In today’s world, everyone spends their time working, following the same routine and walking the same paths every day. Explore a world of another with scuba diving. It allows us to see the underwater creatures, their beauty and a completely different world when compared to our own. Scuba has always been a popular water activity, so break the monotonous chain of life and find some enthralling place. India has tons of places to excite you, and we have the best places for scuba diving in India.
With beaches surrounding the southern peninsula, it’d be strange if a country like India didn’t have scuba diving. With thriving marine life, you have a whole new world to discover.
ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS
Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a holiday destination that is one of the best places for scuba diving in India. If you wish to catch up with happiness with an extended holiday, this place has a lot of things to offer after you are satisfied with exploring the ocean. Amateurs to professionals, everyone can admire the beauty of this place. The benefit of diving here is that you can see the dazzling corals, both hard and soft and the rare ocellaris clownfish, the coral trout, green jobfish and much more. Moreover, divers with PADI/SSI certification can try out the famed night diving near the Andaman lighthouse, which is another beautiful place you must visit when in Andaman.
The best site for beginners to explore would be the Mac point which allows you to explore the underwater with dugongs as well hard corals and since this place has low current, there’s ample time for you to explore everything slowly.
Dive sites:
- The Wall (Havelock Island)
- Cinque Island (Port Blair)
- Fish Rock (Passage Island)
Cost: INR 5,000 to 10,000
- Also Read: Best Things to Do in Andaman
NEIL ISLAND
Even though Neil Island is a part of the Andaman territory, it deserves it’s own mention purely because of how striking and peaceful it is. If you are looking for a short vacation, this is a place where you can explore it all in a day or two. It’s relatively simple to find and is well connected to major Indian cities. Neil island is best explored with guides and professionals since there are stingrays in the sand and dive sites are a little rocky.
Furthermore, the lack of mangroves nearby makes the water clear and pristine, which also increases the big-fish action here. Sightings made here are unbelievably beautiful due to the high visibility of the water. No wonder it is one of the best places for scuba diving in India.
Dive sites:
- Jetty Channel Marker
- Junction
- Margherita’s Mischief
- K-Rock
Cost: INR 4,500 to 7,000
GOA
The party destination of India, Goa has more to offer than just night clubs and drinks. There are several dive sites near all the beaches in Goa, and it is one of the extended places for scuba diving in India. A speciality here are the dolphins splashing around. Moreover, you can explore the ruins of WWII warships and sunken vessels that lie submerged on the seafloor. Goa opens its arms to all types of divers, with little experience or certified divers since there are shallow dive sites as well as places with strong current but beautiful marine life. The Jetty and bounty bay, are dive sites in Goa, well known by professionals due to the occasional shark sightings.
Dive sites:
- Uma Guva Reef
- Shelter Cove
- Locker of Davy Jones
- The Jetty
Cost: INR 1,500 to 4,000
PONDICHERRY
The French hub of India, Pondicherry is where people go to find inner peace with all the ashrams. However, the place also offers another calming activity, scuba diving! Here you can see the beautiful untouched corals, Lionfish, Kingfish, Moray eels, Eagle and Manta rays, Parrotfish, Sea snakes, and Tigerfish. If you turn out to be lucky, you might spot sharks, dolphins and turtles! If you’re scared about diving into the vast expanse of the sea, there are options of diving into artificial reefs. Temple adventures are popularly known for its superb instructors and excellent diving guidance making it the favourite choice of many first-timers.
Dive sites:
- Cool Shark Reef
- Temple reef
- The hole
- Four corners
Cost: INR 6,500 to 8,000
LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS
I think it’s fair to say that any water activity spot list will be incomplete without including Lakshadweep islands. It is the best places for scuba diving in India without a doubt with its untouched natural beauty. A group of 36 islands, located 240 metres off Malabar coast, this place is another heaven on earth for scuba divers. Crystal clear water, peaceful and abundant marine diversity makes the island a must-visit in our list. The surreal dive sites at Lakshadweep have mostly sloping reefs, caves, coral gardens, overhangs, shipwrecks and include some drift diving as well. There are a lot of wreck dives in these islands with moderate currents. Best time to visit the islands is from October to May with favourable weather conditions and calm, warm water making it a memorable experience.
Dive sites:
- Agatti Minicoy
- Kavaratti
- Bangaram island
Cost: INR 4,000 to 7,000
All these places sound exciting to us! And making a choice seems like a tough decision but let us know where you plan your scuba dive and how your experience was.
Suggested Read: Best Places to Scuba Dive in Thailand
