Scuba Diving in the Maldives on a Budget – Reef Oceanic Adventures

A few years ago I would have never thought I would be doing my advanced open water scuba diving course in the Maldives of all places. Maldives has long been infamous for its exorbitant prices and high-end luxury which made me stay away from it for the longest time. It wasn’t until I met a dive instructor working in Havelock that changed my mind about the scuba diving cost in Maldives. Dev is a seasoned dive professional who has worked in Thailand and in India and now in the Maldives – who convinced me that scuba diving in the Maldives on a budget is, in fact, possible.

After quitting his job as a scuba instructor in the Andaman Islands, Dev co-founded a dive travel company called Reef Oceanic Adventures. While the company headquarters are located in Mumbai, Reef Oceanic Adventures offer Maldives scuba diving packages. These packages make for the best way to go scuba diving in Maldives on a budget. They are also soon planning to start operations in Indonesia and Thailand. They have a knack for choosing the best local islands for scuba diving in Maldives and making scuba diving in Maldives on a budget a very reachable reality.

🏝️Visiting Maldives? Here are a few quick links at a glance:
✈️Book Flights: Skyscanner for cheapest deals
🚤Book Transfers: 12goAsia
🛌Book Hotels: Booking and Expedia for best deals
🤳Book Tours: GetYourGuide, and Viator
🩺Global Travel Insurance: SafetyWing
🧴Sunscreen: Thank You Farmer (Reef Safe), Foxtale (SPF 70)

Scuba Diving in the Maldives on a Budget – the Journey to My Advanced Open Water Course

If you have been a part of my Instagram journey before, you know how much trouble I had doing my open water course in Havelock. I went in with a lot of confidence because I am naturally very comfortable in the water. But somehow it was such a challenge for me that I gave up the thought of ever pursuing scuba diving entirely. (The present Avantika laughs at this possibility, but Avantika circa January 2022 was very serious about this).

It was during the very last moments of our time in Havelock, right when Dev and I were leaving the island when he told me one day over lunch, “I have something exciting planned for scuba diving in the Maldives and I want you on board. We will talk more once I have everything set in place”. I didn’t say much but because I had been so knocked off by my open water course, I was hoping this was something someone just says in the spur of the moment and forgets about it soon after. But to my horror, Dev didn’t forget. He followed up with me a month or two later.

I was simply asked to put my trust in him. Dev told me, “allow yourself another chance. Just one more.” I had grown to become great friends with Dev over our months in Havelock. We had almost all our meals together and he loved identifying creatures I saw in the ocean while snorkelling. So when I was asked to come on one of the Maldives scuba diving packages with Reef Oceanic Adventures, I decided I’d do it. I trusted Dev and his skills and went in with absolutely zero expectations this time.

Reef Oceanic Adventures – Best Scuba Diving in Maldives

There was one small problem. I have always advocated for budget travel and I was worried that the Reef Oceanic Adventures Maldives scuba diving packages would be too expensive for me to advocate to my audience. But when Dev showed me the breakdown of their Maldives scuba diving rates, I was floored. Reef Oceanic Adventures have everything covered on their Maldives scuba diving packages – airport transfers in speedboats or domestic flights (based on what is applicable to the destination), accommodation with breakfast, fun dives or scuba diving certification, equipment rental, boat hire and more. This is the true one-stop shop for all your scuba diving in the Maldives on a budget requirements.

What’s even better is that Reef Oceanic Adventures only collaborate with the best local islands for scuba diving in Maldives on a budget and local-run dive shops, making sure your money is going into the right hands, for the people who actually need it. This is a great of supporting responsible and sustainable tourism – contributing to the local economy while travelling.

The team over at Reef Oceanic Adventures is a bunch of true ocean enthusiasts who have spent enough time working as dive professionals to know the absolute in and outs of the industry. That is also a big reason why they are able to bring scuba diving in the Maldives on a budget. Your scuba diving cost in the Maldives cuts down considerably when booking a Maldives scuba diving package with Reef Oceanic Adventures because of their trust factor with the locals on the islands of Maldives.

Scuba Diving in the Maldives on a Budget – Where to Go

When I went diving with Dev and the team at Reef Oceanic Adventures, I went to an obscure little island called Ukulhas in the North Ari Atoll of Maldives. As offbeat as this island is, it is known for its prime dive sites. Even its house reef is so plentiful – there are chances of sighting stingrays and nurse sharks so close to the island that it’s incredible! Who would’ve imagined you could go scuba diving in Maldives on a budget and still have an incredible time, yeah!?

So far I have travelled with Reef Oceanic Adventures for their unbeatable Maldives scuba diving cost twice – once for the Maldives scuba diving course (my advanced open water course) and once for fun dives. both times I have been to Ukulhas and have been awestruck. I have seen black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks and nurse sharks in such large numbers that I lost count. I saw stingrays flying past me, I had a very close tet-a-tet with a leopard shark and so much more. I also went drift diving at Gangehi Channel and wreck diving at Halaveli Wreck – two of best scuba diving sites in Maldives – all of which Reef Oceanic Adventures lovingly organized for me.

Another trip that Reef Oceanic Adventures has planned is to the incredible island of Fuvamulah. It’s in the very south end of the Maldives and located right by the equator. This local island is known for its astounding pelagic life. There are high chances for you to see hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, mola mola, thresher sharks, tiger sharks and a lot more. This is scuba diving in the Maldives on a budget trip I very dearly wish to join myself – and you should too! This is for sure the best scuba diving in Maldives you will find. Ever.

Reef Oceanic Adventures definitely know the absolute best islands in Maldives for scuba diving. Their recce of best diving sites in Maldives is also very well done, which makes it easy for me to rely on – and spread the word for – Reef Oceanic Adventures. If you’d like to know more about scuba diving in Maldives, check out this Maldives Map and Dive Guide.

Best Time for Scuba Diving in the Maldives

The scuba diving Maldives season depends on which part of the country you are planning to go to. Scuba diving in Maldives runs year round. Their rainy season goes on from July to September but even during that time, you can go scuba diving. I did my Advance Open Water course with Reef Oceanic Adventures in August in peak monsoons and had an incredible time nonetheless.

The best time to be able to see manta rays and whale sharks is from June to November. And from December to April is when the waters are the calmest without any winds, making ideal conditions for scuba diving in Maldives. Your best bet would be to cross-check your requirements and figure out the best time for scuba diving in Maldives with Reef Oceanic Adventures.

Price of Scuba Diving in Maldives

As I’ve mentioned about a gazillion times before, your best bet at scuba diving in Maldives on a budget is with Reef Oceanic Adventures. They have the best possible scuba diving packages in Maldives.

I’ll tell you why. The scuba diving cost in Maldives in most places is a minimum of 80 to 100 USD per dive. On top of that, equipment rental is extra for each piece of equipment you need – wet suit, BCD, dive computer, fins, mask and so on. Including everything, that would bring your Maldives scuba diving cost to an average of 150 USD per dive. Assuming you do at least 4 dives during your trip, that’s 600 USD gone just on scuba diving! To that, add your accommodation in Maldives (average of 100 USD per night); meals (average of 35 USD per day) and airport transfers (50 to 100 USD round trip depending on the location). If you add all that up, it goes waaaay overboard and your scuba diving in Maldives on a budget dreams are ready to be shattered.

But if you book your scuba diving in Maldives on a budget holiday with a company like Reef Oceanic Adventures, you can expect to spend anywhere between 600 USD (for 3 days) to 1600 USD (for 10 days). These costs include everything I mentioned above: airport transfers, stay throughout the scuba diving in Maldives package, breakfast, equipment rental, boat hire, scuba diving charges etc. Compared to booking everything separately on your own, it comes down a lot cheaper. This is the cost of scuba diving in Maldives if you go with Reef Oceanic Adventures – your true partners for scuba diving in Maldives on a budget!

However, the actual and final cost will depend on a bunch of factors. This includes the best local island in Maldives for scuba diving where you decide to go. Another factor is how many days you want to go on a dive trip for. And also whether you are doing a fun dive package or doing a scuba diving certification. Depending on these factors, the scuba diving in Maldives cost varies.

Scuba Diving in the Maldives on a Budget – FAQs

Is scuba diving in Maldives safe?

Scuba diving in Maldives is one hundred per cent safe. Most dive centres there are PADI dive centres with trained dive professionals who have been in the industry for a very long time. The best way to make sure you have a safe diving experience in Maldives is to book through Reef Oceanic Adventures as they have a team of trusted local islands, dive centres, dive instructors and dive sites where they operate frequently.

What is the best time to go scuba diving in Maldives?

The best time for scuba diving in Maldives is year-round. January to May is when the winds are calm and the waters are not choppy. But in the rainy season is when you get to see some of the most interesting sea creatures while underwater diving in Maldives – even though the water and winds are choppy. So choose accordingly and choose wisely.

How much does scuba diving cost in Maldives?

Depending on where you go, when you go and for how long you go, scuba diving costs in Maldives can very. But on average, the general scuba diving in Maldives cost would be 600 USD (3 days) to 1000 USD (6 days).

What is better: snorkelling vs scuba diving in Maldives?

Scuba diving in Maldives is definitely better than snorkelling in Maldives. Scuba diving allows you to have a much more up close and personal interaction with underwater life. But in case you are uncomfortable being underwater and not too fond of the idea of scuba diving in Maldives, maybe you can try out snorkelling instead. If you contact Reef Oceanic Adventures with your specific needs and interests, they will whip out a custom itinerary for you!

Do I need to know how to swim for scuba diving in Maldives?

To do a scuba diving course, it is important to know how to swim. But you can choose to a discover scuba dive which is for absolute beginners who don’t know how to swim. The only requirement is that you’re comfortable in the water and not splashing around, holding onto dear life.

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