August and September are considered the monsoon season in the Andamans and if you think diving at this time of the year would be terrible, then think again! With a rainfall deficit all over the Indian Subcontinent, the Andamans too has hardly had a monsoon this year. Most of August was bright and sunny and perfect for diving. The rain gods visited us a few times but in comparison to what the monsoon season has been like for the last few years, this August took us all by surprise.

With great diving conditions, we were out everyday doing what we do best- taking you diving and showing you the true magic that is the Andamans. With the rain gods taking an extended number of days off, we were able to dive our best site like Dixon’s Pinnacle, South Button and Johnny’s Gorge every week. It’s great to report that these sites are still as amazing as they were last season and that our sharks and large grouper Borris are still around and well.  Read more... (275 words, 3 images, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)

It’s the start of a brand new season and Barefoot Scuba opened on the 1st of August 2009. As the only 5 star PADI facility in the Andaman Islands, we strive to give offer you Andaman diving at its best. With customer service and a personalised approach as priority, we welcome the opportunity to introduce diving in the Emerald Isles to you.

In our endeavour to exceed expectations and give you the best every year, this season we are all set to enhance your diving experience through a range of new courses, a larger fleet of boats and special diving safaris and expeditions every week. Barefoot Scuba is the only dive centre to offer a state of the art Bauer Membrane system for the safe filling of Nitrox/ Enriched Air.  Read more... (734 words, 1 image, estimated 2:56 mins reading time)

At Barefoot Scuba another fantastic & busy season is fast approaching its end. This season has been truly remarkable for us in many aspects. Barefoot Scuba this season has grown by leaps & bounds. I don’t really know where to start coz there is so much to say, so ill start with what I think was the best change: a brand new management!

Sean Nordbo, our new manager took over in August 2008, with immense enthusiasm, fresh ideas and marketing strategies that were hard to beat. He had the experience, the knowledge and a keen business mind backing him up. Under his management Barefoot Scuba has in my view undergone a metamorphosis. Barefoot Scuba becoming the first and only 5 star PADI facility in the Andaman’s was the next biggest change.  Read more... (576 words, 1 image, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)

Diving with Mantas is every diver’s dream. This dream has become a reality for many divers who dived with Barefoot Scuba this season. They have not just had their wish fulfilled but have taken back with them an exciting story to talk about and a memory to look back and cherish forever. We have seen these graceful creatures every season especially in the months of February & March; however this season there seems to be so many more sightings to talk about.

Dive sites like South Button, Dixon’s Pinnacle, Minerva Ledge and Johnny’s Gorge have been graced by these magnificent creatures so often this season that they have in fact become the most popular sites. Divers arriving in Havelock have already heard the stories of these sites from fellow divers and come by asking specifically to go to these dive sites so that they too can be awestruck by these giant rays.  Read more... (234 words, 2 images, estimated 56 secs reading time)

The festival of colours is celebrated all over India, some regions more than others, but it involves a lot of powdered colours and so I’ve been told in some parts also engine oil and eggs. Thankfully we only got water and colours, which was messy enough.

I was asked the previous night what time the boats will leave in the morning and thought I was being really clever by giving the wrong time i.e. half an hour later, to make sure that we were all out at sea when the ‘attack’ on the centre was to happen. Needless to say the grand plan backfired on me and I got all the more for it.

We had two fantastic dives that day, 1st at Jackson’s Bar, seeing lots of blue spotted stingrays and a manta, as the usual lion fish, snappers, groupers etc. Dive 2 of the day was at Minerva Ledge, the site famous for it’s hard coral and little things.  Read more... (460 words, 7 images, estimated 1:50 mins reading time)

Christmas Day this year was ushered in with excitement and bated breath as Barefoot Scuba kicked off the first dive with Rajan for the season. For those of you who have not kept abreast with the happenings in the Emerald Isles, Rajan is our 58 year old gorgeous pachyderm, who also is the only known swimming elephant in Asia. If you have never tried diving with an elephant you really are missing something. Words just aren’t enough to describe this stunning experience.

Rajan took to the water really well on this particular day and seemed like he was enjoying his swim thoroughly. The 4 (Kai, Nicole, Bjorn & Ayo) divers accompanied by our 2 instructors Helene & Anne were transported into his enchanted world. Some were dumbstruck and some just gaped in true amazement.  Read more... (262 words, 7 images, estimated 1:03 mins reading time)

A new instructor’s early impressions

After a season in Spain, then a couple of days on Chennai, I arrived in Havelock just over a week ago. The first few days I was thrown right back into the joys of teaching, guiding and getting to know the dive sites. Apart from one quick stroll over the market one evening, life’s focus was ‘Café del Mar’/ Barefoot SCUBA and diving beautiful, (mostly) clear waters. I’ve got an idea as to which sites will be my favorites, but will have to do a couple more dives before I make up my mind as to which one it is… so stay tuned in!  Read more... (403 words, 1 image, estimated 1:37 mins reading time)

Crocodile fish belong to the family Platycephalidae . Commonly referred to as Fringe-lip Flathead, these unique creatures sit out in the open during the day and hunt at night. The low season has brought with it an abundance of these unique nocturnal creatures. They are usually so well camouflaged that it’s rather hard to find them. However with the increase in number, currently they seem to be omnipresent. They will intrigue and delight you. So come join us in this season for some fantastic croc spotting!!!

Living up to its reputation, Minerva Ledge offered a fantastic dive to a few divers last week. Our local Divemaster Stephen and 4 of his divers spotted a 2.5 metre tiger shark while diving here Tiger Sharks were apparently often spotted on our dive sites a number of years ago. But their sudden disappearance led us to believe that they had left the waters of Ritchie’s Archipelago. We are over the moon that we were wrong about the missing tiger sharks and fingers crossed that they give us more adrenalin highs with frequent appearances.

This season commences with an abundance of changes. The process of making our dive centre at Café Del Mar on Beach No.3 even more attractive with several structural changes and modifications is underway. This will ensure that our valued guests have an easier and more welcoming access to the reception area of Barefoot Scuba. The classroom will be cosier and the dive centre as a whole will get a face lift. Barefoot Scuba is now the first and only PADI 5 star Dive Facility in the Andaman Islands.  Read more... (327 words, estimated 1:18 mins reading time)