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I will be in South India in March and thinking of taking a quick side trip to Sri Lanka (west coast near Colombo), what are my options if I want to do some diving.. what are some of the best dives in that area? How are the conditions this time of the year?
There are a couple of very knowledgeable fellows on Sri Lanka diving who will chime in I am sure, but depending on where you are in South India it may be just as easy to make a quick side trip to the Maldives if diving is your only interest.
Beauty is right. Maldives are excellent. A little more expensive.
But Sri Lanka of course has an entire country and culture to explore at the same time (Not that Maldives dosn't!! Just most people go there specifically for the diving/surfing and beaches).
The best diving in march will probably still be on the west coast, but the east should be opening up by then, ie Trinco area.
South of Colombo is the place to head to. But there are operators out of the capital also.
Bear in mind "side trips" are not really an option anymore as the Indian govt has changed the visa rules so once you leave the country, you must stay gone for 2 months, even if the entirety is within your visa period. Better to do your trip either side of your India time.
Its the dive season on the west and south coast at that time of year. Seas are normally flat but viz will vary depending on site (as low as 5m on some sites and more than 30m on others). Currents are generally mild at that time. Where you go would depend on what you are interested in, how far you want to travel, and what your other plans are. Close to the airport, Negombo has very good fish life on fairly shallow reefs (12-25m) and some good macro. Colombo has some of the best wreck dives in Sri Lanka and some interesting deep reefs with good soft corals. The south is the best known dive area but personally I find it to have less color and fish diversity. But the rocky pinnacles create a nice topography and there are some old wrecks so it has a nice mix. The east is hard to access at that time since west coast operators switch to the east in April/May and conditions should be better on the west and south.
If the main reason for your trip was diving, especially reefs, then the Maldives is the best option. Barring wrecks, Sri Lanka is a few steps below the Maldives for diving.
interesting information, thanks. I'm heading there for most of February. Anyone have any recommendations for:
a dive center in Colombo for some wreck diving?
something in the south for some beach relaxation and some fun dives?
currently there is one dive center (Colombo Divers) doing daily trips in Colombo. its basic but the easiest and best way to get out to some of the popular wrecks and reefs. if you like wrecks and your in Sri Lanka, diving in Colombo is highly recommended.
in the south Hikkaduwa has a nice mix of sites. I can recommend both International Diving School and Poseidon Dive Station. Unawatuna is a nice place to chill with some decent diving. I normally dive with Unawatuna Diving Center.
Thanks for that info, did two dives with colombo divers on monday. All their equipment is in great shape, practically new! Beautiful visibility on. Oth wrecks we did, 20m or so!
glad you enjoyed the dives. i think you are planning to do the taprobane north wreck later? there are actually 2 wrecks there. the bigger one is really nice and viz is generally in the 20-40m range. there are also several more offshore and inshore wrecks as well as some nice reef dives. if i'm free around Feb 20-21 i will try to join you for the dives but my schedule is in a state of flux at the moment.
im not sure the name, but its one of the spots far away. keep me posted about your schedule, im pretty flexible, i dont mind heading back to colombo early and then back out somewhere. but i think we need to talk to the divecenter a couple days ahead to arrange it.
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