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Maldives Diving Reviews:
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Average Overall Ratings (over last 3 years, 24 of 224 reports
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Dive Op / Resort	Live Aboard?	Area	Title / Review	Rating Advanced / Beginner	Diving Date	Reporter/ # Dives	Photos/ Helpful Votes
Page # 1 2 3
*Aggressor Fleet*		Maldives Aggressor	"Excellent first experience in the Maldives. " The flights to Dubai from Houston, were very long (14+ hours). Long layovers, then the final leg to Male. An overnight stay in a n... Full report		2/2022	John A Shives 500+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*		Maldives Aggressor	"Excellent first experience in the Maldives. " The flights to Dubai from Houston, were very long (14+ hours). Long layovers, then the final leg to Male. An overnight stay in a n... Full report		2/2022	John A Shives 500+ Dives
*Emperor Explorer*			"Excellent Liveaboard trip in the Maldives" We are a group of 6 experienced divers who have been on several liveaboards including three previous Maldives trips. Emperor Explo... Full report		11/2021	Graham McGregor 500+ Dives
*Explorer Ventures*		Indian Ocean	"Overall a good destination" The boat is exactly as described on the Explorer Ventures website. It is a very large boat accommodating 26 passengers. This is... Full report		8/2021	Randy Alexander 500+ Dives
*CARPE NOVO liveaboard*			"Great Diving, Poor COVID EXPERIENCE" First the Diving. We took the southern route, since our last trip to the Maldives 19 years ago we took the Best of the Maldives c... Full report		5/2021	Terry H Anderson 1000+ Dives	3
*Blue Force*			"Maldives, Central ROute" This is my second trip on this boat. It is nicely appointed and very comfortable. Good food. Comfortable diving with modest curren... Full report		4/2021	Jack Bernstein 500+ Dives
*DHUNI KOLHU RESORT*		BAA ATOLL	"corals and fish almost as gorgeous as 30 years ago in Baa Atoll " half of corals on the island are dead , but plenty of fish in some places ( blacktips , turtles on premises ). From 1/ 2 hr to 1... Full report		12/2020	CAUSSIOL 500+ Dives
*Blue Force One*			"Manta Pardise" Ten days on the livaboard gave us good exposure to the diversity in the Maldives. With 21 divers/ photographers, divers, we controll... Full report		5/2019	D.Demming 1000+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*		Best of the Maldives	"Maldives Aggressor 2 May 2019" Travel to Maldives There are many options on flights to Male. Most passengers got there a day or 2 early to acclimatize to the ti... Full report		5/2019	Jon Hoffmann 500+ Dives	5
*Manthiri*			"Maldives great for pelagics, fish and reef critters" A visit to the Maldives had been on our ‘Bucket List’ for quite some time. The trip did not disappoint overall and was well worth... Full report		4/2019	Timothy C Barden 250+ Dives	3
*Emperor Group*		Best of Maldives	"Over Dived and Absolute Madness" While much has been written about global warming and the resulting damage to the reef, not a lot has been written about the impact... Full report		4/2019	Christhol Swanson 100+ Dives	3
*Emperor Atoll*		South central	"The liveaboard was basic, but comfortable, the diving was fantastic. " The good- the diving was fantastic as was the dive guides and the food. The boat was a bit tired and basic but it was comfortabl... Full report		3/2019	Michael Francis 250+ Dives	3
*Carpe Vita*			"Still pretty good diving" This is the second time we went diving with Carpe Vita through Explorer Ventures. Five years ago, we visited in August and were im... Full report		1/2019	heejae cho 250+ Dives	2
*Aggressor Fleet*			"Not worth the trip" Wish I'd been here 20 years ago when the coral was healthy. The combination of a massive bleaching event and the out of control c... Full report		1/2019	Laurel Fulton 500+ Dives	4
*Carpe Vita*			"Good operation" Ten day trip with REEF. org group to survey and estimate fish populations. The boat was very flexible about meeting our needs and ... Full report		1/2019	Laurel Fulton 500+ Dives	3
*Maldives Master/Blue Voyager*			"Top notch, satisfying week trip on a relatively large liveaboard" Blue Voyager holds 26 passengers and we had a full house for our one week itinerary. A friendly group of Brits, we two Americans, ... Full report		1/2019	Eric Schindler 500+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*		South Pinnacles	"Best of the Maldives on the Aggressor II" This was my third Aggressor boat and the best yet. Although the Paula Aggressor with chef Shay was the best food ever. While the... Full report		12/2018	Gregg Backemeyer 1000+ Dives
*M/V Emporer Leo*			"A week diving the " This was a bucket list trip for me. I was also a single diver. I chose the Leo based on reviews, price and availability. M... Full report		12/2018	Richard Hart 250+ Dives
*Bandos Dive Center*		North Male Atoll	"Back Again and update" Return trip - Last visit October 2017 - Last review November 2016 I've been diving from the Bandos Island Resort since 1995. ... Full report		10/2018	Bill Kasischke 500+ Dives	3
*Aggressor Fleet*			"A first-class liveaboard" The Maldives Aggressor performed extremely well in the important categories: the diving, the crew, the meals, and the boat. The... Full report		10/2018	Jorge J Moré 500+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			"A first-class liveaboard" The Maldives Aggressor performed extremely well in the important categories: the diving, the crew, the meals, and the boat. The... Full report		10/2018	Jorge J Moré 500+ Dives	4
*Aggressor Fleet*			"Good trip to Maldive, crew needs some work" This was the 1st cruise of the Maldive Aggressor II with a new cruise director and assistance cruise director after the boat f... Full report		8/2018	jeffery moore 100+ Dives	2
*Carpa Vita*			"A Lot Of Coral Bleaching" I wish I knew how bad the coral was. There is a lot of coral belching, a lot of the dive sites look like a bomb went off, it was j... Full report		4/2018	Lawrence Babcock 1000+ Dives	2
*M/Y Blue Voyager (Maldives Master)*		Central Atolls	"Maldives: Great Boat, Questionable Diving" Blue Voyager and The Master Fleet are merging and while the brand is yet to be consolidated, it is a well- run organization. The 1... Full report		4/2018	Tim 1000+ Dives	3
*S/Y Maldives Siren*			"Maldives Crowds" 24 divers; simply too many. I have been spoiled by the smaller boats in the Siren fleet. Although the Maldives always offers abu... Full report		2/2018	Oedipus 250+ Dives	3
*Emperor Serenity*			"Maldives; Emperor Serenity" We arrived for departure the afternoon of Dec. 17, 2017, to a weeklong dive itinerary they call “The best of the Maldives”. Our ca... Full report		1/2018	Ted Bemis 250+ Dives	6
*Carpe Vita*			"Mostly good Diving, great boat" Maldives was on our list and the Diving was very good in some spots. But no one warned us that you can’t take any liquor - the aut... Full report		11/2017	Linda Dunn 500+ Dives
*Carpe Novo*			"Amazing trip on the Carpe Novo" The Carpe Novo provided an amazing dive experience. The accommodations were top notch and spacious (such a surprise!). The dive ... Full report		10/2017	Deborah Fiscus 250+ Dives
*Boutique Beach*			"Boutique Beach, Maldives; the place to go for Whale Sharks" Boutique Beach is an all inclusive dive operation on the small island of Dhigurah. The hotel is small (6 rooms) but they are very... Full report		10/2017	Deborah Fiscus 250+ Dives
*Manthiri*			"Manthiri liveaboard" This was our second time on the Manthiri and in the Maldives (last year was our first). This year we were with a larger group (12... Full report		10/2017	John E. Keith 250+ Dives	2
*Macana Maldives*		Ari Atoll (N&S) / Male' Atoll	"Maldives Aboard the Princess Handy" I think of this as my Charles Dickens dive trip. I had some of the best dives of my life and one or two near the worst. First of... Full report		9/2017	David Gere 500+ Dives
*Ocean Devine*		Several islands and reefs	"Luxury diving at its best." The Maldives has been one of my bucket list destinations. I opted to treat myself to a luxury liveaboard and I wasn't disappointed... Full report		4/2017	Steve Clayman 500+ Dives
*Manthiri*			"Excellent service, inconsitent diving" Three months after this trip I'm still unsure about how to rate it. I'm glad that I went but I'm not sure if I want to return to ... Full report		3/2017	Mr Brent Woods 500+ Dives	2
*Explorer Ventures Carpe Vita*		central atolls	"Diving is not worth the cost or time " We went in the prime diving time of year- - Feb & March to have the best conditions so paid full price. We had rough, windy conditions... Full report		2/2017	Gail M King 1000+ Dives	4
*Emperor Virgo*			"Emperor Virgo - A great experience!" I had heard a lot of stories about liveaboards in the Maldives and with some trepidation exited the airport to be greeted by the d... Full report		2/2017	James Oates 1000+ Dives	2
*Carpe Vita*			"Boat great, diving fair" Boat was great and crew was wonderful but I left wondering why Maldives diving is rated so highly. The Good: - The boat and ... Full report		1/2017	Brian Thomasson 100+ Dives	3
*Carpe Vita*		Rasdhoo to South Male	"Fabulous boat, excellent diving - IF you know where to go" The diving: I actually did 2 one- week back- to- back trips. The diving at the beginning was very disappointing - few fish and lots... Full report		1/2017	Lisa C. Evans 500+ Dives
*Manthiri*			"Manthiri - a livaboard treat" This was our first trip to the Maldives and the Manthiri (it won't be the last). It was a really great experience. The Manthiri ... Full report		9/2016	John E. Keith 250+ Dives	2
*Bandos Island Resort*		North Male Atoll	"Great Shore Based North Male Atoll Diving" This was my 19th trip to the Maldives, all to the shore based Bandos Island resort. I've traveled to the Maldives since 1995 whil... Full report		9/2016	Bill Kasischke 500+ Dives	2
*Aggressor Fleet*			"Decent diving but a problematic boat" We spent the week of July 31- August 7, 2016 on the Maldives Aggressor and it did not live up to our expectations. The boat had man... Full report		8/2016	Elizabeth Russell 500+ Dives	3
*Adora*			"Blue Beauty At The Equator" My preferred dive shop DJ’s Scuba Locker (djscuba. com) arranged a trip to the Maldives for a week aboard MV Adora. Getting to Mal... Full report		5/2016	Eric A Frick 250+ Dives	3
*Aggressor Fleet*			"Excellent" Great trip. Crew on the Maldives Aggressor was one of the best I've encountered on any live aboard I've been on. Diving was e... Full report		4/2016	John L. Hosp 250+ Dives
*MV Adora*			"Maldives on Live aboard MV Adora" The Maldives is a long ways away so the flights are a little grueling so be prepared. The Maldives is a lot of water with lots of ... Full report		3/2016	Allan Baldwin 250+ Dives	2
*Blue Voyager*			"deep south diving in Maldives" The trips in the South are scheduled for the North East monsoons with heavy currents and mainly diving channels. The diving... Full report		2/2016	George S. Irwin, M.D. 1000+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			"Interesting place to visit" A quick note, since we visited, the Aggressor fleet has severed their ties with the boat operation which we dove with. We had an a... Full report		2/2016	Pierre Hurter 1000+ Dives
*BlueOTwo*		Indian Ocean	"It could have been great...but it wasn't " My 5 star rating of the diving applies to the MALDIVES as a dive destination, NOT this trip or this operator. The Southern Maldiv... Full report		2/2016	Gilbert Montoya 500+ Dives	2
*Aggressor Fleet*			"Great trip!" Check out my video of the trip. [. . . ] Maldives dives is awesome. The Aggressor is also wonderful. I can... Full report		1/2016	Gina Razete 1000+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			"Good Liveaboard Trip" Not for novice divers. Had to contend with currents on non- drift dives. On several occasion had to struggle with currents to get r... Full report		11/2015	Jim Tompkins 1000+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*		mid-southern atolls	"Maldives Diving Adventure" Diving was easy, circling coral pinnacles inside the lagoons or drifting along the outside walls. Visibility inside was somewhat ... Full report		9/2015	Tim 1000+ Dives
*MV Orion*		Northern Atolls	"Two Weeks on the MV Orion" We spent two weeks on back to back 7- day cruises on the Orion. First, the diving was pretty spectacular. On one single dive, f... Full report		9/2015	Tom Baker 1000+ Dives
*Blue O Two*			"Malcives Blue O Two Live Aboard" Maldives is a must dive on the bucket list. Lots of diving due to live aboard. Dive crew was very accommodating and did great job... Full report		5/2015	Eric E Woodman 250+ Dives
*Four Seasons Explorer*			"Excellent Diving and Accomodations" This is a luxury dive boat (a true Four Seasons run property), with 10 very large and comfortable cabins w/ full bath, plus one lu... Full report		3/2015	Richard Ansbacher <100 Dives
*Ocean Divine / Dive Encounter Alliance*		Male to south ari	"Lots to see but strong currents and limited viz" Ocean Divine: the owners are now part of Peter Hughes dive encounters partners liveaboards. Crew: The owners weren't on board... Full report		2/2015	Hollie Lindauer 250+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			"Maldives Disappointment" Most of the reviews I have read about the Maldives Aggressor, and Aggressor fleet in general, have trended positive. I was travel... Full report		2/2015	Mike Szathmary 250+ Dives	3
*M/Y Maldives Princess*			"Maldives Prncess--Don't bother...." I'll keep this short. Don't bother with this operator. The ship was significantly over- hyped on its website (cabins dirty, furni... Full report		11/2014	MARC PINTO 500+ Dives	2
*Carpe Diem*			"Amazing Maldives Liveaboard" This was a terrific trip. The Maldives are more spread out than they appear on a map. Probably travelled 200 miles. A liveaboard i... Full report		10/2014	Richard W Crain <100 Dives
*Manthiri*		North/South combo trip	Went on an 11- day liveaboard (9. 5 days diving) trip to the Maldives Aug. 1- 11. This trip was an LDS- led trip aboard the Manthiri. ... Full report		8/2014	Chris Watt 250+ Dives
*Carpe Vita*			"Excellent" Carpe Vitae is a luxurious live aboard. The 138 foot boat was completed in January 2011 and is in pristine condition. Maximum numb... Full report		8/2014	Judith Haynie 500+ Dives
*Manthiri*			More fish schools than any other dive location I have been too. Some dives had little coral, mostly rubble, and a few dives had... Full report		7/2014	William E Jurney 1000+ Dives
*Orion*		Southern Atolls	The Maldives Southern Atolls in February/ March provide heavy current advanced diving. Most dives are channel dives. Hook in at 30... Full report		3/2014	Jeremy Cohen 1000+ Dives
*MV Orion*		Southern Maldives	We went on the "Deep South, Southern sharks" nine day, one way itinerary, in mid March 2014. This required taking a flight back t... Full report		3/2014	robert kopki 500+ Dives
*MV Maldives Princess*			The trip was very long getting there - about 40 hours in total. I arrived two days earlier than my group having done a pre trip to... Full report		3/2014	Anne Warburton 500+ Dives
*Carpe Vita Explorer*		Central Atolls	A short 4- hour hop on Qatar Air from Qatar (where we are living), the Maldives is a favorite of divers from Europe, Asia and the M... Full report		12/2013	Jeremy Cohen 250+ Dives
*Carpe Vita Explorer*			Challenging diving in heavy currents with some negative entries and use of reef hooks for most shark specific encounters. Wish we... Full report		12/2013	Ken Yee 250+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			I had a great time. The crew did a superb job all- around, especially considering there was a full boat (20 guests). Two of the D... Full report		11/2013	Ms Lynda Durfee 500+ Dives
*Shangrila*			The visit to this resort was part of a another trip. I always wanted to dive the Maldives and couldn't wait to get into the water. ... Full report		11/2013	jean miller 1000+ Dives
*MV Maldives Princess*		North and South Ari Atolls, Ma	The boat was wonderful with large private bathrooms and splendid accommodations. The food was equally excellant! The boat crew w... Full report		10/2013	Mark Etter 250+ Dives
*Fun Azul Fleet*		North Route	Great trip. Boat was exceptional. Nice sun deck. Pampered diving. Great crew that was knowledgeable and helpful and really work... Full report		10/2013	Tom Brumback 250+ Dives
*M/V Maldives Princess*			After two days of travel and 30 hours in the air, I was hoping for much better diving than we had. I was expecting corals and fis... Full report		9/2013	David Bader 1000+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			This was our eighth live- aboard trip - - six of them w/ Aggressor Fleet. The boat, which has received rave reviews elsewhere, had ... Full report		4/2013	Jeffrey W Garrison 1000+ Dives
*MV Orion*			We wish we had known that the diving would be primarily deep channel diving as opposed to pinnacle- top reef. The website says: "T... Full report		4/2013	Mary Marshall 500+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			The crew was one of the best we've ever had in many Aggressor trips around the world! Everyone on the crew was outstanding and th... Full report		4/2013	Mary Marshall 500+ Dives
*Carpe Vita Explorer*		N & S Male N & S Ari, Vaavu	The Carpe Vita Explorer is a beautiful boat. Largest cabins I've ever enjoyed on a live aboard. Great crew with great attitude. On... Full report		4/2013	Thomas H Lopatin 500+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			This was our 4th Aggressor and we've also been on some other liveaboards, but had not been to the Maldives. We had an amazing wee... Full report		3/2013	Alice Ribbens 250+ Dives
*S/Y Maldives Siren*		Central to Southern atolls	The Diving: – this was a 10 day cruise from Male through to the southernmost major atoll (Gaafu Dhaala Atoll). The majority of di... Full report		2/2013	Philip johnston 1000+ Dives
*S/Y Maldives Siren*			Possibly our expectations for the 10- day trip on Maldives Siren were set too high. My wife and I thought that this, our 15th live... Full report		1/2013	Warren Sprung 500+ Dives
*Explorer Ventures Carpe Vita*			This was my husband's and my first liveaboard and we have been told that we are now forever spoiled and will have a hard time find... Full report		2/2012	Marcia Wilson <100 Dives
*MV Orion*			This was my first liveaboard, so I have no comparison to other operations. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. The diving was... Full report		10/2011	Karen Woods 100+ Dives
*Ark Royal Maldives*			The diving conditioins were not good on our trip. We saw no mantas at Hanifaru. The visibility on most dives ranged from fair to... Full report		9/2011	Todd Lichtenstein 250+ Dives
*Ark Royal Dive Yacht and Spa*			We had never been to the Maldives, but on learning about Hanifaru Bay, arranged this trip, on this boat, specifically for that exp... Full report		8/2011	John Sommerer 500+ Dives
*Maldive Scuba Tours*		central atolls	There was some delay and confusion while waiting for representatives at the airport in Male, but it was resolved after a sho... Full report		4/2011	Jim Garren 250+ Dives
*Sub Aqua DiveCenter*		Conrad Rangali Resort	The Conrad Rangali Resort is not a dive resort per se, but a very upscale resort hotel for those willing to travel the distance. ... Full report		3/2011	Steve Giles 1000+ Dives
*Ark Royal*			I had been 2 yrs previous in the Maldives and returned based on the diving that previous trip. On this trip the diving was disappo... Full report		2/2011	Frances Lewis 500+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			The Maldives Aggressor boat is professionally operated and certainly up to the standards of other boats in the Aggressor fleet. T... Full report		10/2010	Ken Mostello 500+ Dives
*Manthiri*			Our trip was a charter to dive with mantas, so our itinerary was different than most. Over the course of 16 days we did about a d... Full report		10/2010	Gina Sanfilippo 250+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*		Male, Ari atolls	Some of us expected mantas and whale sharks every day if not every dive, on arrival the crew told us that was unlikely but with lu... Full report		9/2010	Andy S Leslie W 500+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			I went on back to back week long trips on a "Dive the World" special rate. June is NOT the best time to go, the first week it rai... Full report		6/2010	Wellington Lee 100+ Dives
*MV Orion*			We brought a group of 23 divers from the US for a 9- day excursion and chartered this vessel, being told that they would cater to t... Full report		5/2010	Joe Trapasso 100+ Dives
*Manthiri*		Southern Atolls	Web interface didn't let me select that this is a liveabaord, but it is. 7 day charter is what I booked. Icelandic volcano and... Full report		4/2010	Curt Andrus 500+ Dives
*MV Orion*			Good: warm water, great visibility, lots of sharks, rays, mantas , turtles, eels , small reef fish, health corals, dive guides good... Full report		3/2010	Larry Schnabel 500+ Dives
*MV Orion*			LONG trip from LAX. Singapore Air great service in coach. Note: some days flite n/ s to Singapore, others through Narita Japan, mu... Full report		1/2010	C F Ward 500+ Dives
*Manthiri*		Southern Atolls	We did an extended 14 night Holiday trip over Christmas and New Years. We did the Southern Atolls and elected to only do 3 dives ... Full report		12/2009	Janet Czapski 1000+ Dives
*Dreamcatcher 2*		Ari and South Male Atoll	The Good - - Very comfortable boat. Lots of space for sitting, relaxing, reading and drinking. Has a bar deck with good selection o... Full report		11/2009	Jerry Tuttle 1000+ Dives
*SUb Aqua DIve Center*		south ari atoll	Spent a week at the Conrad Rangali Island in the Maldives during March 2009. Takes two day from Columbia, SC- leave on Tuesday ar... Full report		3/2009	Tom Kelly 1000+ Dives
*EAGLE RAY*			It was a long flight from the northeast and we were picked up by staff at the airport, loaded into the dive tender and taken to th... Full report		3/2009	ERNIE PLOURDE 500+ Dives
*Aggressor*		N/A	I had a Maldives trip planned on the Aggressor (fully paid, two people) which the company cancelled without apology ten days befor... Full report		2/2009	Tracy Napp 1000+ Dives
*Aggressor Fleet*			The boat was the "Sachika"(topclassdiving. com), a last minute substitute for the new Aggressor boat (not yet ready). Well- appoint... Full report		1/2009	Mike Traylor 250+ Dives
*Bandos Island Resort*			We chose Bandos Island Resort because were were looking for a Maldives resort for a Christmas trip with both a good house reef and... Full report		12/2008	Sherri Dullingham 100+ Dives
*Four Seasons Explorer*			Having dived 25 differant boats I have to say this boat is the best. Wonderful huge cabins and wonderful food. The resort is also... Full report		12/2008	Ron Dion 500+ Dives
*Baani Explorer*			It's hard to say that this wasn't a great trip, but many people on board were unhappy about conditions. The diving was great, but... Full report		5/2008	Steve Maguire 250+ Dives
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Maldives Diving Reviews: Dive Resorts & Liveaboards

Maldives Diving Reviews:
Dive Resorts & Liveaboards