Maafushi Scuba

Maafushi Scuba is situated on the local island of Maafushi in the South Malé Atoll. This location allows you to experience authentic Maldivian culture through the local guest houses and hotels, providing a different atmosphere to the typical resort islands.

The centre is positioned within easy reach of some of the most celebrated dive sites in the Maldives, with many reachable within 15 to 40 minutes. Whether you are looking for the adrenaline of a drift dive or the precision of a wreck penetration, the local topography offers a vast range of environments.

As a member of the PADI International Retailer Association, the centre provides a comprehensive curriculum for all levels of experience. The professional dive team is trained to deliver a wide variety of specialties and certifications.

Instructional programmes extend from the initial Discover Scuba Diving experience for beginners to the professional Divemaster level. For younger divers, the PADI Bubble Maker programme is available for those aged 8 and over, ensuring a safe introduction to the underwater world.

The centre offers the full spectrum of PADI certifications. You can begin your journey with Discover Scuba Diving or the Bubble Maker programme for children, progressing through to Open Water and Advanced certifications.

For those looking to specialise, the centre provides training for several PADI specialties, including Deep Diver, Night Dive, Drift Dive, and Wreck Dive. Professional divers can also undertake the Divemaster course on-site.

The centre operates a traditional dhoni that can accommodate up to 18 divers. The vessel is equipped with a sun deck, providing a space to relax and unwind between dives.

This boat is used for a variety of dive profiles, including day trips to local reefs, night dives, and drift dives through the atoll's channels.

The shore-based facilities include a well-equipped dive station with 25 brand new Aqualung sets. For cylinder management, the centre utilises two Coltri compressors and maintains a stock of 40 aluminium cylinders in 7, 10, and 13-litre volumes.

Full kit hire is available for divers who do not wish to travel with their own equipment, covering all the essentials required for reef, wreck, and night diving.

The atoll is home to a vast array of large pelagics and reef residents. You can regularly encounter white-tip sharks, nurse sharks, zebra sharks, and eagle rays. Larger predators such as grey reef sharks, barracuda, and various species of sharks, including tiger, bull, hammerhead, spinner, and lemon sharks, frequent these waters.

The reef walls and pinnacles are covered in vibrant sessile life, including various soft corals, sea fans, black coral bushes, and sponges. You will also find many species of anemones and colourful corals that provide the structure for the local ecosystem.

For those interested in macro life, the crevices and sandy bottom host a wealth of smaller creatures. Look for octopus, moray eels, honeycomb moray eels, garden eels, nudibranchs, flatworms, and various species of shrimp and gobies. You may also spot mantis shrimps, hermit crabs, and leaf-fish among the coral and rubble.

During the South West monsoon, the area becomes a significant location for Manta rays, particularly at cleaning stations like Manta Block.

Diving in the South Malé Atoll typically involves medium to strong currents, particularly when diving channels, corners, or performing drift dives. These currents are often responsible for the high concentration of marine life in the area.

Visibility at the local sites generally ranges between 15 and 30 metres, though this can vary depending on the specific site and prevailing conditions.