Scuba Diving near Bangalore

Known for its cultural beauty, Pondicherry was once a French colonial settlement and its chief draw is its French-infused food, architecture, historical sites, and lovely, winding streets. However, if you’re a traveler that’s looking for more to Pondicherry than what you’ll find on its surface, get ready for an adventure that will thrill you to the bone, with scuba diving in Pondicherry. 

Besides the golden beaches of this quaint Union Territory, scuba diving in Pondicherry takes you below the waves of the blue ocean, to the mysterious aquatic kingdom that lurks beneath. Long stretches of coral reef give you a look at the vibrantly coloured sea creatures that swim around in their natural habitat. Spot delicate, translucent jellyfish, lionfish, kingfish, moray eels, manta rays, and crustaceans as they navigate the unpredictable world underwater.

New to this thrilling water sport? Take up a course at one of the Dive Schools that dot the region. These professional divers will show you the ropes for safe and satisfying diving experiences. If you’re a skilled diver, scuba diving in Pondicherry will give you a chance to explore new, exciting dive sites on the coast of South India.  

Let’s dip into the hidden water world of Pondicherry! If you plan to go scuba diving in Pondicherry, here are a few things that you should know.

Depth: Up to 30 meters

Cost: ₹5,200 onwards

Difficulty: Beginner-Advanced

Water Visibility: 20 - 30 meters depending upon the weather

Right Time to Visit: Throughout the year except for monsoons

Blue and seemingly bottomless, the ocean calls out to us to explore its hidden depths. For those of us who love the water, the aquatic world is our dream destination, with delicate jellyfish fanning out their tendrils, manta rays swimming serenely under the waves, lionfish with elegant spikes and more, splashing about their natural habitat. Scuba diving in Chennai takes you into the mysterious Bay of Bengal and treats you to the beautiful sight of its ocean bed. 

Although you might be ready to begin scuba diving in Chennai, this lovely coastal region does not have many dive sites and the visibility is low. However, right near Chennai is Pondicherry, and this enchanting Union Territory has plenty of stunning dive sights to leave you spellbound and fulfilled. 

So, if scuba diving in Chennai is on your mind and you’re disappointed you can’t dip into the Bay of Bengal, we give you the next best thing with scuba diving in Pondicherry! Scroll through this page to discover the spectacular dive sites that are available in Tamil Nadu. 

More than 70% of the Earth is covered in water and we have barely begun to scratch the surface of the innumerous mysteries lying within. Life underwater has often intrigued mankind, making scuba diving a popular activity for marine life enthusiasts. However, the majority of the waters surrounding our country are muddy and offer poor visibility to divers. The list of dive spots in the country may be a short one, but there are still a few ideal getaways for you to strap on a tank of oxygen, a pair of flippers, and diving goggles, and make your way down to the schools of fishes and reefs of coral below the surface.  

Gokarna has in recent years begun to grow into a full-fledged beach town. With over 10 water sports frequently and safely practiced, it is the ideal beginner's paradise. If you’re looking to try something new or head back to the ocean to spend some time by the water, Gokarna has so much to offer to keep your trip exciting and eventful. The Arabian Sea is home to our lovely aquatic world and if you’re curious at all about what that is, scuba diving in Gokarna is for you. This is a great place to kickstart your journey with watersports because, besides scuba diving in Gokarna, there’s also surfing, kayaking, parasailing, and much more in store for you.   

The two most popular places to go scuba diving in Gokarna would be Netrani off the coast from Murudeshwar and Kapu beach near Udupi. Netrani, with its clear waters and consistent water temperatures is the best spot to engage in this sport. These two spots don’t just have scuba diving options – they also have many other watersports for you to engage in and help you experience all this thrill and excitement at nominal, reasonable prices. The trainers here are also very considerate of the fact that scuba diving cannot be learned overnight and that there are a lot of aspects that need to be kept in mind before heading in for a dive but are present at the location to ensure that they guide you towards a safe experience and let you enjoy one of the best moments. Goa also has scuba diving options but is not as good as the other two.

So, cruise down to this lovely coastal town and enjoy all that the beaches here have to offer.  

Marine life in the Andamans is a sight to behold. Surrounded by some of the largest and bluest water bodies, the extent of aquatic life here are not to just be experienced and marvelled at but also safeguarded through responsible decisions made as travellers. The locals and the instructors here have worked tirelessly to leave everyone with a safe and life-changing experience underwater. All the scuba diving guides are PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) or SSI (Scuba Schools International) certified.  

Scuba Diving in the Andamans is ritual act – it must be performed if you’ve stepped foot here and is the best way to witness the marine life in all their glory. Scuba Diving is the closest we will come to flying and having to deal with a negligible amount of gravity makes this an adrenaline filled experience. Be certain that each time you dip under the surface, you will learn something new and life on the land will never look the same. The most popular sighting are the corals. There have been 500 species of corals recorded here till date. Most corals live below the depth of 5 meters so there is a good chance you will not encounter them all in your first few dives but with a little guidance and practice, here's some of the aquatic family you will encounter - snails, clams, sponges, anemones, crabs, worms, starfish, shrimps, lobsters, sea cucumbers, sea lilies, surgeonfish, damselfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, clownfish, sharks, turtles, dolphins, green algae, brown algae, red algae and sea grasses.  

Scuba Diving in Andaman is a great place to begin your encounter with the seas and the life it holds. There are safe and equally thrilling options for those of you who are not frequent swimmers or comfortable with water. Dive right in and have yourself a moment that will stay in your memory archives forever!