Diving in India

[Jakub_Svoboda]

Hi,

I would like to travel to India next year. So I've looked thru the internet how is it with diving there but I've found just diving centers on Andaman islands or somewhere on nearby islands. Is it because of the pollution? Is it so massive polluted that there are really no diving opportunities or am I just a bad internet data miner :depressed:

Have you anyone solved this somehow when you were travelling in India? Do you have some tips where to go in this part of the world(nothing expensive)?

thanks, Jakub

 

[Luko]

There are also Lakhshadweep islands off Trivandrum and north of Maldives. Very few resorts (I think only 2) accessible to foreigners.

Netrani island, south of Goa, is supposed to provide OK daytrip diving too.

 

[red_barbarian]

There are also Lakhshadweep islands off Trivandrum and north of Maldives. Very few resorts (I think only 2) accessible to foreigners.

Netrani island, south of Goa, is supposed to provide OK daytrip diving too.

I lived in Bangalore for 2 years. The diving in India that I found out about was very expensive for what you got, or very hard to get to or both. The above poster pretty much covered what is available that I found out about. The Lahkshwadeep's are very expensive, Goa is mediocre, Netrani is expensive, and the Andamans are hard to get too. If you aren't on a budget it's just as easy to catch a quick flight to the Maldives and dive there. If you are on a tight budget Goa's probably your best bet. There are several dive ops there, with small capacities. When I was there they were full up for the days I wanted to dive.

 

[Luko]

the Andamans are hard to get too.

Depends on where you're located, easy from Chennai with a regular Kingfisher airlines flight, and a ferry hop to Havelock.
Moreover, Andamans are not very expensive to lodge and to dive (especially compared to Lakhshadweep), I find the place more authentic an dpleasant to stay than the Maldives, where the resort you're most of the time tucked in can get über-expensive.

 

[bobbyp10]

I lived in Bangalore for 2 years. The diving in India that I found out about was very expensive for what you got, or very hard to get to or both.

Bangalore for 2 years and you've never tried Pondicherry?
It's closer than Goa!
Yes, a shameless plug, but we do have excellent diving here.

In saying that, the Lakshwadeep islands are great, and Goa's shallow wreck and reefs make terrific sites for DSD and OW. Like Luko said, Andamans are not too expensive/difficult to get to, and pretty cheap once you're there. I have heard Netrani is well worth the trip too. Sometime in the near future for me.

The mainland diving areas are not polluted if you choose the right places at right times of year. Funnily enough, it's almost always the right time of year in Pondy.....

 

[Nishan]

i saw some interesting video on youtube from Pondicherry. must hop over there sometime. the reefs look a lot like west coast Sri Lanka. the Andamans are cheap and have very good diving. and if you book early you get cheap flights from Chennai. but the best season is October-May. The few people i have met who dived in Goa said 5m viz was considered good! and i have not seen much in terms of photo or video evidence to prove otherwise.

if you go to the Maldives for diving do a liveaboard. much cheaper than resorts and better diving. if you shop around you can get a 7 day trip on a decent boat for $1500 or less.

 

[diverkim]

Are the Andaman Islands cheap? Not expensive, but not cheap either. The diving is very fine, yes. Be careful about reading calm seas in Jan-Feb. Apparently calm seas do not begin until March usually. Many people were seasick in what is passed off as a dive boat in Havelock Is. I am fortunate never to get seasick (so far), but passengers were soaked and tossed to and fro by the waves (not exceptionally big either). There was no protection from seaspray, and equipment was sliding all over the decks as there was no securing equipment or food and no place to keep other items securely dry. It was most uncomfortable for this diver, and others complained as well.

 

[Nishan]

actually i thought accommodation and food was quite cheap in Andamans. diving costs were similar to most places in Asia. Dec/Jan can have strong northerlies in the Indian Ocean even though its in "dive season". its the same here in Sri Lanka and in the Maldives. Oct/Nov is generally calmer although viz can be low in Oct. conditions tend to get better from Feb and are at best in March and early April. the boats in the Andamans are a bit of a problem, especially considering most of the dive sites are far away (1-2 hrs ride). i'm quite used to poor boats having done years of exploration diving off small boats but yes they are not the best for a commercial dive operation.

but the Andamans remain the only world class diving thats technically within India thats easily accessible to tourists.

 

[diverkim]

actually i thought accommodation and food was quite cheap in Andamans. diving costs were similar to most places in Asia. ... the boats in the Andamans are a bit of a problem, especially considering most of the dive sites are far away (1-2 hrs ride).

True, food and board are "quite cheap." I never mentioned that in my post. The diving was very good. The viz was great in late January. But to admit the boats "are a bit of a problem" IMO is being very kind. I think it is fair when people are charged standard dive prices, then customers should expect to dive from dive boats.