Discover the depths of India’s waters: The unknown diving community

Whether you care for the waters or not, when you hear the word diving, your mind surely conjures up a riot of colours— the turquoise hue of the ocean, the creamy-white hue of sea shells and peculiar rocks, the glistening yellow of the sand, the kaleidoscopic corals, and the fascinating marine life that thrives under the water. It is easier still to name the places that would offer such an euphoric experience: Maldives, Bali, The Great Barrier Reef perhaps. And yet, have we ever considered our country’s topography for a complete water fix? India may be known for a plethora of things, but one of the lesser-known ones is of it being a great diving location.

Whatever sort of diving you crave, India will never disappoint you. With 8,000 kilometres of coastline, incredible diving experiences awaits you here, amidst plentiful wildlife and eccentric underwater creations.

The smallest and richest state on India’s majestic west coast, with a direct link to the Arabian Sea, diving in Goa offers lush coral formations, pinnacles, and a variety of fiction-worthy shipwrecks. Pondicherry, in India’s eastern coast, has a string of untouched reeks and wrecks. The country also offers a variety of diving experiences from its renowned islands, both in the Andaman and Arabian Seas. An example is Lakshadweep, a remote archipelago off India's South-eastern coast replete with colourful reefs, flora, and fauna including many big fish. That the list does not exhaust here is a testament to the fact that it is not only our southern territory that has a thriving diving community but also the North, such as Dwarka in Gujarat—the 9,000-year-old dwelling place of Lord Krishna, a historic landmark— and Tarkarli in Maharashtra—known for white sands and clear waters.

Of course, it is imperative to know the art before indulging in it, and to make it easier for you to cross-off diving from your bucket lists, Bazaar India brings to you a list of the 3 most renowned diving institutions in India:

Planet Scuba India (and other PADI Dive Centres)

Bangalore’s first PADI Dive Centre, Planet Scuba India was the first to bring the diving community to India. For more than a decade now, Planet Scuba India has offered diving courses and experiences, designed and provided by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the world leader in recreational diving for over 50 years.

Apart from Planet Scuba, many PADI institutes operate across India in places like Goa, Netrani, Bangalore, Pune, Pondicherry, Delhi, Andaman Islands, and Lakshadweep Islands, which offer such diving courses—completion-certificates of which are recognized throughout the world. 

Seahawks SCUBA (and other SSI centres)

With a lovely beach side accomadation right in the heart of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Seahawks SCUBA offers a varied assortment of Scuba Schools International (SSI) courses, from being an amateur to transforming into a professional diver.

For more than 45 years, SSI has provided training, scuba diving certifications, educational resources for divers and SSI professionals, along with training centres and resorts across the world, including India. These certifications are valid throughout the world.

DIVEIndia

DIVEIndia is India’s biggest dive centre, with operations in the Andamans—where they are the pioneers and the oldest dive centre having discovered virtually all the top dive sites of Havelock and Neil—as well as training centers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore.

Lead Image: @scubadivingmag / Instagram