In the recreational scuba diving industry, the live-aboard services offer its guests to stay on board the entire duration of the trip, getting plenty of time to travel to more distant dive sites and experience the diversity of sites and the marine life and the full range of underwater delights.
With first class diving combined with the comfort of on board accommodation in a relaxing atmosphere of sun and sea, the appeal of live-aboard holidays are undeniable.
Waking up at an undisturbed dive sites makes early morning dives a must. With 3 to 4 dives a day, live-aboards can get further away and reach spots that few divers get to visit. Apart from cabins there are facilities such as a restaurant, a bar and other saloon areas inside, plus plenty of room on deck for relaxing and watching the world go by.
There are a lot of other activities as well such as island hopping, swimming, surfing and snorkeling, and every evening can be spent moored off a different island thus meeting the locals of small Maldivian settlements or enjoying a fresh seafood barbecue on a pristine uninhabited beach.
The eco friendly diving live aboard holidays we offer combine the beauty of the Maldives with your passion for diving. The crew familiar with the local waters will navigate you through the beautiful reefs and channels of the Maldives. Awake to the sun rising over the azure ocean, dive the many dive sites that are famous throughout the world for their stunning beauty and abundance of marine life and by night relax on deck gazing at the millions of stars above you.
Usually live aboard itineraries are for 7 nights, cruising Sunday to Sunday in most cases. However, there are also 10 night and 14 night itineraries by some providers allowing you more time to travel and explore an extensive area.
7 night cruises will generally cover Malé Atoll and Ari Atoll, with routes decided by the Dive Guides dependent on the weather and the current, whilst still ensuring you dive the best sites. Longer cruises will head to atolls further North and further South and dive sites that are dived less frequently. Diving with your team on board provides great opportunities to encounter reef sharks, grey sharks, turtles, eagle rays and when the season is right whale sharks and mantas. There could be dive time limits in order to manage the daily program of diving and cruising.
Live-aboards are committed to sustainable operations, including advanced low-consumption machinery and solar. Attached to each cabin is a bathroom with warm and cold shower. Some cabins have double beds, and some have two separate and single beds. There are reasonable food and beverage options including alcoholic drinks served at an on board bar. A Captain, few service staff and 2-3 Diving Guides are usually on board.
Since the Maldivian diving regulations demand an advanced certificate level for unrestricted dives, PADI Advanced Level or equivalent is required. Usually a minimum of 30 dives to take part in the full diving operations. Maldives has a general depth limit of 30 meters, with no decompression dives allowed.
The clients are expected to be fully equipped on their personal equipment. However, a limited number of rental equipment could be available and should be requested at time of booking. Please check on the availability of Nitrox.
Depth limit required by law is 30 meters. The divers are expected to have buoyancy skills in order to protect the coral. Nothing dead or alive must be removed from the sea.
The crew knows their wildlife and is committed to the conservation of it and will encourage guests to follow their lead. The Maldives is based on an underwater mountain range, rising from the depths of the Indian Ocean. This mountain range acts as a base for the coral reefs surrounding each island of the Maldives. Coral reefs of about 70 different underwater species and in almost every colour decorate the waters surrounding these islands and in order for the Maldives to survive. We ensure both the PADI dive centers we partner with and the guests whom we take diving and snorkeling are aware of the tips to follow to protect the environment.
We free the land, sea and waterways from rubbish and pollution. The Maldives is a fragile environment. It is more fragile and more in danger than most other places on earth. The country’s existence relies on healthy coral reefs and a moderation of the sea level rise. The Maldives struggles to eliminate all the rubbish produced by over 1 million tourists per year and whilst educating locals in waste management is all part of a large project, as visitors to their home we encourage our guests to support by taking back the empty containers of shampoo, bath foam, conditioner, cream and photograph film and reuse plastic bags at shops.
Your live-aboard choices are made easy with our range of live-aboard dive safaris with prices to suit all budgets - from budget diver’s ultimate value choices to 5 star luxury diving cruises. We offer the best live-aboards in the region in terms of value for money, comfort and quality of service.
Benefit from the in-depth knowledge and impartial advice of our responsive Diving Safari Consultants. Contact us to get instant, expert answers to all your questions that will help you make the right choices and to know what you need to know before you take the plunge.
We are a Limited Liability Company incorporated in Maldives, a Government of Maldives approved tourism enterprise and a licensed Travel Agency, providing unparalleled customized solutions for all Maldives inbound travel requirements.
