Best cheap diving in the Maldives
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Having dived hundreds of times in the Maldives during my year and a half of living there (plus travels returning there since – these are my favourite dive spots as a qualified divemaster! These are the following local islands which have great scuba diving and I enjoyed amazing dives there! Staying on local islands means dives and accommodation are much more affordable and you access the same dive sites as fancy resorts – win win!
Fuvahmulah
Arguably the best scuba diving in Maldives, Fuvahmulah should absolutely be on your scuba diving Maldives bucketlist. In Fuvahmulah you can see tiger sharks, manta rays (oceanics and reef manta rays), whale sharks, thresher sharks and hammerhead sharks. Read my full Fuvahmulah Island Guide here.
Rasdhoo
A great island to stay on and dive from every day. Rasdhoo has healthy, colourful coral, lots of reef sharks and turtles and a small chance of hammerhead sharks. Read my full Rasdhoo Guide here if you are thinking of visiting this awesome island.
Gulhi
From Gulhi you can access many of Kaafu atoll’s great dive sites including an impressive wreck dive. Read my full Gulhi guide here.
Guraidhoo
Guraidhoo is close to the famous Maldives dive site Kandooma Thila which does not disappoint. With strong currents you can see numerous reef sharks and eagle rays swimming in the currents as you drift by.
Hulhumale
Hulhumale is often not considered a great local island to stay on as it doesn’t have a bikini beach and is often seen as an extension of Male and so visitors often overlook it. If you are a diver I strongly recommend spending a couple of nights in Hulhumale to dive the nearby dive sites. The dive sites near Male have incredible marine life such as bull sharks, huge sting rays, spinner sharks and a good chance of hammerheads.
Marine Life
With over 200 islands that you can stay on, there are certain islands that are better for marine life than others.
Manta Rays: Reef and Oceanics
You can see manta rays at various locations in the Maldives. For more information about diving with manta rays in the Maldives, then read my manta ray Maldives article here.
Sharks
For sharks, I definitely recommend diving Hulhumale, diving Kandooma Thila near Guraidhoo and Fuvahmulah.
Tiger Sharks
The best place to go tiger shark diving in Maldives is Fuvahmulah island. Please note they do feed the tiger sharks here so it depends how ethical you feel this is if you want to do it. There are many dive sites around Fuvahmulah island with the best diving in Maldives that do not involve feeding marine life.
More Maldives Travel Resources
- Everything you need to know about the Maldives & FAQs
- Kihaa Resort Review
- Best Scuba Diving spots in the Maldives
- Where to swim with manta rays
- Where to stay to see mantas in Hanifaru Bay
- Maldives packing list
- What to expect on local islands in the Maldives
- Best Island for Scuba Diving
- One Week Maldives Itinerary
- Thoddoo Island – beaches and turtles
- Tiny Dhiffushi Island
- Thulusdhoo – surfing & infinity pool
- Gulhi – best bikini beach
- Maafushi – island close to Male
