Watersports in Chennai

Have you ever wanted to take control over your own watercraft and sail your way down to a new adventure? Chennai is a beautiful city but after days of walking down roads in the sweltering heat or navigating through throngs of tourists, your heart begins to long for the simplistic beauty of the outdoors, adorned with cooling greenery and water bodies perfect for you to dip your toes into its refreshing depths. Kayaking in Chennai offers you the chance to paddle on serene bays, gently flowing rivers or on placid lakes as softly coloured birds take flight above your head. 

Kayaking in Chennai is fairly new with only one or two spots for you to enjoy kayaking. But this shouldn’t stop you from taking up this adrenaline pumping water sport that will give you a different perspective of Chennai from atop its grayish-blue glistening water. New to kayaking? Kayaking in Chennai is taught by experienced instructors and guides that will make sure you glide across the waters with confidence and all safety measures in place. If you’d love to take up a course in kayaking or try your hand at a different yet exciting water sport, you can check out the Bay of Life Surf School and Ocean Literacy or other surfing/kayaking schools near Chennai and take up a beginners or pro course! 

Steer yourself into a world of fun with kayaking in Chennai.

You might be familiar with scuba diving but have you ever heard of snorkeling? For those of us that aren’t too comfortable with diving into the mysterious depths of the ocean, snorkeling is a great segue into the exhilarating world of water sports. For snorkeling, you wear a mask and a breathing tube called a snorkel to take in the beautiful aquatic world that lies below the surface of the gentle waves of the ocean. The key difference is how deep you go into the water; snorkelers can catch panoramic vistas of marine life while floating close to the surface while scuba divers immerse themselves deep into the ocean as they explore coral reefs and sea wildlife. 

Although Chennai is surrounded by the frothy curls of the Bay of Bengal, snorkeling in Chennai hasn’t taken off due to strong currents and low visibility. There’s also significant fishing activities that happen near the ‘Detroit of India’, and while snorkeling in Chennai, this can muddy up the water, making your vision cloudy. 

But when you’re a watersports enthusiast, you should know that where there is a will, there is a way and if you’re in this cultural hub, you can still put snorkeling in Chennai on your to-do list. Pondicherry is 163 kms away from Chennai by road and is a beautiful spot for you to snorkel, giving you a chance to catch a glimpse of lionfish, manta rays, red snapper and so much more! If you’re ready to board a flight for a vacation on a beautiful island, catch one to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which is also located in the Bay of Bengal and provides a fantastic snorkeling and scuba diving experience. 

Browse through our pages on Pondicherry and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and discover the different dive sites that are well worth a visit! 

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.