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Dive Review of Ellaidhoo Dive Shop/Ellaidhoo Resort] in
Maldives/Ari Atoll(Ellaidhoo Island)

Ellaidhoo Dive Shop/Ellaidhoo Resort], Jan, 2008,

by Jerry Hobart, N.Y., USA (Contributor Contributor 18 reports with 7 Helpful votes). Report 3865.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 5 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments The Ellaidhoo Resort in the Ari Atoll of the Maldives had an excellent house reef(Ellaidhoo House Reef) and through a system of man made break walls it was very easy to access the open water. The dive shop did an excellent job of explaining the tricky currents which changed daily with the tides. When you wanted to do a shore dive on the house reef you signed up on a board at the dive shop giving your time of entry and expected time of return. If you did not sign out within 15 minutes of your expected return a search party was sent looking for you. Also, the dive shop transported all your equipment to your point of entry and when you finished your dive you simply left your equipment on the beach and the dive shop picked it up and returned it to the dive shop. Every morning there were dive boats available for two tank dives to nearby( 15-50 min.away) reefs in the North Ari Atoll and also one Dhoni was available for a 3 tank dive to reefs that were Manta cleaning stations. Dive shop was excellent in providing anything you needed. Resort was all-inclusive including alcohol and had 78 rooms(water, beach, superior, and standard bungalows). I felt the beach bungalows were the best. Dining was buffet style with a variety of foods, salads and fruits. Many of the foods were highly spiced with curry, but you are in Asia. Transportation was by Emirates from JFK to Dubai and then to Male. If you have a layover in Male stay at the Hulhule Island Resort right next to the airport. You get to the Ellaidhoo Island Resort by a very short flight by seaplane, although there is an alternative slow boat that will eventually get you there.Diving was excellent( lots of fish, healthy soft coral, a few small sharks, turtles and the possibility of mantas. Most diving is drift diving. Bring safety sausage with 15 foot rope and coral hook.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving French Polynesia, Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, Cozumel, Florida Keys, Aqua Cat(Exuma Islands), San Salvador, Walker's Key, Nassau, Dominica, Bonaire, Curacao, Grenada, Turks & Caicos, Cayman Islands.
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, cloudy Seas calm
Water Temp 82-84°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 75-100 Ft/ 23-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions 130 feet and 60 min.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities 4 stars
UW Photo Comments No facilities for cameras on dhoni( dive boat). However, there was a fresh water hose on the dhoni that you could use to rinse your camera. When you got back to the dive shop, there was a designated fresh water rinse tank for cameras, but some of the other divers at the resort used it to rinse their regulators, masks, etc.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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