Just under the surface awaits world-class diving. Spanning an area of 90,000 square kilometres, only 298 square kilometres of the Maldives nation is land – leaving the rest for us divers to explore!
Discover the benefits of liveaboard diving in the Maldives and find out how to choose the right liveaboard for you.
Liveaboard diving trips are designed to cover a large area over multiple atolls, offering a wide variation of dive sites with differing underwater topography and marine life. The 26 Atolls of the Maldives, containing 1,192 coral islands, are home to an array of different dive sites and underwater topography ranging from Thila’s (pinnacles) and Kandu’s (channels) to walls, sloping reefs and lagoons.
Resorts and local islands are a great choice for couples or groups including non-divers, however the diving is limited to the house reef and dive sites surrounding the island that you choose. It is likely that you will repeat dive sites, especially if you are diving often over a period of one or two weeks, and you will not have access to all of the best dive sites over multiple atolls. Liveaboards are able to schedule only the best dive sites in each Atoll in the itinerary.
The location of larger marine animals, such as whale sharks and manta rays, is dependent on the season that you are visiting and the direction of the currents. Liveaboards are able to adjust their itineraries and dive sites according to the season to ensure the best chances of incredible encounters.
Liveaboard trips in the Maldives range between 7 and 14 days in length. Avoid tiring and time consuming day trips and relax in comfort between dives on a liveaboard.
There are many different liveaboard vessels to choose from in the Maldives ranging from a lower/mid range to high-end budget. With so much choice, it can be difficult to choose the right vessel and trip for you.
Popular itineraries include the Central Atolls route, North Atolls route and South Atolls route. Research the time of year that you are visiting and what you would like to encounter. Central Atolls are considered the Best of the Maldives, encompassing all of the sought after marine life all year round. In addition, it is a great itinerary for divers of any certification/experience level.
When liveaboards first became an option for diving in the Maldives many years ago, flights to and from the Maldives were more popular on weekends. Almost all liveaboard vessels in the Maldives depart on Saturdays or Sundays and follow similar routes, unlike many other diving liveaboard destinations with staggered departure dates to avoid crowded dive sites.
We have uniquely scheduled Virgo liveaboard to depart on Wednesdays. Tourism in the Maldives is ever growing with hundreds of flights arriving and departing every day of the week. Another added bonus – flights are often cheaper on weekdays!
The build and stability of liveaboard vessels in the Maldives is of outstandingly high quality. You will not find low-end budget boats here. Some vessels will have more features in-room, like TV’s and entertainment systems, and some even have onboard spas and jacuzzis! However, most vessels will have a high baseline of cleanliness, comfort, spaciousness and guest service. Some will have a more modern interior and others a more traditional interior. At this point, it’s down to personal taste.
Each vessel has a separate diving Dhoni (smaller purpose built diving boat) where diving equipment is stored and tanks are filled between dives. This provides more room and luxuriousness on the liveaboard vessel and precise diving drops and pick-ups.
If you are certified for and would like to dive with nitrox, ensure to choose a liveaboard that offers nitrox – added bonus if it is free! For avid underwater photographers, choose a vessel with dedicated rinsing tanks and camera stations. If you prefer small diving groups, best to choose a smaller guest capacity vessel with a high ratio of dive guides to divers.
