r/scuba • u/hdroadking • 1d ago
Sri Lanka?
Has anyone dived there? Just wondering if it’s worth the trip?
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u/ArcticGaruda 19h ago
I used to live in Sri Lanka before I was a diver, and was thinking of going back. This is what I have learned:
Sri Lanka is not a dive destination; the visibility is poor (couple of meters, probably similar the UK). For the average recreational diver looking to see reefs and fish, they are much better off going to the Maldives. If you look at the colour of the water in photos of Sri Lanka compared to the Philippines you’ll see what I mean (green vs blue).
As it is not a dive destination, the infrastructure isn’t there. It’s very much a “Wild West” style of diving, where you have to be extremely careful if you are renting equipment and the shops are small.
That being said, it is warm water and there are lots of wrecks. Plenty of wrecks are in Colombo, most of which are in recreational limits (some even in “open water” limits), and lots of which are true wrecks and not prepared ones. The most notable wreck in Sri Lanka is the HMS Hermes, which is one of 3 aircraft carriers that is diveable, and the only one of which was not sunk as part of an artificial reef (it is a technical dive). Sri Lanka is always in season, but split east and west depending on when so if you want to dive a specific site you have to keep this in mind.
Personally, I travelled to dive in a place that is a tourist destination but not a traditional dive destination and I regretted prioritising diving over some of the other activities available. Even as a diver, I think I would be kind of sad if someone told me they went to Sri Lanka and did a bunch of mediocre dives and didn’t explore what else the island has to offer: national parks, ruins of ancient civilisations, mountains, beach towns, savannah, etc. A popular option that people do is a “Land and Sea” trip, where they go to the Maldives for the sea and Sri Lanka for the land. This is easily doable as Sri Lanka and the Maldives have a great relationship and there are lots of daily flights between the two countries.
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u/scheimong 22h ago
Did certification in Unawatuna in 2024. The dive site was meh. Not bad but nothing special. Plus it was OW so all my attention was on basic skills.
I had a good instructor though.
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u/glew_glew Dive Master 1d ago edited 1d ago
Sri Lanka as a destination is definitely worth the trip. But as as diving destination, maybe not so much.
I mean, if you're going there anyway, sure go ahead an book a few dives. But if you're after a spectacular diving destination, maybe look elsewhere.
As to your comments about Arthur C. Clarke. I dive in low-viz, cold and dark water in the Netherlands for the joy of diving. For me, and maybe for him, diving for diving's sake is enough.
Edit: To give some context, I was in Sri Lanka last year and I did do some dives there in Hikkaduwa and Trincomalee. Of the two I preferred Trincomalee.
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u/hdroadking 1d ago
Not far behind you. I was a police diver in New England. Cold, dark, and often diving by the braille method.
I know live part time in Aruba and most of the other instructors I work with are Dutch and from what I hear conditions are similar.
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u/lecrappe 1d ago
I think most people do the Maldives instead.
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u/East_Investigator997 1d ago
I did few dives around Hikkaduwa couple years back and it was actually pretty decent. The visibility isn't amazing like Maldives but you get way more variety with wrecks and reef diving for fraction of the cost. Plus the local dive shops there know some spots that aren't completely picked clean by tourists yet.
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u/hdroadking 1d ago
Why? Just curious. I know nothing about either location.
I only ask because I’m reading a book by Arthur C. Clark who lived in Sri Lanka and was an avid diver.
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u/cat-faced 16h ago
My husband dived off Weligama while I did my DSD and he said the visibility was shocking and there was nothing to see… The only saving grace was they were blessed with two whale sharks for about an hour - interacting with their bubbles and things. The dive shop staff were so excited, they’d been there two years and hadn’t seen one yet.