How to Have an Ultimate Underwater Adventure in the Maldives - Tips on Engaging in Water-Bound Excursions During a Trip to the Maldives

As one of the world's favourite beach holiday destinations, it should come as no surprise that the Maldives is also the perfect location to sign up for underwater activities. Offering excellent weather and water conditions for engaging in both snorkelling and diving, enjoying some time beneath the waves is a must for all travellers heading to the country. Here are some tips on how to have at least one underwater adventure during your Maldivian getaway. 

1. Secure a Water Sports Friendly Base

Those who are travelling to the Maldives with hopes of engaging in water sports activities or deep-sea exploration must stay at a resort base that supports or facilitates these types of excursions. Almost every resort island in the country offers some kind of water-bound activity although not all Maldives resorts are equal in this regard. So, whether you select the Anantara Veli Maldives Resort or any similar venue, it is important to explore what the hotel's water-based activities include. Some resorts will go so far as to house their own water sports centre and offer diving lessons while others will only offer jet skiing and other surface activities. 

2. Sign Up for a Snorkelling Tour

The easiest and most efficient way to experience an underwater adventure during a holiday in the Maldives is to go snorkelling on the house reef. Most Maldivian resort islands are surrounded by what is known as a "house reef" that's teeming with marine species and corals. These are ideal venues to literally get one's feet wet in terms of snorkelling for the first time. All one requires is a snorkel, mask and some fins to engage in this rewarding peek beneath the waves to find what fish species can be found just off-shore. Seasoned snorkellers can take it a step further and sign up for a snorkelling tour of the best underwater gardens in the archipelago with a private tour operator.

Image via Anantara Veli Maldives Resort

3. Learn How to Dive

Tourists who are not adept at diving can pick up this valuable skill on a vacation in the Maldives as it can lead to some of the most memorable underwater experiences up for grabs in this part of the world. There are countless diving schools and water sports centres as well as private instructors on the archipelago that have designed PADI certification programmes for divers with no experience and even those with some diving time under their belts. It is necessary to find a diving lessons package that suits your budget and the duration of your holiday as you will only be allowed to go diving in the open ocean once you have honed in on your diving skills. 

4. Island Hopping with Deep Sea Exploration Activities

Travellers who are in the Maldives for a weekend or a short stay can combine an island-hopping tour with a diving or snorkelling session as tour operators are more than happy to incorporate the wishes of tourists into a bespoke itinerary. While island hopping from one pristine virgin isle to another, one is likely to come across some truly spectacular diving and snorkelling hubs and visitors can enjoy the best of both worlds by making a pit stop along the journey to immerse themselves in an underwater excursion. 

5. Sea Walks and the Whale Submarine

Those without diving and snorkelling skills can always sign up for a sea walk, which involves wearing a helmet and walking on the sea bed in shallow waters. This is the only type of underwater excursion available to those without any swimming skills as all one needs to do is walk on the floor of the ocean and observe one's surroundings. Tourists who like to stay dry during their tour of the depths of the ocean can sign up for a ride onboard the Whale Submarine.