Your first scuba dive in India: what it costs, what happens, who can do it

The short version

A first dive for someone with no certificate is called a try dive. PADI calls it Discover Scuba Diving and SSI calls it Try Scuba. You do not need a certificate and you do not need to be a strong swimmer.

On Coral Circuit the cheapest try dives listed in India are ₹2,499 at Netrani Scuba Adventures in Murudeshwar and ₹2,970 at Flying Fish in Goa. Most shops list between ₹3,500 and ₹7,500. Each price below is the one the shop has published on its own listing as of 17 October 2026. Shops change prices, so the course page is the one to trust.

Who can do it

No certification is needed. The line Coral Circuit prints on every try dive is the honest one: you do not need to be a strong swimmer, but tell the shop if you are not comfortable in water. An instructor stays within arm's reach for the whole dive.

No listing on Coral Circuit states a minimum age or a medical form, so ask the shop before you book. Tell them about asthma, ear trouble, heart conditions, pregnancy or recent surgery. A shop that asks you these questions first is doing its job.

What happens on the day

First a briefing on land: how to breathe from the regulator, how to clear your ears, and the hand signs. Then kit on and a shallow water practice, sometimes in a pool. Three listed try dives say they start in a pool: Shanti Divers in Goa, Scuba Cochin Kovalam and Ocean Delight Scuba in Chennai.

Then the dive itself. Expect 20 to 30 minutes underwater on a standard try dive. The shops that state a time list between 20 and 60 minutes and charge more for longer. Netrani Scuba Adventures sells its try dive by the minute: 10 to 20 minutes for ₹2,499, 20 to 30 for ₹3,499, 30 to 40 for ₹4,499 and 40 to 50 for ₹5,499. In Havelock, Seahawks Scuba lists 20 minutes for ₹3,500 and 40 minutes for ₹4,500.

The most common complaint about a first dive in India is that it was far shorter than promised. Ask how many minutes you will be underwater and get the answer in the enquiry reply.

What the price includes, and the extras

The listed price normally covers the instructor, the tank, the kit and the boat where there is one. Course listings on Coral Circuit have no field for what is included, so ask the shop four things: is the price per person, is GST included, are photos included, and what happens if the weather cancels.

Photos and video are the most common extra. Dive Murdeshwar lists scuba diving with photography at ₹4,999 as its own course, which shows how often photos are priced separately. Transport from your hotel and a wetsuit can also be extra.

GST: some shops add 18% GST at the counter. Ask before you pay, and ask for a receipt that shows it.

Deposits

None of the try dives listed on Coral Circuit asks for an advance payment through the site. Some shops list an amount to hold a slot on longer courses; Ke Lak Adventures in Kovalam asks ₹10,000 to hold a place on its ₹28,000 Rescue Diver course.

If a shop asks for a deposit by phone, pay online, ask for a receipt, and get the cancellation terms in writing before you send anything. You pay the shop, not Coral Circuit. Anything paid through Coral Circuit is refundable in full for 7 days.

How to pick a shop

Four things on a Coral Circuit listing tell you most of what you need. The Google review count, with the rating: Flying Fish in Goa shows 4.8 from 697 Google reviews, Temple Adventures in Pondicherry 4.8 from 3,182, Aqua Ride in Murudeshwar 4.9 from 1,487. The certification chip, PADI or SSI, which the shop has entered itself. A published price. And whether a pool session comes first.

Then ask one question the listing cannot answer: which dive shop will run my dive? Agents sell dives for shops they do not own. Book with the shop whose name is on the boat.

Three places for a first dive, by season

Goa, October to May

Goa's city record on Coral Circuit gives the season as October to May, water at 26 to 29 degrees and visibility of 10 to 20 metres. Seven dive shops are listed. Try dives start at ₹2,970 at Flying Fish, then ₹7,000 at Dive Goa and ₹7,000 at Shanti Divers. See diving in Goa.

Murudeshwar and Netrani Island, October to May

Thirteen dive shops are listed for Murudeshwar in Karnataka, the most of any Indian city on the site. The city record gives October to May, water at 26 to 28 degrees and visibility of 8 to 15 metres. Try dives start at ₹2,499 at Netrani Scuba Adventures, ₹3,499 at Dolphin Dive Murdeshwar, ₹3,500 at West Coast Adventures and ₹4,500 at Aqua Ride. See diving in Murudeshwar.

Havelock, Andaman Islands, listed all year

The Havelock destination record lists the season as year round and twelve dive operators. Shore try dives start at ₹3,500 at Seahawks Scuba, Andaman Bubbles, Dive Andaman and The Dive Master. Boat try dives cost ₹5,500 at Dive Andaman and ₹6,500 at Lacadives and Barefoot Scuba. See diving in Havelock.

Also listed

Pondicherry, October to May: ₹6,500 at Urban Nomad Unbound Adventure and ₹7,500 at Temple Adventures. Kovalam in Kerala: ₹4,500 at Ke Lak Adventures and ₹4,500 at Scuba Cochin Kovalam. Vizag: ₹4,500 at Platypus Escapes. Sindhudurg: ₹5,900 at Divers of Vingoria.

If you want to try breathing underwater before a trip, pool try dives are listed in cities: ₹3,000 at Scuba Cochin in Kochi, ₹5,500 at DIVEIndia Mumbai and ₹6,000 at Aquanaut India in Bengaluru.

Next step

Open scuba diving in India, pick a shop, and tap Check availability. Tell the shop your date and group size. They reply by phone or email. Nothing is paid now.