Sri Lanka - Where to dive

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pelan-pelan

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Am looking at Sri Lanka for 2016. I noticed in another thread that Searcaigh is going there.

The country is opening up to tourism again with lots of historical and wildlife things to do. I know the diving is seasonal depending on which part of the island. Does anyone have any comments about dive locations, type of diving, time of year etc?
 
Hi

Diving season in Sri Lanka varies with the location - East and the West coasts. If you're going to Sri Lanka for diving, go there for the wrecks! These include everything from WWI and WWII wrecks to modern freighters. Because of very little fishing, the wrecks have some of the best fish life in Sri Lanka and many are stemming with corals. Best places for wreck diving are Colombo on the west coast and Batticaloa/Passikudah on the east. The reef life is probably better in nearby Maldives and Indonesia - you wont see a lot of pelagics either but on good sites you will find big schools of snapper, fusiliers, rabbitfish, the usual reef fish, hunting tuna and trevally, stingrays and the occasional eagle ray or mobula. However most of these wrecks are pretty deep and require Avanced water or Deep diving experience - so keep a tab on that.

West coast season is from Nov-Apr with the best conditions usually in Feb/Mar. East coast season is from Apr-Oct with the best conditions usually in May/Jun. This is based out of information from 2 really good guys we have a collaboration with - owners of Island Scuba, Nishan and Naren.

To give you a brief of where I'm coming from - I am an adventure buff and am working on my startup in adventure travel (Alien Adventures » - you can search colombo and see the details) Because I've gone out a lot on such adventures, I'm trying to solve the problems plaguing this sector through this platform. I either personally verify the operators on the site or conduct thorough research to boil down and only then invite dive shops and liveaboards to the site.

Let me know if I can be of any other help.
Cheers!
Ankit.
 
Above post sums it up. Decent but not spectacular reef diving and some outstanding wreck diving in the right locations. Everything from beginner to tec wrecks. Excellent marine life on most. Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna are the best known areas but the best wrecks are off Colombo and along the east coast from Passikudah to Batticaloa and a bit further south. Lost to see and do topside if you want to combine with a dive trip.

---------- Post added May 14th, 2015 at 12:26 AM ----------

Check www.divesrilanka.com for the most comprehensive information on diving in Sri Lanka including a list of all the wrecks accessible to divers.
 
Am looking at Sri Lanka for 2016. I noticed in another thread that Searcaigh is going there.

Alas that plan did not happen due to work commitments and my sister deciding to stop by for a few days days on her way to Mauritius to celebrate her 60th birthday.

Planning something for 2016, but depends if my tek buddy can make it too.
 
Hi there, I will be in Sri Lanka last week of October and first week of November. We'll be all over the country topside but we do intend on diving for a few days in one or more locations. I have quite broad experience (current, low viz (imagine less than a metre...) cold, ... ) and in diverse locations. My girlfriend is freshly PADI OW certified (Sodwana Bay, South Africa) so she'll need beginner stuff, but I could use a few deeper or more challenging dives. What would you suggest for that period?

Also, what is the quality of hired gear? I have read some less than perfect reviews here and there. I would ideally bring my own stuff but not sure whether I can get the baggage allowance yet.

How's the nitrox availability?

and last but not least, are 15 litre bottles or maybe doubles available at some dive shops? I still have to meet the person that consumes more air than I do...

Thanks,

Pieter
 
It is start of the west coast season so diving should be on the west/south coast. Conditions are likely to be variable as its still settling into the season. Evening thunderstorms are frequent but mornings and afternoons are usually sunny. Would suggest aiming to dive towards the end of your trip in November.

Wreck diving is what Sri Lanka is best known for, so for challenging diving and great wrecks, Colombo would be the place to go at that time of year. But admittedly it is not the best place for beginners. There are a couple of nice sites but options are limited. If you are on the south coast as part of your holiday then you could do a few dives there. Mostly rocky reefs and small pinnacles, and a few small wrecks.

Like guides, and dive shops in general the rental gear also varies depending on the operator. PM me if you need recommendations. Nitrox is available with a few shops. Was definitely available at Island Scuba (Colombo), Sri Lanka Diving Tours (Negombo), Poseidon Diving Station (Hikkaduwa) and Ypsylon Diving (Beruwela). Others may have added it so best check with them direct. 15L bottles are not common in Sri Lanka. Some of the south coast operators that cater more to Europeans may have them.
 
Thanks, we'll take that into consideration;

Best regards,

Pieter
 
great information. I'll be in Colombo during first part of December at a conference - I'll do my best to spend more time under water than above. Nishan - I'll PM you for some info. Planning on taking my 14 year old son, he's working on his AOW now through SDI. He loves wreck dives this will be awesome! What's the expected water temp on West coast during December down to 41 meters?
 

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