Scuba diving for first-timers in the Andamans

By the Nexara Holidays travel desk · 2 min read

The Andaman Islands are India's best place to try scuba diving, with warm water, coral reefs and certified dive centres on Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep).

Try-dive or course?

• Try-dive (discover scuba): a short introduction with a briefing, practice in shallow water and a supervised dive with an instructor. No certification, but a wonderful first experience. It takes a morning.
• Open Water course: an internationally recognised beginner certification, usually taking three to four days, with theory, pool or confined-water sessions and open-water dives. Once certified, you can dive anywhere in the world within your limits.

Do I need to swim?

For a try-dive, you need to be comfortable in water; strong swimming is not required. Certification courses usually include a swimming and floating test.

Medical questions

You will fill in a medical questionnaire. Some conditions, such as certain heart or lung conditions, asthma, ear problems or recent surgery, may need a doctor's approval before diving. Pregnant travellers should not dive. Be honest on the form.

Choosing a dive centre

• Choose centres affiliated with recognised diving organisations.
• Ask about instructor-to-student ratios, equipment condition and safety procedures.
• Ask whether insurance covers diving.

When to go

Diving runs roughly from October to May, with the best visibility usually from November to April. The monsoon brings rough seas.

Flying after diving

Do not fly for at least 18 to 24 hours after diving, to reduce the risk of decompression sickness. Plan your dives early in your Havelock stay, not on the last day before your flight from Port Blair.

Insurance

Many standard travel insurance policies exclude scuba diving. Check your policy or buy additional cover. See Travel insurance explained: what it covers and why it matters.

Snorkelling instead

If diving is not for you, snorkelling at Elephant Beach and glass-bottom boat rides show plenty of reef life.

See Andaman Islands in 5 to 6 days: Port Blair, Havelock and Neil and Adventure holidays.