Scuba Diving in Andaman: What It Really Costs, the Best Dive Sites and an Honest First-Timer Guide
- India
- Andaman
- Scuba Diving
Scuba diving in Andaman is the single best reason to make the long trip out to these islands, and we say that having actually gone under in Havelock rather than reading about it.
₹3.5–7.5k
Discover Scuba (no certification)
Real prices · real sites · zero commission
25 km / 1–1.5 hr
Households
~20 total
Ideal stay
1 – 2 nights
In shortWhat a first dive in the Andamans costs, the best dive sites around Havelock and honest advice for first-timers.
PADIGo2AndamanDive AndamanExperience AndamansA first, no-experience Discover Scuba dive costs roughly ₹3,500–7,500, the water is warm and clear from October to May, and you do not need to know how to swim. We take no commission and are not a booking site: this is simply what we would tell a friend.
The thing nobody quite prepares you for is how calm it is. You expect a fight, and instead you kneel on white sand in three or four metres of water while a clownfish fusses over its anemone a hand’s width from your mask. Andaman sits on some of the least-crowded, healthiest reef in India, and visibility on a good day runs 15–30 metres: genuinely world-class.
For a first dive you descend slowly to a maximum of around 12 metres, holding onto the instructor the whole time, after a short beach briefing on mask-clearing and equalising. The reef does the rest: parrotfish, angelfish, the occasional turtle, and if you are lucky a completely harmless reef shark cruising the deeper edge.
| Where | Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) is the hub; also Neil, North Bay and Chidiyatapu near Port Blair |
| Rough price | Discover Scuba ₹3,500–7,500; fun dive ₹3,500–4,500; PADI Open Water ₹22,000–28,000 (+18% GST at most centres) |
| Best time | October to May (peak visibility December to April); avoid the monsoon |
| Suitable for | Non-swimmers and total beginners (Discover Scuba); certified divers for deeper sites |
| Duration | Discover Scuba: 2–3 hrs total, 20–40 min underwater; PADI course: 3–4 days |
| Worth it? | Comfortably the highlight of an Andaman trip: book direct with a certified centre |
01 · What diving here is actually like
Discover Scuba vs a PADI course, which do you need? Discover Scuba (DSD) is the one-off, no-certification experience: no training, no swimming ability, diving the same day to ~12 m with an instructor attached to you. It is what the overwhelming majority of visitors do, and for a single holiday dive it is exactly right. A PADI or SSI Open Water course (3–4 days, ₹22,000–28,000) is the real qualification: dive independently to 18 m anywhere in the world. Our take: do a DSD first; if you surface grinning, upgrade later the same trip: many centres credit your DSD fee towards the course.
Havelock: the dive capital
Nemo Reef and The Aquarium: shallow, sheltered, packed with clownfish: the classic first-dive spots. The Wall: a dramatic sloping reef wall for newly certified divers. Dixon’s Pinnacle: deeper, schooling fish and bigger pelagics: advanced only. Barracuda City, Johnny’s Gorge, Jackson’s Bar: the fun-dive circuit with reef sharks and rays. Base yourself here: the Havelock guide covers the island around the diving.
Neil: the quiet alternative
Less commercial, fewer crowds. Sites like Junction, K-Rock, Margarita’s Mischief and Bus Stop run deeper and suit certified divers. A lovely low-key option if Neil is already on your route: pair it with a stay from our Neil hotels guide.
Port Blair & North Bay: the taster
North Bay is where day-trippers do a quick shallow DSD: fine if you never reach Havelock, but the reef is more worn and busier. Port Blair’s better diving is by boat from Chidiyatapu to sites like Corruption Rock. If diving is your priority, prioritise Havelock.
Barren Island: advanced only
India’s only active volcano rises straight from the sea, with manta cleaning stations in the blue around it. A serious, permit-controlled, liveaboard-style trip for experienced divers: mentioned so you know it exists, not as a holiday add-on.
Safe for non-swimmers?
One practical warning that eats dive days: the ferries that get you to Havelock and Neil get cancelled in bad weather. Keep plans flexible and never schedule your only dive for departure morning.
Yes, and it is the question we get most
For a Discover Scuba dive you do not need to swim: you are weighted, buoyant and physically held by an instructor throughout, to a maximum of ~12 metres. Kids from about 10–12 up are usually allowed; divers over 45–50 may be asked for a fitness declaration. Pregnant women and anyone with serious heart, lung or sinus conditions should not dive: be honest on the medical form. The real safety variable is the operator, not the sea.
The GST note
Headline vs checkout
Most reputable centres add 18% GST, so the number you pay is higher than the headline. And the very cheap ₹1,500–2,000 “scuba” deals on beach touts’ phones are usually shallow dips, sometimes barely a snorkel: treat them with suspicion.
Photos & video
Confirm before you dive
Better centres throw in underwater photos free; some charge ₹1,000–3,000 for an edited clip. Ask up front rather than being surprised at the end.
Getting there
Dive days need ferry maths
Havelock is 90 minutes from Port Blair by catamaran: booking flow and classes in the Makruzz guide. Best sites are a 45–90 minute boat ride out, so a dive is a half-day commitment.
Real prices in INR (2026)
| Experience | Rough price (₹) | What you get |
| Discover Scuba, shore | 3,500–5,500 | Beach entry, 1:1 instructor, 20–30 min under |
| Discover Scuba, boat | 6,000–7,500 | Proper reef, better marine life, deeper & longer |
| Fun dive (certified) | 3,500–4,500/dive | Guided; cheaper in multi-dive packs |
| PADI Open Water | 22,000–28,000 | 3–4 days, full certification to 18 m |
| Advanced Open Water | 18,000–24,000 | Deep & navigation dives |
| Snorkelling (compare) | 2,500–4,000 | Shore or boat, no dive gear |
Book direct
Not through a hotel desk or online reseller: the middleman adds cost and nothing to safety. Good Havelock centres take direct bookings by phone or their own sites.
Check certification
A real centre is a PADI or SSI affiliate and says so clearly. Ask which agency, and ask the instructor’s rating.
Beware the ₹1,500 deals
They cut corners on time, depth, gear and safety cover. If the price looks impossible, it is.
Ask the ratio and the site
One-to-one for beginners, and a named dive site, not a vague “we’ll see”. A good instructor spends time on the briefing and calls the dive off when conditions are wrong. That is a feature, not a rip-off.
Read recent reviews
Long-running Havelock operators are easy to find and list prices openly: that transparency is an honesty test in itself. Then contact the centre yourself.
Scuba vs snorkelling vs sea walk
Snorkelling (from ₹2,500) is brilliant value, needs no training, and at shallow sites like the Aquarium you see plenty from the surface: start here if nervous or budget-tight. The sea walk (~₹3,500 at North Bay) lets non-swimmers stand on the seabed but keeps you in one shallow, crowded patch. Scuba is the only one that takes you into the reef and lets you move through it, which is why, if you do one water activity in Andaman, we would make it a Discover Scuba dive.
Season and visibility
Water stays a warm 27–29°C year-round, so visibility decides your experience. December–April: calmest seas, 20–30 m visibility, book ahead. October, November, May: shoulder: still good, fewer crowds. June–September: rough seas, poor visibility, frequent cancellations; many centres scale right back. Do not plan a diving trip around the monsoon.
Reef-safe sunscreen (no oxybenzone/octinoxate) or better, a rash guard; a towel and change of clothes (centres provide gear and wetsuits); some cash: card and UPI are patchy at the dive shacks. Skip the heavy breakfast and last night’s alcohol.
The no-fly rule
The medical form matters
10 to 70, with caveats
The fun-dive circuit
The first breath underwater
Do not fly for 18–24 hours after diving. Plan your last dive at least a full day before your flight out of Port Blair: it is the one rule with no workaround.
Pregnancy, serious heart, lung or sinus conditions, and recent ear surgery are all no-gos. The form exists for your safety, not paperwork: answer it honestly.
Know Before You Go: Diving Essentials
- Book direct with a PADI/SSI centre: one-to-one ratio for first dives
- The ₹1,500 beach “scuba” deals are shallow dips; real intros start ~₹3,500 + GST
- Be honest on the medical form: heart, lung, sinus issues and pregnancy rule diving out
- No flying for 18–24 hours after your last dive
Fit the dive into your week
The 5-day route parks your dive on the middle Havelock day, keeping the no-fly rule automatic.
Environmental honesty
Children from about 10–12 can do supervised intro dives; divers over 45–50 are often asked for a simple fitness declaration. Thousands of nervous first-timers dive here every season.
Insurance and safety cover
Slots are finite
In the wider trip
Good, not Maldives-clear
27–29°C all year
Johnny’s Gorge, Jackson’s Bar and Barracuda City for the fish action; Dixon’s Pinnacle once you have the Advanced card. Multi-dive packages cut the per-dive rate meaningfully.
Everyone remembers their first underwater breath, usually a laugh through the regulator. Instructors here spend their lives with first-timers; say you are nervous and they slow everything down.
Ten things that make it go right
Different animals. Snorkelling shows you the reef; scuba puts you in it. For most people the dive is the trip’s highlight, but a nervous snorkel first is a perfectly good on-ramp.
02 · The essentials, ranked
These reefs took hits from bleaching and the 2004 tsunami and recover slowly. No touching, no standing, nothing chemical on your skin that you would not swim through. Choose centres that brief reef care: they exist and they are the good ones anyway.
From first briefing to last logbook entry
Check your travel insurance covers recreational diving to 18 m (many do; some exclude it). Reputable centres carry oxygen and evacuation protocols: ask, and treat a confident answer as a good sign.
Do the Discover Scuba dive
The no-certification intro that most visitors do, and exactly right for a single holiday dive. ~12 m, instructor attached, same-day.
₹3,500–7,500
Meet Nemo at the Aquarium
Shallow, sheltered, and packed with clownfish and reef fish: the classic Havelock first-dive and snorkel site.
Beginner-friendly
Take the boat-dive upgrade
₹6,000–7,500 gets you off the shore and onto a proper reef: better marine life, deeper, longer. Worth it if the budget stretches.
The better first dive
Get certified (PADI Open Water)
3–4 days, ₹22,000–28,000, and a licence to dive to 18 m anywhere on earth. Many centres credit your DSD fee towards it.
The real qualification
Dive The Wall
Havelock’s sloping reef wall: the satisfying first “real” dive once you are newly certified.
Certified divers
Chase the big stuff at Dixon’s Pinnacle
Schooling fish and pelagics on a deeper pinnacle: the reason to take the Advanced course.
Advanced only
Try Neil’s quiet sites
Junction, K-Rock and Margarita’s Mischief without the Havelock boat traffic. Best once certified.
Fewer crowds
Snorkel first if nervous
₹2,500–4,000, no training, and plenty visible from the surface at the shallow sites. A great on-ramp to the dive.
The gentle start
Sea walk at North Bay
Helmet on, air pumped in, feet on the seabed, for non-swimmers who still want to stand among the fish.
~₹3,500
Log it and plan the next one
Divers keep lists. Barren Island’s mantas and the far sites go on yours: this reef has a way of calling people back.
The hook
If you remember two rules
Book direct with a certified centre, and never fly within 18–24 hours of diving. Everything else is detail.
Havelock is the answer
Beaches for the surface intervals, cafes for the debriefs, and every dive school in walking distance: the Havelock guide has it all.
What actually happens
Per-day capacity is genuinely limited in season. Book a day or two ahead minimum, more around Christmas–New Year, and lock the dive before the hotel.
Where your logbook starts
8am paperwork and medical form → 8.30 beach briefing: mask clearing, equalising, hand signals → 9.15 gear up, shallow practice → 9.45 the descent, instructor holding you → 10.10 twenty-something minutes of parrotfish, anemones and one very relaxed turtle → 10.45 surface, grin, photos → 11am planning your certification over coffee.
Equalise early and often on the way down: the only technique a first-timer really needs, and the briefing covers it twice.
Say you are nervous
Instructors slow everything down for nervous divers, and the calm shallow sites exist exactly for this. The sea here is on your side.
Match the site to your level
The classic shape: dive on your middle Havelock day, keep the last day dive-free for the no-fly rule, and let the 5-day itinerary handle the rest of the logistics.
First dive
Sand-bottom shallows, resident clownfish, zero stress.
First dive / snorkel
Sheltered and fish-dense: you see plenty even from the surface.
Newly certified
A sloping reef wall with real depth alongside: the confidence-builder.
Fun-dive circuit
Reef sharks, rays and dense fish life on Havelock’s classic certified run.
Advanced
Deep pinnacle, schooling fish, big pelagics: the Advanced-card payoff.
Certified, quiet
Deeper, less trafficked, and a lovely excuse for a Neil night.
| Site | Level | Depth | Highlight |
| Nemo Reef / Aquarium | Beginner | 3–12 m | Clownfish, easy sand bottom |
| The Wall | Open Water | 12–18 m | Sloping reef wall |
| Johnny’s Gorge / Jackson’s Bar | Certified | 18–30 m | Sharks, rays, schools |
| Dixon’s Pinnacle | Advanced | 18–40 m | Pelagics on the pinnacle |
| Neil sites | Certified | 12–25 m | Quiet, healthy reef |
The honest expectation
Andaman visibility is good, not Maldives-clear, and the best sites are a boat ride out. What you get in exchange: healthy reef, tiny crowds, warm water and Indian prices. The trade is excellent.
Season planner
Temperature never changes; seas and visibility do. Plan the trip around the water, not the calendar holidays.
| Window | Visibility | Seas | Call |
| Dec–Apr | 20–30 m | Calmest | Peak: book slots ahead |
| Oct–Nov | 15–25 m | Good | Great shoulder |
| May | Variable | Building | Late-season gamble |
| Jun–Sep | Poor | Rough | Most centres scale back |
February or March: glassy crossings to the sites, the year’s best visibility, and boat schedules that actually hold.
Know before you go
Know before you go
Rash guard over sunscreen, cash for the shack, honest medical form, and your last dive a full day before the flight home.
Book direct
Centre’s own phone or site: no hotel-desk margin, cleaner answers about ratios and sites.
Check the agency
PADI or SSI affiliation, stated plainly, with the instructor’s rating on request.
Respect the reef
Neutral buoyancy, no touching, no standing. The reef is the product: the good centres protect it fiercely.
Mind the ferries
Cancelled crossings eat dive days. Never park your only dive on departure morning.
Keep planning the trip
The rest of the Andaman library: first-hand, commission-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does scuba diving in Andaman cost?
A Discover Scuba dive costs about ₹3,500–5,500 from the shore and ₹6,000–7,500 by boat, plus 18% GST at most reputable centres. A fun dive for certified divers is ₹3,500–4,500, and a full PADI Open Water course runs ₹22,000–28,000. Ignore the very cheap ₹1,500 beach offers.
Is scuba diving safe for non-swimmers?
Yes. A Discover Scuba dive needs no swimming ability: you are made buoyant, held by an instructor, and taken to a maximum of about 12 metres. The key is a properly certified centre with a one-to-one instructor ratio.
Which island is best for scuba diving in Andaman?
Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) is the best all-round base, with the most dive centres and the best sites. Neil Island is a quieter alternative for certified divers; North Bay near Port Blair is only a convenient taster.
What is the best time for scuba diving in Andaman?
October to May, with December to April giving the calmest seas and best visibility (often 20–30 metres). The June–September monsoon brings rough seas, poor visibility and cancellations.
Do I need a PADI certification to dive in Andaman?
No. Most visitors do a Discover Scuba dive with no certification or experience. You only need a PADI or SSI course to dive independently, go deeper, or reach advanced sites like Dixon’s Pinnacle.
How deep do beginners dive, and how long does it last?
Beginners go to a maximum of around 12 metres. The whole experience takes 2–3 hours including briefing and gearing up, with roughly 20–40 minutes actually underwater.
Is scuba better than snorkelling in Andaman?
Scuba lets you move through the reef rather than watch from the surface, so it is the more immersive experience. Snorkelling is cheaper and needs no training: a great option if you are nervous, budget-conscious, or with young children.
How do I choose a safe dive centre?
Book direct with a PADI or SSI affiliated centre, insist on a one-to-one ratio for a first dive, ask for a named site, and skip the cheapest floating deal on a beach tout’s phone. A centre that calls off dives in bad conditions is a good centre.
Can children do scuba diving in Andaman?
Yes, supervised intro dives are usually open from about 10–12 years up. Divers over 45–50 may be asked for a simple medical fitness declaration.
What will I actually see underwater?
Clownfish and anemones, parrotfish, angelfish, the occasional turtle, and on certified sites reef sharks and rays. Visibility on a good day runs 15–30 metres.
What is the no-fly rule after diving?
Do not fly for 18–24 hours after a dive. Plan your last dive at least a full day before your flight out of Port Blair: there is no workaround.
Does the price include photos and video?
Better centres include underwater photos free; some charge ₹1,000–3,000 for an edited clip. Confirm before you dive rather than at the end.
Is Barren Island diving possible?
Only for experienced divers on permit-controlled, liveaboard-style trips. India’s only active volcano offers spectacular diving, including manta cleaning stations, but it is not a holiday add-on.
What should I eat and avoid before a dive?
Skip the heavy breakfast and the previous night’s alcohol. Hydrate well, take a sea-sickness tablet if prone (the sites are a boat ride out), and be honest on the medical form.
Can I dive on the same day I arrive by ferry?
Usually yes, ferries are morning affairs and dives run through the day. Just never book your only dive for your departure morning, when a cancelled crossing would sink it.
Scuba diving in Port Blair or Havelock, which first?
If you will reach Havelock, save the dive for it: better reefs, better centres. North Bay’s quick dives are a fallback for itineraries that never leave Port Blair.
Is there an age or health limit?
No hard upper age, but heart, lung, sinus and ear conditions and pregnancy rule diving out. Over-45s may need a fitness declaration; when in doubt, ask the centre before booking.
How far are the dive sites from shore?
Beginner shore sites are right off the beach; the best boat sites are 45–90 minutes out, which makes a dive a half-day commitment.
What is Discover Scuba exactly?
A supervised one-off dive for complete beginners: briefing, shallow practice, then a ~12 m dive with an instructor physically holding you. No certification, no swimming skills, same-day.
Sources & references
- 1Diving in the Andaman IslandsPADI · padi.com
- 2Scuba diving in Andaman guideGo2Andaman · go2andaman.com
- 3Diving packages in Havelock IslandDive Andaman · diveandaman.com
- 4Scuba diving in Neil IslandExperience Andamans · experienceandamans.com
Cross-checked against PADI: Andaman Islands, Go2Andaman, Dive Andaman tariffs and Experience Andamans, plus our own dives.
Carousel photographs: Vardhan Patankar (CC BY-SA 4.0); Jayashree Subramanian (CC BY-SA 4.0); Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
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Paul
Founder · Offbeat Peak
Four metres down at Nemo Reef, our instructor tapped his mask and pointed. A clownfish, furious at our existence, was defending its anemone like a tiny orange bouncer. Twenty minutes later we surfaced already talking about the certification course. That is how they get you.