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Old Jan 16, 2019 | 1:52 am
  #485  
optostar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 77
Originally Posted by Lookoutitzsean
Anyone have info on Scuba Diving costs all-in (renting gear, etc.)? I’ve read through the thread and googled around and haven’t found anything. I’m emailing the hotel and will give an update but I thought I’d ask here too.
Yes! My friend did. Here's what they emailed us:

Allow me to give you an overview:

We always do our first dive from the shore in our uncomparable and fabulous house reef. Our house reef is a very interesting one and offers good coral life and rare fish species like frogfish, ribbon eel, ghost pipe fish, rare gobies, nudibranches as well as bigger stuff like turtles, stingrays and sharks. We can do this at 9 a.m. or at 2 p.m. After this first dive, mandatory following Maldivian law, you are welcome to join our boat.

We normally do three boat dives a day, in the morning at 8:30 and in the afternoon at 2:30. All our dives are guided by one of our dive instructors.
The boat ride to most dive sites varies from 5 to 30 minutes and some of the top spots are:

- Maalhos Thila -- excellent soft (among the best in the Maldives) and hard corals, abundant fish life
- Donkalo Thila -- excellent soft and hard corals, abundant fish life, many manta rays in the manta ray season*
- Himendhoo Thila -- good soft and hard corals, abundant fish life, many manta rays in the manta ray season*
- Manta point
- Maaya Thila -- abundant fish life, sharks (white tip and grey reef), schooling barracuda
- Fish Head -- abundant fish life, eagle rays, white tip and grey reef sharks and a very large and friendly napoleon wrasse
- Bathalaa Thila -- healthy reef, resident school of batfish and bannerfish, sharks as well.
- Ship wrecks (fesdu wreck, halaveli wreck)

*: the manta ray season runs from December to March, although this is quite variable from year to year.

Other options are:

- A 2 tank boat dive in the morning -- you'll be leaving at 08.30, make a dive, have a minimum of 1 hour surface interval followed by a second dive. You'll be back at around 12.30 and still have the afternoon to do something else.
- our regular dive boat has a toilet, shower, refrigerators, espresso machine, tea, fruit plates, living area etc. and any food or beverages from the resort can be requested.
- Night dives, any night, just let us know
- Private charter Escape -- dive world-famous hammerhead shark point or Whale Shark Haven or any other top spot in our atoll aboard our stunning luxury two cabin sailing yacht Escape.
- House reef dives (also independent house reef dives for experienced divers)
- Diving courses -- for both beginner and advanced divers
- Camera rental -- we'll burn your memories on a USB
- Underwater photography
- Nitrox diving and nitrox courses
- Marine biologist -- we have a resident marine biologist who will be happy to accompany you on any of your dives or snorkeling tours.

Just let us know if you wish to pre-book the orientation dive, and remember to bring your diving license. Please note that we need to leave 24 hours between your last dive and your flight including the seaplane, and that all our prices are subject to 10% Service Charge and 12% GST.

Besides diving we offer a wide range of activities and watersports:

In regards to watersports, you can be agent 007 by trying the legendary Seabob, a submersible motorized torpedo, go jet skiing on our Yamaha Wave Runner, go parasailing and have a bird-eye view of the island and surrounding reefs, or catamaran sailing: you can enjoy our especial topcat sunset sailing, from 17:00 to 18:00 for U$ 80++/person, in which you will enjoy the sunset while one of our watersports instructors helps you sail, or you can also enjoy our Dreamscape Experience: Every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, from 17:30 to 19:00, we take you on our unique two mast motorized sailing yacht “Escape”, to enjoy the glass of champagne and the nibbles included, while relishing with our amazing sunsets. This vessel is perfect also for private romantic dinners, or our amazing Bio Marine Adventure, in which we combine a marine biology presentation, with a snorkel session and a debriefing in the company of our W Marine Insider. I have attached some pictures for your perusal. Some guest even use it for full day/overnight trips to the Whale Shark area, in South Ari atoll.

We also offer a range of activities where you do not get wet at all, like the Glass Bottom boat, which enables to discover the underwater world from the comfort of its roofed seats, or Snorkel Hopping by Speedboat.

We have speedboats you can charter by the hour, go Big Game Fishing on "Cast Away", our luxury fishing limousine.

Warm regards, and we are looking forward to welcome you in our little paradise,

Anything else, just ask!

Karen.
ugh pdf is not a supported attachment?
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