Divers get the chance to experience multi-coloured and exotic flora and fauna. Most of the best places to scuba dive in the world is located in the Caribbeans and pacific ocean. For some, it is a way to come across calmness and silence of undersea, which takes away all the stressors of work life.
As India is surrounded by water on three sides, there are plenty of scuba diving spots in India. Some of these include –
1. Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Located in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, Havelock Island is known for its beautiful beaches and clear waters. The most famous beach on the island is Radhanagar Beach, which is considered one of the best beaches in Asia. Visitors can enjoy swimming, sunbathing, and snorkelling in crystal-clear waters. When you plan for Havelock Island, it is always better to stay one night here so as to cover other near by Islands.
Reaching Havelock Island takes around 2.5 hours of journey by sea. You have got the option to travel by Government jettys or luxurious ferrys. Take a cruise to Havelock Island from Port Blair in the morning (2.5 hour duration). Open cruise will have fun games and dance.
The topmost adventurous activities in India is scuba diving at Andaman which takes place at Havelock beach. With turquoise blue water and white sand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have always been one of the favourite destinations of nature lovers. Here, serene beauty meets adventure. Havelock is the largest island here and famous for exquisite marine life. Adventurers come here scuba diving in India to enjoy underwater coral life.
You can go for scuba diving in Andaman if you are above 8 years. No matter whether you are going to do Scuba diving for the first time or have been doing it for some time, it really is an addictive sport and surveying vast and valuable marine resources underwater will be one of your most unforgettable experiences, interesting and luxurious your life.
The Elephant Beach of Havelock is a popular diving spot. Depending on the undercurrent of water, October to April is the best time to visit here. You can view beautiful ocean and whales here and there while traveling from the rear glass door. Eco tourism is promoted here. There are resorts over here. Scuba diving is very good. Big coral reefs also can be viewed. But actual scuba diving is said to be fantastic at Neil Island.
In Havelock island, renting a scooty is the best and popular option for 24 hours plus you need maximum 2 liters of petrol for covering whole Havelock. Every hotel will be having one scooty provider so you need not to search anywhere and prices are standard. Barefoot Scuba, Dive India, Blue Corals dive, Eco Diver, etc. are some famous diving sites here where the packages range around 6000 INR.
After spending a day, you can search another hotel near your vicinity for better price. In Havelock island, there are lots of hotels and most of them are beach resorts. so you can enjoy staying in beach resort for a lesser price then online options. Since many of the resorts of Havelock or Neil are not available online, you will not find them on internet but they are good. So you can book after reaching there to save some bucks.
It's the new Ko Pha Ngan! Crowded! Full of drunks! And of hotels! Havelock is something more boisterous and that it has more tourist offer than its neighbors. Havelock not only seemed like a pretty quiet island, but with the right point of activity that all vacation paradise requires.
Who does not like having options to eat well and be able to have a beer after a day at the beach? Havelock Island is where the majority of tourism is concentrated and that is why it is where more activities take place. Diving is one of the attractions of the island and there are several hostels that offer departures. It's a relatively small island, but with enough to not get bored.
The Havelock island is six times larger than Neil, but much of it is jungle and all the towns and beaches are concentrated in the north, while the resorts are lined along the east coast.
2. Kadmat Island, Lakshadweep
Kadmat Island is another favourite scuba diving spot for both Indian and foreign tourists. Situated in Lakshadweep, this island is indigenous to various exotic sea animals like marine turtles, snorkels, etc. Know that you know what is scuba diving, you can choose this place. Another attraction of this place is several types of live corals.
November to March is the perfect time to dive in here. And the approximate cost per dive is around Rs. 7000.
3. Corruption Rock, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
If you want to enjoy the kingdom of flora and fauna, Corruption Rock is the destination. Due to its situation between medium to strong undercurrents, this 30-meter high rock attracts a diverse marine life. Furthermore, you can also enjoy the company of unicornfish, eagle rays and napoleon, etc. Plenty of canyons and undersea cliffs and avenues infuse a unique atmosphere in this place.
Along with other scuba diving information, you must know that December to March is the preferable time to dive into the calm ocean here.
4. Coral Sharks Reef, Pondicherry
As the name says, the Coral Shark Reef in Pondicherry is decorated with gorgeous coral reefs of different colours. Due to the various sea depths ranging from 5 m to 23 m, amateurs and experts both can enjoy as per their requirements. However, to dive at 23 m, you must know what is scuba diving thoroughly and all its technicalities.
Temple Reef, 4 Corners, Cool Shark Reef, etc. are some major diving sites here where divers can enjoy different water life at different depths.
An approximate cost of 6000 INR is required per dive.
5. Netrani Island, Karnataka
Netrani Island is an uninhabited island known for its coral and water life that you can enjoy when scuba diving here. Colourful coral reefs are the primary attraction here. Nonetheless, parrot fishes, shrimps, butterfly fishes are available whenever you take a deep dive. Depending on the season, you can also enjoy a whale.
But, December and January are the only 2 months when you can avail scuba diving here, and the rate is Rs.5.5 to 6 thousand.
6. North Bay Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
North Bay Island is for Scuba dive only (expect a lot of crowds here). There is a wide variety of coral reefs and fishes you can see (depth 15 feet). Explore the mysteries of underwater without obtaining your toes wet. The watercraft is dolphin-shaped as well as glass-bottomed.
This is an additional most enjoyed activity in the Andaman Islands which lets you discover the undersea marine life. Best suited for non-swimmers, this activity provides you an opportunity to discover the undersea globe without you having to get in the water at all. Marina water sports complex is a park where you can Jet Ski and do other small activities.
Cost: 2250 INR.
7. Kovalam, Kerala
Kovalam is an exquisite beach located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. The soul-soothing and serene beach have been attracting travellers from across the world. The underwater dive at Kovalam will be enchanting with schools of fishes swimming around you. Pipefish, Sergeant Major, Boxfishes, Yellow Boxfish, Bluefin Trevally, and whatnot. The safe and secure diving will be once in a lifetime experience for the adventure aficionados.
The renowned scuba diving agency, Bond Safari offers the best scuba diving experience in Kerala providing state of the art, safe and secured diving at Kovalam. The agency with expert diving instructors follows a well-designed format to ensure that the individuals get an enjoyable and memorable scuba diving experience.
The best season to try scuba diving is from early September to the end of February. You may contact the agency and book the diving slot in advance to avail of exclusive offers.
8. Goa
Goa, the most famous tourist spot in India has been known for its beaches, pubs, and colorful life. Tourists visit Goa expecting an out of the world experience in the shacks, discotheques and tourist locations in the state.
In addition to skydiving and trekking points, Goa has some great scuba diving spots too. The shallow diving points in Goa ensure safe scuba diving for tourists of every age. Besides that, the water is clear and gives better visibility up to 10 meters. September to March is the best season to visit Goa.
Irrespective of whatever adventure sports you are opting for, the chances of mishaps are always there. Thus, it is advisable to purchase an adventure sports insurance cover.
Additionally, if you are planning to go for a trek, then a trek cover insurance plan also provides emergency assistance in case of an accident. You can also consider purchasing a road trip cover insurance policy to avail roadside assistance if you are planning to travel to such locations with your personal car.
In conclusion, you can visit any of the above-said destinations to enjoy scuba diving in India. To be safe, you only need to know what scuba diving is and what are the safety measures.
