saw it was coming down quite hard. Checking the weather app.

I noticed something forming over the northern part of Goseong. However, the sea near the coast was calm, and the rain had lessened, so we decided to head out.

Unfortunately, as we moved out to sea, the swells and rain intensified. For safety reasons, we decided to call it a day and return. Instead, we opted for another light fun dive in a more sheltered area, similar to the previous afternoon.

Even though we couldn’t go diving as planned, the owner of Cheonhakjeong Resort was kind enough not to charge us for the boat and allowed us to use the facilities. We wrapped up the tour with some fun dives, easing our disappointment.

This was my fourth visit to Cheonhakjeong Resort, and overall, it’s been a good experience. However, if you’re not used to freediving in Korean Sea, it might be a bit surprising at first. That said, if you time it right (and with a bit of luck), you can enjoy crystal-clear waters and warm, serene dives that rival those in tropical seas.

I’m already looking forward to returning for another perfect dive day. That wraps up my Goseong Cheonhakjeong freediving tour review!