The total atmospheric transmittance of the South China Sea was measured using a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroradiometer. After measuring the direct solar spectrum data in 1.1-2μm using the Spectroradiometer, the Langley method was employed to extract the atmospheric spectral transmittance of the South China Sea. The Langley method was utilized to extract atmospheric spectral transmittance at different altitudes and angles, and the variation in atmospheric transmittance over the South China Sea was analyzed extensively. The Combined Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (CART) model was used on the above data, to simulate the atmospheric transmittance under similar circumstances and draw a comparison with the previously obtained results. The data obtained from the Spectroradiometer indicates that the slant path atmospheric transmittance is in coherence with the model simulation results, with a negligible absolute error of less than 2.3%. Furthermore, as the solar zenith angle increases, there is a gradual decrease in the transmittance of the entire measurement band. The short-wave atmosphere attenuates rapidly; however, the long-wave attenuation is slow.