About Unawatuna Diving Centre

OUR STORY IN DETAIL

Our UNAWATUNA DIVING CENTRE was opened in 1999 and was PADI accredited in 2005 as a PADI Dive Resort. It was the first PADI Dive Centre to operate in Unawatuna.

When we first arrived here in 1995, we were completely awestruck with the untamed beauty of the place both on land and underwater. That’s when we decided to open our first Diving Centre in 1999 at the beautiful Unawatuna Bay at the South Coast of Sri Lanka. We would like to pass on this passion for diving and the marine world to as many people as we can through our fun PADI courses and help you uncover the wonders of the deep blue and the secrets it beholds. After more than 10 years of operations, in 2014 the Diving Centre was upgraded into a PADI 5 Star Dive Resort, and in 2016 into a PADI 5 Star IDC (Instructor Development Centre) Dive Resort. Since 2015 the Dive Centre is managed by an international and local team of competent PADI Dive Instructors, Divemasters and Boatmen.

In 2016, 2017 and 2018 we received also from PADI Asia Pacific the PADI Award for “Outstanding Contribution to the Diving Industry”. We are proud to be the Number 1 in Diving Education with the most PADI Certifications in Sri Lanka. We are also 100% Project Aware and donate monthly 250 AUD to protect the marine environment in our oceans. We also try our best to organize reef and beach clean-ups, and participate in Dive Against Debris Dives.

Diving in Sri Lanka is our passion! That’s why we opened our second Diving Centre in 2010 at the north east coast of Sri Lanka in Nilaveli, 12 km north of Trincomalee and the third one 2014 in Uppuveli, 3 km north of Trincomalee. That’s how we can practice Scuba Diving at the south and north east cost of Sri Lanka in Trincomalee, Nilaveli and Unawatuna the whole year round.

Our Facilities & Equipment

The spacious Diving Centre has a inside and outside sitting area, a school equipment room, a private equipment room, a school room for teaching PADI courses, a compressor room, an office area, a kitchen, and a private shower area. We have a large cleaning basin for your equipment and afterwards your suit can dry perfectly in the shade. You can see that all is taken care of. We have around 30 complete sets of Rental Dive Equipment (BCD, Regulator, Mask, Fins, Belts, Weight) of all different sizes in stock.

First class compressors (made by BAUER, Germany) speedy fill our eighty 12 L Aluminum Diving Tanks with DIN or INT connectors. For children we provide also four 8 L Aluminum Diving Tanks. We provide also NITROX (Enriched Air) free of charge. There are five to seven diving boats, environmentally friendly four stroke Yamaha, with roof and shade available, witch bring you to the desired diving locations. It takes around 5 to 30 minutes boat ride depending on the dive spot. Every boat contains a maximum of 5 divers and one dive guide (Divemaster or Dive Instructor).

Diving in Unawatuna

The beautiful waters and its secrets and surprises are the most fascinating part of diving. The parrot fish munching on coral, the sparkling of the tiny bubbles dispersed by waves, the sound of nothingness in the vast blue in spite of the wholeness it consumes.

We offer Reef, Rock, Wreck, Deep & Night Dives at our 16 different Unawatuna and Galle dive sites with different depths varying from 6 up to 32 meters. Starting every day at 8:30 and 13:30 for one or two dives. At our Diving Base you have the possibility to practice mostly boat dives with all grades of difficulties suitable for beginners and experienced divers.

Upon arrival at our Dive Centre at 8.30 am for registration, we start with assembling the dive equipment and the dive site/boat briefing. Our morning dives start at 9 am with two dives and a surface interval on the diving boat and will be back at our base at around 12 noon to 1 pm depending on the dive site(s).
We start the afternoon dives with arrival at our Dive Centre at 1.30 pm for registration, assembling the dive equipment and the briefing after which we start at 2 pm with a surface interval on the diving boat. You will be back at our Diving Base at around 3.30 pm or around 5 pm depending on the dive site(s).

Courses and Activities

Our Diving School offers PADI Courses for beginners and advanced divers, e.g. Discovery Scuba Diving, DSD (minimum age 10 years), beginner courses like PADI Scuba Diver, PADI Open Water Diver, continuing education with PADI Adventure Diver, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and PADI Rescue Diver up to PADI Pro Level, PADI Divemaster & PADI Dive Instructor.

You can also improve your diving skills with us with PADI Specialty Courses like NITROX Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Project Aware, Self-reliant Diver, Dive Against Debris, Fish Identification, Deep Diver, Wreck Diver, Night Diver and so on.

Safety and Standards

Since the beginning of UNAWATUNA DIVING CENTRE safety is of great importance to us. Our dive briefings cover all safety and standard procedures. In addition, our diving base has a stationary Oxygen Supply and portable DAN Systems that are available on our diving boats. The boat guides, diving guides and Dive Instructors are all trained in first aid assistance. The crew often practice Rescue Trainings which you can also be a part of on request.

The Diving Lifestyle

After the Dives or Diving Courses, all divers and non-divers sit together, enjoy a cup of Ceylon tea and exchange their impressions and experiences. We have beach beds, tables and chairs with sun umbrellas which provide a perfect setting for relaxation. An open air restaurant next to our base offers refreshments, snacks, lunch and dinner.

We can sit together and chat by the beachside witnessing a beautiful sunset while sipping on some beer and discussing anything under the sun.

We look forward to having you at our UNAWATUNA DIVING CENTRE, PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Resort, S-36133. Come and experience the underwater world and be captivated by this parallel universe you never knew existed!

Everybody is welcome!! Diving is FUN!!
Meet the Professionals!! Dive with US!!