When is the best to dive there?

These are the West Coast Season (November-April) and East Coast Season (May-October).

Can I get my PADI certifications in Sri Lanka

Most of the reputed dive centres offer certifications up to the instructors. The Open Water, West Coast Diving and Rescue Diver courses may take about 3 to 4 days each at costs ranging from EURO 350 to EURO 450.

What else can I do in Sri Lanka?

Our little country is a fantastic place! Beyond diving, visit our national parks, ancient cities, hill country tea estates and world-class beaches — see the Visit Sri Lanka guide for a quick tour of what you can enjoy top side.

The one-stop guide to diving in Sri Lanka!

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Dive Sri Lanka

Start your journey around Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is the best country in South Asia to dive

The shipwrecks of Sri Lanka provide some of the best thrilling wreck diving

Years of
History

Our Introduction

Welcome to
Dive Sri Lanka

Did you know that Sri Lanka is one of the best countries in South Asia to dive shipwrecks? Well, now you know! We have over 50 fascinating wrecks all around the island — a dozen on the west coast, including two World War I steamships sunk by the German commerce raider SMS Wolf in 1917.

On the east coast, we have a slew of World War II wrecks, including the world-famous H.M.S. Hermes (1942), recognised as one of the top 100 wreck dives in the world, along with SS British Sergeant (1942), H.M.S. Hollyhock (1942) and R.M.S. Athelstane (1942).

Our diving areas

Let's Dive by
Regions

Sri Lanka is an island — you can dive almost everywhere, with exciting spots scattered around the country across an array of ecological environments, marine life and depths. Two major seasons dictate which side we dive: the West Coast Season (November–April) and the East Coast Season (May–October).

East

Dive Batticaloa

Batticaloa is the gateway to Sri Lanka's most legendary wreck dive, the H.M.S. Hermes, sunk in 1942 — plus a dramatic overland journey through wild elephant country, diving May to September.

West

Dive Bentota

Bentota is Sri Lanka's water sports capital — surf, kitesurf or dive the sprawling Canoe Rock reef, and use it as an easy access point for nearby Beruwala's dive sites too.

West

Dive Beruwala

Beruwala rewards the boat ride with strong-current rock formations, gin-clear visibility to 30 metres and the chance of a passing whale shark, diving November to May.

West

Dive Colombo

Colombo is Sri Lanka's premier wreck diving capital — a dozen wrecks from 30m to 57m technical depths, from WWI armed merchant ships to modern cargo vessels, plus the unique Gorgonian Gardens reef.

West

Dive Galle / Unawatuna

Unawatuna near Galle offers reliable Napoleon wrasse sightings, black-coral-draped rock reefs and historic shipwrecks off one of Sri Lanka's most famous beaches, diving November to May.

West

Dive Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa pairs Sri Lanka's famous coral sanctuary with wreck and cave diving — including the Conch wreck and the cavern complexes of Hikkaduwa Deep Rock — a lively beach town diving November to May.

East

Dive Kalmunai

Kalmunai is expedition-diving territory — home to the WWII wrecks of the SS Athelstane and HMS Hollyhock at 42m, sunk in the same 1942 raid that claimed the H.M.S. Hermes.

West

Dive Kalpitiya

Kalpitiya blends dramatic Indian Ocean sunsets, a dolphin-rich lagoon and scenic boat rides to rock-reef dive sites on Sri Lanka's northwest coast, diving November through May.

West

Dive Negombo

Negombo is Sri Lanka's most accessible dive region, just 35km from Bandaranaike International Airport. Dive WWII wreckage, reefs and twin-reef systems from December to April — a great start or finish to any Sri Lanka dive trip.

East

Dive Pasikudah & Vakarai

Pasikudah and Vakarai remain among Sri Lanka's least-explored dive regions — shallow coral reefs and unconfirmed shipwrecks in a calm, shallow bay setting, diving May to October.

Inter Monsoonal

Dive the Basses

The Basses Reef is Sri Lanka's most extreme dive region — a remote 40km limestone ridge off the southeast coast, famous as the site of Arthur C. Clarke's 1961 silver-coin shipwreck discovery, diving mid-March to mid-April only.

East

Dive Trincomalee

Trincomalee's natural harbour was the site of a major WWII air raid — dive shipwrecks, downed Japanese Zero fighters and reef sites around this historic naval city, in season April to October.

West

Dive Weligama

Weligama pairs Sri Lanka's best-known surf town with shallow reef diving from 15 to 20 metres, featuring scenic rock formations, swim-throughs and caves in a sheltered, coral-fringed bay.

Our Book

Ghosts of the
Deep

Diving the shipwrecks of Sri Lanka

• Written by Dharshana Jayawardena
• Published by unknown
• Published in 2020

Now in stores

Dive Sri Lanka experts

Founders

Please note that DiveSriLanka.com is not a recreational diving service provider, and this is merely an online SCUBA information resource about Sri Lanka.

Dharshana Jayawardena

Founder

Dharshana Jayawardena is a pioneering solo underwater explorer in Sri Lanka. He is the author of Ghosts of the Deep – Diving the shipwrecks of Sri Lanka – and has identified the origins of several mystery wrecks in Sri Lanka and discovered its first underwater cave system in the country.

Nipun Samintha

Co-Founder

Nipun Samintha runs the SriLankan Diver channel on YouTube, and he is a traveller who explores remote and natural locations in Sri Lanka. By profession, he currently works as an IT Consultant at a reputed Sri Lankan group of companies, having completed his degree and now continuing his Master's at Staffordshire University. Nipun has been a SCUBA diver since 2020. He also joined Mr Dharshana Jayawardena in the Rangala public safety dive exploration in 2021 and the Pahanthudawa dive in 2022.

Over Sri Lanka

150+

Diving Places

50+

Diving Centers

100+

Diving Trainers

10+

Beautiful Beaches

Ask Questions Now

FAQs

Sri Lanka is an island! It means you can dive almost everywhere! But we have two major seasons, which dictate which side of the island we can dive to.