Save for basking on the beautiful beaches and enjoying a sun tan, the most popular activity among tourists to the Maldives is snorkelling and scuba diving. The atolls that form the Maldives are at least hundreds of miles away from any continental land mass. This has led to exceptionally clear waters and abundant marine life both of which make the archipelago perfect for diving.
While most divers will usually be based at a resort with diving as just one of the many activities they engage in, those keener on a strictly diving-centric vacation opt to operate from a live aboard. This may seem expensive but when you consider the relatively high cost of the Maldives famously luxurious resorts, it can in fact cost less in the longer term.
Water currents vary widely. However, the water is usually much calmer inside the atoll with stronger currents on the side of the atoll that facing the open ocean. Thanks to its location in the tropics, the waters in the Maldives remain warm all year round making diving feasible throughout.
That being said, the monsoon season can present additional challenges in the form of rain, wind and strong waves. The ideal time for diving is thus between January and May when the water is calm, which allows for underwater visibility as far as 30 metres from the surface.
The most significant impediment to snorkelling and scuba diving in the Maldives is cost especially when compared to other diving centres in Southern Asia. On the flipside, there is no compromise on safety.
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