Scuba Diving in the Maldives
Brimming with biodiversity and home to marine creatures large and small, the Maldives are globally renowned as a premier diving and snorkeling destination. Its crystal-clear waters with a consistent temperature between 26˚ and 29˚C (78˚ and 84˚F), making it a year-round paradise for underwater explorers.
Experienced divers come to the Maldives for thrilling channel dives, where they can see a variety of pelagic life. Beginners are treated to an awe-inspiring introduction to the underwater world through pinnacle and wall dives. Regardless of skill level, divers encounter aquatic species of all sizes and types, alongside big schools of fish and vibrant corals.
Diving with Scubaspa
At Scubaspa, each of our yachts is accompanied by a separate 20-meter dive boat (also called a a dhoni), ensuring that our floating hotels remain undisturbed by the noise and activity of dive preparations.
These vessels carry all the required equipment, including dive gear and air compressors, designed for ultimate comfort and a relaxing experience. They feature plentiful seating, multiple entry points, a stern platform, sundeck, and onboard bathroom facilities.
We're truly dedicated to customizing dives to suit each diver's experience level. While we warmly welcome beginners, more experienced divers will find plenty of challenging opportunities.
Our expert dive guides are eager about leading you through exhilarating challenges in intense currents, where big sharks are known to make an appearance. You can rely on our entire dive crew to tailor your Maldives scuba diving experience to your comfort and skill level.
Scuba Dive School
Scubaspa offers a variety of diving courses, from single introductory dives to beginner and advanced certifications. Both of our yachts are the only vessels in the Maldives awarded PADI 5-Star Dive Resort status.
Our seasoned, multilingual dive instructors provide expert instruction at a level suited to each individual. Children as young as ten can learn how to scuba dive, and snorkeling is available to anyone who can swim.
When to Visit
The Maldives is an all-year-round destination with two essential seasons, each with its own advantages.
The northeast monsoon runs from November to May and typically boasts clear skies and almost no rainfall. During these months, conditions are ideal for channel dives on the eastern side of the atolls, while the western sides are perfect for viewing manta rays attracted to their cleaning stations. This period is particularly popular among European and North American tourists escaping frigid winter temperatures.
The southwest monsoon, from June to October, offers better pricing and a less crowded atmosphere. During this time, manta rays visit the cleaning stations on the eastern sides of the atolls, while the western sides provide the right conditions for channel dives.
At Scubaspa, we adapt our diving schedules according to the monsoons and the tidal calendar, ensuring you have an unforgettable experience any time of the year. No matter when you visit, you'll encounter a variety of marine life, including manta rays, whale sharks, turtles, reef sharks, stingrays, and not to mention, a wide array of tropical fish.
Dive Sites
Living aboard a unique dive boat offers the opportunity to visit many different reefs and dive sites throughout the Maldives, and Scubaspa vessels cover a wide area, including the following:
North and South Ari Atoll: There are many Maldivian atolls where pelagics and big schools of fish can be seen, but Ari Atoll may be the place with the greatest reliability. Whale sharks, mantas, and eagle rays are frequent visitors, as well as large residents like the napoleon wrasse, grey reef sharks, and white tip sharks, plus large schools of blacktail barracuda and batfish. Broken Rock in North Ari Atoll is a unique formation with a canyon that breaks the reef in two. Look for large fan corals in the canyon, as well as turtles, scorpionfish, moray eels, and good coral growth on the reef.
In the South Ari Atoll lies the Kudhimaa Wreck, a medium-sized steel wreck lying very close to the Machchafushi house reef. Purposely sunk in 1998, the wreck provides easy access to the cargo holds on both sides. On and around the shipwreck, live schools of batfish, puffer fish, boxfish, and the customary large lionfish.The wreck is teeming with macro subjects for budding photographers and filmmakers.
Vaavu Atoll in the South features deep channels with nutrient-rich, fast-flowing currents. Throughout the year, encounters with schooling reef sharks and various shark species, including the occasional hammerhead, can be expected. The area is renowned for Fotteyo Kandu, considered by many as the best dive site in the Maldives, offering swim-throughs, caves, and overhangs. Expect to see tuna, trevallies, unicorn fish, snappers, triggerfish, eagle rays, mantas, and groupers.
North Male Atoll was among the first to be discovered for its scuba diving wonders and encompasses some of the oldest and most popular sites, such as Gaathugiri, also known as Banana Reef. It features breathtaking topography with magnificent rock faces, numerous caves, steep drop-offs, and precipitous overhangs for exploration. The marine life is equally spectacular, with sharks, manta rays, trevally, black snappers, grouper, schooling bannerfish, large morays, squirrelfish, soldierfish, and Maldivian grubfish.
South Male Atoll includes Kandooma Thila, a large teardrop-shaped pinnacle offering dramatic scenery and abundant fish life. The walls are covered with soft corals and frequented by schools of red bass and big-eye trevally. Grey sharks, white-tip sharks, and eagle rays are common sights, while green turtles and batfish swim undisturbed around the reef's top.
Please note
The maximum depth of dives is limited to 30 meters. Diving with a computer is mandatory, and it is prohibited to dive alone or conduct decompression dives. Night dives and dives deeper than 18 meters (60 feet) are available only to divers with advanced diver certification. You can upgrade your certification level with one of our PADI instructors at any time during your stay onboard.
Watch us on Scubaspa.TV
Watch now
