The underwater world is probably as close to outer space as you can get. It is like being on an entirely different planet, encountering marine life that is beyond your imagination. Although everyone rushes to Maldives and Thailand to try scuba diving, India is home to some of the best reefs and marine life that you can find out there!
While there is so much that the Indian diving scene has to offer, here are 5 reasons to go scuba diving in India at least once in your lifetime:
1. Waters So Clear, You Can See the Corals from Up Top
The dive sites in Andaman, Lakshadweep, Rameswaram, Pondicherry and even Murdeshwar offer great visibility for scuba diving. Contrary to popular belief, India is home to crystal clear blue waters that make you want to take the plunge the minute you see them. On good days visibility could go as far as 15-20 m underwater! At the shallow dive sites, you can even see the reef below you from the boat itself!
2. Diversity of Marine Life
Indian dive sites offer everything from whale sharks which are the size of a school bus to a variety of fish and macro life that thrive around the reef. Pondicherry has seen an increased number of whale shark sightings over the years, giving first time divers an out of the world experience! This is not all, batfish, white tip sharks and even octopuses are a common sighting at India’s dive sites. The best part? You don’t need to do a certificate course to see any of these beauties. Check out our Discover Scuba Diving Program (Discover Scuba Diving) for more details.
3. Budget Friendly!
All us travellers have just one concern, BUDGET! Probably the best part of scuba diving in India is that it is easily accessible to everyone in the country. Places like Pondicherry, Goa, Rameswaram, Murdeshwar are all well connected by rail, road and air from all major cities in India. Reaching these places is far cheaper than flying to an exotic country to try out scuba diving. The cost of staying at these locations and scuba diving itself is also affordable! From the west coast to the east coast and the island Union Territories, scuba diving is possible everywhere. You could just add a few extra days in your itinerary and that’s all it will take to see what lies below those vast seas!
4. Home to the Famous Trio: Johnny’s, Jackson’s, and Dickson’s
Named after the three brothers in Havelock Island, these are the most famous deep dive sites around the Island. Known for their spectacular corals and stunning marine life, Johnny’s Gorge, Jackson’s Bar and Dickson’s Pinnacle offer schools of barracuda, blue spotted stingrays, white tip sharks among many others in what can be considered some of the busiest reefs that India has to offer.There is so much happening around the reef, it’s almost difficult to see it all! These dive sites lie below 20m and one requires an Advanced Open Water Certification to dive here. Check out our Advanced Open Water Diver for more details.
5. Some of the Best Dive Shops and Instructors!
While most places in the world have verified and highly maintained dive shops along with skilled instructors, India is not far behind! From our experience, India is home to some of the best dive shops and extremely trained instructors who make sure you have the most comfortable and enjoyable experience diving in the ocean. And contrary to popular belief, the equipment at these dive shops is also well maintained with regular servicing to meet international standards.
If a domestic trip to the beaches of India is what’s on your mind for the next holiday, be sure to add scuba diving to your itinerary to make the best of the oceanic experience and also see everything that the Indian waters have to offer!
