MONSOON DIVING SPECIALS – JUNE 15 -AUGUST 31

We have always felt that June – August are absolutely magical months, as far as the Andamans go. While mainland India is sweltering in heat and humidity, it is pleasantly cool here (you may need a light blanket under a fan here at times), the rain makes everything look vibrant and fresh, and the mass-market tourist hordes are away.

Yes, you can go scuba diving at this time. Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, diving is not only possible at this time of the year, but conditions can be very good. Because a lot of fish spawn around this time of the year, there is a lot of bio-mass on the reefs: ie, lots of fish action. And while the weather may affect where we take experienced divers, our beginner sites are accessible all year long.

We have put together some very compelling packages in order to share the magic of the Andamans at this time – do check them out!

PACKAGES FOR BEGINNERS

If you are interested in learning to dive, this is a great time to visit. Conditions that are very similar to what you get in peak season, no crowds and a chance to experience the Andamans the way it was 10 years ago: slow-paced and sleepy.

PACKAGES FOR CERTIFIED DIVERS

It is true that the rainy season does limit our ability to visit the remote sites (although the trade-off is that if weather conditions are good, the diving is absolutely spectacular at this time, thanks to the fish spawning).

However, regardless of what the weather holds, this remains a great time for divers to come and get a bunch of (discounted) dives to get some more experience, improve their dive skills and complete some additional training as well. And of course, if the weather cooperates, you’ve just lucked out big-time as far as the diving goes.

FAQ: Andamans Weather in the Monsoons

The first thing to know is that the weather and monsoon patterns in the Andamans are different from that in the mainland. Usually, rainy season means daily tropical showers, mostly in the afternoon and typically lasting 15-30 min. Occasionally, it does rain very heavily but typically, that tends to be at night.

What this means – cool weather, pleasant breeze and ability to explore the islands. Vinnie has been here 13 years and doesn’t own an umbrella and rarely even bothers to wear a rain jacket.

The second thing to know is that rain doesn’t matter so much for diving – extended heavy rain occasionally results in run-off from the islands which impairs visibility, but this only affects the top few meters of the water. At depth, visibility is more dependent on tides, current, phase of moon and random variance – so it is possible to have great vis even during a storm (and sadly, low vis in perfect conditions).

What does matter is wind. And yes, there can be strong winds at this time. That means we may not be able to go to all our remote sites – ie, the sites where we take experienced divers. It does not affect our ability to visit our sites where we take beginners and newly-certified divers: those sites are sheltered from the wind and so accessible all year long. In the past 10 years, there have been only 2-3 days when we’ve had to cancel diving in this period.

So what does this mean? If you are a beginner or inexperienced divers, this is a great time to visit the islands: the weather is pleasantly cool, there are no crowds, the diving is comparable to what you get for the rest of the year and you get off-season discounts.

The Fine Print

Mostly common sense, with a few specific things applicable to monsoons:

• Weather predictions are not guaranteed (if they were, we’d be residing on Mt Olympus and have ravens as pets instead of golden retrievers). Nor are we able to predict the weather at any specific time – we use the same online websites that you have access to, except that our internet speed is a lot slower 🙂
• The packages chosen are based on our expectations of conditions, based on 13 years of experience and we dont expect people to have any issues completing them. However, do note that one tradeoff you are making is accepting a slightly higher risk re weather in exchange for a substantial discount on prices. What this means is that we only will charge you for what you have done. However, the deposit is non-refundable unless we are not able to offer enough diving to cover the deposit amount.
• Refunds are offered if we cancel diving due to weather. If you dont want to dive, discuss with us first please. No-shows are charged, and “rain” by itself is not sufficient reason to no-show or cancel (we are going to get wet anyway).
• Do note that in June and July, the Full Moon Cafe, our restaurant, is closed. We will be offering simple veg/non-veg thali meals if you want, or you can eat out nearby.
• Safety comes first – the instructor on the boat has the final authority to turn the boat around and head back or go to an alternative site. This decision cannot be second-guessed by anyone, including the dive center manager or even the company directors.

Sounds like a lot but really, it boils down to this – we want you to have a good time and will do our best to achieve this. But do work with us a little here!