Joanna James
Taking a plunge into the deep unknown is an experience everyone should have – especially in the Maldives. The world beneath the ocean is stunning and quite unimaginable until you see it for yourself.
If you are staying at one of the famous water villas in the Maldives you're definitely going to want to take a dive at one point of your trip especially if you're staying at Dhigali, Maldives. You will require a PADI certification to dive, however. You can obtain this certification before making your trip this will probably save you a bit of money as well as allow you to get to do actual diving while you're in the Maldives. However, nearly all resorts will have a driving school and means to get you started up. There are a variety of courses which you can do for your specific requirement but if you really want to get into it you definitely need to get an open water certification.
You will need an assortment of equipment such as a wetsuit, regulator and BCDs, a dive computer and a logbook. All of these can definitely be rented from the resort you're staying at however if you have your own you can cut down a lot of costs in the long-run. It is mandatory to have a dive computer when diving in the Maldives.
There are numerous amazing dive sites all around the Maldives and every resort will have access to at least one or two such sites. There are generally 4 types of dive sites you can pick from. These include;
Reefs are colourful and packed with life and definitely a more popular diving choice. The best area in a reef to dive is where the reef slopes to meet deep-water.
Kandus are channels between islands or reefs and are breeding grounds for plankton which attracts whale sharks. Currents are bit stronger around these.
Thilas & Giris are coral formations which rise up from the atoll floor and reach up almost the surface of the water.
Wrecks always make a dive exciting; however, most of the popular such sites in the Maldives have purposely sunken vessels to create an experience for the aspiring divers who visit the islands in droves.
The best time to dive in the Maldives is generally from January to April when the weather is calm and the visibility is great.
May to June can have unstable weather while storms and cloudy days commonly occur until September.
October to November has calmer weather, however, large swarms of plankton can reduce visibility however this is preferred by some divers as it attracts whale sharks and other large fish.
It is not cheap to dive in the Maldives and it's advisable to book your dives in advance according to a diving plan. A single dive can cost between $60-$120 while a package of around 10 dives would cost between $350-$700 and even a bit more if you need to rent equipment. You also have the option of 12-15 dive packages or unlimited dives during a set period of days. You can expect service charges, tax and a charge for using a boat as additional expenses. It's not the cheapest experience but it is definitely one worth having.
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