Diving in Sri Lanka

Dive with mysterious WW2 shipwrecks and gorgeous coral

All Diving in Sri Lanka

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I went diving one day with the Submarine team, and i didn´t expect to get such a good support ! Thanks for all that smiles. it was my first time diving, and every step to get in the water felt sooo natural with the smile of the team. The instructors are very well prepared, professional and they love what they do. Going under water may be frightening for some, or just exciting, and submarine team makes the best for every body, respecting timing and just letting you get into the amazing world underwater. I cann´t feel more safe that holding their hands there. This experience make me seriously think about doing the basis courses for diving. GREAT EXPERIENCE

caminodelacueva, Germany

I initially contacted these guys a few months prior to coming to Sri Lanka to ask about dive conditions in October, as it’s the start of the dive season and weather can be a problem. When I arrived a week or so ago, I made contact again to get an update on weather and visibility. Unfortunately our time in Unawatuna was very poor visibility so we couldn’t dive, however, the guys here were totally honest with us and were sending me updates after each dive they did. This is the reason you need to dive with them!! We asked along the coast with another dive shop and they lied to us saying there was 15-20m visibility, and although Sun didn’t get any money from us in the end, we are so grateful that they didn’t try to lie just to get us to come and dive. We will 100% recommend this place to our friends and hopefully come back one day and have fun dives together!

astrella10, Australia

we did diving with sun diving centre. our dive master was SALIN. the best guy i met in sri lanka. i have been diving once in red sea. but it was very short lession. but salin gave us all details and real lession. every instructions what do i need to follow and how will i feel underwater. training time i had to take much more time and mask clean was very hard to me. but salin was very patience and helping to me do. and he always telling to me don't think about others take your time. finally i done mask clean and we went to the dive site. first i got panic because i am not good swimmer. and waves was high because it was law session. but with salin it was very easy. he made me so comfortable under water finally i done dive 40 minuets. he always take care of me even i want to stop my dive.he knew all the time what he doing. thank you salin you are the the best. see you soon. i would definitely recommend this place for diving even non swimmers. love you SALIN & Sun Diving Centre.

jaanu857, India

I was diving with guys in December 2018 and first of all I want to apologize it took me so long to write this review. This is only because I wanted this review to be really good =) First of all, extremely helpful, extremely friendly staff. It was so friendly, that my usual nervousness has faded away and all I did was enjoy the dives and absorb new information. Cause I decide to take AOWD during my stay and I’m 100% positive it was right decision. The surrounding areas have everything you might need: wrecks for deep diving and wreck diving, good spots for underwater navigation training, safe night dive spots and once again - super helpful staff and instructors. I also appreciate SUBMARINE’s fair and reasonable price. Special thanks to Wisni for his support, patience, careful explanations and always friendly smile =) Also my biggest thanks to Shirley and whole team!!

_U4717PX

So I lost my wallet with all my belongings while travelling via public transport. Somehow, the lady who found my wallet managed to contact Sri Lanka Diving Tours as it also had my PADI license in it and Feli, Saasha (my dive master) along with the team and they were nice enough to trace me back. Thanks to the human side that your team had, I now have my wallet with the belongings. You guys were next level with the Open Water Dive Course as well as some of the dives that I followed it up with. But beyond that, its amazing to know that you guys have that beautiful human touch to you. Thank you so much Guys! Keep rocking..

N_N07, Sri Lanka

We enjoyed the excellent service this dive crew does. Felician did a great job emailing me before the trip and when we got there we felt like we already knew them. He is very educated in diving activities, knows all the reefs, can answer any question about any gear or mix. One of my own gear hoses had an issue and he immediately fixed my regulator by putting one of his pressure gauges on for me. The captain Raj was so helpful on the boat with putting on our gear and setting up tanks. They use a GPS to always know where to go. Felician took us to a unique dive site where a ship is sunk that has 8 vehicles attached to it. They are bullet proof cars from ex presidents of Sri Lanka. SO many fish on that wreck. Thisara is one of the divemasters. We were diving with him, and we saw a fish caught on a hook that was attached to the reef, he immediately got the hook out of the fish and let it swim away. Dinuka the other divemaster helped us with carrying our gear back to the hotel, both are excellent divemasters and they showed us hundreds of nudibranchs , so many eels, and puffer fish, cuttlefish everywhere. And when you get back from diving, their cook makes some really good coffee and you can order lunch the way you like it. I have dove all over the world. I think this shop was the friendliest crew I have ever encountered. They set up our gear, they took it apart, they carry it to the boat and out of the boat, they washed it, hung it up and stored our gear over night. On the last night we were there, we went back to have a visit with the crew and ordered some dinner. Of all the places I have traveled, I think the people of Sri Lanka are the most friendly, kindest and considerate and appreciative people I have ever met. We were very sad to leave and I hope to go back someday. Thank you Felician, and to your wife, and the dive crew, Thisara, Raj, and Dinuka and to the friendly cook, you guys all made our dive vacation GREAT!!!! Kandis from Colorado, America

Kandis R

I have completed two courses (Advanced Open Water and Enriched Air) and six dives with Felician at the Sri lanka diving tours Negombo location and greatly enjoyed the experience. Felician's remarkably deep experience combine with his relaxed demeanor to be an excellent instructor, and the theory learned in the manuals and videos was underscored well during our practice dives. The visibility is lower than Cancun, but the abundant marine life and chance to dive a very interesting wreck made for excellent dives.

kwilsonwww, Colorado

I had an amazing time in Unawatuna and all the people made my time unforgettable. I have been to some places and the staff here was the nicest ever! Super caring, welcoming, warm-hearted, felt included right from the first moment. I did 2 courses and some adventure dives, great value for money. I talked with Shan (owner) about some concerns, he was helpful and seemed willing to and open for changes. E.g. when I arrived I was told that for both my specialty courses I won’t have that instructor we agreed on (Shan) but another guy, it turned out after some days that he’s a divemaster, dunno if that’s OK. I would also consider it useful if there was any stock of some PADI coursebooks so we can start studying instantly not waiting for them to arrive. Everybody was smoking everywhere, I disliked that, but we talked about that, maybe a non-smoking area around the dive shop would be nice (or a ban on smoking on dive-boats). Visibility wasn’t the best but it was compensated with the school of 10-15 dolphins, the massive turtles at night and that whale shark we almost saw (boat-crew saw it, we tried to approach, it disappeared but on that dive we saw the dolphins, some turtles). There were also rays but somehow I never see them only my dive-buddies. So there is plenty to see, imagine there was a visibility of 20-25 meters! I’m glad to have had this experience in Unawatuna, repeating, the people and employees were great.

jassai, Hungary

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Helpful Questions

What are the best diving sites in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka has many top diving sites along its coast, including Pigeon Island, Trincomalee, Hikkaduwa, Mirissa, and the Great Basses Reef. These diving spots offer a diverse range of marine life, including colorful coral reefs, shipwrecks, and a chance to see blue whales and dolphins.

When is the best time to go diving in Sri Lanka?

The best time to go diving in Sri Lanka is from December to April when the water is calm and clear, and visibility is excellent. During this time, you can enjoy better visibility for up to 30 meters, which is perfect for exploring the magnificent marine life around the island.

What are some common marine life in Sri Lanka’s diving spots?

Sri Lanka is home to a vast range of marine life in its diving spots. If you go diving in these areas, you can spot reef sharks, different species of sea turtles, rays, large schools of colorful fish, barracudas, moray eels, and many other fascinating marine creatures.

What are the requirements to go diving in Sri Lanka?

To go diving in Sri Lanka, you will need to have a PADI or SSI certification, as well as an insurance policy that covers diving. To rent equipment, you will need to provide proof of certifications and do a short test dive with the rented gear before heading out to the diving sites.

Can beginners go diving in Sri Lanka?

Yes, beginners can go diving in Sri Lanka! However, if you are a beginner, you should start with easy dive sites and have an experienced diving instructor to guide you. There are many diving centers in Sri Lanka, which offer certified instructors and courses from beginner’s level to advanced diving qualifications.

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Diving in Sri Lanka

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