What are the diving conditions like?

The weather in the Maldives is tropically pleasant with a year-round sea breeze. Air temperatures range from lows around 78° F (26C) to highs in the upper 80s to low 90s (30-34C). There are two distinct but mild monsoon seasons in this equatorial country and each is named after the prevailing wind direction during that time of year. The northeast monsoon runs from December to April and brings relatively consistent, fair weather, but also often brings significant currents. The southeast monsoon from May through October brings a bit more wind and occasional rain (usually short-lived), but generally not as much current.

The vessel’s itineraries are designed to take advantage of the changing conditions and to provide guests the best diving for the different seasons. The visibility is usually at its peak in December and January — sometimes well over 100 feet (30 meters)! Mantas can be seen throughout the year with the best feeding-station encounters typically during the May to November timeframe. Whale sharks are also seen most every month of the year, with the highest concentration seen in the monsoon transition months of April, May, October and November. Water temperatures remain a toasty 80-85º F (27-29C) throughout the year. Most divers are comfortable with at most a 3mm wetsuit.

You don’t need a minimum number of dives for the “Best of Maldives” and “Northern Highlights” itineraries but you should be comfortable with drift diving, as currents can be unpredictable and strong. If you are an Open Water Diver, some dives are below 18m therefore we recommend having advanced experience or taking your PADI Advanced Open Water course prior to to the trip or directly on board, to maximize your enjoyment. Inexperienced and beginner divers may find some dives challenging and may be asked by the Cruise Director to skip dives that are not suitable for their diving experience. All diving is made from dhonis to give precise entry and exit points.

For “Deep South”, “Southern sharks” and “Sharkastic” itineraries, an Advanced Open Water certification is required and we strongly recommend a minimum of 100 logged dives.  

For more information, please check our Seasons & Itineraries page.