Port Blair

Chidiya Tapu

A shore dive at the bottom of the island

Depth
4 - 12 m
Visibility
6 - 15 m
Minimum level
Scuba Diver
Site type
Shore
Entry
Shore entry
Water
28 - 31°C
Walk-in diving at the southern tip of South Andaman, half an hour from Port Blair. Shallow, easy and the best sunset on the island afterwards.
  • Shore
  • Port Blair

Chidiya Tapu is the southernmost point of South Andaman and the only shore dive we run from Port Blair. You park, you kit up, and you walk in - no boat, no schedule, and no reason to be anywhere by a particular time.

What you will see

A shallow fringing reef over rock and sand with soft coral, nudibranchs, cuttlefish and a lot of juvenile fish using the shallows as a nursery. It is a macro dive rather than a big-animal one, and it rewards a slow swim more than a long one.

How it dives

Four to twelve metres, entry over rock that is slippery at low water, and the dive planned around the tide rather than the clock. We usually run it late in the afternoon so that the surface interval is spent watching the sunset the point is known for.

What you will see

  • The one shore dive near Port Blair
  • Macro - nudibranchs and cuttlefish
  • Planned around the tide
  • Sunset point on the surface interval

When to dive it

Best conditions: November - April

Outside those months the site still gets dived - visibility and sea state just move around, so ask us what the water is doing the week you are here.

What the water is doing

The figures our guides brief on. They are what the site usually gives you - the sea gets the final say on the morning, and the boat briefing always wins.

  • Depth4 - 12 m
  • Visibility6 - 15 m
  • Water temperature28 - 31°C
  • CurrentMild current
    • No current
    • Mild current
    • Moderate current
    • Strong current

    Comfortable for a diver holding their own buoyancy.

Before you dive

The rules every diver on this site is held to, whichever trip brings you here. None of them are negotiable, and none of them are a surprise on the day.

  • Minimum age

    Ten years old for a first guided dive, twelve and above for certified diving. Ask us if you are travelling with younger children.

  • Medical declaration

    You will complete a diver medical questionnaire before entering the water. A "yes" to any question means a doctor has to sign you off first, so tell us early rather than on the boat.

  • Flying after diving

    Leave at least 18 hours between your last dive and your flight. Book your trip home with that gap already in it - we cannot shorten it for you.

  • Insurance

    Bring travel insurance that names recreational scuba diving, including chamber treatment and evacuation. We will ask to see it.

This is general guidance for recreational diving, not medical advice about you. If any of it is a question rather than a formality, speak to a doctor before you travel.

Questions divers ask about this site

  • Do I need a boat for this one?

    No, and that is the appeal. We drive out, walk in off the rocks and dive it at your pace. It is the cheapest dive on this page for exactly that reason.

  • Is the entry difficult?

    The rock is slippery at low water, so we time the dive to come in and out on enough water and we carry your kit to the edge. Boots rather than bare feet in the fins - tell us your size when you book.

  • Is it worth it if I only have one day?

    Probably not. With one day, dive North Bay in the morning and keep this for a trip where you are not choosing.

More diving around Port Blair

Want this site on your log? Tell us when you are on the island and we will put you on the boat that goes there.

EnquireAll dive sites
From our divers

What people say once the boat is back in

  • Best first dive I could have asked for. The instructors were unbelievably patient - I panicked at four metres on the first attempt and nobody made me feel stupid about it. Second attempt went fine and I finished the course three days later.
    Rahul MenonOpen Water Diver
  • Only one of us dives. Every other operator we spoke to had a plan where the other one sat on a beach for four days. Aqua Nomads put the snorkel line off the same boat, so we were in the same water the whole week - and by day three I had done a Discover Scuba dive too. The sunset sailing on the last evening was the best hour of the trip.
    Priya and Arjun NairHoneymoon, February
  • They called the Dixon crossing on our first morning because of a swell, and I was quietly annoyed. We dived Jackson Bar twice instead and it turned out to be the best day of the week. Getting Dixon on day three in flat water made the point - they were right and I was wrong.
    Daniel OseiAdvanced Open Water Diver
  • Two teenagers, neither of whom had dived. The instructors worked one-to-one with both of them for the first two dives without us asking, and my daughter has since booked her Open Water for next December. Whatever they did, it worked.
    The Fernandes familyFour divers, two of them under fifteen
  • I cannot swim well and I said so when I booked. They ran the whole thing one instructor to one diver, stayed in the shallow half of the bay, and never once made it feel like a concession. I have since done the swim assessment and the full course.
    Aditi SharmaOpen Water Diver
Call +91 90000 00000