14 days to dive wherever you want!

[Where2Next]

I’m excited to visit the Maldives for the first time. We are going the first three weeks of May this year. I’ve been reading up on the north and south atolls, but still much more research has to be done. We have 14 days to go where ever we want on a private liveaboard. Obviously the captain/dive master are a driving force on weather and conditions, but they are asking me where we want to go.

Here are two suggestions of 10 day trips they offer (we would have 4 additional days) ...

Visits to beautiful uninhabited islands, the underwater marine reserves of Dhigalhi Haa, Kuredu Kandu and Fushifaru Thila, the wonderful shoals of and Dhonfanu and Dhigu Thila, the massive twin wrecks of the Shipyard and the amazing whirling feast of the mantas and whale sharks of Hanifaaru Bay.
OR
Visits to wonderful sand-strips, genuine local islands, the underwater marine reserves of Guraidhoo and Myaru Kandu, the sharks points of Kandhooma Thila and Myaru Kandu, the colorful caves of Foththeyo. On the way, the local village of Dangethi with its giant Ficus Benjamina, the Fenfushi mosque, the underwater marine reserves of Mushimasmigili and Kudarah Thila, the spectacular shoals of Malhoos and Broken Rock, the snorkelers paradises of Bulhaalhohi and Hurasdhoo, the mantas and whale sharks watching of Dhonkalo and Maamigili Beiyru (South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area).

For those who have been to the malidives many times, what dive sites/general areas would you suggest? What was one of your favorite remote (no other divers) dive spots? *we are advanced divers who are comfortable with ripping currents, but also appreciate a good muck dive! More interested in colorful reefs as well as both small and large marine life than wrecks.

Thanks in advance for helping point me in the right direction!

 

[Sunn]

go south !

 

[chillyinCanada]

It's a bit difficult to find too many colorful reefs around the Maldives. You'll have no trouble finding ripping current. Do you have your own reef hooks?

 

[Where2Next]

go south !

Why? What specifically is so much better in the south than the north? From what I have read there are a lot of large pelagics in the north and there’s hardly any people. We will be there in May, so I’m not sure if weather should be factored in. But why is the south such an absolute for you?

 

[Where2Next]

It's a bit difficult to find too many colorful reefs around the Maldives. You'll have no trouble finding ripping current. Do you have your own reef hooks?

Well that is a concerning comment. Are you stating there are no colorful reefs like the South Pacific area? Because there are no reefs, or because of reef damage? When was the last time you dove there, I'm hoping things have changed if its due to bleaching.

 

[moorish8idol]

The deep south Maldives, south of the equator (in and around Fuvamulah, Huvadhoo) reminded me a lot of French Polynesia (healthy coral reefs, huge highways of reef sharks though I still think FP wins easily) and can offer a good diversity of pelagics (tiger sharks, silvertips, BIG spinner sharks, mantas, whale sharks, if you're crazy lucky Mola Mola, threshers, hammers). Given the massive and continuous coral bleaching that hit much of the central area of the Maldives in the last 20 years, I have heard many say that the South is more like what the old Maldives was like before coral bleaching and climate change. Regular liveaboards usually only hit up the Deep South in the limited inter-monsoon period of February-March-early April so your captain may not want to make the trip in May depending on weather conditions (though I have heard the diving itself is good year round).

 

[Where2Next]

The deep south Maldives, south of the equator (in and around Fuvamulah, Huvadhoo) reminded me a lot of French Polynesia (healthy coral reefs, huge highways of reef sharks though I still think FP wins easily) and can offer a good diversity of pelagics (tiger sharks, silvertips, BIG spinner sharks, mantas, whale sharks, if you're crazy lucky Mola Mola, threshers, hammers). Given the massive and continuous coral bleaching that hit much of the central area of the Maldives in the last 20 years, I have heard many say that the South is more like what the old Maldives was like before coral bleaching and climate change. Regular liveaboards usually only hit up the Deep South in the limited inter-monsoon period of February-March-early April so your captain may not want to make the trip in May depending on weather conditions (though I have heard the diving itself is good year round).

Ok, thanks for this info! Have you also dove the north/far north? I'm just wondering if you have a comparison?

 

[Centrals]

Diving is seasonal.
Check the weather pattern in May.

Complete Information about Maldives Climate and Weather. Monsoons, the rainy season, the best season to go...

 

[tarponchik]

On our Carpe Nuovo 11 day trip, the reefs were better to the north and there were more mantas and sharks to the south of Male. Curiously, we saw the Honeycomb Morays at only one dive, which I'd listed as "Lhaviyavi faru kandu". We counted 5 or 6 of them and since this was our dive number 4 out of planned 30, I imagined we'll see many more. But never again.

 

[Centrals]

I’m excited to visit the Maldives for the first time. We are going the first three weeks of May this year. I’ve been reading up on the north and south atolls, but still much more research has to be done. We have 14 days to go where ever we want on a private liveaboard. Obviously the captain/dive master are a driving force on weather and conditions, but they are asking me where we want to go.
Here are two suggestions of 10 day trips they offer (we would have 4 additional days) ...

It is your own charter. You should throw the questions to the captain. The captain should know the best suitable places in May weather permitted.
What would you like to see? Most divers come to Maldives are to see pelagic.
I do remember ripping current in some of the sites. Main issue of diving in atoll. But if you want to see action then you have to dive outside of the atoll. The hard of soft corals were nothing when compared with Indonesia and Philippines.

Enjoy your trip.