Which is the best place to scuba dive in Andaman?
The incredible Andaman Islands consist of several places to undertake scuba diving. Northbay Island, Havelock Island, and Neil Island are popular dive destinations in Andaman. Out of them, Havelock Island is an ideal place to experience the best scuba diving in Andaman.
The Island offers many popular dive sites including Nemo Reef (8–10 meters), Red Piller (10–14 meters), Turtle Beach (6–10 meters), and Tribe Gate (12 meters) for beginners, non-swimmers, first-time divers, and to learn scuba diving. Johnny’s Gorge (30 meters), Dixon’s Pinnacle (32 meters), Broken Ledge (30 meters), The Wall (10–55 meters), Jackson’s Bar (25 meters), and so on dive sites are dedicated to advanced divers and dive deep specialty courses.
In contrast, Northbay Island has a sole shallow (shore) dive site (6–8 meters) along the shoreline and is located a few kilometers away from Port Blair. One can get to Northbay Island in 20 to 30 minutes via a speed boat. Neil Island has fewer dive sites, and limited dive and stay options in comparison to Havelock Island. Popular dive sites in Neil are Junction (22–30 meters), K-Rock (12–19 meters), Margherita’s Mischief (7–16 meters), and Bus Stop (14–20 meters).
How deep is scuba diving for beginners?
The maximum allowable depth is 12 meters (40 feet) for uncertified or beginner scuba divers. A certified open-water diver can go up to 18 meters (60 feet), and deep divers can dive up to 40 meters deep(131 feet). 40 meters is the maximum allowed depth for recreational scuba diving. However, commercial divers with specialized training can dive up to 170 to 350 feet or sometimes even more profoundly.
How many days are required for scuba diving in Andaman?
It depends on the type of diving one has to take to calculate how many days are required for underwater diving.
Scuba diving for beginners: A person in total requires 3 hours from training to actual diving to experience one-time scuba diving in Andaman. 2–3 days are enough to cover popular dive sites located among Havelock, Neil, and Port Blair provided you go for 2 dives per day.
Scuba diver course: A person looking for basic scuba dive certification will be required a minimum of 2 days to dive up to 12 meters. The program includes 2 open-water dives (shallow and deep )
Open water certification: A minimum of 4 days including one day as a buffer will be sufficient to complete open water certification in Andaman. The program allows you to dive up to 18 meters and includes 6 open water dives (2 shallow and 4 deep ).
Advanced open water: The program allows you to dive up to 30 meters and consists of 5 open water dives (including deep and night diving). Advanced open water certification takes a minimum of 3 days to complete.
Specialty Course: A minimum of 2 to 3 days is ideal to complete a scuba diving specialty course in Andaman such as Night diving, Deep diving, Wreck diving, stress & rescue, and so on.
Note: The time taken for scuba diving certification courses may fluctuate depending on bad weather, tiredness, unpleasant dive conditions, and mild health issues in between like seasickness.
How much does it cost to scuba dive in Andaman?
Beginners or non-swimmers (Try dives)
The cost of diving in Andaman depends on many factors such as dive site, dive depth, dive time, and choosing a dive center. The standard scuba diving in Andaman cost varies from 3500 to 6500 INR per person for beginners or non-swimmers in Andaman. Top-rated dive schools are recommended to get sufficient training and dive time, excellent dive sites, and well-trained dive professionals to have a safe and smooth diving experience.
Scuba dive certification courses
Check the below-mentioned scuba dive price list for multiple scuba diving certification programs in Andaman.
Scuba diver course: Course fees INR 16000 + 18% GST, depth 12 meters, No of dives 2.
Open water diver cost: Course fees INR 29000 + 18% GST, depth 18 meters, No of dives 6.
Advanced open water diver cost: Course fees INR 28000 + 18% GST, Depth 18–30 meters, No of dives 5.
Deep diving specialty course: Course fees INR 18000 + 18% GST, Depth 40 meters, No of dives 3.
Night diving specialty course: Course fees INR 14000 + 18% GST, Depth 12 meters, No of dives 2.
Best dive site for beginners or non-swimmers in Havelock
Havelock has the maximum number of dive sites as compared to other diving destinations in Andaman. A few dive sites are ideal to have the best diving experience and exploration of rich marine life in Havelock.
Turtle Beach: It is the best dive site for beginners or nonswimmers in Havelock, located near Elephanta Beach. The dive site is popular for its multiple species of live staghorn corals and colorful species of fishlife.
It is also an ideal place for snorkeling in Havelock. The depth of the dive site varies from 6–10 meters and the water remains clear because of minimum human intervention.
Tribe Gate: It is another popular dive site located between the channels of Havelock and John Lawerence Islands. The dive site is popular for multiple species of colorful fishlife that exist individually as well as in groups.
It is an oval-shaped reef and the home of numerous soft corals that are sea anemones where Nemo fish live. It has a maximum depth of 12 meters and is known for boat dives. Early morning dives are recommended to get an active and clear view of marine life beneath the sea surface.
