PADI 5 Star Dive Center, Kavaratti Island Menu

Scuba Diving in Lakshadweep

A hawksbill turtle resting on the coral reef while a scuba diver fins past above it, on a dive site off Kavaratti

Lak Scuba is a PADI 5 Star Dive Center on Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep. All of our diving is around Kavaratti.

Where we dive

We dive 21 sites around Kavaratti: coral walls, bommies and sand channels, most of them within twenty minutes of the jetty by boat. Visibility is usually 20 to 30 metres in season.

The lagoon is sheltered and shallow, so beginners learn inside it. Certified divers dive outside the reef, where the wall drops away fast.

When to come

We dive from October to May. December to February is the busiest time. From June to September, the monsoon months, we do not dive.

If you have never dived

Discover Scuba Diving is a half-day first try, from age 10. You do not need to be able to swim. You learn basic skills in shallow, sheltered water with a PADI Professional beside you the whole time. The full programme then adds one dive from the boat, to 12 metres at most. It is not a certification.

To get certified, take the PADI Open Water Diver course. It takes 3 days: theory, five confined water sessions and four open water dives. Afterwards you can dive to 18 metres with a buddy anywhere in the world. Divers aged 10 to 14 earn Junior Open Water, with limits for their age.

With only two days, take PADI Scuba Diver instead. You can then dive to 12 metres with a PADI Professional, and upgrade to Open Water on a later trip.

If you are already certified

Book fun dives and night dives by the dive, or take the Fun Dive Package: 8 to 20 dives with your stay, meals, entry permit fee, airport transfers and equipment, at one price per head. Bring your certification card and logbook.

Our dives are generally two in the day and one in the afternoon or at night, up to three a day.

The next course is PADI Advanced Open Water: five adventure dives including Deep and Underwater Navigation, to 30 metres. It is for Open Water divers aged 12 and over. After that come the PADI specialities, such as Night Diver, Deep Diver and Enriched Air.

“Lak Scuba offers over 20 stunning dive sites in Kavaratti, and every one of them is a treat for divers. My husband and I completed our Advanced Open Water Diver course here and were blown away by the professionalism and care of the team. The instructors were patient, and everything—from permits to airport transfers—was flawlessly arranged. Truly an unforgettable experience!”

Kanaga Loganathan, Google review

Getting to Kavaratti

  • Book at least 16 days before you arrive. That gives our team time to arrange your entry permit, which we apply for once your deposit is paid.
  • Every visitor who is not a native of the islands needs an entry permit, Indian nationals included. Foreign nationals are welcome on Kavaratti: bring your passport and an Indian tourist visa.
  • Fly to Agatti, the only airport in Lakshadweep. Flights run from Kochi, Bengaluru and Goa.
  • From Agatti you cross to Kavaratti by boat or helicopter. We help you book the crossing once your flight is fixed.
  • The ATR aircraft on these routes allow 15 kg of checked baggage per passenger. We have full rental kit on Kavaratti, so you can bring just your mask and computer.
  • Ships also sail from Kochi, but they sell out quickly, so we recommend flying.
  • Within 24 hours of landing, you show your permit and photo ID to the island Registration Officer. Our team takes you there on the day you land.

The Trip Planner has the permit fees and the rest of the travel details.

Before you fly home

Wait 12 hours after a single dive, and 18 to 24 hours after more than one dive or several days of diving, before you fly. We build the wait into every itinerary, so your last diving day is never your travel day.

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