E-Brochure (.pdf) - Diveandaman

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About The Andaman & Nicobar IslandsFloating in splendid isolation in the Bay ofBengal is an archipelago of 572 islands, isletsand rocks, stretching over an area of more than700 km from north to south. Only 36 of theseislands are inhabited. Known as the Andaman& Nicobar Islands, this Union Territory is a partof the Republic of India.Once part of a hill range, stretching fromMyanmar to Indonesia, these undulatingislands are covered with dense forests andendless variety of exotic flowers and birds.Therare flora and fauna, underwater marine lifewith crystal clear water and mangrove linedcreeks, offer a dream view of the rare gifts ofnature.

NWESGetting to the Andaman Islands & to HavelockEast of South Andaman Island is a group of 9emerald islands that form Ritchie'sArchipelago, of which Havelock Island is thelargest.Havelock Island, heart of all scuba divingactivity and tourism in the Andamans is atranquil laid back island where pristine whitesandy beaches welcome you and spectaculardiving and snorkeling make your holiday asplendid one.Port Blair, the capital city of the AndamanIslands can be reached from mainland Indiawith direct flights from Chennai or Kolkata. Allmajor airlines like Indian Airlines, Kingfisherand Jet Lite have daily connections to Port Blair.Havelock is located about 57 km northeast ofPort Blair and can be easily reached by regularferry sailings. There are usually 3 sailing per dayand the journey from Port Blair to HavelockIsland is covered in about 2.5 hours.It's meandering coastline and tall indigenousrainforest trees makes one feels lost inparadise. A visit to Havelock and the AndamanIslands in general is a memorable once in alifetime experience.

About Barefoot Scuba & what we offerLocated at Beach No.3 on Havelock Island,Barefoot Scuba was one of the first diveoperations to be set up in the Andaman Islandsand over the years has made tremendousprogress.Barefoot Scuba is the only PADI 5 Star InstructorDevelopment Dive Resort in the AndamanIslands. Diving or learning to dive with a PADI 5Star IDC facility means that you enjoy betterservices and higher safety standards. Webelieve in small groups and personalizedservice to enhance your diving experience andsafety.The dive centre is fully equipped with a state ofthe art equipment area, a comfortableclassroom, a designated filling area and aservice area. With top of the line divingequipment, outstanding customer service and

DivingBeing the only PADI 5 Star InstructorDevelopment Dive Resort in the AndamanIslands, Barefoot Scuba offers a completerange of PADI courses from the popularDiscover Scuba Diving Programs through tothe professional levels of DivemasterAssistant Instructor, Instructor and beyond.We also offer a variety of Specialty Courses,First Aid Courses and well priced coursepackages that are interesting for those wishingto continue or enhance their divingknowledge.In our quest to bring you something new eachyear, this season we are the only dive facility inIndia with a state of the art Bauer MembraneSystem for safe filling of Nitrox/Enriched Air.We look forward to teaching Nitrox coursesand staying down for longer!Dream, discover and explore the hiddentreasures of the Andaman Sea with us.Certified divers can enjoy guided fun diving insmall groups over beautiful coral reefs and ourdive packages are a popular choice. Whetheryou are staying for a day or for a week, we havefun diving packages to suit every diver.

SnorkelingSnorkeling is an activity that has no realbarriers when it comes to age, fitness level orenjoyment. It's a great way to enjoy thewonderful marine life that the Emerald Isleshave to offer.All you need is a mask & a pair of fins - exploringthe underwater world just couldn't be easier ormore rewarding. It's really simple, so if you arejust a beginner and have never tried it beforedon't miss this opportunity to get your glimpseof what the underwater world has to offer.Believe us- it will take your breath away!snorkeling trip that allows guests to enjoy a bitof a lay in.For those who want to live life king size; choosefrom a wide range of boats and charter aprivate snorkeling boat.Come join us. Allow us to unveil theunderwater marvels of the Emerald Isles.Barefoot Scuba offers several short half daysnorkeling excursions as well as full daysnorkeling programs. Guests can join ourregular dive trips as a snorkeler or opt for theafternoon snorkeling trip or the sunset

Off the beaten trackTo give your holiday an extra edge and formemories to last you a lifetime, Barefoot Scubaoffers you some amazing specials too.Dive or snorkel with Rajan – ourcelebrity elephantRajan - Barefoot's 59 year old retired Asianelephant is the last of the famous oceanswimming elephants of the Andaman Islands.He is a well known celebrity having featured inthe Hollywood movie 'The Fall'.With us, you could dive or snorkel alongsidethis beautiful tusker and add that extra zing toyour Andaman experience. Every seasonsnorkelers and divers from all over the globeare amazed and mesmerized by his grace andrelative weightlessness underwater.If you thought diving with a great white shark isthe most special you could do, think again!

Off the beaten trackIt is not Barefoot's intention to turn thiscelebrity elephant into a circus act by gettinghim to swim too often and with too manypeople. Hence diving or snorkeling with Rajanneeds to be booked ahead of time so we cankeep our bookings few and far between.Rajan's story is an extremely interesting oneand if you are interested in learning more abouthim, please visit www.divewithrajan.comDive the unexplored with our specialtrips and safarisOn our magical dive safaris guests will betreated to spectacular reefs and stunning divesites that are beyond what's usually possible onour day trips. Dive safaris will involve 3 divesper day with overnight camping in tentedaccommodation on other Islands in theAndamans. It's a great way to enjoy the best ofboth worlds!Our speedboat expedition trips will take youwhere no other dive centre in the Andamanswill. Dive the unexplored waters around theactive volcano 'Barren Island' or try theundived waters of Invisible Banks. These tripsare exclusive to Barefoot Scuba and can bedone as single day safaris.Barefoot Scuba's special day trips allow gueststo dive the top 3 dive sites of Ritchie'sArchipelago in a single day. A fun day on ourlarger boats and 3 fantastic dives on the bestsites makes this trip a very popular choice withour guests.An opportunity that's not be missed – It'ssimply breathtaking!

New destinationsAs the Andaman Islands open up to tourism,Barefoot Scuba too explores new frontiers withthe motive of allowing you to discover divingbeyond Ritchie's Archipelago.Our new dive operation in Avis Island allows youto be amongst the first to explore the magicalNorth Andaman waters. Located off the straitbetween Middle and North Andaman, this keyshaped Island exclusive to the Barefoot Groupwill definitely enchant you.New dive operations are also being planned onBarefoot Group properties around thearchipelago in the near future. These newdestinations will allow you to dive the pristineuntouched reefs just waiting to be explored.OTHER SERVICESIf you wish for a holiday in the AndamanIslands, leave the planning to us. From meetand greet services, to round trip transfers,accommodation and plenty of activities toenthral you, Barefoot Scuba ensures that yourvacation is well planned, well executed andhassle free.

An overview of diving in the Andaman Islands“Journey to the Bay of Bengal in Asia and explore themagical Andaman Islands - a wondrous realm of stunningmarine and coral reefs, swimming elephants, pristinebeaches and mysterious tribes who exist beyond the reachof time. Pass through shimmering gates of coral anddiscover volcanic gardens of an underwater paradise.Here lions, unicorns and butterflies masquerade as fish.Dugongs play in the sea-grasses of shallow reefs thatfringe the outer islands and every dive trip brings thepromise of exploration and new discoveries”– Jacques Yves CousteauAlthough dive pioneer Jacques Cousteau divedthe waters around the Andaman Islands quitesome time ago- it's only now that they arebecoming one of the world's newest divingdestinations which have yet to be exploredproperly for diving. After a 60 year period of

An overview of diving in the Andaman Islandsvirtual isolation from the outside world theIndian government has made a decision toallow limited, environmentally conscioustourism development in the islands.Although diving is a recent development inIndia, the Andaman Islands offer somesplendid diving and untouched coral reefs. Ahidden jewel, waiting to be explored!The best time to dive the Andaman Islands isFebruary and March. Our peak season is fromNovember until Mid April. The second week ofMay brings in the monsoon season and for thisreason Barefoot Scuba is closed in June andJuly.August and September too are wet monthsand although diving in these months comewith their own charm; generally these monthsoffer slightly reduced visibility and rougherseas than the peak periods.With water temperatures not dropping below26°C and averaging 28°C, diving here isextremely comfortable and enjoyable to learn.Visibility in our surrounding waters can varyfrom 5m-40m depending on the site and theseason. Currents can range from nothing tostrong and are completely dependant on thedive site and the tides.The dive sites are between 30 minutes and1hour 30 minutes by boat and vary quite a bit inwhat the individual sites offer, with regards totopography and fish life. We have dive sitessuited for all levels of divers; however some ofthe best dive sites require an advanced level ofcertification

An overview of diving in the Andaman IslandsSites within easy access offer large healthy coralfields and habitats for marine critters of all sizes.It is possible to get exciting dives with mantarays, devil rays, sharks, sea snakes, a variety ofgroupers, humphead parrotfish, large schoolsof trevally, napoleon wrasse, turtles, octopusand so on.Existing dive sites have proven to amaze andthrill divers of all levels; however there are areasof undiscovered and un-dived waters whichhold much more to be explored. In our quest toshow you the best that these magnificent Isleshave to offer, we are constantly on the lookoutfor new spectacular dive sites all over theAndaman Islands.

Our boats & equipmentBarefoot Scuba owns a fleet ofdive vessels. Based on thediving excursion chosen, theappropriate boat is designatedfor the trip. Guests can alsochoose to charter the boat oftheir choice for private trips.All our boats are equipped withladders to make entries andexits easier, canopies, spares,first aid kit, emergency oxygenand floatation devices. Ourboat crew are trained in firstaid and handling emergencies.We carry mineral water, tea,cookies and a vegetarian lunchon all dive trips.Dunghis are traditional Burmese fishing boatsused extensively throughout the AndamanIslands and their unique design makes themsuitable for our waters. These boats aremodified to suit diving needs and are the mostcommon boats used for day diving trips in theAndamans. Our dunghis seat about 8 divers ina shaded seating area and offer additionalroom at the bow for those wishing to sit outand enjoy the sun.'Laxmi, our larger more comfortable boat isabout 16m in length and travels between 8 and10 knots. She is equipped with a dive platformfor easy access, tank racks for storage of tanksand a ladder to help you enter and exit thewater.She has a wheel house, a nice small seatingarea, an open sun area at the bow of the boat, atoilet and a small kitchen. There is a hatchwhere all the diving equipment can be stored.Laxmi can take up to 12 divers comfortably andoffers a relaxed ride to our dive sites.

Our boats & equipmentValsa has been rebuilt into a custom made diveboat for the upcoming season and no efforthas been spared in providing her with the bestfacilities. Made completely in timber she isabout 14 meters in length and is equipped witha powerful engine.Complete with a tank rack, an equipment area,a swim step, a sun deck for divers to relax, atoilet on board, a wheel house, a simple cabin(2 berths) and a small kitchen area Valsa is agreat boat to be on. She travels at about 8knots and can comfortably accommodateabout 12 divers at a time.Badmaash is the fastest speedboat in theAndamans and can get you to the best divingspots like Barren Island and Invisible Bankswithin 2 hours from Havelock and Port Blair.Onboard facilities like air-conditioned cabinsensure that you feel extremely comfortableand pampered.Built by GC Marine (Dubai), this boat is 35 feetand is powered by twin 225HP MercuryOptimax OBMs. Below deck is an airconditionedcabin, a fully equipped galley anda toilet.

Our diving equipmentcomputers, we rent out Suunto Geckocomputers to our guests. Despite the watertemperature averaging 28°C, we generallyprovide 3mm short wetsuits in all sizes to ourguests. If you find that these are inadequatethen we can provide you with 3mm fullwetsuits. We have a variety of masks and arange of prescription masks as well to suit theneeds of our guests. Our fins come in full-footand open-heel models. We have boots andbooties of all sizes for divers who opt for openheelfins.Our dive gear is state-of-the-art equipmentfrom Scubapro. We have a range of BCD sizesto accommodate all divers. Our gear is washedthoroughly in fresh water every day after useand serviced regularly with standard spares asrecommended by the manufacturers.Our scuba cylinders are 12-litre Catalinacylinders with the ability to accommodateboth DIN and Yoke Valves. We also have a fewlarger tanks available for rent should yourequire a bit more air. Our cylinders arehydrostatically tested as per internationalregulations. They are filled to 200 bar usingBauer Mariner breathing air compressorsunder strict adherence to operating standards.For divers who wish to dive with their own diveWe understand that an enjoyable diverequires comfortable and well maintainedequipment. We do our best to ensure that ourguests are provided with equipment that isoptimum to their needs.

AccommodationBarefoot Scuba Dive ResortDiscover India’s best kept secret- The Andaman Islands through Barefoot Scuba Dive Resort (also known as Café Del Mar) and the Barefoot atHavelock Resort.Located at Beach No.3, the Barefoot ScubaDive Resort is the perfect choice for thebudget conscious traveller. Located in thesame premises as the Barefoot Scuba,Barefoot Scuba Dive Resort offers its guests aconvenient base from which to explore not justthe snorkeling and dive sites around Havelock,but also the village market, the elephanttraining camp and the forest trails beyondBeach No. 5.The resort has a lovely restaurant called CaféDel Mar that serves both Indian andcontinental fares. The icing on the cake is themassage centre where guests can indulge in atraditional Ayurvedic massage while enjoyingviews of the ocean. A splendid way to treatyourself after a day's diving!The resort is easy on the pocket, simple andelegant and offers three different categoriesof rooms.The Sea Facing Duplex Cottages are woodand bamboo structures that face the seathrough a small grove of coconut trees. Theairy bedroom on the upper floor leads out toa private balcony which is the perfect place torelax after a day of diving. The interiors aresimple, with ceiling fans, electric lights andpower outlets provided.The bathroom on the lower level is equippedwith a western-style toilet, shower and washbasinwith running water. The sit-out, belowthe balcony, is the ideal place to hang yourhammock, forget your worries and relax.

AccommodationThe Garden Bungalows are made of bambooand are quaint elevated cottages that areclean and simplistic. The interiors are verysimple and these huts have a view of theGarden. The attached bathroom has awestern style toilet and a shower.For guests who require accommodation thatis basic yet comfortable, the GardenBungalow is a perfect choice.The A Frame Huts are small elevated canestructures perfect for the backpacker on atight budget. These little huts do not have anen suite bathroom. The resort has 4 cleanbathrooms equipped with western styletoilets, showers and wash basins with runningwater for the use of the guests staying in thesehuts.All A frame huts have a ceiling fan, a light, amattress and a mosquito net which issufficient for the traveller that is looking foraccommodation that is inexpensive for hislong stays.

AccommodationBarefoot at Havelock ResortLocated on the Best Beach in Asia (as rated byTime magazine), Barefoot at Havelock Resortis set amid rainforest and tropical fruit treesbehind a pristine 2 km white-sand stretch ofBeach No. 7. The resort comprises of 19beautifully designed wood and thatchcottages and villas with spacious interiors anden suite bathrooms. This resort is the perfectplace for a quite, secluded, romantic getawayand is by far the best place to stay on HavelockIsland.Barefoot at Havelock Resort is a 25 min drivefrom Barefoot Scuba and transfers to and fromthe dive centre are easily arranged by car ormotorbike rental.The Barefoot at Havelock Resort offers severalcategories of rooms and guests can choosebetween the beautiful non a/c Nicobaricottages, the spacious a/c Andaman villas,

AccommodationDuplex non a/c cottages and the brand newchic Nicobari Villa. All categories of rooms havewonderful views of the rainforest and allmodern amenities to make your trip justperfect.Guests here can enjoy bird-watching and Rajanour celebrity elephant too lives at this resort. Alarge spacious lounge bar, two restaurants, anAyurvedic massage centre, escorted naturewalks, kayaking and yoga classes make theBarefoot at Havelock resort and its environs aone-of-a-kind holiday experience in Havelock.If your holiday is all about luxury, comfort,relaxation, peace, quiet and nature at its best,the picturesque Barefoot at Havelock Resort isthe perfect place to be.

Contact and ReservationIntroducing the mesmerizing Emerald Isles to you would be an honour and we lookforward to welcoming you soon.We will be happy to assist you with yourbooking and answer any questions thatyou may have on the Andaman Islands.We recommend sending us an email,however should you not have access tothe Internet we are just a phone callaway.For reservations and enquiriesplease call +91 95660 88560For information, availability and pricesplease send us an email ondive@barefootindia.comFor more information regardingBarefoot Scuba and Barefoot Scuba DiveResort please log ontowww.diveandamans.com.For more information regardingBarefoot at Havelock Resort please logonto www.barefootindia.com.For more information on Rajan, ourswimming elephant, please log ontowww.divewithrajan.com .For more information on our divingsafari's and overnight divingexpeditions please log ontowww.liveaboardindia.com.For more information on how tobecome a professional diver please logonto www.goproindia.com.© TextCopyrighted by Barefoot Scuba - Part of Barefoot Group / Some images are copyright of adventure4ever.com