Scuba Diving in India: Explore Top 14 Best Dive Spots For Breathtaking Experience
Are you getting bored on Land? Now it’s time to get into the depths of the sea to explore the diverse marine life. The life beneath the sea surface is enchanting, struggling, and energetic. Recreational scuba diving is one of the best ways to explore and admire colourful aquatic life. There are the top 14 best dive spots as per your budget and comfort for scuba diving in India.
Scuba or Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus device is really helpful for swimming underwater and having fun, thrill, and a lifetime experience. Now, swimming is not a prerequisite for scuba diving even beginners or nonswimmers can easily dive underwater with the assistance of a dive professional.
The maximum allowed dive depth limit is 40 meters (130 feet) for recreational scuba diving. Non-certified divers can dive up to 12 meters while certified divers can dive up to 40 meters depending on their certification and experience level.
Points to consider for scuba diving in India (Safety Rules)
- Don’t insist on diving if you have a flight within the next 12 hours.
- Never try to dive alone. Always dive with a buddy for support and assistance in emergencies.
- Diving after consuming alcohol, drugs, and medications is not recommended.
- Nonswimmers are advised not to venture into the sea on their own.
- Never hold your breath. Slow and deep breathing is recommended.
- Don’t dive too deep, start with shallow waters.
- Double-check your scuba equipment before each dive to ensure everything is working well.
- Don’t put yourself and your diver at risk by insisting on diving with a medical condition.
- The age limit for recreational scuba diving is a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 50 years.
- You must follow all the instructions of your dive master to have a safe and smooth scuba dive experience.
- Don’t touch anything underwater and don’t pollute underwater marine flora and fauna.
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Island Hopping Trip
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Scuba Diving in India: Overview of the top 14 best dive spots
Here is the list of the top 14 best dive destinations for scuba diving in India. You can explore diving opportunities and choose your dive spot as per your budget and travel itinerary.
- The Andaman Islands
- Lakshadweep
- Goa
- Kovalam, Kerala
- Pondicherry
- Kadmat Island
- Havelock Island
- Neil Island
- Cinque Island
- Netrani Island In Karnataka:
- Tarkarli, Maharashtra
- Dwarka
- Bangaram Islands
- The Aravind wall
1. Andaman Islands: Exploring new depths in deep blue sea
The incredible Andaman Islands are the top dive destination located southeast of the Bay of Bengal. It is also considered the best place for scuba diving in India to witness most often manta rays, turtles, octopus, moray eels, trevally, and batfish during the dive. The Islands are famous for their vibrant marine life, wide-open virgin white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and colourful species of sea dwellers and coral reefs just a few meters away from the coastline. Port Blair, Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep), and Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) are popular destinations for scuba diving in Andaman.
Dive sites: Turtle Beach, Tribe Gate, The Wall, Junction, Corruption Rock, Snake Island
Price: INR 3000 to INR 6000 per dive per person
Best diving season: October to April is the best time to enjoy scuba diving in Andaman. Early morning dives are fun-loving when the marine life becomes active.
Additional Info: Havelock Island is the best place with multiple dive sites to learn scuba diving in Andaman. Scuba dive operators provide basic to advanced dive courses to make you a comfortable and confident diver.
2. Lakshadweep: Colourful coral reefs
Lakshadweep is one of the prime locations to experience the best scuba diving in India. The group of Islands are famous for its blue transparent lagoons and coves and are the home of spacious species of marine life including turtles, manta rays, colourful fishlife, shark, and other sea dwellers. The place offers a rich and vibrant formation of coral reefs. It is a hidden paradise for scuba dive lovers to explore the diverse marine life.
Dive sites: Dolphin Reef, Classroom, Princess Royal, Lost Paradise, Manta Point, and Fish Soup
Price: INR 4000-6000 per person per dive for 30 minutes of underwater dive time.
Best Diving Season: You must visit to Lakshadweep Islands between December to April to have the best scuba diving experience.
Additional Info: You may spot the debris of a warship near the Prince Royal dive site that sank 200 years ago during a war between France and England. It will be exciting to explore the ship wreckage site to find traces of cannons and potteries.
3. Goa: Diving here is fun
The place is stunning for a variety of marine life, crystal clear waters, live coral reefs, and multiple scuba diving options. Most of the dive sites are shallow between 5 to 15 meters with a lack of underwater current. Goa is one of the safest places for scuba diving in India.
Dive sites: Davy Jones locker, Suz’y wreck, Grand Island, Turbo tunnel, Shelter Cove, and Sail Rock.
Price: INR 1500 – 4000 per person with training and actual dive
Best diving season: October to April is the good time to dive in Goa
Additional Info: Goa is one of the budgeted places for scuba diving in India. The water temperature of Goa remains 28 degrees Celsius with underwater visibility close to 4 to 8 meters.
4. Kovalam, Kerala: Unforgettable diving experience in God’s own country
Kovalam is one of the best places for scuba diving in transquisite waters and exploring multiple species of sea animals. The dive site is blessed with colourful sea dwellers and vibrant coral reefs in crystal-clear water. Kerala is rapidly becoming a famous dive destination where there are incredible scuba dive adventures.
Dive sites: Puffer Paradise, Lighthouse Beach, Kovalam Beach, Hawah Beach
Price: INR 3500-4500 per person
Best Diving season: September to February is the best season to scuba dive in Kerala
Additional Info: Kerala has multiple vibrant dive spots and Kovalam is an emerging dive site to have a wonderful dive experience.
5. Pondicherry: Dive into a vibrant underwater paradise
Pondicherry is the sole diving spot located on the eastern coast of India. The dive destination consists of natural coral reefs, man-made ridges, rocky structures, and beautiful marine organisms including fan corals, manta rays, parrot fish, jackfish, and sea snakes. The place is quite suitable for beginners and certified divers and is considered one of the best places for scuba diving in India.
Dive sites: Temple Reef, Cool Shark Reef, 4 Corners, The Hole, Aravind’s Wall, and Ravines
Price: INR 4000-6000 per person
Best Diving Season: September to November and February to April are the best diving seasons in Pondicherry.
Additional Info: The place is famous for its Attractive beaches, cosmic marine life and pleasant weather of Pondicherry lures a large number of divers every year.
6. Kadmat Island: Embark on a breathtaking underwater journey
It is also known as Cardamom Island. It is a part of the union territory of Lakshadweep and is located on the western side of India in the Arabian Sea. The dive site of Kadmat is popular for its marine turtles and many other marine species to witness while underwater diving. The Island looks like a paradise with clear blue waters, pristine white sandy beaches, and lush green forests.
Dive sites: The Wall, North Cave, Turtle City, Double Reef, Jack Point, Shark Alley
Price: INR 3000 – 6000 per person based on dive site and dive time
Best Diving Season: November to March is a good time to dive in Kadmat Island
Additional Info: Scuba diving here is good for witnessing species of marine Turtles and other marine life.
7. Havelock Island: Dive into the underwater paradise
The Island offers some of the best dive sites in India and is suitable for all scuba diving enthusiasts. Havelock Island is the home of diverse species of marine life including Reef sharks, Turtles, Octopus, manta rays, Nemo Fish and many other species of soft corals and sea dwellers. The Island is popular for its virgin beaches, transparent water bodies, and tropical rainforests. Scuba diving in Havelock is recommended to explore the splendid marine life ever before.
Dive Sites: Turtle Beach, Tribe Gate, Nemo Reef, The Wall, Red Piller, Slope, Dickson’s Pinnacle, Aquarium, Whitehouse Rock, Johnny’s Gorge
Price: INR 2500 to 6000 per person depending on dive sites and dive time
Best Diving Season: October to April is the best time to dive in Havelock
Additional Info: Havelock Island offers maximum dive sites as compared to other scuba diving destinations in India.
8. Neil Island: Uncover the secrets of the deep
It is another popular Island of Andaman and is located 53 kilometers away from the main city Port Blair. Neil Island is a remote and calm location free from the chaos of the main town. The coral reefs of Neil are still untouched and offer a wide range of marine flora and fauna. The Island is blessed with unexplored and hidden beaches to witness the wonders of nature. Neil Island is one of the recommended spots for the best underwater diving in India.
Dive Sites: Bus Stop, Junction, K-Rock, Jetty Channel Marker, and Margherita’s Mischief
Price: 3500 to 6000 per person
Best Diving Season: October to April is the best time to dip in Neil Island
Additional Info: Most of the coral reefs are still unexplored and untouched and an opportunity to see the state animal of Andaman Dugong (sea cow) luck by chance.
9.Cinque Island: Diving here never gets boring
Cinque is another popular Island for scuba diving activities and a part of the Andaman Islands. The Island is located in the southern part approximately 40 kilometers away from the main town Port Blair. The Island has one of the clearest water bodies there exists a variety of marine life and underwater visibility goes up to 24 meters deep. You can explore numerous species of sea dwellers, and multiple species of corals including black coral, sharks, and rare marine flora and fauna.
Dive Sites: North Point
Price: 10000-15000 per person
Best Diving Season: February to March
Additional Info: The Island is famous for its transparent water up to 80 feet deep and is home to unique marine species.
10. Netrani Island In Karnataka
Netrani is a tiny Island also known as Pigeon Island located in the Arabian Sea approximately a few kilometres away from the western coast of Karnataka. Murudeshwar is the main town from where you have to reach Netrani Island by speed boat. It is around 10 kilometres away from Murudeshwar off the coast of Karnataka. Netrani is a heart-shaped Island rich with diverse marine life and fabulous species of coral formations. You can also witness whale sharks if you get lucky. Bhatkal is a famous shipwreck site in Netrani located 25 kilometres away off the coast. It is one of the recommended places for the best underwater diving in India.
Dive sites: Pebble Beach, Nursery, The Grotto, T-55
Price: 5000 to 6000 per person
Best Diving Season: September to April
Additional Info: Netrani is an isolated location away from the coastline and offers crystal clear waters to dip in.
11. Tarkarli, Maharashtra
Tarkarli is an emerging tourist place for scuba diving in Maharashtra. Tarkali is located near Sindhudurg Fort, Maharashtra and the coastal waters of Tarkarli are transparent and blessed with abundant marine life. The dive sites are located far away from the coastline and tourists are transported by speed boats to the dive site.
Dive sites: Kings Garden, Dharan Point
Price: 500 to 1000 per person
Best Diving Season: October to April is the best time to scuba dive in Tarkarli when the water remains clear.
Additional Info: A non-swimmer can also scuba dive in Tarkarli up to a depth of 30 feet.
12. Dwarka: The place is religious but adventurous too
It is a popular religious attraction for Lord Krishna devotees and also a great place off the coast for scuba diving activities. The place is rapidly increasing as a scuba diving destination and offers a wide range of marine ecosystems in decent clear waters.
Dive Sites: Shivrajpur Beach
Price: 3000 to 6000 per person
Best Diving Season: October to mid-April
Additional Info: The underwater city of Dwarka is a famous scuba diving attraction which is located in the Gulf of Khambhat, off the coast of Dwarka, Gujarat.
13. Bangaram Islands, Lakshadweep
Bangaram is a popular scuba diving destination located on Lakshadweep Island. The Island has beautiful dive sites equally rich to Maldives and Mauritius. It has some of the best white sandy beaches and unmatched scenic beauty.
Dive Sites: Little Canyon, Manta Point, Bangaram Lagoon
Price: INR 4000 to 7000 per person
Best Diving Season: October to March
Additional Info: The dive sites of Bangaram are transparent and vibrant equal to Maldives and Mauritius.
14. The Aravind wall
The Aravind wall is one of the best dive sites for scuba diving in Pondicherry. It is located 15 kilometres away from the coastline and is the home of numerous sea species including butterfly fish, parrot fish, clown fish, and various kinds of sea snakes. You can also explore Moray Eel hidden in the cracks of the wall. The dive site is 40 meters deep and is suitable for deep divers only.
Dive Sites: Aravind’s Wall
Price: INR 3500 to 6000 per person
Best Diving Season: December to April
Additional Info: One can explore numerous rare sea animals hidden under the creeks of the Arvaind’s Wall.
Important tips to undertake scuba diving in India
Scuba diving is one of the best watersports and most fun-loving activities that everyone must try once in their lifetime. However, scuba diving is a daring watersport and can be scary to someone therefore one must adhere to the following useful tips before going for a dive.
- Safety must be your first priority before you book a scuba dive session. It is better to find a professional and experienced scuba dive organiser to have a much safer and smoother dive experience.
- Practice underwater swimming to overcome the fear of diving and be confident before you go for the real diving adventure.
- Carry out a medical examination to ensure you don’t possess any medical issues and are perfectly fit for scuba diving.
- Your dive instructor is your boss. You must adhere to all the instructions and guidelines given by your instructor for a successful dive.
- Plan your dive and dive your plan and decide emergency exit in case of contingencies.
- Double-check your scuba diving gear to make sure everything is fit enough before your actual dive.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) for scuba diving in India
Q. Which is the best place for scuba diving in India?
A. The Andaman Islands are the best scuba diving destination compared to other parts of India.
Q. Where is the cheapest place to do scuba diving in India?
A. Tarkarli, Maharashtra is the cheapest place to scuba dive in India. The scuba dive price starts here at 500 to 800 per person.
Q. Which is better Goa or Andaman for scuba diving?
A. The Andaman Islands are much more peaceful and close to nature. The Islands have pristine beautiful beaches, vibrant marine life and untouched coral formations. Havelock Island is the hub for all scuba diving enthusiasts.
Q. Can a non-swimmer do scuba diving?
A. YES, beginners or non-swimmers can easily do scuba diving under the supervision of a professional dive instructor. Swimming is not a prerequisite for scuba diving activities.
Q. Is scuba diving safe in India?
A. Scuba diving is a completely safe underwater sport provided it is conducted with a professional and experienced dive team.
Q. Which is the best place for scuba diving in Andaman?
A. Havelock Island is the best place to conduct scuba diving in Andaman. The Island offers multiple dive sites suitable for beginners, nonswimmers, and certified divers. The diverse marine life and crystal-clear waters of Havelock are perfect for underwater activities.
Q. How much does it cost for scuba dive certification?
A. Basic swimming is mandatory to enrol for a scuba diving course. The cost of scuba diving fluctuates between INR 14000 to 29000 per person depending on course selection.
Q. What is the best time for scuba diving in India?
A. October to April is considered the best time to scuba diving in India.
Q. How deep can a beginner scuba diver dive?
A. Beginners or non-certified divers can dive up to a maximum of 12 meters deep.
Q. What are the health restrictions for scuba diving?
A. A person must be physically and mentally sound enough to go for scuba diving. A person suffering from diabetes, sugar, breathing problems, asthma, blood pressure, and taking medication on a daily basis is not eligible for scuba diving. Check the medical form HERE.