Wreck diving the historic shipwrecks off Sri Lanka where are they and is June the right side of the island
I am a certified diver and I love wrecks I read Sri Lanka has historic shipwrecks including World War Two wrecks like the Hermes aircraft carrier off Batticaloa Where are the dive worthy wrecks what level and certification do you need are they intact and what marine life has colonised them which dive bases run the wreck trips and given the monsoon is June the right side of the island for diving right now Wreck divers and instructors please point me to the iron on the seabed
7 Answers from travellers
Dive instructor on the east coast so the wreck picture The wrecks Sri Lanka has a genuinely good wreck scene the headline is the HMS Hermes (a British aircraft carrier sunk in 1942 off the east coast near Batticaloa) a deep advanced and historic wreck that serious wreck divers travel for and there are other WWII era and merchant wrecks the British Sergeant and others off the east the Colombo area has wrecks too (the Colombo harbour wrecks the medium depth wrecks off the west coast) plus the famous reef and rock dives Level and certification IMPORTANT the Hermes is a DEEP wreck (well beyond recreational open water limits) it requires ADVANCED certification deep and ideally wreck and often technical or deep specialty experience it is NOT a beginner dive other wrecks are shallower and accessible to advanced open water divers be honest about your level the dive centres will check your certification and logged experience do not overreach on a deep wreck Marine life the wrecks are artificial reefs now encrusted in coral and teeming schooling fish groupers batfish moray eels turtles and the eerie beauty of a warship reclaimed by the sea the history plus the life is the draw Dive bases the EAST coast bases (Trincomalee Nilaveli Batticaloa for the Hermes) run the eastern wrecks and reefs the west and south bases run the Colombo and southern wrecks in their season June and the RIGHT side THIS is the key in June the southwest monsoon means the WEST and SOUTH coasts are rough and most dive operations there are CLOSED or poor the EAST coast (Trincomalee Nilaveli Batticaloa) is in its CALM DRY season now and is THE place to dive in June which happily is exactly where the Hermes and the great eastern wrecks are so June is PERFECT for the east coast wrecks so the answer head EAST now (Trinco Nilaveli Batticaloa) for the calm season and the historic wrecks build your certification and experience for the deep Hermes and enjoy warships turned into reefs the timing could not be better
Yes absolutely confirm your dive insurance (and travel insurance) covers the depth and any technical diving deep wreck diving is often excluded or depth capped on standard policies check before you go and carry the proof the operators may ask
Following up does the insurance and the adventure exclusion thing apply to deep wreck diving I should check my dive and travel insurance covers the depth and tech diving right the exclusions threads made me cautious
Head east now for the calm season and the historic wrecks and build up the certification for the deep Hermes this is exactly the iron on the seabed I wanted and June being perfect for the east coast is a bonus thank you
The east coast in June is the open secret while the south coast divers are rained off the Trinco and Nilaveli water is calm and clear so the wreck and reef diving over there right now is the best on the island this season
Be realistic and honest about the Hermes depth if you are not already deep and wreck experienced do some build up dives with the east coast operators first they can assess you and there are plenty of shallower wrecks and reefs to enjoy while you work up to it
Even as a less advanced diver the shallower eastern reefs and the easier wrecks plus Pigeon Island nearby make the east coast a brilliant diving base in June you do not have to do the deep Hermes to have an amazing time there
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