Need advice for galle, sri Lankan diving

[miserkris]

Hello,
I have about 70 OW dives. I'm padi ow certified. Orginally from south India , Chennai.

Going to Chennai and Sri Lanka in spring.
Staying near galle, visiting relatives.
Is there good diving near galle which is south sri Lankan coast?

Wanna do boat dives 3 days....

Will i get to see unique species that i couldn't in Caribbean?

Are there decomp chambers, good dive OP there e.t.c

Pls advice thx
Kris

 

[drk5036]

I dove with Unawatuna dive centre. Only did one day, two dive boat trip but it was fine. We did wreck dives. They have free nitrox! I would recommend them.

 

[miserkris]

I dove with Unawatuna dive centre. Only did one day, two dive boat trip but it was fine. We did wreck dives. They have free nitrox! I would recommend them.

Thx how far are the sites from their op?
How was the variety of fish, coral?
Visibility and temp?

I'm going in between mar and may.

 

[drk5036]

Thx how far are the sites from their op?
How was the variety of fish, coral?
Visibility and temp?

I'm going in between mar and may.

When I was there, we just did wreck dives, but they were fairly fishy. Didn’t take long for the boats to get there, maybe 10-15 minutes? Seas were very calm. Water was also really warm, 29 degrees I think. I tend to the colder side when I diving and I was fine in a skin only.

The timing might be an issue, as it’s towards the end of the season I believe. March should probably be okay but April and May the west coast shops usually move to the east coast.

Do you have time to dive near Colombo? Island Scuba is probably the most well known place, and the wrecks are the best there.

 

[miserkris]

I love wrecks!
Just confirmed the dates, I'll be in galle early June 2020 for a week.

Also in early June, would diving in west like columbo wrecks and south west wrecks be ok or bad due to weather?

Off season will water be cold or visibility affected? Or less life?

First choice is to dive and return for the night in galle.
Second is any op that's closest in east coast... where it's no monsoon season.

How about a 3 day live aboard deal?

Thx

 

[Nishan]

Dive centers on the southwest will be closed in June due to monsoon season. It can get quite rough and viz is often very bad (<3m). Most dive centers operate on the east coast, primarily in Trincomalee. Its also the easiest to access, but still 6hrs from CMB by road. We are still waiting for the new expressway to be completed, 2 yrs past schedule

For wrecks at recreational depths, Colombo is probably the best, but it will be out of season. Batticaloa has the HMS Hermes but its a tech dive. Pasikudah has a few nice wrecks including a great WWII wreck but dive center options are limited. The main operator in Pasikudah rarely visits the nicest wreck in the area as they tend to focus more on the beginner market.

 

[miserkris]

Dive centers on the southwest will be closed in June due to monsoon season. It can get quite rough and viz is often very bad (<3m). Most dive centers operate on the east coast, primarily in Trincomalee. Its also the easiest to access, but still 6hrs from CMB by road. We are still waiting for the new expressway to be completed, 2 yrs past schedule

For wrecks at recreational depths, Colombo is probably the best, but it will be out of season. Batticaloa has the HMS Hermes but its a tech dive. Pasikudah has a few nice wrecks including a great WWII wreck but dive center options are limited. The main operator in Pasikudah rarely visits the nicest wreck in the area as they tend to focus more on the beginner market.

Thx much Nishan,
So there's nothing near south east i guess near Arugam Bay e.t.c...!

If i have a week in Sri Lanka and i am staying in galle 3 days visiting friends, can i stay near tricon or batticaloa 4 days and dive there? Should i do diving first? Are there live aboard that are worthy for 4 days? How many dives can i get if boat dives? Should i look for hotel with dive pkg or should i do a la carte and be economical?

I'll fly in to Colombo and fly out around early June .

THANKS MUCH!

 

[drk5036]

Thx much Nishan,
So there's nothing near south east i guess near Arugam Bay e.t.c...!

If i have a week in Sri Lanka and i am staying in galle 3 days visiting friends, can i stay near tricon or batticaloa 4 days and dive there? Should i do diving first? Are there live aboard that are worthy for 4 days? How many dives can i get if boat dives? Should i look for hotel with dive pkg or should i do a la carte and be economical?

I'll fly in to Colombo and fly out around early June .

THANKS MUCH!

no liveaboards that I know of.

To get to Trinco from Galle, you have to drive back through Colombo. Google maps says 7 hours by car, probably longer.

 

[miserkris]

no liveaboards that I know of.

To get to Trinco from Galle, you have to drive back through Colombo. Google maps says 7 hours by car, probably longer.

I don't mind trains or planes either, let's see

 

[Nishan]

I would say 6-8 hrs from Galle to Trincomalee depending on time of day and traffic. Train will be slower. There is a flight from CMB to Trincomalee. Helitours is quite affordable but limited flights and times. Cinnamon Air has daily flights but very expensive.

There are no liveaboards in Sri Lanka. Easiest is to book accommodation and then sign up for diving with a dive shop. In Trincomalee I would recommend staying in Nilaveli. Nice beach and quieter. Uppuveli Beach is more backpacker oriented. Diving costs are around $70 for 2 tanks including gear. Most of the dive sites are close to shore and within 15 mins boat ride.

Feel free to PM me if you need specific recommendations.