Luxury resort Rania offers the ultimate diving experience for all levels. With an average water temperature of 86ËšF, clear visibility year round and more than 250 diving sites, the Maldives are a diver’s paradise and Rania’s very own PADI certified dive instructor Adham Rafeeu will ensure guests get the most out of their stay. Together with his expert knowledge of the dive sites, Raffeeu is also highly qualified in underwater nature and fish identification so that no guest is left in doubt as to what marine life they see.

 

The waters of the Indian Ocean are teaming with neon coloured life. Divers can expect to see an extensive array of fish and marine creatures from large schools of yellow banded snappers and jack fish to the majestic manta rays and whale sharks. The Maldives also has a collection of amazing wrecks to explore, home to some incredible marine life. Whilst diving, guests could have face-to-face encounters with the friendly and curious napoleon wrasses, surgeon and butterfly fish, red tooth triggers, tuna, barracudas, sea turtles, stingrays, white-tip sharks as well as see yellow, blue and orange soft hanging corals and sponges. 

 

With as many as 40 dive sites in the Faafu Atoll alone, Rania guests will find endless opportunities for snorkeling and scuba diving at all skill levels, accompanied by the yacht’s PADI-certified dive instructor. These include two sites along Water Garden Island Spa’s own house reef: Maafushi South, a gently sloping, well-carpeted reef that plays host to moray eels and small marine life and frequently attracts turtles and lobsters, and Maafushi Giri, with its colorful coral formations and dense schools of fish. The Lighthouse Channel is among the best sites in Faafu, with an enormous variety of fish, from schools of eagle-rays to grey-reef sharks, as well as beautifully overgrown thilas (reefs that don’t reach the surface).

Nearby Ari Atoll is famous for sightings of whale sharks, the world’s largest fish. Among its top sites are Jack Fish Channel with caves of all sizes to explore; Lucky Rock, an exceptionally beautiful reef that is home to scorpionfish, stone fish, stingrays, turtles, bat fish and sharks; the aptly named Shark Point, where even the rare hammerhead shark makes an occasional appearance; Paradise Rock, which boasts a spectacular underwater landscape; and the splendid caves of Super Gorgia. Also in the Ari Atoll is the Kudima Wreck, where a 60-meter boat submerged in 1998 has become home to lionfish, batfish, nurse sharks and stingrays.

The South Malé Atoll offers a number of great wreck sites as well as drift dives like Banana Reef that allow divers to glide underwater with the current as they explore the marine landscape. The wreck of the Maldives Victory is an intriguing site just off the airport island in the North Malé Atoll. The 35,000-ton freighter sank in 1981 after hitting the southern tip of the island at full speed.

 

Having a personal certified dive instructor means guests on Rania can benefit from a tailor-made diving course specifically designed for each individual’s ability. Guests can gain certificates from basic open-water level to the most advanced dive master level, depending on length of stay, Furthermore, the choice of dive-sites is endless. Guests can visit any dive site they wish, providing it is within the three hours travelling distance per day.

 

Rania comes fully equipped with the following:

Dive tanks, weights, weight belts, wetsuits, masks, fins, Octopus with regulator, full set of breathing apparatus, pressure gauges and regulators, balance control devices and dive computers.

Although all equipment is provided for every guest, those who have their own diving equipment, such as masks and wetsuits, are welcome to bring them.

 

Guests wanting to dive must have a fit-to-dive certificate (or equivalent) from their doctors. Guests who are unable to provide such information may not be able to complete a full course. Qualified divers must provide their log books or other evidence of certification. All internationally recognised certification is accepted. Beginners will require a minimum five days stay in order to obtain Open Water certificates. 

Some fish such as scorpion fish and brightly coloured lion fish have poisonous spines, therefore care should be taken to avoid accidentally touching them. Rafeeu can advise guests which species of fish are poisonous. However, if guests stick to the simple philosophy that marine life should be seen and not touched, a lifetime of happy tropical dives can be enjoyed.

For safety reasons Rania has a policy whereby 24 hours must be left between the last dive and return flights home. To avoid any emergencies, there is a law in the Maldives that guests who are not certified can only dive to a maximum of 12 metres, those with open water certificates can only dive up to 18 metres and advanced divers or above can dive to a maximum 30 metres depth. For additional safety, Rania has two first aid medics on board and a full first aid kit along with pure oxygen in case guests suffer decompression sickness. In the unlikely event of an emergency, there is decompression chamber on Bandos Island which is close to Malé.