Diving in Sri Lank is supposed to be great. I myself ony just started so I know of only a few places. The temperature is more or less 30'C all year round and depending on season you can dive on the west coast or the east. Being a small island you can travel quickly to these places. I have attached below a clipping that one of my friends sent me. Hope you find it usuful.
Diving Sri Lanka - Discoveries in the Deep
Sri Lanka is still waiting to be accepted into the mainstream of Asian dive destinations, but there's no doubt the raw potential is there
AA staff
First published in Apr/May 1996 issue of Action Asia magazine
Sri Lanka is the forgotten adventure travel destination of Asia. The country has all the classic ingredients for exotic adventure: a spectacular natural environment, complete with cool hill stations, jungles, golden beaches and coral reefs; and a traditional culture that's as sophisticated and colourful as it is ancient. Sadly, in recent years these attractions have been overshadowed by terrorism and civil unrest, and the fledgling adventure tourism industry has struggled to take off. But despite the difficulties, the local adventure operators have stayed and adapted to the situation, knowing that if and when the political climate stabilizes they're sitting on top of one of the most exciting destinations in Asia. As we hope the following article on scuba diving illustrates, even with the restrictions currently in place it's possible to enjoy an excellent adventure holiday in Sri Lanka. And there's still much cause for optimism that Sri Lanka can achieve its huge potential as an adventure location.
"The sea is as flat as a mirror as we motor out towards the dive site. Suddenly we hear a blowing sound and the mirror is broken by several dorsal fins around the boat. Dolphins! They start racing with the boat, staying just in front of it, playing in its bow wave. The water is so clear they appear to be soaring in mid-air. When we finally come to a stop we're about three kilometres off the coast.
"The sea is still absolutely calm as we roll over the side and descend into the clear blue depths. Already I have a feeling this is going to be a special dive, but even so I'm not prepared for the stunning scene that greets us on the bottom: we're in a craggy undersea landscape of boulders, and there are schools of fish everywhere, so dense they form solid, shimmering curtains that part as we swim through them and close as we pass. Wispy forests of black coral carpet the sea bed, creating a magical impression of an early winter landscape of frost-covered trees. I aim my torch beneath a boulder and its surface explodes into colour as encrusting corals are illuminated in its beam. Looking closer I find an exotic miniature world of strange creatures: nudibranchs in brilliant, toxic colours; a longnose hawkfish lying motionless on a coral branch; a pair of mating octopuses that, the instant I trigger my camera flash, turn as white as snow. Although I'm captivated by the scene playing itself out inches in front of my mask, I look up in time to see two eagle rays swoop into view, then wheel around in a graceful arc and with a couple of lazy beats of their wings swim off into the blue. This has turned into one of those unforgettable dives when everything seems to happen at once. . . ." - Erik Bjurstrom
Welcome to Sri Lanka. For years, tourists have focused their attention either on the island's cultural attractions - its ancient monuments and temples - or on its beaches. While many people are probably aware diving is possible here, few think of the island specifically as a place to come for a dive holiday. But as the above passage illustrates, Sri Lanka fully merits being considered as a "serious" dive destination. Not only is the diving on a par with many more famous Asian dive sites, the range and variety of underwater experiences available guarantee you'll have plenty to keep you interested whatever your experience level, interests or length of stay. If Hikkaduwa - the site referred to in the description above - sounds great, it pales in comparison with the very best dive sites in the country. While these, ironically, are currently off-limits to tourists because of political problems, in terms of raw potential Sri Lanka is one of the most exciting dive destinations in the region.
East Beats West
You can find good diving all around Sri Lanka except off the north coast. The island essentially sits atop a huge sandbank that drops 3000m into deep ocean. This drop-off is anything from 1km to 10km offshore. Close in you usually find shallow sand or rock bottoms, but in places, especially along the east coast and wild south coast, you can also dive on walls and drop-offs. Because you're seldom far from deep water, opportunities for encounters with pelagics, sharks and other inhabitants of the open ocean abound. Adrenalin levels are highest in the east - at places like Trincomalee - and in the south, at the wonderful Basses Reefs, arguably the most adventurous diving in the country.
Ironically, the southwest coast - which is the now most popular with divers - has fewer big fish and generally less pristine marine life: however there's still plenty to see, especially if you go further offshore, including an abundance of reef creatures such as Titan and clown triggerfish, moray eels, lobsters and the usual brilliant assortment of smaller fish. Turtles are also very common on all southwest coast dives.
Sri Lankan diving is split into two basic seasons: one for the east coast and one for the west. You dive on the side of the island that's not directly exposed to the prevailing monsoon. For example, from late November to early March, when the northeast monsoon is blowing, diving conditions are best on the west coast. Conversely, from March to September, during the southwest monsoon, the east coast has calm seas. The further south you go on either coast, the shorter the season.
Buried Treasure
Wrecks are a particular attraction of Sri Lankan diving. The island has long been on international trade routes - including the spice and tea runs between Europe and East Asia - and over the centuries its treacherous coastline has claimed many ships. Among the best-known are the SS Conch, the world's first oil tanker, near Hikkaduwa; and the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, sunk off the east coast during World War II. Many of the wrecks you'll dive on have virtually disintegrated, partially as a result of their age, the natural action of the sea or persistent salvage attempts by local divers. But the remaining hull fragments are often still interesting to divers for the abundant marine life they attract. The sea off Colombo has a particularly high concentration of wrecks.
Is it Safe?
This is the million-dollar question. Obviously it would be foolish to deny there's an element of risk in visiting a country that's essentially in the midst of a civil war, but it's just as inaccurate to imagine that you're going to step off the plane in Colombo and have bullets whistling past your ears the whole time. Sri Lanka is a large country and the troubles are mostly limited to the north. Tourist resorts in the southwest are generally safe and quiet. For divers, probably the most serious effect of the recent political violence here is not reduced personal safety, but restrictions - both practical and official - on where you can dive. Unfortunately, both Trincomalee and the Basses Reefs are in sensitive areas that at present are out of bounds for tourists. For all practical purposes, right now you're limited to diving on the southwest coast, in areas such as Colombo, Hikkaduwa and Galle. Bear in mind, though, that the situation here can change quickly. Even as we go to press the latest word from Sri Lankan dive operators is that Trincomalee is slowly returning to normal.
Recommended Dives
Colombo
Surprisingly, some of the best diving on the west coast is straight off the capital Colombo. Wrecks are the main attraction here. There's everything from commercial barges and oil tankers to small aircraft, and more wrecks are being discovered every year. Apart from their intrinsic interest, Colombo's wrecks also attract a greater variety of marine life than some other sites on the west coast.
Car Carrier Wreck: This is a huge wreck of a car carrier that sank in 1983. The hull is beautifully encrusted with coral, and cars are still visible on the deck at 24m. Large batfish and groupers live in the hull. A highlight is to swim down 30m to the ship's huge propeller, which is still intact.
The Barge: This perfect wreck of a barge lies upright in 30m, and is now bristling with marine life. The deck is carpeted in corals and there are always teeming schools of tropical fish. Whale sharks also put in occasional appearances.
Taj Wreck: Although badly broken up, this 45m harbour boat still attracts large schools of barracuda, rabbitfish and stingrays. Colourful reef fish dart in and out among the tangled mass of wreckage. Sections of the hull are safe to penetrate.
World War II Plane: This small plane lies on a sand bottom in 30m. You can still identify the aircraft's wings, its coral-encrusted cockpit and the twisted remains of its propeller.
Mount Lavinia
This beach resort just south of Colombo offers rugged underwater terrain and abundant marine life. Several rows of apartment-sized underwater boulders have created lots of interesting swimthroughs and provide shelter for a wide variety of aquatic creatures, including the spectacular blue-ringed angelfish. The only drawback to diving here is that the sea is rough for most of the year, so the dive season is short: from January to March. But that hasn't deterred Adventure Sports Lanka, one of Colombo's main dive operators, from setting up a diving base here.
