Scuba diving in Andaman – A complete overview
What is scuba diving?
Before you decide to try scuba diving in the Andaman Islands, here is a little fun fact about scuba diving. The SCUBA is an acronym. That stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. It allows you to somewhat feel like you have gills just like any fish. It presents the most exciting way to explore the underwater world and closely observe marine life. Scuba diving is an adventure activity that brings you closer to nature and allows you to immerse yourself in a whole new world.
We arrange scuba diving and snorkelling trips for beginners every day. ( Upto 10% off on snorkelling and scuba diving in Andaman )
Snorkelling trip in Havelock
Starting at 4500 INR per person
Scuba diving in Tribe Gate
Starting at 5500 INR per person
Scuba Diving in Turtle Beach
Starting at 6500 INR per person
Island Hopping Trip in Havelock
Starting at 27000 INR per couple
SSI Scuba diving courses for water enthusiasts ( Upto 10% off on scuba diving courses in Andamans )
SSI Scuba Diver Course
Starting at 16000 INR per person
SSI Open Water Diver Course
Starting at 29000 INR per person
SSI Advance Adventure Diver
Starting at 26000 INR per person
Fun Dives in Havelock
Starting at 6000 INR per 2 dives
How is the scuba diving experience in the Andamans?
It’s a breath of fresh air – underwater. One minute you are encircled by a school of snappers, another minute you are swimming over a garden of colorful corals, and then suddenly you’re facing a defensive family of clownfish protecting their anemone.
The Andamans has the clearest warm waters amongst the scuba diving destinations in India. Traveling to the Andaman Islands is recommended for anyone looking to experience scuba diving with varied marine creatures and crystal clear calm blue waters.
You can have a one-time scuba experience or become a certified diver and get trained to dive all around the world.
The instructors are patient and very professional and can help you experience the joy of scuba diving even if you are a non-swimmer. Those who are scared to go in the water can comfortably do so in a hand-held assisted format in the Andaman Islands.
Why should you choose to dive into the Andamans?
Scuba diving in the Andamans cannot be missed by those, who are enthusiastic about adventure and enjoy spending time in nature. These remote islands are home to some pristine reefs and exotic marine life.
For beginners, calm, clear, and warm blue waters present a comfortable way to learn diving. We provide one-is-to-one instructor support to the non-swimmers so that you can explore the biodiversity and enjoy the best scuba diving in Andaman.
The Andaman Islands are home to some of the best of diving in the South Asian subcontinent. You don’t need to travel far and wide in search of reliable dive operations and suitable diving conditions.
The professional, well-trained, and experienced dive instructors can teach you diving in a way, that is relaxing and comfortable. They can even speak several languages too while teaching.
Who can participate in scuba diving – Who can dive?
Just about anyone and everyone can go diving. It’s an easy-going adventure sport you can enjoy even if you are not an “adrenaline-junkie”.
It seems immensely complex and not a cup of tea for everyone. But scuba diving has become a very safe and rewarding adventure sport by using advanced and modern equipment. Which lets people enjoy the underwater world while having different physical abilities.
The minimum age for scuba diving is eight years and three months. The physical fitness level of every individual decides whether they should do it or not.
You can refer to your doctor to ensure that you don’t have any medical conditions which prevent you from diving. Swimming is not a prerequisite for the assisted dives but is mandatory for certification courses.
Types of scuba diving experiences and certification courses for beginners and experienced divers.
There are three types of diving including non-swimmers, beginners, and experienced divers in Andaman Islands scuba diving.
1.One-time scuba diving experience for non-swimmers and beginners.
One-time scuba diving experience for non-swimmers and beginners
Duration and depth limitation
As per international safety standards ( SSI ), The maximum depth limit for beginners and non-swimmers should be 8 to 12 meters for adults depending on which program they participate in.
It is recommended for kids below the age of 10 to dive to a maximum depth of 2 meters.
The activity can take anywhere between 2 hours to half a day depending on the program you choose.
Inclusions
Training time Up to 40 minutes prior to the actual dive at chest-level water.
Dive time 30 to 45 minutes with the assigned instructor at a one-in-to-one ratio.
Free pickup-drop.
Complementary pictures and video of your diving experience.
Prerequisites
You should have good physical and mental health.
Download the Medical Form to check your suitability.
You don’t have to know how to swim.
The minimum age is eight years and three months for the kids.
How is the one-time experience for beginners and non-swimmers conducted?
Most commonly described by our divers as a “life-changing experience”. The one-time experience can be thrilling, and comfortable at the same time.
It is an assisted program designed to make you feel secure as you step into the underwater world. Once you have signed up for the program, an instructor will take you through the paperwork and give you a short briefing about scuba diving.
He will then teach you a few skills at chest-deep water required to use the scuba unit and then take you for a dive one-on-one. You will get the chance to glide through schools of fish, and the instructor will be around to hold your hand through the journey.
Non-swimmers need not worry as the instructor takes care of the swimming requirements for the diver and themselves.
Scuba diving courses in Andaman for beginners
Duration and depth limitation
As per international safety standards ( SSI ), The maximum depth limit for recreational diving is 12 to 30 meters for adults depending on which course you choose.
It is recommended for kids above the age of 10 to dive to a maximum depth of 12 meters.
Diving courses can take 2 to 4 days depending on the course you choose.
Inclusions
Training time Up to 4 hours each day in confined water at chest-level water.
2 to 6 open water dives with the assigned instructor at a one-in-to-two ratio depending on the course you choose.
Free pickup-drop.
Complementary pictures and video of your diving experience.
Prerequisites
You should have good physical and mental health for the scuba diving course in Andaman.
Download the Medical Form to check your suitability.
You should know basic swimming. There is a swim test of 200 meters at the beginning of the course.
The minimum age is ten years for the kids.
Here’s how we conduct scuba diving courses for beginners
When you decide to explore scuba diving in Andaman Nicobar by becoming a certified diver, you will embark on an exciting new journey with our instructors.
The courses are conducted over a few days, during which you will acquire the diving skills required to master your abilities as a diver. The scuba diver course is conducted with 10 diving skills, and 2 open water dives in one and a half to two days.
The SSI Open Water Course takes four days to complete with 20 skills and 6 open water dives to sharpen your scuba diving ability. The SSI Advanced Adventurer takes two to three days to complete the course with an extraordinary scuba diving experience.
The courses include shore as well as boat dives led by our patient and experienced instructors. There are theory sessions, skills sessions, and scuba dives in the open water in all the courses to gain ultimate knowledge and confidence.
Specialty courses and fun dives for experienced divers.
Duration and depth limitation
As per international safety standards ( SSI ), The maximum depth limit for recreational diving is 12 to 30 meters for adults depending on which course you choose.
It is recommended for kids above the age of 10 to dive to a maximum depth of 12 meters.
Scuba diving specialty courses take 2 to 3 days depending on the specialty you choose.
Inclusions
Training time Up to 2 hours each day in confined water at chest-level water.
2 open water dives with the assigned instructor at a one-in-to-two ratio depending on the course you choose.
Free pickup-drop.
Complimentary snacks and mineral water.
Prerequisites
You should have good physical and mental health.
Download the Medical Form to check your suitability.
You should have completed the open water diver course.
The minimum age is 12 years for the kids.
How we conduct specialty courses and fun dives
Already certified? Look into some of the courses we conduct to help you specialize in certain aspects of scuba diving? Or you could simply choose to fun dive and explore the best scuba diving in the Andaman Islands.
Specialty courses help you improve your skillset and can help you fine-tune your abilities in the water. You can improve upon your buoyancy or dive to deeper depths, improve your photography skills or simply enjoy some drift diving during specialty courses.
All the specialty courses come with 2 open water dives at any of our renowned dive sites.
But if you are looking to just enjoy some fun dives without taking on any new skills training you could sign up for some customized fun dives led by our divemasters. There are vibrant marine species and exciting coral reefs to explore especially for the certified diver.
How can you book your scuba experience?
As soon as you land in Port Blair, several agents and tour operators will sell you a menu of scuba experiences in the Andaman Islands. It can be difficult for beginners to know which is the best and safest for them. There are risk factors involved in scuba diving if not performed as per standard safety procedure.
It is best to book your scuba diving experience in advance. Spend some time researching the program best suited for you. If you are looking for a safe and reliable scuba experience, make sure you book your dive with a reputed and established dive center. Do look for whether they have positive reviews on google or not before booking with them.
You could be looking for a one-time experience, a certification course, or some fun dives – we have multiple options for you to choose from.
What are the best diving locations in the Andaman Islands?
Tourists can experience scuba diving in various places in the South of Andamans because all the famous diving sites are here. One can dive in Port Blair or Chidiyatapu, at Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep), and at Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). There are several dive sites depending on your skills, certification, and experience level from the list below. Beginners or nonswimmers are also eligible for scuba diving up to 12 meters (Dive level – Beginner) under the assistance of a professional dive instructor.
Popular Dive Sites of Havelock Island
Nemo Reef | Depth 4-8 meters | Dive level – Beginner
Shore diving is an attractive option for the first-time diver. The shore diving location at Havelock–Nemo Reef has some exciting marine life to explore. One side of the reef is the home of Nemo fish along with multiple species of colorful sea dwellers and another side of the reef offers an exciting jeep wreck site.
Tribe Gate | Depth – 12 meters | Dive level – Beginner
A popular boat diving location at Havelock Island is a ten-minute boat ride away. You jump into the water from a boat and begin your underwater exploration. Tribe Gate is an oval-shaped reef popular for numerous species of fishlife (individual and groups), multiple habitats of sea anemones, and hard corals.
Red Pillar | Depth -12 meters | Dive Level – Beginner
A ten-minute ride on the boat from Havelock takes you to a channel marker close to Peel Island. Concrete pillars covered in coral can be seen underwater. The dive site is popular for a large variety of colorful coral reefs, vibrant reef fish, and bathtub-sized Barrel Sponges.
Turtle Beach | Depth -10 meters | Dive Level – Beginner
A 30-minute boat ride in Havelock is the best diving spot for both beginners and experienced divers. The dive site is the home of stag horn coral reefs and multiple species of colorful fish life. Low water currents and clear water visibility are the perfect blend of the dive site for a stress-free and safe diving adventure.
Aquarium | Depth – 14 meters | Dive Level – Beginner
The dive site is located 12 kilometers to the southeast of Havelock. The clear waters at this dive site bustling with schools of snappers, and bannerfish, and the perfect training ground for buddy divers. It is a small reef brimming with butterfly fish, sea stars, shrimp, bat fish, and crocodile fish.
S.S. Inchket Wreck | Depth – 18 meters | Dive Level – Intermediate
The dive site is located 20 kilometers to the west of Havelock. This 1950s shipwreck is now a dive site housing a variety of marine creatures. You can find an anchor, propellers of the ship, and pieces of coal here. Divers can spot numerous sea species including snapper, rainbow wrasse, ghost pipefish, groupers, reef fish, lobsters, puffer fish, and many more.
The Slope | Depth – 20 meters | Dive Level – Intermediate
The dive site is located northwest of Havelock. Underwater ridges and mounds of reefs with vibrant schools of fish can be found at The Slope. You can expect to spot a Moray eel if you are in luck. The highlights of the dive site are snappers, crocodile fish, reef fish, shrimp, fusilier, whip coral, and sea stars. The dive site is also a macro cleaning station where busy shrimp and cleaner wrasse work in large groups.
White House Rock | Depth – 40 meters | Dive Level – Intermediate & Advanced
The dive site is located 21 kilometers to the west of Havelock. This vibrant and colorful hill-shaped reef is covered with white-colored soft coral on one side, which earns the dive site its name. Whitehouse Rock is a circular reef with pinnacles and popular Sightings of the site are schools of snappers, reef fish, fan corals, turtles, and great barracuda.
The Wall | Depth – 55 meters | Dive Level – Intermediate & advanced
Named after the shape of the reef, this dive site is an underwater wall. You can expect to find the rarest of macro sightings of the largest fish at this dive site. The dive site is popular for a variety of soft corals with a mixture of colors like – pink, yellow, purple, green, and white. The reef is also a hunting action hotspot for a large school of fishlife such as snappers, bannerfish, fusiliers, and barracuda.
Johnny’s Gorge | Depth -34 meters | Dive Level – Advanced
The dive site is located on the east of Havelock. It is one of the top dive sites in the Andamans, Johnny’s Gorge is the best place to spot reef sharks, nurse sharks, cat sharks, Guitar sharks, giant groupers, large stingrays, and visiting manta and eagle rays resting on the sandy bottom around the deep circular reef.
Dickson’s Pinnacles | Depth – 35 meters | Dive Level – Advanced
The dive site is located on the east of Havelock. Three gigantic underwater pinnacles are covered with soft yellow corals, brimming with small colorful schools of banner fish, surgeon fish, angel fish, bat fish, and glass fish. Reef structures shaped like hillocks covered in soft coral emerge from a sandy bottom at this dive site. You can expect to spot Trevallies, paddle tail snappers, and Napoleon Wrasse in plenty.
Jackson’s Bar | Depth – 30 meters | Dive Level – Advanced
The dive site is located 19 kilometers on the north-east of Havelock. Resembling a giant bar of chocolate, Jackson’s Bar is the go-to place to spot Stingrays in plenty. You can expect to find large Moray Eels, Andaman sweetlips, schools of Bengal snappers, barracudas, and tuna. Jackson’s Bar’s unique location and the strong currents that run perpendicular to the site make it a regular haunt for pelagics and divers who don’t mind a challenging dive.
Popular Dive Sites of Chidiyatapu
Mundapahar Beach | Depth – 8 meters | Dive Level – Beginner
Easily accessible and perfect for those who don’t want to travel far for diving. This location offers a relaxed and easy dive experience. The dive site is popular for shallow dives and the home to lionfish, angelfish, wrasses, sweet lips, sea snakes, parrotfish, clownfish, and fusiliers.
Fish Point | Depth – 11 meters | Dive Level – Beginner
Suitable for snorkeling and diving, this shallow reef is perfect for beginner divers. A short boat ride and you can spot anemones, snappers, scorpionfish, clownfish, sleepy rays, scorpion fish, and more. The Reefwatch is an artificial reef that lies on a small corner of the reef and is one of the attractions of Fish Point.
Light House | Depth – 13 meters | Dive Level – Beginner
Not far from Fish Point, it is another shallow dive site and perfect for new divers. The reef starts at a depth of 2 meters and plays host to vibrant fish life including snappers, parrot fish, scorpionfish, little yellow box fishes, Christmas tree worms, and groupers. Sometimes Napoleon Wrasse might catch your attention at the Lighthouse point.
Chhe Nala | Depth – 17 meters | Dive Level – Beginners & Intermediate
The name of this site translates to – six channels. The spot used to be a harbor and the dive site lies under the damaged structure of the harbor. The reef of the site starts from 4 meters and slopes down to 17 meters. Some man-made structures were dropped down into the channel when the harbor was operational. With time, now nature has evolved corals in drowned structures that shelter exquisite macro life.
Parrot’s Rock | Depth – 20 meters | Dive Level – Advanced
The reef starts out shallow and is well-suited for those who enjoy drift diving and ideal for drift diving specialty. The dive site is named after the schools of parrotfish that live here and experience a fairly strong drift. The dive site lies between South Andaman and Rutland which is a cluster of rocks that emerge out during low tide. The reef of the dive site slopes from 5 to 20 meters and owns moray eels, purple soft coral, sea turtles, and gorgonians.
The Wreck | Depth – 30 meters | Dive Level – Advanced
The shipwreck lies at a depth of 30 meters on the sandy bottom where trevally, snapper, fusiliers, and batfish can be easily spotted. You can also witness a giant grouper that often hangs out around the wreck.
Corruption Rock | Depth – 30 meters | Dive Level – Advanced
Corruption Rock has a giant pinnacle the top of which juts out of water. One side of the pinnacle goes down to 14 meters whereas the other side goes down to 30 meters deep. The major attractions of Corruption Rock are tunas, barracudas, scorpion fish, jacks, eagle rays, snappers as well as nudibranchs, and more. Divers can spot glassfish, triggerfish, unicorn fish, and damsels in the shallow part of the reef.
Popular Dive Sites of Port Blair
North Bay | Depth 6-8 meters | Dive Level – Beginner
The location allows tourists to sign up for many water sports activities including scuba diving. The dive site is suitable for newbies looking to explore the shallow part of the reef. You can do your first dive or explore the reef from a glass-bottom boat here. The dive site is perfect for divers to have a glimpse of the underwater world.
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (Jolly Buoy Island) | Depth 12-20 meters | Dive Level – Beginner & Intermediate
Jolly Buoy Island is located 30 kilometers from the capital city of Port Blair. You will also have to catch a boat from Wandoor Beach in between to reach Jolly Buoy Island. The Island is preserved by the Andaman administration. The site offers unmatched marine life, healthy coral reefs, and colorful sea dwellers in crystal-clear waters. The dive site of Jolly Buoy is filled with reef-building corals which is the home of reef fish like Anthias, damselfish, and sergeant major fish, etc.
Snake Island | Depth – 14 meters | Dive Level – Beginner & Intermediate
Snake Island boasts rich and diverse marine life which is quite suitable for divers looking to explore the natural aquatic environment. The site is an uninhabited small rocky islet located off Corbyn’s Cove in Port Blair. Everyone can enjoy the rich aquatic life of the dive site whether you are a swimmer or nonswimmer. The popular sightings of the site are Goatfish, Pisces, triggerfish, molluscs, rays, grunts, Cnidarians, and arthropods
Bala Reef | Depth – 20 meters | Dive Level – Intermediate
The dive site is located in Little Andaman which is located 101 kilometers (63 miles) south of Port Blair. The underwater beauty of the site allows you to explore rich coral reefs and all sorts of colorful reef fish. Diving here feels like exploring a colorful coral garden. Apart from diving, you can also try surfing, elephant safari, and boating inside creeks.
Cinque Island | Depth – 30 meters | Dive Level – Advanced
The dive site of Cinque Island is located 37 kilometers south of Port Blair which is an uninhabited marine sanctuary and houses Andaman’s famous pristine reefs. The Island is connected by a sandbar and most of the diving activities take place on the north Cinque Island. You will start by descending to the shallow part of the reef to explore reef-building corals but as you go deeper, you will see visible change in the composition of the reef where sea fans and other gorgonians abound. You will witness numerous reef-associated fish like wrasse, snappers, damselfish, groupers, and parrotfish. Diving at Cinque Island feels like exploring a virgin reef.
Popular Dive Sites of Neil Island
Jetty Channel Marker | Depth 7 – 11 meters | Dive Level – Beginner
It’s a beautiful little reef around the jetty channel marker and suitable for all divers. On the surface, a channel marker helps ships navigate but underwater the sight is different. Corals are grown on a concrete pillar fallen on its side underwater and schools of fish like trevally, parrotfish, triggerfish, scorpionfish, small puffers, angelfish, Juvenile batfish, and stingrays in the sand swim around playfully.
Dugong Dungeon | Depth – 14 meters | Dive Level – Beginner
It’s a relaxing shallow dive site where beds of sea grass lie off the patches of rock and corals amidst sand. The bed of sea grass where a family of Dugongs can be spotted regularly thereby earning the dive site its name.
K-Rock Depth 11-19 meters | Dive Level – Beginner & Intermediate
K-Rock as the name suggests is a large volcanic rock that spreads out over a sandy bottom. The depth of the site varies from 11 to 19 meters and is suitable for all levels of divers. The dive site is perfect for underwater navigation courses due to its mild currents. The site lets you explore plenty of small boulder formations, crevices, small overhangs, snappers, sweetlips, butterflyfish, and soldierfish distinct from other dive sites.
Margherita’s Mischief | Depth 7-16 meters | Dive Level – Beginner & Intermediate
The dive site is located 2.5 kilometers to the north of Neil Island. The dive site is a long chain of rocky mounds extending southward. The site also has a particular variety of seagrass that dugongs love. Margherita’s Mischief is a perfect dive site for open-water divers because of its easy depth and crystal-clear waters with mild currents. During a dive, you will be able to spot batfish, angelfish, pufferfish, pipefish, lobsters, nudibranchs, and dozens of blue-spotted stingrays hidden in the sand. Those who are diving in the hope of spotting a dugong can cross their fingers to have some luck at this site.
Bus Stop | Depth 15 – 20 meters | Dive Level – Intermediate
The dive site is located 3 kilometers to the west of Neil Island. Garden Eels have made their homes in the sandy patches between the reefs. The bus stop is a fringing reef comprising small rocky patches to the North while a small plateau sloping downward to the west. The reef of the site is popular for witnessing several varieties of Andaman Reef fish, blue spotted stingrays, and garden eels.
Junction | Depth 28-34 meters | Dive Level – Advanced
The dive site is located 3.5 kilometers on the north of Neil Island. Right between Havelock and Neil, this dive site gets strong eastward currents. That brings in an unexpected bejeweled formation of colorful soft corals. The site looks like a chain of rocky mounds including popular sightings like eagle ray, manta ray, marble ray, Napoleon wrasse, macro creatures, batfish, and many more.
FAQs
1.Which Island is the best for Scuba Diving in Andaman?
Havelock Island and Neil Island are the most popular choices for diving because of access to a large number of dive sites. The water is crystal clear, and the sea conditions are calm.
2.What is the best time for Scuba Diving in Andaman?
While you will find dive operators working throughout the year on the Andamans, the best time to visit traditionally is between October and May.
3.What is the age limit for scuba diving?
The adults do not have a maximum age limit for scuba diving. It depends on each individual’s physical fitness levels. However, there is a minimum age of 8 years and three months. Download the Medical form here.
4.Which one is the best scuba diving vendor in Andaman?
There are several reputable scuba operators in the Andamans. We recommend that you do extensive research to find the one that suits your needs the best.
5.How safe is scuba diving in Andaman?
The safety standards maintained here are world-class. The instructors are trained enough to handle emergencies. We follow the same guidelines applicable all over the world for scuba operators.
6.Where do most people dive in Andaman?
While a lot of people dive in North Bay near Port Blair. But Havelock Island is considered to be the more popular dive location.
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Beach-02, opposite HDFC Bank, Govind Nagar, Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 744211
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