Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

diving in India: Andaman islands

Interest forums / Diving & Snorkelling

Hi,

I'd like to spend a week diving in the Andaman islands. Where's the best diving? Is a liveaboard necessary, or you can dive nice sites as day trips? What am I going to see? Do you recommend a dive shop in particular?

I'd like to stay for longer, but one week is all I have.

Do you know about the flight options to get there from Delhi?

I'm an PADI advanced diver and I've dived in the Philippines, Malaysia, French Polynesia, Fiji, Egypt, Mexico, Jordan, Vanuatu, etc. I have a weak for nudibranches, octopi, cuttlefish, sharks and big ship wrecks (the ones you can get inside).

Thank you for any help at all.

Diving in the Andamans is mainly around Havelock island. Contact Vinnie at www.diveindia.com, who owns lovely safari tent accomodations and a good dive centre stucture. Been in feb 2007 and would go back anytime.

I would say for the moment that it is better diving from the local centres rather than from liveaboards, as the former know all of the best local sites. the downside though is that you cannot access to Barren island and the remotest sites from land based. Diveindia also provides diving safaris.

Sorry to say that Andamans are not that good for wrecks and sharks.It is mostly coral and fish schooling dives.

From Delhi there was Air Sahara which flew direct to Port Blair in the past, don't know whether it is still scheduled, otherwise you will have to find your way with Kingfisher airlines.

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Andaman bubbles is an amazing diveshop on Havelock island - has all the best new equipment.www.andamanbubbles.com they also have a couple of resorts if you need somewhere to stay
I just got back last week and had an amazing time. The guy that runs it is English, called Jez and he is really good fun. They should do you a good deal, they have recently reduced their prices. iIt is beautiful diving, amazing corals, rays, lots of amazing different types of fish, all very colourful!

delhi you can fly with Jet - to Calcutta and then connect on jetlite to Port Blair - this has the best connection times, only an hour on the way ion calcutta, and then you can go for prob a lot cheaper on Kingfisher form Delhi to Chennai but you will have to be there for about 5 hours through the night in Chennai airport.

It is the most fun I have had diving anywhere and loads of amazing cool people. let me know if you need anymore info.

Charlotte

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Hi

The Andamans has a number of real world class dive sites: Barren, Narcondam, Invisible Bank and 4 spectacular seamounts off the NW coast. There is also a good wreck dive just to the south of North Brother Island. These sites are almost impossible to get to without a serious offshore boat. I have certainly never seen any of the local dive operations (or anyone else) diving at these sites.

For flights to the Andamans see our website: [http://www.boat-yacht-charters.com/asia/andaman-islands/andaman-islands-yacht-charter.php]

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