“Journey to the Bay of Bengal in Asia and explore the magical Andaman Islands - a wondrous realm of stunning marine and coral reefs, swimming elephants, pristine beaches and mysterious tribes who exist beyond the reach of time. Pass through shimmering gates of coral and discover volcanic gardens of an underwater paradise. Here lions, unicorns and butterflies masquerade as fish. Dugongs play in the sea-grasses of shallow reefs that fringe the outer islands and every dive trip brings the promise of exploration and new discoveries” – Jacques Yves Cousteau

Although dive pioneer Jacques Cousteau dived the waters around the Andaman Islands quite some time ago- it’s only now that they are becoming one of the world's newest diving destinations which have yet to be explored properly for diving. After a 60 year period of virtual isolation from the outside world the Indian government has made a decision to allow limited, environmentally conscious tourism development in the islands.

Although diving is a recent development in India, the Andaman Islands offer some splendid diving and untouched coral reefs. A hidden jewel, waiting to be explored!

The best time to dive the Andaman Islands is February and March. Our peak season is from November until Mid April. The second week of May brings in the monsoon season and for this reason Barefoot Scuba is closed in June and July.

August and September too are wet months and although diving in these months come with their own charm; generally these months offer slightly reduced visibility and rougher seas than the peak periods.

With water temperatures not dropping below 26°C and averaging 28°C, diving here is extremely comfortable and enjoyable to learn. Visibility in our surrounding waters can vary from 5m-40m depending on the site and the season. Currents can range from nothing to strong and are completely dependant on the dive site and the tides.

The dive sites are between 30 minutes and 1hour 30 minutes by boat and vary quite a bit in what the individual sites offer, with regards to topography and fish life. We have dive sites suited for all levels of divers; however some of the best dive sites require an advanced level of certification.

Existing dive sites have proven to amaze and thrill divers of all levels; however there are areas of undiscovered and un-dived waters which hold much more to be explored. In our quest to show you the best that these magnificent Isles have to offer, we are constantly on the lookout for new spectacular dive sites all over the Andaman Islands.

Some of the dive sites are within easy access and offer large coral fields, which are difficult to match and habitats for marine critters of all sizes. It is possible to get exciting dives with manta rays, devil rays, white-tip reef sharks, a variety of groupers, turtles, octopus and so on. Existing dive sites have proven to amaze and thrill divers of all levels; however there are areas of undiscovered and un-dived waters which hold much more to be explored, which is something we enjoy doing when we get the time.

At Barefoot Scuba we believe in taking things a step further. In our quest to bring you something new each year, this season we are the only dive facility in India with a state of the art Bauer Membrane System for safe filling of Nitrox/Enriched Air. Be a step ahead of the rest, stay down longer – take the plunge now!

DAILY DIVING PROGRAM :

Despite being on Indian Standard Time, the sun rises over the Andaman Islands at 5 a.m. For certified divers, our daily dive-trips leave from Barefoot Scuba Dive Resort on Beach No.3 between 7.30 and 8.00 a.m, to destinations that have been planned ahead of time based on the interests and skill of our guests as well as the conditions of the sea.

Our day trips are 2-tank outings to the selection of dive sites around Neil Island, Havelock and Ritchie’s Archipelago. Thorough dive-briefings involving dive profiles, safety measures, site conditions and flora and fauna of the area are provided by our Instructors and Divemasters just prior to entering the water. Upon surfacing, we do a minimum interval of 1 hour between dives. Water, tea, snacks of biscuits and a light lunch are provided on all 2-tank outings. The dive boats return to the Barefoot Scuba Dive Resort between 1.30 and 3.30 p.m. depending on the distance to the dive sites and the durations of the dives. Upon reaching the dive centre we log the dives, discuss the animals that were spotted and share photographs from the outing.

For students of diving, the schedule of activities is decided by the course instructor. Discover Scuba Diving participants, Open Water Diver and Rescue Diver students doing their confined water sessions usually leave for Elephant Beach, our confined water training area, by 8.30 a.m. and return between 2 and 4 p.m. Students doing open water training dives do 2-tank outings similar to certified divers. Water, tea, snacks of biscuits and a light lunch are provided on all 2-tank outings. Upon returning to the dive centre students log their dives and continue with theory sessions in the classroom.

Furthermore, since the Andaman Islands offer such an immense array of spectacular dive opportunities, we conduct overnight diving excursions to some very remote destinations. So if the idea of diving in places where few have ever dived before interests you then let us know, and you just might find yourself sleeping under the stars after a day of exploring untouched coral reefs.

Allow us to unveil the underwater marvels of the Emerald Isles.