loader image

SCUBA DIVING 

The Best Time to Scuba Dive in Sri Lanka

  Author: Ellie  

14th March 2023

 Read Time: 5 minutes 

Do you wonder what is the best time to scuba dive in Sri Lanka? Then you found the right place. Divinguru is operating whole year round and we offer all scuba diving activities, PADI Courses, Snorkeling and Whale & Dolphin Watching. From October until April we are open at our diving centre Divinguru Unawatuna on the south coast of Sri Lanka. From March until October you find us at Divinguru Nilaveli, located 10km north from Trincomalee town on the east coast. So from 15th March until 10th April you can scuba dive on the best spots on both coasts of Sri Lanka. But that doesn’t mean you can scuba dive in Sri Lanka only one month.

We are open whole year round at our different locations and diving according the monsoon season. Each coast has something different to offer so let’s have a look when is the best time to scuba dive in Sri Lanka.

Divinguru dive centres in Unawatuna, Nilaveli and Trincomalee Sri Lanka

Dive with us on both south and east coast whole year round!

When is Sri Lanka diving season?

The diving season in Sri Lanka is whole year round at different locations. We can divide diving in Sri Lanka into two seasons. According to to monsoon season Divinguru is operating half year in Unawatuna on the south coast and second half of the year in Nilaveli and Trincomalee in the north-east of Sri Lanka.

Divinguru Unawatuna is open every year from 15th October until 10th April, in this 6 months period you can enjoy the best diving conditions in Sri Lanka. From mid of April onwards diving on the south coast is influenced by the south west monsoon. Due to these conditions Divinguru centre in Unawatuna is closed. No worries, we are moving to the untouched north-east coast!

However bathing and swimming is possible during the whole year due to the reefs protecting Unawatuna Beach and the Mihiripenna/Dalawella Beach from high waves.

Divinguru Nilaveli is operating every year from 15th March to 30th October just 10km from Trincomalee town. In this time period you can find the best diving on the nort-east coast with calm sea and good underwater visibility. Our diving centre is located very near to the famous Pigeon Island Marine National Park in Nilaveli where you can snorkel with sharks and turtles. From mid November onwards the diving on the east coast is influenced by the north east monsoon. The sea becomes rough, heavy rain influences the dive conditions and our diving centres in the east are closed. Then Divinguru moves to the south where the south west monsoon ends at around the mid of October and the dive season starts.

During the off-season the sea becomes rough and heavy rain influences the dive conditions. Usually monsoons carry more humid air from the Indian Ocean. Sometimes there are strong winds and rains but on average never longer than an hour or two.

prepare for Open Water Diver course at home with Divinguru

The Pigeon Island is located a few minutes by boat transfer from Divinguru Nilaveli.

Weather & Diving conditions in Sri Lanka

Daily sunshine is even during the monsoon period in average 8 hours a day. Day temperatures are around 29 to 32 Degrees Celsius and night temperatures 26 to 30 Degrees Celsius. Water temperature is the whole year between 27 and 30 Celsius. Underwater visibility can change quite quickly, on average we have 10 meters, if lucky 15 meters maximum.

What you can expect while diving in Sri Lanka?

Both coasts has something different to offer. On the south coasts you can expect deep diving and wreck diving and on the east coast shallow diving with beautiful corals. If you are looking to spot a big fish, then definitely visit the famous Pigeon Island Marine National Park on the east coast of Sri Lanka where you can snorkel with black tip reef sharks and sea turtles. If you get lucky on the south coast you can spot whale sharks or manta rays during months of January until April.

Check out also our Dive Sites to learn more about different diving spots and marine life in Sri Lanka. For wreck diving we also recommend Hikkaduwa or Colombo.

Hawksbill Turtle over hard corals

Ready to start your diving adventure in Sri Lanka?

SOUTH COAST – Unawatuna Season

from 15th October – 10th April

  • wrecks for all diving levels
  • deep dive sites (max. 32m)
  • with spectacular marine life
  • rock topography with swimthroughs
  • visibility: 5 to 15 metres

EAST COAST – Nilaveli, Trincomalee Season

15th March – 30th October

  • the best coral reefs in Sri Lanka
  • shallow dive sites around 10 m (max. 18m)
  • snorkeling and whale watching
  • Pigeon Island Marine National Park
  • visibility: 5 to 20 metres

You May Also Like..

whale and dolphin watching in Sri Lanka with Divinguru

Whale Watching in Sri Lanka

WHALE WATCHING Whale Watching in Sri Lanka Author: Geethanjali  4th February 2025 Read Time: 5 minutes Since the end of the war in 2009, Sri Lanka has made its mark on the global map as a whale watching destination given the steady growth of whale population off...

Feb 4, 2025

Top 10 Myths about Scuba Diving

SCUBA DIVING Top 10 Myths about Scuba Diving Author: Geethanjali  2nd January 2025 Read Time: 8 minutes Like most adventure sports, scuba diving has its own share of myths and misunderstandings with shark attacks topping the list. Scuba diving is one of the most...

Jan 2, 2025

Top Spots for Scuba Diving in Sri Lanka

TRAVELING Top Spots for Scuba Diving in Sri Lanka Author: Geethanjali  17th December 2024 Read Time: 8 minutes Also known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, Sri Lanka has made its mark on the map as a scuba diving destination for people of varying experience...

Dec 17, 2024

female freediver swimming underwater on the top of the coral reef in clear visibility

First Freediving School in Sri Lanka

FREEDIVING First Freediving School in Sri Lanka  Author: Ellie  14th April 2024Read Time: 4 minutesWe are thrilled to share with you that Divinguru Sri Lanka is the first authorized PADI Freediving school in Sri Lanka. At the moment we offer Basic Freediver and...

Apr 14, 2024

Why to choose DIVINGURU

UPDATES & NEWS Why to choose Divinguru  Author: Ellie  10th January 2024  Read Time: 10 minutes You’ll come across many dive companies around Sri Lanka and every dive operator will tell you to go diving with them. Here are some tips you should check before...

Jan 10, 2024

PADI Instructor Awards 2023

 UPDATES & NEWS PADI Instructor Awards 2023 Read Time: 1 minute Our elite PADI Instructors Norbert and Ellie have received their Certificates of Excellence from PADI Regional Manager Anisha Kumar. 🤿 🎉 Thank you to all students who completed...

Oct 6, 2023

Brand new diving centre in Nilaveli is open

UPDATES & NEWS Brand New Diving Centre in Nilaveli  Author: Ellie   15th March 2023  Read Time: 1 minute We are very excited to share with all of you our brand new diving centre Divinguru Nilaveli directly on the Nilaveli Beach! Just a few minutes boat ride...

Mar 15, 2023

Divinguru Beach Resort -new diving resort on east coast of Sri Lanka

Tourist Board Approval for Divinguru Beach Resort in Nilaveli

 UPDATES & NEWS  Tourist Board Approval Read Time: 1 minute Our Final Tourist Board Approval for our Divinguru Beach Resort! We are proud to share with you our Tourist Board approval from Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority for our project in Nilaveli on...

Mar 14, 2023

Best time to visit Pigeon Island

SNORKELING  The Best Time to Visit Pigeon Island  Author: Ellie  28th May 2022  Read Time: 12 minutes  When visiting the east coast of Sri Lanka, the famous Pigeon Island Marine National Park is the highlight of your holiday. If you like scuba diving above the best...

May 28, 2022

2 Comments

  1. Nigel Forrester

    Hello,
    I am a keen diver an usually travel to Thailand Bali & Egypt , i thought i would try Sri Lanka and so i booked a flight from England in October 2025 as i read the weather would be good ,doing more research I have learned this month is not good for diving .
    Before i cancel or rearrange my flight can you give me more advice please which would be much appreciated.
    Regards
    Nigel

    Reply
    • Divinguru

      Dear Nigel, Thank you for your comment. Definitely you can travel to Sri Lanka in October and have nice weather for sightseeing. The south coast can be still influenced by the south-west monsoon but you will find also sunny days. For scuba diving we highly recommend east coast of Sri Lanka in the month of October. The scuba diving conditions are perfect around Nilaveli, flat ocean and visibility between 10-15 meters. You can enjoy soft and hard corals and great variety of marine life.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *