The Andaman Islands are one of the best dive destinations in India to learn scuba diving. The Islands offer colourful reef fish species, unique marine dwellers, vibrant coral reefs, and beginner-friendly to advanced-level dive sites, making it a dream destination to earn your Open Water diver certification. Check the step-by-step process of completing the open water diver course in the Andaman.
The open water diver program is the beginner-level certification course to start your scuba diving Journey. The program offers 4 open water dives along with 20 confined water skills and certifies you to dive independently with a dive buddy up to 18 meters (60 meters).
Choose a certified dive school affiliated with certifying dive agencies, either with SSI (Scuba Schools International) or PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), to complete your certification.
Eligibility for the program
Minimum Age: Participants must be at least 12 years of age to join the course in Andaman.
Swimming skills: Basic swimming skills are required for the program. (Mandatory- 200 meters of swimming and 10 minutes float test in open sea)
Medical fitness: Participants must be physically and mentally fit enough to enrol on the program. A medical fitness certificate will be required for a specific medical condition.
Comfort in water: Participants must be comfortable in salt water; prior scuba diving experience is not needed.
1. Registration and Orientation
The first step is to find a certified dive school in the Andaman Islands, such as Seahawks Scuba, Dive India, Barefoot, or Scubalov. Then, enroll in the open water program via SSI or PADI apps and get course material for the online theory sessions.
2. Knowledge development
The online course material helps participants to learn about equipment usage, dive planning & safety, underwater pressure, dive challenges, navigation & buoyancy control, diving physics, etc. It is recommended to complete your theory lessons before reaching Andaman.
3. Confined water skills with actual dives (Day 1 & 2)
On days 1 and 2, students learn confined water skills in a shallow water environment or pool and conduct one consecutive dive on both days to test their learned skills.
Confined water requires intense practice to develop these skills, such as:
Breathing through the regulator
Half-full flooded diving mask
Equipment removal & replacement
Underwater mask clearing
Emergency procedures
Navigation and Buoyancy control, etc.
4. Open water dives (Day 3 & 4)
The rest 2 dives out of 4 are conducted in deeper dive sites such as The Wall, Slope, Turtle Beach, and Juvis based on weather conditions. Each of these dives includes skill assessment and underwater exploration in real ocean conditions, and allows you to reach the certifying 18 meters depth.
The course fees for the open water diver program in Andaman vary between INR 25000 to INR 30000 per person based on dive center, dive inclusions, and the certifying agency.
Course Inclusions:
Complete scuba dive gear rental
Instructor and certification fees
Online study material
Boat charges & dive refreshments
Complimentary pick up and drop off (5 kms)
Underwater photography (Last 2 dives)
Exclusions:
Meals & Accommodation
Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)
Havelock Island fulfills all the parameters with perfect dive conditions to learn open water certification in the Andaman. It is the most prominent Island for tourism in the Andaman. Havelock Island is the best location to fulfill the needs of all scuba diving enthusiasts. Havelock Island offers great dive spots, ideal for beginners to advanced or deep divers. The transparent blue waters, vibrant coral reefs & creeks, along with dense and diverse marine life, make it an underwater heaven for ocean explorers.
October to May is a good time to explore underwater expeditions in the Andaman Islands, but based on several years of travel patterns, most scuba students prefer the months of February to April to complete their certification in the Andaman Islands. This is because February to April have less crowd compared to the peak months (November to January), consequently offering lower accommodation prices and more attractive dive course offers.
June to September are monsoon months of the Andaman with rough seas and bad weather, and good to skip for scuba dive certification.
Important tips for the open water certification in the Andaman
1. It is recommended to complete the theory part or online study material beforehand to save time and explore popular sightseeing in the Andaman.
2. Choose a certified dive center with good reviews. Check that scuba equipment is in good condition, ensure safety, first-aid, and emergency protocols, and learn with an experienced and skilled dive Instructor.
3. Bring rashguards, a towel, and sunscreen
4. Avoid alcohol or any kind of intoxication during the certification course.
5. Book your slot in advance, especially in peak season.