Among scuba divers around the world, it’s no secret that the diving in Maldives is spectacular. In fact, the diving sites in Maldives consistently rank on lists of the best dive sites in the world. While people come to go scuba diving in the Maldives to experience all the underwater life, from the stunning coral formations and their reef-dwelling inhabitants, to the large pelagic species that roam these waters, it’s the whale shark diving in the Maldives and the abundance of manta rays that really pull in the diving masses.
Diving in the Maldives
Best Diving in the Maldives
There are literally hundreds of great scuba diving spots in Maldives, so no matter what time of year you visit, or how many times you visit, you will find a new underwater spot just waiting to be explored. If you were to ask for just a few of the best diving sites in Maldives, anyone would have to mention Lion’s Head in the North Male Atoll for its gorgeous coral and the opportunities for grey reef shark diving in the Maldives that can be had here. Similarly, they would have to mention Kuda Haa, also on the North Male Atoll where some of the best diving in Maldives is found in terms of smaller species: here you will find lionfish, moray eels and eagle rays. If its manta ray diving in Maldives that you’re interested in, you’ll find that among the top diving sites in the Maldives is Hanifaru Bay in the Baa Atoll. Definitely, diving with manta rays in Maldives is one of the biggest attractions for divers to the country and there’s no place on earth that allows divers to encounter so many manta rays on one visit.
While you’re here, you should also try to do some shark diving in Maldives, and don’t worry, the shark species in the Maldives are all typically harmless. Diving with whale sharks in Maldives is one of the great attractions of this diving destination and it is one of the only places in the world where you can enjoy whale shark diving in the Maldives all year round. Whale sharks are incredibly gentle creatures and because most whale shark encounters are enjoyed while snorkeling, it means you don’t even have to be a qualified scuba diver to experience one of these amazing animals. You can also expect to see grey reef sharks, white tip sharks and zebra sharks while scuba diving at any of the good diving sites in Maldives.
While the Maldives is definitely not known as a wreck diving destination, there are a couple of opportunities for wreck diving in Maldives that will satisfy the urges for an interesting wreck dive. The most famous is the Maldive Victory Wreck, an advanced dive that explores a ship that sank in 1981 and is now a favourite spot for sea turtles, barracudas and fusiliers.
Cost of Scuba Diving in Maldives
One of the most crucial pieces of knowledge about diving holidays in Maldives is the price of diving in Maldives which can vary dramatically. From a resort dive shop, the diving rate in Maldives is around USD $50 per dive. On top of this, you also have to pay for boat trips and if you’re visiting distant dive sites, the diving costs in the Maldives can get quite expensive. The most affordable diving in Maldives is definitely the liveaboard scuba diving holiday. You will be surprised at how reasonable liveaboard scuba diving prices in the Maldives are: a week-long cruise on a safari ship which includes two or three dives per day will typically cost about USD$180 to USD $220 per person per night. As well as the cost of diving in Maldives, this also includes all meals and accommodation whilst on the boat along with a few excursions, so it’s really quite a good deal. To find the best scuba diving cost in Maldives, you should keep your eyes open for last minute deals and special offers on liveaboard diving holidays which usually give you reduced diving prices in the Maldives. If you have never dived before, you’ll also need to factor in the diving price in Maldives of taking your PADI Open Water qualification. It is sometimes possible to take this from a liveaboard (but make sure you check before) and most resort dive centres also offer this and other PADI courses. Finally, you need to remember that as well as scuba diving in Maldives costs, you will also need to bring your own equipment or rent it from the liveaboard or resort dive shop. All boats and dive centres offer equipment rental, but again, it’s best to reserve it in advance. Overall, scuba diving in the Maldives prices are comparable with scuba diving prices around the world and if you look carefully, it is possible to book cheap scuba diving holidays in Maldives.
Diving Boats in the Maldives
Undoubtedly the best way to enjoy scuba diving in Maldives is by taking a diving safari in Maldives. These cruises are held on board liveaboard safari ships and typically, they are all inclusive diving holidays in Maldives that include all scuba diving, meals and transfers to and from the airport, as well as the occasional excursion from the boat. Liveaboards scuba diving in Maldives is really great fun and is perfect for couples, families, groups of friends and even single divers. If you arrive in the Maldives completely alone, you will definitely leave with many more friends.
When to go Diving in the Maldives
Scuba diving holidays in Maldives are possible year round, although there are seasons: the Northeast Monsoon season (November to April) and the Southwest Monsoon season (May to October). Most people will tell you that the best diving season in the Maldives is the Northeast Monsoon season as this is when the weather is drier, visibility is better and the ocean is calmer. Officially, this is when the “peak” diving season is and as such the price of scuba diving in the Maldives is a little higher at this time and generally, you will find the very best conditions for diving in the Maldives in January and December. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a holiday diving Maldives in July, because there are still many diving cruises in Maldives, it’s just that they will visit different dive sites. In fact, the summer months of July and August are the best months for seeing the manta rays in Hanifaru and while you might have the occasional rainfall or thunderstorm; these typically clear after a short time, revealing clear sunny skies. So, don’t think it’s not possible to go to the Maldives diving in August, because it is, just be prepared to visit different areas: the best diving site in Maldives in January will be different from where is the best diving in the Maldives in August.
Diving Accidents in Maldives
The Maldives is one of the safest scuba diving destinations in the world and the number scuba diving accidents in Maldives are very small. Safety procedures are rigorous and are in place at all resorts and onboard all liveaboard dive ships. Nevertheless, you should always carry out the standard safety procedures as taught in your PADI training for both you and your dive buddy.
Find Out More about Diving in Maldives
Once you have decided you would like to go diving in the Maldives, there is plenty of research you can do online. There are many scuba diving websites and many Maldives-related websites, all of which have information about scuba diving tours in Maldives, stories and news about diving holidays in the Maldives, resources about where you can rent diving equipment in Maldives and up-to-date offers with special diving prices in Maldives.
You will most likely spend days and days looking at the millions of scuba diving pictures in the Maldives that you can find online and when you’re ready to get really excited about your trip, check out the many diving in Maldives videos.
Please contact us to book your Maldives diving holidays.
Diving Holidays in Maldives is a post from: Maldives Blog
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