Activities offered by the Diving Center of Maayafushi

• Our PADI scuba-diving courses
• Specialty courses
• Nitrox for free
• Equipment for hire
• Our cylinders
• Diving computers
• Emergency equipment
• Medical certificate
• Diving from the shore
• Diving from the boat
• Our special outings 

Our PADI scuba-diving courses

All our courses follow the PADI TEACHING METHODOLOGY, starting from basic up to divemaster.

The list of all the basic courses available at Maayafushi can be viewed in DIVING COURSES.

In terms of logistics Maayafushi offers the best in the Maldives: opposite the diving centre there is a protected lagoon with a gradually dipping sandy bottom which is ideal for practical sessions in shallow waters.

All our course prices are inclusive of certification and manual fees.

All activities are carried out under the supervision of our instructors who are always very patient and willing to help students to overcome any difficulty and dispel any doubts.

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Specialty courses PADI

The PADI specialty courses have been designed to enable participants to expand their knowledge within particular subject matters.

Unlike the Open Water Diver course, which also requires participants to study a manual and to pass theory tests, almost all specialty courses are exclusively based on practice (with a few exceptions). 

They will therefore enable participants to put the theory to the test directly in the water, enjoying their diving experience with an instructor whose task will be to teach his or her students any knowledge and techniques in addition to those they may already have.

Specialties available at the Maayafushi Diving Center

For some specialties divers must already be in possession of the Advanced Open Water Diver certificate or equivalent.

EFR Primary Care             EFR First Aid
EFR Secondary Care        EFR Secondary Care

Photography courses: Those wishing to learn how to get the best out of their camera can take part in the Underwater digital photography course which, in just one day, guarantees incredible results!

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Nitrox for free

The Nitrox (Enriched Air) course aims at giving divers all the knowledge they need to safely manage dives with nitrogen/oxygen mixtures which have different percentages than those present in the air we breathe. The main advantages offered are: longer diving times without straying from the safety curve when using computer and Nitrox tables, or safer dives when using computer and the tables normally used during the dives with air.

All divers in possession of Nitrox certification can take advantage of Nitrox refills at no extra charge. Divers who are not in possession of a Nitrox certification can naturally take part in one of our courses. The relative cost is specified in our price list. 

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Equipment for hire

The Diving Centre has a complete set of equipment for hire: jackets, diving regulators, flippers, 3mm short or long wetsuits, diving computers.

Hiring costs are calculated per day and only refer to days when dives are made.

We offer convenient complete equipment hiring packages for scuba-divers wishing to hire equipment for 5 days or 2 weeks. The relative prices are included in the price list enclosed.

Digital cameras with underwater case are also available for hiring.

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Our cylinders

Our diving centre offers 10.5-litre aluminium cylinders, which are suitable for most requirements. Upon request and at no added cost, bigger 13.5-litre aluminium cylinders are also available.

All cylinders have a single pillar valve and are suitable for both DIN and INT fittings.

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Diving Computers

Due to the specific characteristics diving at the Maldives entails, all our divers are required to use a diving computer. Those who do not own one can hire it at the Diving Centre at the price specified in our price list.

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Emergency equipment

A medical supply of oxygen and a first aid kit are always on board our boats. Our staff is naturally fully trained in the management of underwater emergencies.

The Diving centre also has a large 50-litre supply of oxygen, sufficient for any requirement. The nearest hyperbaric chamber is in any case only 30 minutes away by dhoni. 

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Medical certificate

Scuba divers who are already in possession of a certificate are not required to submit a medical certificate. All they need to do is fill in a form stating that they have undergone the necessary tests to assess their fitness for diving purposes. 

Scubadivers aged over 75 are required to supply our diving centre with a medical certificate stating their FITNESS for DIVING purposes.

Students taking part in courses must fill in the 3 customary PADI forms, in accordance with PADI teaching standards: ‘Discharge of liability’, ‘Medical declaration’ and ‘Acknowledgement of diving safety regulations'.

As part of the medical declaration students must reply to a few questions concerning their medical history. This form serves as a self-assessment list: if students can reply ‘No’ to all questions, then no further assessment is needed and they are considered to be fit for scuba-diving purposes. Should students reply ‘Yes’ to one or more questions, then a medical check is needed in order to ascertain their fitness.

Bearing in mind the fact that in-depth medical assessments cannot be carried out on an island, those wishing to participate in a diving course can read this form prior to their departure, by downloading it here.

This will allow them to establish in good time whether a medical check is required or not and whether such check should be carried out before their departure.
Whether needed, the fitness medical assessment should be carried out by a sports doctor who should draw up a ‘scuba-diving fitness certificate’. A medical fitness certificate drawn up by a General Practitioner is not sufficient. 

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Diving from shore

At Maayafushi those divers wishing to do an acclimatisation dive before starting to dive from the boat are offered the chance to dive from the shore. Generally we advise divers who have not been diving for 6-12 months, depending on the level of experience, to take advantage of this opportunity.

Those scuba-divers who have not been practicing for longer periods of time can also take advantage of a ‘Scuba refresh’, a review session enabling them to go through the basic exercises together with one of our instructors followed by an acclimatisation dive in the coloured reef surrounding the island.

Similarly to what happens for the dives from the boat, all dives from the shore we organise are guided. 

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Diving from the boat

Our diving centre organises diving daily trips by boat. During the morning excursion it's possible make 2 dives, it's depending on the requirements of our guests. After completing our dives we return to the island for lunch. The afternoon excursion usually includes only one dive and we return at approximately 17.30.

We also organise wonderful dives at sunset and at night at Maaya Thila.

For these dives we use our comfortable 15-metre dhoni, the typical Maldivian boat, which is completely equipped for scuba-diving activities. Our boat can sail at a cruise speed of 10 knots; this enables us to reach easily all diving spots in the North Ari atoll as well as those in the Rasdoo atoll nearby.

It is essential, when diving at the Maldives, to estimate correctly the characteristics of the tides and to organise and manage dives accordingly; if circumstances require it, diving plans can be subject to sudden changes. All this requires in-depth knowledge and experience; all our dives are guided, regardless of the certification level of our divers.

To guarantee that the dives are enjoyed by everyone, the number of participants in a group is always limited, generally to a maximum of 6 divers for each guide, very often fewer people, depending on the level of experience.

Experts and beginners are always in separate groups.

All our prices for dives from boat include the boat trip.

Diving packages are available for scuba-divers wishing to take part in at least 5 dives.

Packages need not be pre-paid or booked. At the end of your holiday we will simply add up the number of dives each diver has taken part in and we’ll apply the relative price per unit; the higher the number of dives the bigger the price reduction.

Diving packages only apply to one diver and may not be combined.

Diving packages never include course dives and night dives.

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Our special outings

LONG DISTANCE

Each week our diving centre organises special excursions, such as the LONG DISTANCE excursion on the western perimeter of the Ari atoll – about 70 minutes by boat – to discover the two wonderful diving spots situated on that side of the atoll:

- Donkalo Thila is a wonderful spot for manta rays where, in the right season, groups of up to 40 manta rays can be sighted;

- Maloss Thila is one of the best-known diving points in the Maldives, a thila known for its caves which are completely covered in colourful Dendronephthya.

For these excursions an extra charge is applicable which reflects the longer distance covered. The excursions’ departure time from the island is after breakfast. 

RASDOO : hammer sharks

We also organise dives at dawn near the small atoll of Rasdoo, to try to catch a sight of hammer sharks. Departure time is around 5 o’clock in the morning, as this enables participants to dive at dawn, the best time to catch a sight of hammer sharks.

This is a ‘deep blue’ dive, only suitable for expert divers. 

FULL DAY

Upon request we can also organise 'full day' outings. Usually these include a first dive in the morning followed by lunch on board the dhoni. After lunch we will land on a beautiful, unspoilt deserted island where we will relax and enjoy some snorkelling; later in the afternoon there will be the chance to enjoy a second dive and we will return at approximately 17:30.

This excursion is also recommended for divers’ friends and family.

NIGHT DIVES

The night dive at Maaya Thila, only 10 minutes from our diving centre, is the flagship of our weekly programme.

Maaya Thila is one of the best places, if not the best place in the Maldives for night dives.

Compact schools of fusilier fish, triggerfish and surgeon fish meet on the cap of the Thila at sunset and sharks have learnt to take advantage of this situation which guarantees an easy and plentiful meal; the same can be said for moray eels, giant stingrays and, sometimes, sandbar sharks, without forgetting Jack, the resident giant barracuda who crosses the path of scuba-divers many times during his forays, sometimes swimming by at less than a metre’s distance…

All in all this is an unmissable, high-adrenaline night dive full of fun! 

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