Scuba Diving with Rasdhoo Dive Centre on Rasdhoo Island, Rasdhoo Atoll, Maldives

reef sharks rasdhoo atoll maldives
sharks are guaranteed at dive spot Madivaru corner, Rasdhoo atoll, Maldives

Scuba dive the Maldives on a budget and book a bed or room in a guesthouse

In 2010, when I was working as a scuba dive instructor in a resort on the Maldives I was wondering why it’s not possible to travel the Maldives in an affordable way. There are many divers out there who don´t need the luxury of a 5-star resort. Not being able to book a bed in a basic accommodation like a homestay, hostel or guesthouse, prevents them from going on a scuba dive holiday to this amazing dive destiny.

Guesthouses and low budget homestays make it now possible to travel the Maldives on a budget!

Recently, I figured out that there are some local islands on the Maldives where guesthouses and homestays have been opened. This makes it possible to travel the Maldives on a budget and experience the local culture! I decided to check it out for my fellow ´splashpackers´ and share my experience with it. In this article, I share scuba diving on Rasdhoo Island, but maybe you also like to read my article about staying on Rasdhoo Island, it includes more practical travel information, click here.

Alif Alfi Atoll on the Maldives, where Rasdhoo is located
Rasdhoo Atoll on the Maldives

Madivaru Corner is the best dive site I went scuba diving in my life

In all my time working as a scuba diving instructor in 4 different continents and travelling to and diving in more than 10 different countries, the dive site of Madivaru Corner on Rasdhoo Atoll is still the best dive I ever did in my life. The dive is so complete with always many white tips sharks, grey reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleons, leaffish and mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) among other sealife, reef dwellers and macro life, that I think every scuba diver will be satisfied to dive that site. Here is a video the shark show on Madivaru Corner on Splashpacker YouTube channel:

There are 19 dive spots on Rasdhoo Atoll

But not only Madivaru Corner, there are also more than 19 dive spots on the atoll of Rasdhoo and they all offer spectacular diving. I was never bored when I was working as an instructor here and now I became curious to stay on a local island. Rasdhoo Dive Centre offered me to stay a few days in their dive lodge and experience the diving with them.

 

scuba diving Rasdhoo atoll on the Maldives
Banded boxer shrimp during scuba diving Rasdhoo Island

Flashpacking Rasdhoo Island on the Maldives

The first thing I noticed was how well this dive centre and the belonging accommodation and restaurant are developed in comparison to other homestays, guesthouses and dive centres on this island. Everything looks very new and I think staying with them can more be considered more like a flashpacker style than a backpacker stay. There is a big team of staff available who all are super friendly and helpful.

Comfortable rooms for your scuba diving holiday on Rasdhoo

After my check-in to a very clean, spacious and comfortable room, I got showed around the complex. Comparing this to previous budget accommodations on my travels, the air-conditioned room with coffee and tea facilities felt like a complete luxury treat to me. There are 8 rooms in the dive lodge and there is an option to choose between different price categories and rooms with or without balcony.

 

doube room at Rasdhoo Island
Rasdhoo Dive Lodge offers spacious & clean rooms for your comfort during your diving holiday

 

Flashpacker style accommodation on Rasdhoo Island
The bathroom of one of the rooms at Rasdhoo Dive Lodge

Rasdhoo diver’s lodge is a nice place to meet other divers

Outside are some nice seating areas to enjoy social time with your fellow divers or the dive staff. I think the diver’s lodge is a nice place to meet other divers as a solo traveller, a couple or a group of divers. The belonging restaurant is located on a roof terrace and offers nice freshly prepared meals. Click here to book your room in the Rasdhoo Dive Lodge with Agoda. Or if you prefer to book with booking.com please click here. I earn a small commission on your purchase through these links.

 

Dinner on the rooftop during your diving holiday on Rasdhoo Island
Enjoy your breakfast, lunch or dinner on the rooftop restaurant and meet other scuba divers

 

Ready to scuba dive Rasdhoo Atoll again

The dive centre looked clean and very well organised. After filling out the required paperwork, the dive equipment got put together in my box and I was ready to go diving the next day. The next morning I enjoyed my breakfast which was served in a buffet style. I joined the table with other divers and some of the other dive staff and enjoyed my breakfast whilst having a nice chat. At 08.30 am we left the dive centre and walked the few hundred meters to the shore where our big dive boat was waiting for us.

Scuba Diving Madivaru Corner on Rasdhoo Atoll

The first dive we did was the dive site ´Madivaru Corner´ and the current was a right-hand shoulder one, which is good. Even though the dive site is also amazing with a left-hand current if the current comes from the right a shark show can almost be guaranteed. Upon descending we saw some white tips sharks and grey reef sharks in the blue while we followed the reef at about 18 meters. A stonefish was hiding between the rocks just before the big part of the wall ended and we started to follow the reef.

 

A big boat for comfortable scuba diving on the Maldives
Rasdhoo Dive Center offers a comfortable boat for your scuba diving around the atoll

 

So much marine life on the dive site Madivaru Corner

Here, we continued the dive whilst leaving the small remaining reef wall at our left. We found some smaller marine creatures like another stonefish, nudibranch and morays on the reef, we spotted an eagle ray and a white tip shark swimming by in the sandy patch to our right, while in the big blue at our left the shark show was just going to start.

Scuba dive the shark show at Madivaru Corner

During the dive, we could feel the current becoming a bit stronger and with it more sharks appeared. We hovered above the smaller reef wall while not knowing where to watch. The blue was full of white tips sharks and some grey reef sharks while in the sandy part from time to time, some bigger fish decided to show itself from that side.

 

The shark show at Madivaru Corner on the Maldives
Rasdhoo Atoll gives home to many sharks, and they can be guaranteed during your scuba diving holiday to the Maldives

Choosing between Napoleon or the sharks…

´Do I really want to take a photo of that Napoleon on that side, or shall I continue watching the sharks? Oh, there’s a group of 12 eagle rays above us too.´ This is exactly how I remember Madivaru Corner and the reason I came back to dive here. I think, comparing this dive spot to 7 years ago, the marine life here has only improved which is very unusual in other places in the world.

Madivaru just an all-inclusive dive spot

We continued our scuba dive over the reef plateau where more moray eels are to be spotted. Sharks kept appearing in the blue and we also spotted another ray. Our guide was very good in spotting smaller stuff and showed us a leaf fish and a nudibranch. This dive site is just an all-inclusive one! Big groups of batfish are hanging above the reef and you can just be surrounded by them because they are not even considering moving out of the way for us. At the same time, the surgeonfish are happily playing with our bubbles, while we are making our way up to do our safety stop. Here is a post about Madivaru dive site:

Scuba diving with the sharks at Madivaru Corner in the Maldives

 

Marine life at Madivaru Corner dive spot on the Maldives
Eagle rays & white tip reef shark, Madivaru Corner is like watching Blue Planet on television

 

A bit of ocean cleaning during the surface interval

During my surface interval, I was having a nice chat with the staff of Rasdhoo Dive Centre and my dive buddy. At first, my dive buddy booked in for only one dive and was going to be brought back to the dive centre. However, he changed his mind by being so impressed by the diving here. When we saw a few plastic water bottles floating in the ocean, the dive crew and I jumped into the water to collect them.

The second dive: from Madivaru Corner to Madivaru channel

For our second dive, we first jumped at Madivaru Corner where the shark show was still going on. After watching more of these amazing creatures, we decided to follow the reef in the direction of the channel, Madivaru Channel. Sometimes, even more, interesting sharks like silvertip, blacktip reef sharks or even hammerheads can be seen here.

 

scuba dive Rasdhoo Atoll on the Maldives
Batfish will keep swimming around your during scuba diving on the Maldives

Sign up for ´Big Blue´ to spot the hammerhead sharks

But to really see the hammerhead sharks, you can sign up for the early morning deep dive called ´Big Blue´ which is specially organised to see these ocean friends. This time we spotted a stingray laying in the sand and also a turtle having a rest on the reef. When it was time for our safety stop, I again realised how amazing this dive spot is. You can see so many things in one place, I think it´s a dream for many scuba divers. Hier is a little video about ´Big Blue´ dive site on Splashpacker YouTube channel:

 

Other dive sites on Rasdhoo Atoll in the Maldives

Rasdhoo Atoll offers more than 19 dive sites giving a home to a variety of marine life and each dive spot is unique. Manta rays can be seen at Manta Point where is a manta cleaning station and the best time to go there is from November till April. Here is a little video about scuba diving with the manta rays at manta point:

 

 

Other dive sites include tilas, wall dives, reef dives and wreck dives. Things to see on a regular base and other than I already mentioned above include ghost pipefish, shrimps, lobsters, different species of sharks, a variety of rays and much more.

 

map of all dive spots around Rasdhoo Island on the Maldives
All dive sites on Rasdhoo Atoll

More sharks around Rasdhoo Atoll

There is a ribbon eel to be seen at the dive site Kuramati Tila and I also heard from other scuba diving instructors that the thresher shark, the guitar shark and even the whale shark have been seen during scuba diving Rasdhoo Atoll. Working as an instructor myself on this atoll, I also have seen dolphins and the ornate eagle ray.

Day trips from Rasdhoo Island on the Maldives

Day trips to do scuba diving on another atoll can be organised if enough people sign up. You need to be an advanced diver for these trips and they go out for 2 or 3 dives, located at about 2 or 3 hours by boat. One of the places they do is called ´Fish Head´, located just in front of the resort island ´Safari Island´ which is an amazing dive site with abundant fish life and it gives home to many turtles. Click here for an overview with all my posts about the Maldives.

 

sea turtle during scuba diving on the Maldives
hawksbill turtle – the dive site ´Fishhead´ is home to many turtles

 

Liveaboards are also possible with Rasdhoo Dive Center

I dived this spot myself and enjoyed it a lot but there are also other amazing dive sites to be done on a day trip. Also, soon Rasdhoo Dive Centre will offer liveaboard trips for a few days to explore nice dive sites around the Maldives. The early morning dive to see the hammerhead sharks and night dives can be organised upon request and can be done almost any day.

The difference Rasdhoo Dive Centre makes on this atoll and in the Maldives

The travel and diving industry on Rasdhoo is still developing but in contrast to most other accommodation and dive centres on this island, ´Rasdhoo Dive Centre´ is the most developed. They were the first dive centre on Rasdhoo Island and with their nice dive lodge and rooftop restaurant, they can offer you a complete all-inclusive package for your diving holiday. It is a great place to meet other divers and the staff is extremely friendly and chilled while at the same time very professional in regards to scuba diving. You will feel comfortable from the first minute you arrive.

 

manta cleaning station on Rasdhoo Atoll
Manta rays can be seen at the cleaning station on Rasdhoo Atoll from November till April

 

Rasdhoo Dive Centre is conscious about the environment and a PADI Green Fins member

All the staff of Rasdhoo Dive Centre shows a big passion for the ocean and practise good ethics not to disturb any marine life. They also organise beach clean-ups and clean the close by laying sandbank. The manager of the dive shop is having plans to start a coral replanting project too. I spoke to the owner of the dive centre who showed a big enthusiasm for the environment. He will also be organising more projects to keep the oceans clean in the near future. Rasdhoo Dive Centre is also a member of Green Fins. Click here for an overview of other environmentally friendly dive centres around the world, I wrote about.

High level of professionality at Rasdhoo Dive Centre

In my experience, the level of service and professionalism are similar to the ones in the expensive resorts on the Maldives. At Rasdhoo Dive Centre the equipment, compressor and maintenance rooms are extremely clean and organised, also there is a high-quality compressor from the brand Bauer. All rental equipment is available and everything looks brand new, all from Scuba Pro. Soon, Nitrox will be available too.

 

high quality rental scuba dive equipment
Rasdhoo Dive Centre is a well-organised & professional scuba diving center!

 

Comfortable big boat with toilet and sundeck

Rasdhoo Dive Centre is diving from a big boat with a lot of space for tanks and equipment, there is a toilet on board and a sundeck to chill out during your surface interval. Next to the professional and relaxed dive staff, the boat crew is also very helpful and friendly.

Schedule your scuba dives as you wish

Usually, they go out for two dives in the morning, and one in the afternoon but they are very flexible and can make their plan according to the wish of the divers. Because most dive sites are located so close to Rasdhoo, you can plan your diving exactly as you wish. If you only like to do one dive in the morning, this is possible too; Rasdhoo Dive Centre will bring you back during the surface interval.

 

Sand bank Madivaru Finolhu
non-diver excursions can also be organised at Rasdhoo Dive Center

Practical information about Rasdhoo Dive Centre

Rasdhoo Dive Centre is PADI dive centre and all courses are available from beginner to Divemaster. The dive centre is open from 07.30 am till 09.00 pm and during the whole day, somebody will be available to talk to. You can find more information on booking.com or Agoda. Please note that I earn a small commission from purchases through this link.

Go Pro or do your PADI divemaster on the Maldives

For these questions coming in through the Splashpacker site before: Yes, now it is possible to do your divemaster course on the Maldives! Staying in a resort is not likely to be affordable but staying on a local island makes it possible to do your divemaster course on a world-class dive destination. Rasdhoo Dive Centre can make a package for your divemaster internship, contact me directly for more information. The dive centre is also looking into becoming an IDC centre in the future. Click here for more information about becoming a divemaster or scuba dive instructor and to go pro in scuba diving.

 

Do your divemaster or instructor course on the Maldives!
The team of the dive centre exist of super friendly & professional instructors

Do you want to go on a diving holiday to Rasdhoo Island?

If you´re interested in scuba diving with Rasdhoo Dive Center, you can book the accommodation with Agoda or booking.com. I earn a small commission on your purchase through these links. Full all-inclusive packages can be booked but if you like to plan your own travel you can also book the speedboat ferry, accommodation, food and diving separately. You can read more about travelling to Rasdhoo Island, including other accommodation options, by clicking on this link. 

Tip for your international flight deal to the Maldives!

Direct flights to the Maldives are constantly changing. At the time I was writing this article, I figured out that there are direct flights from countries like Switzerland, Germany and Turkey in Europe, however they change on a regular base. Use 12go.co to find your best flight deal no matter where you are in the world. They scan all updated information in regards to direct flights, flights with stopovers and the best deal for your dates. You can book through them as well, Splashpacker will earn a small percentage on your booking. However, like with Agoda and Booking, you don´t pay more as if you would book directly. You can also use the search box below.

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More scuba dive- and travel information about the Maldives will follow..

As you probably already have realised, I´m very excited about this new local and budget concept on the Maldives. I already visited another local island, Ukulhas, where guesthouses and a dive centre offering holiday packages, making it possible to do some island hopping and include more Maldivian islands in your stay. Also, I´m working on a more general article about travelling to Rasdhoo island on the Maldives with more details and information. I also wrote a post about staying on the neighbour resort island called Veligandu. Or you can click here for an overview of all posts about the Maldives so far! Stay tuned and keep an eye on the Splashpacker website or follow me on Facebook.

Rasdhoo Island on Alif Alif Atoll in the Maldives
an impression of Rasdhoo Island

Very happy bubbles from the Maldives & thank you Rasdhoo Dive Centre!

A big thanks to Rasdhoo Dive Centre for making local holidays on the Maldives now available to all of us and so that those on a lower budget can also enjoy the scuba diving of the Maldives without needing to stay in a luxury resort. Rasdhoo Dive Centre has also provided me with all of the photos in this article and other thanks for inviting me to stay and dive with them.

Very happy bubbles from the Maldives!

*As an associate from Booking, Agoda, 12go.co and Get your Guide, I earn from qualifying purchases

Scuba Diving Center on Rasdhoo Island on the Maldives
See you soon at Rasdhoo Dive Centre! 

 

12 thoughts on “Scuba Diving with Rasdhoo Dive Centre on Rasdhoo Island, Rasdhoo Atoll, Maldives”

  1. Hi Karen, thank you for your feedback! I love to go back and work in Australia one day again. I worked on Hamilton Island in 2012, and later in Byron Bay. Greetings to Aussie and good luck with your dive center!

  2. That is indeed quite fascinating and I’d like to dive in Maldives someday so I appreciate this post. I want to share a company that is specialized in diving classes. “Frog Dive“. They have classes and courses that suits all diving skill levels. Thanks again!

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  6. Hi there Soniaj, Thank you for your comment. What kind of volunteering did you have in mind? At the moment I am a bit too busy to keep up with my blog, but always open to work together with like-minded people. You might have the wrong idea in mind in regards to my Blog. Currently it´s just kind of a hobby to me and are back in Europe working full time. But anyway I am always open to new ideas and stuff. I have a lot of contacts in regards to environmentally focussed dive centers. Look forward to hear back from you. Kind Regards,

  7. Hi Lean, Thank you for your positive reply. All the best

  8. Hi Neil, thank you for your feedback!! The growing must see bubble veneus �������� You make me laugh! Will soon write more about Maldives. Hope you're well ������

  9. Thanks Ellis for another interesting report on what looks like an awesome dive location with fantastic accommodation and dive centre facilities. Another location to add to the ever growing must see bubble venues. ������

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