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Diving with… Euro-Divers Amari Havodda, Maldives
In this ongoing series, we speak with the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
What is your name?
I’m Nico, the Dive Center and Watersports Manager.
What is the name of your business?
Euro-Divers has a 40 year experience in the diving industry. We have 12 dive centers in the Maldives and I am in charge of Euro-Divers Amari Havodda, located in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, one of the most southerly atolls of the country.
What is your role within the business?
My job is to make sure we provide a professional and safe service to our guests. We are here to make their day!
How long has the business operated for?
Euro-Divers Amari Havodda opened in February 2016.
How long have you dived for and what qualification are you?
One day I woke up and decided to become a scuba diving instructor. A month after, in September 2010, I started to dive for the first time. Since that I haven’t stopped. I became a PADI Divemaster in November 2010, an Instructor in March 2011 and a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer in April 2011. I am also a Divemaster from the French Diving Federation (F.F.E.S.S.M.) since August 2013.
I have worked in Koh Tao (Gulf of Thailand), Crete ( Mediterranean Sea), Koh Phi-Phi (Andaman Sea), Bocas del Toro (Caribbean Sea), Playas del Coco (Pacific Ocean), Roatan (Caribbean Sea), Kaafu and Gaafu Dhaalu atolls (Indian Ocean).
I also dived in gravel pits in France and Germany, Raja Ampat, Koh Lipe, Hendaye, Caye Caulker, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel… but I have still so many places to discover.
What is your favourite type of diving?
Any kind of diving in a Tropical area. I hate wearing a wetsuit 😉
I have to confess I love Night dives. In my Utopic world I wish day dives would be changed to night dives. Imagine that, doing 2 to 4 night dives “a day”, and sometimes, something unusual, sometimes special…a day dive.
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?
Euro-Divers team is made up by experienced and friendly professional scuba diving and watersports instructors dedicated to their passion. On top of that, the diving conditions here are unique and not yet well known by the diving community. We are always the only dive boat on sites.
What is your favourite dive in your location and why?
I have many actually. My favourite channel dives are Madaveli, Footi Kandu and Shortcut.
The first one is near by the Airport Island. It offers a rich marine life, such as barracudas observing you the whole dive, huge Napoleon wrasses and juveniles too, many fusiliers, grey reef and white tips reef sharks, Rainbow runners, jacks…and manta rays passing by.
The second and third ones have that unique topography that all our divers like so much. The reef starts from 2-3 meters, a gradual slope up to 18-20 meters. Then a flat sandy bottom between 10 to 30 meters wide, and after that, another deep reef parallel to that sandy bottom rising up to 14 meters, with a dune-like form dropping to the deep water of the open ocean on the other side. And I haven’t even mentioned the stunning hard corals everywhere and fish life. Magic!!!
My favourite inland dive sites are Kahabu Giri and Kuda Hafsa Thila.
The first one is a shallow reef with beautiful hard and soft corals. We see lots of cute batfish that will follow you the whole dive, a school of curious bigeye jacks, different kind of fusiliers, many reef groupers and snappers, hawksbill turtle, white tip reef shark and sometimes spotted eagle rays too.
The second is a small site exposed to current. The reef is the habitat of grey and white tip reef sharks, batfish and a resident ribbon eel.
What types of diving are available in your location?
Here on the West of Gaafu Dhaalu atoll, we have channel dives, thilas (underwater mountains) and Giri (shallow reefs).
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
The smile of our guests and their happiness after doing their activity.
What is your favourite underwater creature?
Mermaid 😉
Seriously, so many. I love Sea Slugs, Flatworms, gastropods in general and crustaceans. I am fascinated by so much beauty in such a small body.
Is your center involved in any environmental work?
We do regularly reef cleaning involving staff and guests. We talk to the guests every day about what a snorkeler and a scuba diver should and should not do. It’s all about responsive behaviour (Do not touch, Do not feed the fish, Do not collect or buy corals…). We use Green Fins posters as reference material.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall?
They are three different industries. It’s hard to combine them. Diving and snorkeling are already very well present in tropical areas, you can always find a dive center to go diving or snorkeling with.
Freediving is according to me the one with the higher potential of development compared to the other two. Teaching freediving is a growing market. In France for example, they teach all kind of underwater activities through the Ministry of Sports like scuba diving and freediving among others. It’s like being part of a football team; you go to the swimming pool every Wednesday to train.
What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
If you want to experience a unique diving due to the topography, corals and condition, Euro-Divers is the dive center to dive with in Gaafu Dhaalu atoll, no doubt about it.
On top of being a leader in the diving industry in the Maldives for the past 40 years, we offer a flexible schedule, small groups and always choose dive sites according to our guests wishes. You cannot be disappointed.
Where can our visitors find out more about your business?
Please see our website for more information and also keep up to date on our Facebook page.
Dive holiday experts Diverse Travel have added Boutique Beach to their Maldives programme.
Designed specifically with divers in mind, Boutique Beach is a charming boutique hotel, perfect for those who want a taste of the real Maldives without compromising on incredible diving. This award-winning hotel is situated just steps away from a spectacular 2.5km stretch of white sandy beach on the ‘local’ island of Dhigurah in the famous Whale Shark area of South Ari atoll.
The area of South Ari atoll boasts year round Whale Shark and Manta encounters.
The waters surrounding South Ari atoll are renowned in the Maldives for their unique, year-round sightings of Whale Sharks, and the area attracts many divers and snorkellers involved in Whale Shark conservation and research. There are over 50 dive sites within close reach of the island of Dhigurah including many of the most famous and exciting thilas – deep channel reefs full of marine life – in the Maldives. Spectacular sites such as the marine protected reef of Kudarah Thila are just minutes by boat from the island. Mantas regularly feed in the lagoon directly in front of Boutique Beach, as well as at the cleaning station at Rangali, which is within easy reach of the hotel.
With six large double / twin guest rooms, each with balcony or private garden, Boutique Beach is the perfect base for a small group of divers or snorkellers. In-room camera workstations also make this hotel an ideal choice for underwater photographers. The PADI 5* dive centre specialises in guiding in small groups with an emphasis on safety, personal service and maximising marine life encounters.
As well as boasting excellent diving and snorkelling, Boutique Beach’s location on Dhigurah adds another interesting dimension for visitors. One of the longest islands in the Maldives, Dhigurah is home to a population of around 600 Maldivians who are happy to share their way of life with international guests. Boutique Beach supports many community initiatives on the island, and visitors staying at Boutique Beach are able to partake in local activities such as cooking, crafting and sports, allowing for a unique travel experience.
Rooftop dining at Boutique Beach, Maldives.
Diverse Travel Product Manager Phillip Connor says:
“Adding Boutique Beach to our programme is an exciting move for Diverse Travel. The Maldives is one of our top destinations, and it’s great to be able to offer our guests truly spectacular diving, alongside the chance to experience a little of real island life, at an excellent price. We’re confident that this unique, British diver designed and managed hotel will become one of our most popular holidays, and look forward to hearing about all the tremendous marine encounters from our guests.”
Introductory Special Offer
Diverse Travel are currently offering an introductory saving of up to 25% on holiday packages to the Maldives staying at Boutique Beach. Dive holiday packages start from just £2575pp (based on November 2022) and include return flights London to Male with 30kgs baggage + extra 15kgs for dive baggage, 7 nights at Boutique Beach in a double / twin room with a ‘soft’ all-inclusive meal plan, up to three dives per day with boat trips, tanks and weights, return speedboat from Male (sea plane at an additional charge), local taxes and green tax, plus ATOL and full financial protection as standard.
Discover more about Boutique Beach on the Diverse Travel website at www.diversetravel.co.uk/dive-resorts/maldives/boutique-beach
Euro-Divers is celebrating its 50th anniversary! October 1972 marked the beginning of the Maldives’ tourism industry and the opening of the country’s first resort, with the first Euro-Divers dive centre providing scuba diving activities. A great passion for diving brought the right people together in the right place, which has developed over the years.
Euro-Divers would like to say a big THANK YOU to all their clients to all their partners who gave them the trust and opportunity to provide diving services throughout all those years.
The Euro-Divers team look forward to continuing to provide world-class diving, watersports, and excursions, giving clients access to the best locations in the world in a safe, friendly, and professional manner.
Congratulations Euro-Divers on five decades of incredible diving with friends!
Find out more at www.euro-divers.com
Diverse Travel expand Maldives programme with Boutique Beach
Euro-Divers celebrates 50 years! (Watch Video)
Introducing two new Colours of OBLU resorts in the Maldives
