Andaman Islands Diving — India

The Andaman Islands sit 1,200km from mainland India in the Bay of Bengal, offering some of the best diving in South Asia. Havelock Island is the hub, with clear water, healthy hard corals, and manta ray encounters at The Wall. Still relatively undiscovered, it's India's answer to the Coral Triangle — at Indian prices.

Score
65.8 / 100
Country
India
Region
Indian Ocean
Area
Andaman & Nicobar
Nearest airport
Port Blair (IXZ)
Visibility
9–30 m
Water temperature
26–30 °C
Max depth
40 m
Current strength
moderate
Dive types
reef, wreck, pelagic
Best months
December, January, February, March, April
Minimum certification
Open Water
Access type
boat
Average 2-tank dive cost
$60 USD
Budget tier
mid range
Key species
manta ray, reef shark, sea turtle, barracuda, grouper, nudibranch
Google rating
0 (0 reviews)
Top operators
Barefoot Scuba, Infinity Scuba
Nearest hyperbaric chamber
INHS Dhanvantari Naval Hospital Chamber, Port Blair (~10 km)
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World Class
Intermediate
Andaman Islands
IndiaIndian Ocean
65.8

SCORE

11.7401°N

92.6586°E

The Andaman Islands sit 1,200km from mainland India in the Bay of Bengal, offering some of the best diving in South Asia. Havelock Island is the hub, with clear water, healthy hard corals, and manta ray encounters at The Wall. Still relatively undiscovered, it's India's answer to the Coral Triangle — at Indian prices.

India's Frontier Dive Destination

Visibility9–30 m
Temperature26–30°C
Max Depth40 m
Currentmoderate
2-Tank Dive$60
Best MonthsDecember, January, February, March
CertificationOpen WaterIntermediate

Score Breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

ML66.0CH72.0VIS70.0SV55.0TMP72.0DA62.0OP73.0TS64.0GT68.0VAL63.0CRD59.0SP57.0

Marine Life

66.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity
96
Megafauna Encounters
28
Reef Fish Abundance
98
Macro Life
30
Endemic Species
60
Marine Life Diversity
66.0
Coral & Reef Health
72.0
Visibility & Conditions
70.0
Dive Site Variety
55.0
Water Temperature
72.0
Depth & Access
62.0
Operator Quality
73.0
Topside Experience
64.0
Getting There
68.0
Value & Cost
63.0
Crowding
59.0
Social Proof
57.0

Key Species

manta rayreef sharksea turtlebarracudagroupernudibranch

Dive Types

reefwreckpelagic

Traveling with Non-Divers?

Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.

Activities for Non-Divers

Radhanagar Beach (Havelock)snorkeling at Elephant Beachmangrove kayakingRoss Island WWII ruinsCellular Jail sound & light show

Nearby Cultural Sites

  • Cellular Jail National Memorial (Port Blair)
  • Ross Island ruins
  • Anthropological Museum

Non-Diver Partner Score

7/10

Good topside options for non-diving companions.

Family FriendlyYes
Restaurants & Nightlifebasic

Safety & Emergency

Dive Insurance

Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.

Learn More at DAN.org
Hyperbaric Chamber10 km — INHS Dhanvantari Naval Hospital Chamber, Port Blair
Nearest Hospital10 km

Naval chamber in Port Blair; hospital in Port Blair; flight to Chennai for advanced care (2 hrs)

Skill LevelIntermediate
Current Strengthmoderate

Top Operators

Barefoot Scuba

PADI

4.8
310 reviewsNITROX

Infinity Scuba

PADI

4.7
220 reviewsNITROX
Compare This Dive Site
Current conditions
9/10
Waves0.22 m
Swell0.14 m
Wind10.7 km/h
Air30°C
Slight rain showers
9d ago
Honest reality check

What your dive shop won't tell you

The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.

Recommended logged dives
60+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification
Advanced Open Water
“India's best diving and one of the most pristine reef systems in SE Asia. Andamans feel like Coral Triangle before tourism.”

What will challenge you

  • →Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
  • →Recreational limit of 40 m is reachable here (max depth 40 m). Gas planning and NDL tracking matter.
  • →Wreck penetration requires Wreck specialty training at minimum, and often decompression planning. Don't improvise inside.
  • →Permit required for foreigners. Budget an extra day for paperwork.

What will surprise you

  • →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 4°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: Dec-Apr dive season. May-Oct monsoon closes operations. Strict window..

Morning
  • Viz
    high
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    light
  • Havelock reefs
  • manta encounters
  • wide angle

India's best diving — remote, pristine, barely touched. Morning at Havelock's Lighthouse reef for mantas and pristine hard coral.

Afternoon
  • Viz
    high
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    moderate
  • Barracuda City
  • coral walls
  • macro on reef

Barracuda City at South Button Island. Afternoon current brings schooling fish. Reef health like SE Asia 30 years ago.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month Viz (m) Temp (°C) CurrentSea RainConfidenceHighlights
Jan14–2628ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
Feb13–2428ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
Mar13–2428ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
Apr14–2629ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
May15–2829ModCalmDry78%conditions vary
Jun15–2829ModChopLight65%conditions vary
Jul14–2628ModChopLight55%conditions vary
Aug13–2427ModChopWet55%conditions vary
Sep13–2428ModChopWet55%conditions vary
Oct14–2628ModChopWet65%conditions vary
Nov15–2828ModCalmLight78%conditions vary
Dec15–3028ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
Shoot here

Photography brief

Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.

Macro subjects49
Wide angle69
Viz stability51
Hover friendliness70
Natural light49

Recommended kit

  • →Dedicated video light for dark wreck interiors; don't rely on strobes alone
Level up here

What this site will teach you

The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.

Budget
$2,200–$3,300

Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats

Flights (RT from US)
$1,150–$1,450
Accommodation / day
$50–$100
Diving / day
$50–$60
Food / day
$40–$80
Transfers + misc
$50–$150
Mid-range
$3,650–$5,450

3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants

Flights (RT from US)
$1,700–$2,100
Accommodation / day
$120–$220
Diving / day
$60–$80
Food / day
$90–$160
Transfers + misc
$50–$150
Splurge
$6,200–$9,900

Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators

Flights (RT from US)
$2,500–$3,100
Accommodation / day
$260–$500
Diving / day
$80–$100
Food / day
$180–$350
Transfers + misc
$50–$150

Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.

Pair with

Build a trip around it

Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.

Best dive types here