The 15 Best Sri Lanka Scuba Diving

1.Fun Dives For Certified Divers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · from $54Our pick

Join Divinguru Unawatuna for one or two boat-based scuba sessions at one of 16 sites near Galle. Certified divers get tanks, weights, guide, and standard equipment, with groups capped at five. Guides such as Alexandros, Elie, Irina, and Alex lead marine-life trips that may include wrecks, turtles, barracuda, wrasses, and nudibranchs.

“I had a terrific experience with Irina on two refresher courses. She was thorough and communicated very well. I felt very comfortable going back in the water after a year. The dives were great. Saw lots of marine life—reef barracuda, wrasses, etc down to lots of little Nudibranches. Will definitely come back.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Discover SCUBA Diving in Beautiful Unawatuna Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $65

Spend about three hours learning basic SCUBA skills with Sun Diving SriLanka in Unawatuna. After a briefing and practice in a 1-meter lagoon, you’ll take a short boat ride to Rock Island, where the reef reaches 10 meters and a partial wreck may appear. Equipment, bottled water, and tea are included.

“Excellent experience! My guide Wishva was very reliable, explained everything patiently and in detail, made me feel comfortable, and was always attentive to my safety and enjoyment of the experience. Thank you!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.PADI Scuba Diver Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $232

At Divinguru Nilaveli, you spend two to three days learning the basics of scuba use with instructors such as Ellie, Norbert, Nico, or Yannis. The course includes classroom work, confined-water practice, equipment, transport, snacks, and two open-water sessions. It leads to a limited PADI Scuba Diver certificate, not full Open Water certification.

“We went as a couple- one of us completing their license and the other doing free dives. A bonus is that they offer refresher dives if you are licensed but have not dove in a while. The dive shop was fantastic- from picking us up at our hotel to an easy sign in process, the whRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Fun Dives For Certified Divers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $52

Join Divinguru Nilaveli for one or two guided boat-based scuba sessions around reefs, rocks, wrecks, and Pigeon Island. Certified scuba users can expect small groups of up to five per boat, well-kept rental gear, free Nitrox, snacks, and guides such as Ellie or Norbert. Park entry costs an extra €15.

“Great dive center! We dived for 7 days with Nilaveli Divinguru. The dive center is great. Very spacious, well designed and built to a high standard. The dive center also has its own restaurant. Great place for lunch after the dives. One of the best we have dived in. I have travelRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Fun Dives For Certified Divers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · from $48Best value

Join Sun Diving Sri Lanka in Unawatuna for a two-hour scuba outing aimed at certified divers. Your guide selects from 16 sites based on your certification and the day’s sea conditions, with wrecks, caves, pinnacles, and reefs available. Equipment, boat transport, and bottled water are included. Groups are capped at 10.

“I had a wonderful dive despite some rough seas and poor visibility. The guides are extremely competent and make you feel very safe. They gave me a quick refresher with very clear instructions. I was worried about loosing my guide due to lRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Scuba Diving at Unawatuna

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · from $70

Meet AdrenalineLK Adventures on Yaddehimulla Road for a four-hour underwater outing in Unawatuna. You’ll receive a scuba theory lesson, shallow-water practice, full equipment, and guidance from PADI-certified instructors before visiting one of more than 15 reef or wreck sites. GoPro photos are included.

“J’ai fait cette activité pour la première fois ici et c’était extraordinaire! Un peu stressé au départ, l’équipe a tout de suite su me mettre à l’aise. Merci à tous pour votre gentillesse et toutes ces choses incroyables que vous m’avez fait découvrir! À faire absolument!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Scuba Diving For Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $84

Meet at Divinguru in Nilaveli for a 2 to 3 hour beginner scuba session. You’ll learn basic theory, practice in a pool or calm open water, then go by boat to a maximum depth of 6 or 12 meters, depending on the program. PADI professionals including Norbert, Alan, and Elis have guided first-timers here.

“Norbert my instructor was superb, patient with me and great teacher on my beginners dive. Adam, Ella and Ellie also v kind and helpful.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Scuba Diving in Mirissa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $75

Set out from Mirissa with ZRI Adventures for a private, three-hour scuba experience in Sri Lanka’s coastal waters. You may explore wrecks, soft corals, macro creatures, and schools of fish. Pickup is offered, the activity returns to its starting point, and weather can affect departure.

“The diving and snorkeling experience was spectacular, the instructor and the entire team are 5*. I recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Scuba Diving in Unawatuna

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $65

Meet ZRI Adventures at Weliwatta House in Unawatuna for a roughly two-hour underwater outing. You receive scuba equipment and instruction, then explore nearby reefs, shipwrecks, and marine life with a group capped at five. Zakib handles coordination, while friendly instructors help first-timers, including people who cannot swim.

“I am so glad that I arranged my first scuba diving experience with ZRI adventures. It was an amazing experience especially for someone like me who doesn't even know how to swim. Though it is natural to feel anxious at the very begiRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.PADI Scuba Diver Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $240

Spend about two days learning basic scuba skills with Divinguru Sri Lanka in Unawatuna. You’ll cover theory, confined-water practice, and two open-water sessions, with equipment, transport, drinks, and snacks provided. Instructors including Ellie, Norbert, Fabio, Alex, and Eliska have taught recent courses. The certification limits you to 12 meters with a PADI professional.

“Online booking allowed me to plan my vacation. Discount for booking in advance was a pleasant bonus.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Scuba Diving For Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $84

At Divinguru Sri Lanka in Unawatuna, you learn basic scuba skills, practice in a pool or sheltered water, then take one supervised boat trip to 6 or 12 meters. Instructors such as Ellie, Alex, Nico, and Darshana work with beginners, including nervous swimmers. Equipment, snacks, drinks, and transport are included.

“Nice experience. We did some training in their pool, until feeling confident. A very good experience for first dive. We did dive with divemaster Alex”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $225

Build confidence with five supervised PADI adventure sessions over two to three days in Unawatuna. You will complete Deep and Underwater Navigation training, then choose three specialties such as wreck exploration, buoyancy, fish identification, or boat work. Instructors including Tarush, Supun, and Leon provide calm, patient guidance.

“I am definitely recommend Divinguru in Galle Sri Lanka They are very knowledgeable,professional and yet fun atmosphere and very affordable pricing Leon was my instructor/ buddy and took time to explain everything, took security seriously and was patient great instructor should dive with them great diving sites and they know all the sites well Divinguru are the Best Djamel”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Scuba Diving in Mirissa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 3 hours · from $111

Join Z R I Adventures for a three-hour private scuba outing from Mirissa, with English or Sinhala instruction, safety gear, training, and hotel pickup. You may explore reefs, rocks, or wrecks at a depth suited to your experience. The trip can include two boat sessions, snacks, water, and help with underwater photos.

“Alles war perfekt! Wurden direkt an der Unterkunft abgeholt & wieder zurückgebracht. Das Equiment war ordentlich & gepflegt. Es waren 2 Tauchlehrer für 4 Personen. Es war optimal, sie haben nach uns geschaut & sich gekümmert. Man hat sich sehr sicher gefühlt. Es waren zwei Tauchgegänge vom Boot aus mit Snacks & Wasser. Definitiv zu empfehlen”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Discover Scuba Diving : Hikkaduwa : Scuba Diving

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3 reviews · 3 hours · from $91

Meet the English-speaking team at International Diving School inside Coral Sands Hotel in Hikkaduwa. You’ll learn basic scuba skills in calm water, then join a certified instructor for a guided open-water session among coral and marine life. The three-hour program includes equipment, training, refreshments, and basic insurance. No previous experience is needed.

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Scuba Diving in Colombo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $174

You’ll explore Colombo’s shipwreck sites on two scuba sessions lasting about two hours in total. This private outing is for certified level 1 divers and includes equipment and safety gear. English and Sinhala instruction is available. Non-certified visitors can take a scuba course in Colombo instead.

“very good well supervised incredible diving sites I recommend”

Check availability →Read our full review