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Sri Lanka

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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Narced

New Member
Nov 7, 2002
28
8
0
Hi Guys - I'm off to Sri Lanka (Hikkaduwa area) in summer to do some diving, sooooo - has anyone been to the Hikkaduwa area and have some info on good dive operators, dive spots, bars, restaurants etc?

Cheers
Narced
 
sri lanka how was it??

Hi there,
i'mplanning to go to Sri lanka soon....as you went there can you give me any informations about diving and spearfishing??
Thanks regards
Please reply here: lelloitaly@libero.it
Lello
 
Hi Lello,

I imagine you will be notified of my reply at the e-mail address you've provided below, so I'll just post here.

Long story short - I decided against Sri Lanka & changed my trip to St Kitts in the caribbean instead.

The main reason for this, is that there is really no diving in June - August as the monsoon weather has kicked in. There is also a weather split between the two sides of the island - something you need to keep in mind should you decide to go.

Another reason for not going was the political unrest on the island. The one place I could have gone diving at, would have taken me through a lot of the Tamil-Tiger territory - something best to be avoided.

Cheers
 
thanks for your reply....so i'll tell you how that Island is!!! :eek:))
On september i'll go to Malta, any informations about it?
I'm very interested in particular about spearfishing rules there.
If you want any informations about Italy be free to ask me.
have a nice sea!!!
Lello
 
Hi
Ive spent quite alot of time in Sri Lanka, its a fantastic place, the sea can be rough tho especially the west coast from april to December. Hikkaduwa can be better as well as the south but once your out in the boat its fine. There is at least 1 proffesional spearo in Negombo as well as a good few diving centre's all along the coast an internet search will soon pick them out.
 
Hi Alison,
Just noticed you over on this forum as well :) The missus and I are off to Bentota on the 12th since that is the only week we can seem to get away from work (Eid so everybody is gone anyway)

I set up a day diving down in Hikkaduwa. Any recommendations? I told them, weather permitting, I wanted to try and see some Manta's and other large stuff over at Kirala Gala. They have no problem but I was wondering if you had any recommendations. I may give the Rangoon a try (35m) or perhaps settle at Black Coral Point (also 20-35m) with supposedly a lot of marine life. Just hope I can rent a camera since mine is giving up the ghost...
 
All,
Had a GREAT TIME diving in Hikkaduwa. I will try and write up a trip report to post later. Sri Lanka is great qualilty/price diving if you can get a cheap flight there.

Anton
 
Hi

Went to Sri Lanka a couple of years ago (Negombo) and my diving experience was not pleasant, please see the review on www.divereviews.co.uk this is a new website purely for adding / viewing dives.

All I would say is go for it but just check out the dive centre/people first.

Great place to visit though, the people are sooo friendly.

Happy and safe diving.
 
Hi Scubamad,
I just got back from Sri Lanka. We were in the S. West which I believe is better. 10 or so wrecks very close (+-20 mins), reefs from 1m to 40+ viz pretty good for this time of year. I will return assuming I can find a cheap flight <within the next 30 days!!!!> I really had a good time. The DM was ok and the center good. All equipment was new etc. I will be writing up a review for here if I have a chance. I highly recommend although if I had your experience I would probably have gotten physical with them, tied 'em to the back of the boat and let them "body surf" back to the dock!! I dove with "international dive school" in Hikkaduwa. The diving in Hikkaduwa is pretty good.

Anton
 
Hi Anton

lol!!

The diving and a few other things has put us off Sri Lanka, but I know the South gets excellent reports. Negombo (we stayed there for three days) is a sh*th*le. I prefer the Maldives or Taba in Egypt.
 
Last edited:
Is you been before Egypt?
Like have some information of Marsa Alam

i am on the way to there on 9th dec for a week

Thx
Scuba ali
 
Hi Scuba Ali

I haven't been to that part of Egypt, but I do know people that have and said the diving was fab, I wouldn't worry about diving in Egypt I think the Red Sea is great wherever you go and the Hotels are great too. We stayed in the Hyatt at Taba in the summer - top Hotel!!

Try looking on the Egypt post in this forum, you may get more specifics on Marsa Alam!!

Scubamad
www.divereviews.co.uk
 
Thax lot
i am happy of the information you give me and i will check out other part of this site.
i hope my hotel also be graet (Flamenco Beach Resort) i have book so lets see what happan

any way
thank you for you time
 
Thats cool place looks like ya!
I so that one whan i book the time.

any thing new in there will let you know
thankx
 
anton said:
All,
Had a GREAT TIME diving in Hikkaduwa. I will try and write up a trip report to post later. Sri Lanka is great qualilty/price diving if you can get a cheap flight there.

Anton

Sorry Anton, I missed this alltogether :eek: I dont often wonder in here usually only if the threads apear on the home page. Glad you had a good time are you planning on going back, Im sure they will be up and running again before long well at least the better places for diving. I would love to see a report, as you may know now I hadnt actually dived in Sri Lanka at the time you first wrote this; of course as you know we've just been back and put that right this time. We went over to Trincomalee (actually Nilaveli), we were told to get a boat out to Pidgeon Island, we had a really good time there freediving, coral in really good condition, plenty of fish; we enjoyed it so much we went out there again the next dat too :) Also in the harbour area we freedived under Lovers Leap, lots of wreckage of some sort (didnt find out what but it wasnt a boat) saw a couple of big eels (Id forgoten how scary they are :waterwork ). We went from ther to Aragum bay near Potuvil, did some surfing rofl or should I say swimming :) did some freediving/snorkeling there too. You have to swim through the waves but well worth the bother, cool :) From what Ive read since, it'll be a while before either of these places get back to everyday runing, when they do however; well worth a visit
 
Hi Alison,
Yes, as you know by now I had been scheduled to return after our Nov visit the 26th of Dec but got a big utility bill (first time I was happy to get a big bill!)

Anyway, the last ones we got ahold of in Sri Lanka (last Thursday) were the dive center staff where Maggie and I were. "Some" (the owner) lost everything but 1 boat and a compressor. The boat will need to be patched and lost both motors and the compressor has to be rebuilt. He had 20 some-odd BRAND NEW sets of 1st/2nd stage and much other new and well maintained equip. All was lost. The good news is he, his staff, and their families all made it... only 1 house lost.

I plan to return in Spring (money and time permitting) and am keeping in touch with him. The best support I can give is to go there and dive. In that way, our guide/drive and his family profit and rebuild their business as well as the Inn, the eateries, and the dive center. I will likely take my equipment but that is ok. The folks need to get back to normalcy as much as possible. We are just happy all our friends are safe!!
 
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