Do I have to be an experienced scuba diver to go on a liveaboard cruise?
Liveaboard diving in the Maldives is a ‘comfortable adventure’: it is convenient, exciting and challenging all at once. The minimum certification required is a PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent certificate, though we highly recommend that divers obtain at least a PADI Advanced Open Water or equivalent certificate in order to be able to dive up to 30m with the rest of the group (PADI Open Water divers are only allowed to go to a maximum depth of 18m). The initial check dive does not only serve as an opportunity to check your gear, but also for the dive guides to assess everybody’s abilities. Should the dive guide or a guest feel that extra support is needed, special guided dives can be arranged at an extra cost (usually around USD $10 per dive). Guided dives are a great opportunity to familiarise yourself with diving in strong currents, getting into and out of the water from a boat and doing fast descents – all of which are essential skills in the Maldives – with the help of an experi
