Where better to gain experience and your diving qualifications than in the tropical warmer seas of the Caribbean and the Maldives? This week we have handpicked our top 6 resorts where the diving schools cater for everyone from the first time diver looking to gain confidence, to the experienced diver looking to explore the wrecks and reefs of a new destination.
A huge benefit of learning to dive in one of our resorts is that you can save precious time by completing the theory side of your course from the comfort of your own home and at your own pace prior to flying out leaving you to focus and enjoy the practical elements in paradise!
Tropic Breeze specialises in creating holidays to resorts we know and love. We maintain a close relationship with each hotel, allowing us to offer you the very best deals. If you would like further information on any of the properties mentioned or a quote, you can call us on 01752 880 880 or email info@tropicbreeze.co.uk
Mount Cinnamon, Grenada
One of the top 10 dive locations of the World
Grenada has some of the best facilities for diving in the Caribbean. You can snorkel from the beach, and drift over the coral and sponges whilst following the stunning array of marine life. Alternatively, you can explore the world’s first underwater sculpture park which has been recognised by National Geographic as one of the ‘wonders of the world’; various wrecks such as the MV Shakem who’s propeller, crane and foremast make for some fantastic photos; and if you still have the time and energy to explore further, you can even take a boat out to Kick ‘Em Jenny, an active submarine volcano (under the sea).
In 2018 the Government of Grenada launched the Grand Anse Marine Protected Area (GAMPA), which stretches from Port Louis Marina in the north down to Point Salines in the south. This new zone, covering the iconic Grand Anse Beach, will focus on the protection of the marine and coastal environment and aims to enhance the livelihood of the fisherman and communities by securing a more sustainable future.
Learn to dive with DIVE GRENADA at MOUNT CINNAMON.
A full list of PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certified courses can be found below.
Stay 7 nights in a Cinnamon Suite on a bed and breakfast basis from £1680 per person. Price includes luggage, flights and return airport transfers.
Find out more about Mount Cinnamon here
Anse Chastanet Resort, St Lucia
Home to more than 150 different species of fish
Voted one of St Lucia’s top dive sites, the Anse Chastanet Reef is home to more than 150 different species of fish and is comprised of a marine plateau and steep slopes that fall to a depth of more than 140ft. The reef is covered with a variety of moray eels, parrotfish, blennies, crabs and big schools of needlefish making this a very popular area for underwater photographers and videographers. 15 minutes north of the reef lies Lesleen M, a 165-foot freighter covered in soft coral and home to many juvenile fish, perfect for a newly certified diver looking to explore their first wreck.
The Anse Chastanet Reef is located in the heart of the Soufriere Marine Management Area (SMMA) which recognised the demands on the local environment and in 1992 launched a bold initiative to manage and protect the areas for the fishermen, yachtsmen, divers and snorkellers. The coral reefs in the area are now designated Marine Reserves in which only diving, snorkelling and glass-bottom boats are permitted.
Learn to dive with SCUBA ST LUCIA at ANSE CHASTANET.
A full list of PADI certified courses can be found below.
Stay 7 nights in a Standard Garden View Room on a bed and breakfast basis from £1585 per person. Price includes luggage, flights and return airport transfers.
Find out more about Anse Chastanet Resort here
Petit St Vincent, The Grenadines
Investigate the coral reefs of uninhabited islands
Whether you are staying on the island or on a visiting yacht, the dive sites surrounding Petit St Vincent are home to some amazing marine life and stunning coral cities. Northwest of this private island resort island is Mopion Island, a drift dive with a depth of 50ft where you will catch sight of huge lobsters, moray eels, Caribbean Reef sharks and nurse sharks asleep in the sand.
A little further from the island, lies the Puruni Wreck, a 150ft long 1918 English gunship sitting in just 40ft of water – perfect for underwater photography. For more confident divers, a visit to Hot Springs, an underwater volcano is an absolute must. Here you can witness the continuous flow of bubbles and experience the dramatic water changes. The ultimate dream dive, however, is Sail Rock. Limited to good weather conditions due to its exposed position, this dive is complete with a cave along with 3 separate exits, schools of fish, stingrays and even an old cannon.
In 2014, Jean-Michel, son of Jacques-Yves Cousteau – oceanographer, researcher, filmmaker and undersea explorer; opened a dive centre at the Petit St Vincent Resort and pride themselves on upholding the high standards and following the Cousteau legacy of exploration and conservation.
Learn to dive with JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU DIVE CENTER at PETIT ST VINCENT.
A full list of PADI certified courses can be found below.
Stay 7 nights in a One Bedroom Cottage on a full board basis from £3975 per person. Price includes luggage, flights and return airport transfers.
Find out more about Petit St Vincent here
Olhuveli Beach & Spa Maldives, South Male Atoll
Explore a range of reefs and wrecks from 5 – 60m
The diving sites around Olhuveli offer narrow channels and medium to strong currents perfect for the more experienced diver. A variety of tuna, eagle rays, stingrays, mantas and turtles can be seen at the different dive sites; however, there are stunning coral formations and a wide range of reef fish inside the Atoll, perfect for beginners and snorkelling. In August and September, whale sharks commonly feed on the rich plankton around the resort, while January through to April dolphins are common, and mantas can be seen feeding in the darker hours – excellent for night dives on the house reef.
The reefs around Olhuveli are well known for the sharks – with four of the signature dives designed for you to witness grey reef, white tip, nurse and leopard sharks in their natural habitat. Guests have also spotted hammerhead and treasure sharks on their dives too.
Learn to dive with SUN Siyam DIVING SCHOOL at OLHUVELI BEACH & SPA MALDIVES.
Sun Siyam Diving centre offers a wide range of SSI (Scuba Schools International) and PADI certified courses.
For more information please call us on 01752 880880.
Stay 7 nights in a Deluxe Room on an all-inclusive basis from £2049 per person. Price includes luggage, flights and speedboat transfers.
Find out more about Olhuveli Beach & Spa Maldives here
OBLU by Atmosphere at Helengeli, North Male Atoll
Between 2 channels at the outer edge of the Atoll
Helengeli Island has a unique location at the Northern tip of the North Male` Atoll and is one of the very few islands within the Maldives which lies perpendicular to the Ocean edge on the border of the Atoll, instead of being parallel to it. The current flow into the Atoll, allows you to observe all the underwater bio-diversity, including pelagic fish category such as Tuna, Shark, Rays & Jack Fish. From August to November Manta Rays can be seen on a cleaning station just 35 minutes from the resort. From December through until April, they move to the west side of the Atoll where there are some great dive sites and channel dives where you will also spot grey reef and white top Sharks.
In the outer reef, just 10 minutes from Helengeli is Hani Kandu Beyru, perfect for beginner divers due to the calm and stable conditions. Sloping from 5 to 30 meters, it is filled with big colourful coral blocks home to a variety of schooling fish and baby white tip reef sharks. Thanks to the calm conditions, you are also likely to see cleaner shrimps and ghost pipefish if you look closely.
Learn to dive with ATMOSPHERE AQUA CLUB MALDIVES at OBLU by ATMOSPHERE at HELENGELI.
A full list of PADI certified courses can be found below.
Stay 7 nights in a Beach Villa on an all-inclusive basis from £2025 per person. Price includes luggage, flights and speedboat transfers.
Find out more about OBLU by Atmosphere at Helengeli here
Lily Beach Resort & Spa, South Ari Atoll
Shallow waters, perfect for first time divers
Lily Beach in the South Ari Atoll is home to some of the most famous and well-known dive spots across the Maldives and lies directly next to some of the 50+ diving hot spots offering quick and easy access. Here you are likely to encounter whale sharks, manta rays, stunning reef formations and an abundance of amazingly colourful soft corals.
Madi Faru (Manta Point) sits a 30 minutes journey from the resort and is suitable for all experience levels. The top reef sits just 2 meters from the surface and slopes down to 20 meters where you can expect to see guitar sharks, golden eels, stingrays and eagle rays. Between the months of May to November large congregations of mantas can be seen feeding on the plankton-rich waters in the outgoing current.
Learn to dive with PRODIVERS MALDIVES at LILY BEACH RESORT & SPA.
A full list of PADI certified courses can be found below.
Stay 7 nights in a Beach Villa on an all-inclusive basis from £3025 per person. Price includes luggage, flights and seaplane transfers.
Find out more about Lily Beach Resort & Spa here
PADI Certified Courses available at these resorts include:
- Bubblemaker – Bubblemaker is as fun as it sounds. A chance for kids to blow bubbles by scuba diving. Children who are at least 8 years old can use scuba gear to breathe underwater and swim around in shallow water.
- Scuba Diver – If you’re short on time but really want to become a diver, the PADI Scuba Diver rating might be right for you ̶ particularly if you expect to go scuba diving primarily with a dive guide. This course is an intermediate step for earning an Open Water Diver certification if that’s your ultimate goal.
- Open Water Diver – If you’ve always wanted to take scuba diving lessons, experience unparalleled adventure and see the world beneath the waves, this is where it starts. Get your scuba diving certification with the PADI® Open Water Diver course – the world’s most popular and widely recognized scuba course. Millions of people have learned to scuba dive and gone on to discover the wonders of the aquatic world through this course. To enrol you must be 10 years old or older. You need adequate swimming skills and need to be in good physical health. No prior experience with scuba diving is required.
- Advanced Open Water Diver – You don’t have to be “advanced” to take it – it’s designed to advance your diving, so you can start right after earning your PADI Open Water Diver certification. The course helps build confidence and expand your scuba skills through different Adventure Dives.
- Divemaster – Love scuba diving? Want to share it with others on a whole new level? Take the PADI Divemaster course and do what you love to do as a career. Scuba divers look up to divemasters because they are leaders who mentor and motivate others. As a divemaster, you not only get to dive a lot but also experience the joy of seeing others have as much fun diving as you do.
- Adventure Diver – Have you always wanted to try digital underwater photography, fish identification or dry suit diving? There’s a long list of scuba adventures you can take part in during this program. Complete three Adventure Dives and you earn the Adventure Diver certification. It’s a great opportunity to work with your instructor to build your scuba skills and gain more confidence.
- Enriched Air Diver – The PADI Enriched Air Diver course is PADI’s most popular speciality scuba course. Why? Because scuba diving with enriched air nitrox gives you more no decompression time, especially on repetitive scuba dives. If staying down longer and getting back in the water sooner sounds appealing, then don’t hesitate to become an enriched air diver.
Tropic Breeze specialises in creating holidays to resorts we know and love. We maintain a close relationship with each hotel, allowing us to offer you the very best deals. If you would like further information on any of the properties mentioned or a quote, you can call us on 01752 880 880 or email info@tropicbreeze.co.uk
Sample prices are a guide only – contact us for a tailor-made quotation.
Prices are based on two adults sharing the entry-level room and include special offers valid on 31 July 2019. Restrictions may apply.
We offer fully bonded and protected holidays, whether booked with flights via our ATOL 5615 or for accommodation only holidays with our ABTA Y5401. This means you can rest assured that your Tropic Breeze holiday is safe and secure.
Author KatieCategories Best places to go on holiday, Caribbean, Maldives, News, Reviews