Scuba Diving - Overview
Before you embark on your journey to experience scuba diving in the Andaman Islands, here's an interesting tidbit about the activity: SCUBA is actually an acronym that stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. This ingenious equipment gives you a chance to feel as though you have gills, much like a fish, enabling you to breathe underwater. Scuba diving offers one of the most thrilling ways to delve into the underwater realm, allowing you to witness marine life up close. It is an adventurous activity that connects you with nature and introduces you to an entirely different and mesmerizing world beneath the waves.
Scuba Diving in Andamans: A Dive Into Paradise
Imagine descending into a world where vibrant schools of snappers glide gracefully around you, colorful coral gardens stretch endlessly, and curious clownfish defend their anemone homes with charm. Scuba diving in the Andaman Islands offers this and much more.
Renowned for its crystal-clear, warm waters, the Andamans stand as the premier destination for scuba diving in India. Whether you're an adventure seeker or a first-time diver, this island paradise delivers unmatched underwater experiences. Explore diverse marine life in calm, azure waters that promise breathtaking visibility.
Whether you're looking for a one-time thrill or aiming to become a certified diver to explore the world's oceans, the Andamans is the perfect place to start. Professional and patient instructors ensure that even non-swimmers can enjoy the magic of scuba diving through assisted hand-held experiences, making it an adventure for everyone.
Dive into the best scuba diving experience in Havelock, Neil Island, and other stunning locations across the Andaman Islands – an unforgettable journey awaits beneath the waves with Island Divers!
Why Island Divers is Your Best Choice for Scuba Diving in Andaman
Scuba diving in the Andaman Islands is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for adventure enthusiasts and nature lovers. Known for its untouched coral reefs and exotic marine life, the Andamans offer an underwater paradise like no other.
At Island Divers, we provide an exceptional scuba diving experience tailored for everyone—from non-swimmers to certified divers. Our one-on-one instructor support ensures that even first-timers can dive confidently into the Andaman’s calm, clear, and warm blue waters, making it the ultimate destination for beginners to learn scuba diving.
The Andamans are regarded as one of the best scuba diving destinations in South Asia, offering ideal conditions and reliable dive operations. With professional, multilingual, and experienced instructors, your diving experience will be both comfortable and safe.
Who Can Dive with Island Divers?
The beauty of scuba diving is its inclusivity—anyone with a spirit of adventure can participate! Scuba diving is now safer and more rewarding than ever, thanks to advanced modern equipment that caters to varying physical abilities.
- Minimum Age: 12 years (younger individuals may face risks due to undeveloped internal organs).
- Maximum Age: 50 years, with divers aged 51-55 requiring a fitness certificate from a recognized physician.
Medical Fitness for Scuba Diving
While scuba diving is an exhilarating activity, certain medical conditions may restrict participation. Individuals with asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, pregnancy, or stroke history should consult their doctor and complete a medical fitness form before diving.
Non-swimmers can enjoy assisted dives without needing prior swimming skills. However, swimming proficiency is mandatory for advanced certification courses.
Why Dive with Island Divers?
- 1. Pristine Dive Sites: Explore untouched coral reefs and vibrant marine life in some of the best scuba diving spots in Havelock, Neil Island, and other parts of the Andamans.
- 2. Professional Instructors: Our experienced team ensures a safe, fun, and educational experience, whether you're diving for the first time or are a seasoned expert.
- 3. Tailored for Everyone: From non-swimmers to certified divers, we have a range of experiences and courses suited to all levels of comfort and expertise.
- 4. Ease and Accessibility: No need to travel far! The Andamans offer world-class diving conditions with unmatched convenience.
One-time scuba diving experience for non-swimmers and beginners
Prerequisites
To ensure a safe and enjoyable dive, the following criteria must be met:
- Health Requirements: Good physical and mental health is essential.
- Medical Form: Download the Medical Form to check your suitability.
- No Swimming Skills Needed: You don’t need to know how to swim to participate.
- Age Limit: The minimum age is 12 years for kids, ensuring a safe and suitable experience.
Inclusions
Our one-time scuba diving package includes everything you need for an unforgettable adventure:
- Training: Up to 90 minutes of pre-dive training in chest-level water to familiarize you with equipment and techniques.
- Dive Duration: Up to 50 minutes of underwater exploration with a dedicated instructor at a 1:1 ratio.
- Pickup and Drop-off: Complimentary transport to and from the dive site.
- Memorable Moments: Complimentary photos and videos of your underwater experience.
Duration and Depth Limitations
We adhere to international safety standards (SSI) to ensure a safe and enjoyable dive for all participants:
- Adults: Maximum depth of 8 to 12 meters, depending on the selected program.
- Kids (10-12 years): Recommended maximum depth of 2 meters for safety.
- Time Commitment: The activity can take anywhere from 2 hours to half a day, depending on the program you choose.
Scuba Diving Courses for Beginners with Island Divers - Journey to certifications
Take your first steps into the exciting world of scuba diving and become a certified diver with Island Divers. Our beginner courses are designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to explore the underwater world safely and enjoyably.
Scuba Diver Course (1.5 to 2 Days)
- Learn the fundamentals of scuba diving with 10 essential skills.
- Participate in 2 open water dives to apply your training in real underwater environments.
- Perfect for beginners who want to quickly start exploring underwater.
SSI Open Water Diver Course (4 Days)
- A comprehensive course to become a certified open water diver.
- Includes 20 skills training and 6 open water dives to refine your abilities.
- Gain the confidence to dive independently up to 18 meters worldwide.
Scuba Diver Course (1.5 to 2 Days)
- Take your diving experience to the next level with this advanced course.
- Includes extraordinary dives that expand your skills and knowledge.
- Ideal for those looking to explore deeper and more challenging underwater terrains.
What to Expect
- Diverse Dive Sites: Our courses include both shore dives and boat dives, offering a mix of stunning underwater landscapes.
- Expert Instruction: Learn from experienced, patient instructors who prioritize your safety and comfort.
- Comprehensive Training: Courses include a combination of theory sessions, skill-building practice, and open-water dives to ensure you gain practical knowledge and confidence.
Popular dive sites in Havelock
Nemo Reef
Depth: 4–10.2 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
Shore diving is perfect for first-time divers. Nemo Reef offers vibrant marine life, with one side hosting Nemo fish and colorful sea dwellers, while the other features a jeep wreck site.
Tribe Gate
Depth: 12–14 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
Tribe Gate is an oval-shaped reef known for its abundance of fish, sea anemones, and hard corals. Located just a ten-minute boat ride from Havelock, it’s ideal for underwater exploration.
Red Pillar
Depth: 12 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
Close to Peel Island, this dive site features concrete pillars covered in coral, colorful reefs, vibrant fish, and barrel sponges the size of bathtubs.
Turtle Beach
Depth: 10–24 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
Home to stag horn coral reefs and colorful fish, Turtle Beach offers clear visibility and low water currents, making it a safe and enjoyable dive site.
Aquarium
Depth: 14 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
Located southeast of Havelock, this small reef is bustling with butterfly fish, sea stars, shrimp, and schools of bannerfish, making it perfect for buddy divers.
S.S. Inchket Wreck
Depth: 18 meters | Dive Level: Intermediate
A 1950s shipwreck west of Havelock, this dive site features ship remains and vibrant marine species such as snapper, lobsters, and groupers.
The Slope
Depth: 20 meters | Dive Level: Intermediate
The Slope features underwater ridges, vibrant schools of fish, and cleaning stations for shrimp and wrasse. Moray eels may also be spotted here.
White House Rock
Depth: 11–40 meters | Dive Level: Intermediate & Advanced
A vibrant hill-shaped reef covered in white coral, this site is home to turtles, snappers, and great barracuda, located 21 kilometers west of Havelock.
The Wall
Depth: 10.2–55 meters | Dive Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Known for its underwater wall structure, The Wall is a hotspot for colorful soft corals and macro marine life, including barracuda and snappers.
Johnny’s Gorge
Depth: 26–34 meters | Dive Level: Advanced
One of the top dive sites in the Andamans, Johnny’s Gorge offers sightings of reef sharks, stingrays, and giant groupers in its deep, circular reef.
Dickson’s Pinnacles
Depth: 17.2–35 meters | Dive Level: Advanced
This site features three large underwater pinnacles covered in soft corals, teeming with schools of bannerfish, trevallies, and Napoleon wrasse.
Jackson’s Bar
Depth: 25 meters | Dive Level: Advanced
Known for large pelagic fish like tuna and barracuda, Jackson’s Bar also features vibrant coral formations and eagle rays in the deeper regions.
Popular dive sites in Chidiyatapu
Mundapahar Beach
Depth: 8–10 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
Easily accessible and ideal for those who want a relaxed and simple dive experience. Known for shallow dives and abundant marine life, including lionfish, angelfish, parrotfish, and sea snakes.
Fish Point
Depth: 8–11 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
Perfect for snorkeling and diving, this shallow reef is great for beginners. Features an artificial reef ("Reefwatch") and sightings of clownfish, snappers, scorpionfish, and sleepy rays.
Light House
Depth: 13 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
Located near Fish Point, this site is known for shallow reefs hosting snappers, parrotfish, and Christmas tree worms. Occasionally, Napoleon wrasse can be spotted here.
Chhe Nala
Depth: 17 meters | Dive Level: Beginners & Intermediate
Once a harbor, the dive site features coral-covered man-made structures that now shelter exquisite macro life, sloping from 4 to 17 meters.
Parrot's Rock
Depth: 20 meters | Dive Level: Advanced
A reef ideal for drift diving, featuring parrotfish schools, moray eels, purple soft corals, sea turtles, and gorgonians, with depths ranging from 5 to 20 meters.
The Wreck
Depth: 30 meters | Dive Level: Advanced
This shipwreck lies at a depth of 30 meters on a sandy bottom and is home to trevally, snapper, fusiliers, batfish, and a giant grouper often seen near the wreck.
Corruption Rock
Depth: 30 meters | Dive Level: Advanced
Featuring a giant pinnacle with depths from 14 to 30 meters, this site offers sightings of tunas, barracudas, eagle rays, nudibranchs, triggerfish, and glassfish in its vibrant underwater ecosystem.
Popular dive sites in Port Blair
North Bay
Depth: 6–8 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
A perfect site for first-time divers and tourists, North Bay offers shallow reef exploration and glimpses of the underwater world through scuba diving or a glass-bottom boat ride.
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (Jolly Buoy Island)
Depth: 12–20 meters | Dive Level: Beginner & Intermediate
Located 30 kilometers from Port Blair, this protected site features vibrant coral reefs and a diverse array of reef fish like Anthias and damselfish in crystal-clear waters.
Snake Island
Depth: 14 meters | Dive Level: Beginner & Intermediate
An uninhabited islet near Corbyn’s Cove, Snake Island offers rich marine biodiversity with sightings of goatfish, triggerfish, mollusks, rays, and more in a natural aquatic environment.
Bala Reef
Depth: 20 meters | Dive Level: Intermediate
Located in Little Andaman, Bala Reef is a colorful coral garden perfect for exploring reef fish and enjoying additional activities like surfing and elephant safaris.
Cinque Island
Depth: 30 meters | Dive Level: Advanced
A pristine marine sanctuary south of Port Blair, Cinque Island features untouched reefs with sea fans, gorgonians, and reef-associated fish like wrasse and groupers in deeper waters.
Popular dive sites in Neil Island
Jetty Channel Marker
Depth: 7–11 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
A beautiful reef around a jetty channel marker with corals on a concrete pillar underwater. It is home to trevally, parrotfish, triggerfish, puffers, stingrays, and juvenile batfish.
Dugong Dungeon
Depth: 14 meters | Dive Level: Beginner
A shallow dive site featuring seagrass beds where Dugongs are frequently seen, along with patches of coral and sand.
K-Rock
Depth: 11–19 meters | Dive Level: Beginner & Intermediate
A large volcanic rock with sandy bottoms, boulders, and crevices. Perfect for underwater navigation courses and featuring snappers, butterflyfish, and sweetlips.
Margherita’s Mischief
Depth: 7–16 meters | Dive Level: Beginner & Intermediate
A chain of rocky mounds with seagrass patches, mild currents, and diverse marine life like batfish, lobsters, and stingrays. Dugongs are occasionally spotted here.
Bus Stop
Depth: 15–20 meters | Dive Level: Intermediate
Located at Neil Island, this fringing reef features sandy patches with garden eels, Andaman reef fish, and blue-spotted stingrays.
Junction
Depth: 28–34 meters | Dive Level: Advanced
Situated between Havelock and Neil, this site boasts colorful soft corals, rocky mounds, and sightings of eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse, and batfish.
