India (southern westcoast around Cochin, Kerala)

[kassj0peja]

Is there some good diving near Cochin in Kerala state? I now that the Lakshadweep Islands are not far away but I read that there is no more diveshop there and that it was very expensive.

 

[donarundas]

There is a dive center in Cochin. Last I was aware of they dive only in quarries and lakes near the city and not in the ocean. They do organize dive trips as mentioned in their website... Welcome to Scuba Cochin
Lakshadweep is definitely not far off. Say ~250km from the coast, but getting there may be a pain though.

 

[Hintermann]

There is (or used to be) a dive resort in Bangaram isle of Lakshadweep. When I made enquiries a few years ago, they were ridiculously expensive and a potential tourist could only buy into preformatted silly packages. I gave-up in disgust.

I am from that part of the world myself and I doubt if anything has..or will change. It is a pity because there is some great diving in the Lakshadweep at Bangaram, Kadmat and elsewhere. Instead of learning a lesson from the Maldives, the local businesses are out to fleece the unwary.

 

[elgoog]

Not super close to Cochin but on the west coast you can dive in Goa and Karnataka (Netrani Island). The latter is a lot better in terms of visibility and stuff to see but is a little less convenient to get to than the local Goa diving. A lot of dive outfits in Goa also organize overnight trips to Netrani Island. If you're already somewhere in Goa and have a day to spare, it's worth checking out the local diving. To go to Netrani, I think having 2-3 days is better.
I've only dived in Goa a couple of times (boat dives from Bogmalo Beach, close to the airport) and it's OK diving. November to February is the best time to go - my wife and I went in April once (end of the season) and the conditions were pretty bad. I'm going to be in Goa next weekend and will dive the same location - will report how that goes.

Best,
elgoog