When it comes to the adventurous sports in India, scuba diving is emerging as the most popular sports in recent times. It is a form of underwater diving in which the diver uses a self-contained underwater breathing equipment to breathe underwater. Most of us relate scuba diving to many fancy places abroad but India is also a land of many unexplored treasures with exotic beaches to serve the sport. There are many spots available in India where you can test your adrenaline levels and can add it to your most amazing memories. Due to the involvement of the sport in recent years, there are many people from around the world gather to gain the ultimate experience in India making it one of the most favorite places. There are different types of scuba diving varies from boast inspection, combat diver, pleasure or leisure diving, cave diving or many more but experiencing the vibrant marine life is all time favorite. So if you are one of them who are planning to go beyond the limits and to experience something different, here is a list of best places to scuba dive in India.
Scuba Diving in Andaman –
Andaman is one of the places in India that offer some of the beautiful beaches around the world. The Indian sub-continent gives a place to enjoy a lot of water sports but it is famous among the divers. The gorgeous island offer breathtaking views both under water as well as on land. Havelock Island is one of the best spots for the divers as it is a home for Rajan, the ocean swimming elephant of India. The whole island have several diving sites where you can spot variety of marine animals such as the Scorpion fish, Octopus, Angler fish, Sharks and Coral reefs. The Havelock Island is also known as the wall and some other major sites for scuba diving are Cinque Island and Fish Rock. The beaches, vibrant marine life, and stunning coral reefs are some of the reasons to make the island in the list of the world’s best scuba diving spots.
Scuba Diving in Goa –
There will be many travellers who will try the sport for the first time and if you are looking for the best place for the beginners, Goa should be your destination. There is a popular misconception about the place as many of us think that Goa is only famous for beaches and beer. Other than these activities, the place is also famous for different adventurous water sports and scuba diving is one of them. Scuba diving at Grand Island, Goa is one of the most famous places for scuba dive which is easily accessible form South Goa. The spot is flourished with beautiful coral gardens, old shipwrecks, and colorful fishes with a clear visibility up to a depth of 5 meters. Most of the experts don’t consider Goa as an ideal site for scuba diving but still the place offer pleasant location and different scuba diving experience altogether. The cost of the diving can vary as the scuba diving in Goa price differ from one location to another depending on the depth of the dive. Some of the popular dive sites in Goa are Uma Guva reef, Shelter Cove, and The Jetty.
Lakshadweep –
The whole Lakshadweep islands, is a group of total 36 islands collectively which are rich in exotic white sand beaches. We often think that the white sand beaches can only be fund outside India but think again. The whole island is home to a vibrant and active marine life which makes it the best place for scuba diving. The Bangaram coral island is one of the best places for diver which is easily accessible by an overnight journey from Kochi. The island is blessed with gorgeous beaches, coral sand, coral reefs, and affluent marine genus. Every year there are thousands of tourists that visit the place only to enjoy the marine life of the island. There are also some other popular sites for the diving which includes Aggati islands and Bangarram islands.
Scuba Diving in Pondicherry –
The place is known for its French architecture with peaceful environment and the style of living among people. Just dive into the sea and experience the thrill of scuba diving of India’s East Coast. The whole area is full of untouched natural coral reefs and packed with marine life. It is one of the top scuba diving spots in India that boast the gorgeous fishes such as Lion fish, Tiger fish, King fish, Eels, Manta rays, Parrot fish, and many more. There are different spots available for the divers such as cool shark reef, temple reef, the hole, and the 4 corners. The diving is done throughout the year but the best season with the maximum visibility of the ocean is from February to April and September to November.
Islands of Netrani –
The Netrani Island also known as Pigeon Island is famous for the best diving experience in India. The Island is located in Murudeshwar which offers scuba diving and snorkeling. The place comes under Karnataka which can also be called as the nature’s laboratory as it offers variety of natural formations like enchanting valleys, lush green forests, fresh backwaters, and coral reefs. The spot is well known for its serene tropical waters, vivacious corals, and marine species. The deep sea diving sites here are home to the great diversity of fish life common to the Arabian Sea such as Whales, Turtles, Stingrays, Cobias and Stone fish can be spotted here. The clear waters and rich marine life around the island make for superlative diving – Visibility around the island is usually in the 15-20 metre range. The dive sites are from 10 to 30 metre deep, and consist of coral reefs on the eastern side of the island and rock walls on the west and north western side of the island. Expect to mingle with schools of Barracuda, Jacks, Snappers, Red tooth trigger fish, Indian Banner fish, large shark- like Cobia, Groupers, Honeycomb Moray Eels, Puffer fish, Napoleon Wrasse.
Scuba Diving in Malvan –
Malvan is the modest town in Sindhudurga which was once the most strategic town in the ruling empires. Other than the importance of the town in the history, it is one of the most famous destinations for the scuba divers and is home to Trakarli beach that is one of the rare places in Maharashtra with crystal clear water ideal for underwater diving in India. The intriguing underwater life and rocksscapes are worth an exploration. You can expect to get glimpses of star fish, cephalopods, sea urchins and reefs on your underwater exploration. Other than the scuba diving there are other adventurous sports that should be added to your list as one can enjoy the thrill of Snorkeling, Jet-Ski, Bumper Boat ride, and Parasailing. The dive offered in Trakarli is more of a joyride into the underwater world and not the traditional Scuba Diving. Scuba Diving in Trakarli is done with an air-line diving system where oxygen is stored in a tank in the boat and the diver only carries the air-line tube. As Scuba Diving in Trakarli is done with this system minimal training is required and tourists can have a peep into the underwater world with practically five minutes instructions.
Scuba Siving in Kovalam –
Kerala is one of the places in India which contains some beaches which are still untouched and are the best places for scuba diving. These beaches are not only famous for scuba diving but also for the snorkeling as the underwater life is still unexplored which is one of the reasons to make it one of the best spots for diving. Though artificial, the nearby reef adds to the charm of the underwater treasures of Kovalam, Kerala. Often referred to as the God’s own country, Kerala has diverse water bodies including astounding waterfalls, rivers, lagoons, canals and lakes. Divers can enjoy the multicolored reefs, star fish and jelly fish, Blacktip sharks, Ray fish among others, making this an exciting diving destination. The Kovalam beach road ends up in the Ashoka beach and wide opens to a natural bay sheltered by promontories on both sides and golden sand occupies the middle beach. The fully flourished array of coconut trees adds deep green to the scenery. The calm waves of the sea bring fresh breeze slowly displaces the fine golden sand. A promontory is a raised land mass that projects into a water body. Mostly the promontories are formed from hard rocks. As the promontory extends towards the sea, the rocks underwater form a natural rocky reef ecosystem which provides shade, shelter and food and act as sheltered place for the fishes to breed and lay their eggs. This stable and strong rocky substratum harbours the immovable (sedentary) organisms like sea sponges, anemones, sea weeds, and barnacles etc. which call for other fishes.
Scuba Diving In Dwarka -
Totally offbeat from an adventure point of view, Dwarka is one of the most lesser-known scuba diving spots in India. This ancient city that has myths, legends and intriguing history surrounding it is a fantastic place to visit in the state of Gujarat. But very few Scuba enthusiasts are aware that it is also one of the finest spots to go diving. The city that was once considered the city of gold definitely is and has been the city of sapphire blue.The legendary city of Dwarka was the dwelling place of Lord Krishna. Dwarka is one of seven most holy places for Hindus in India where Varanasi is considered as the holiest of the seven holy cities. It is believed that due to damage and destruction by the sea, Dwarka has submerged six times and modern day Dwarka is therefore the seventh such city to be built in the area. The underwater city offers a diverse collection of corals, from tall sea fans to hydroids to sea anemones. The whale shark is the coastal pride of Dwarka. Turtles and the sighting of dolphins are common in the Gulf of Kutch. There is a marine sanctuary in the Gulf of Kutch with islands that are fringed by coral reefs, sandy beaches and mangrove swamps. These islands are a treasure trove of marine species where you can chance upon octopus, puffer fish, sea horse, during the low tides.
There are many advantages to owning your own dive equipment. Just as in any sport, once you have a personal set of equipment, you tend to use it more often and also get better at what you are doing with it. Familiarity with a personal set of scuba gear means greater comfort and a better dive experience. In a practical sense, being unsure of the quality and fit of the scuba equipment you rent can always be a nagging problem you may have to deal with time and again. It is a sigh of relief if you dive frequently, and having that level of comfort knowing it is your own gear can make a lot of difference to your dive experience. More importantly, it can help you avoid an emergency situation.
Safety If An Emergency Arises -
From a safety perspective, owning your own gear ensures you know how to manipulate it in an emergency – ditching weights for example. Get to know your gear: practice adjusting it and ask your PADI Instructor for recommendations. By consistently diving with the same equipment you’ll learn how things are “supposed” to feel which will also help you dial in scuba skills such as buoyancy. If you frequently dive with the same buddy, it’s beneficial for both divers to own their own gear. By knowing your buddy’s equipment, you’ll be better prepared to deal with an unexpected problem. Consider an out of air situation: when seconds matter you’ll want to know whether to go for a yellow second stage, or if your buddy will give you his primary while breathing off a secondary located on his inflator. Another common problem is a readjusting a tank that’s slipped; knowing your buddy’s buckles and releases makes this a lot easier to fix in the water.