Maldives liveaboards, boat by boat.

You will be able to access the best diving sites in the Maldives onboard a scuba dive liveaboard. Within our Maldives liveaboard collection, you will find a boat to suit all tastes and budgets. From a simple traditional dhoni design to a purpose-built full-service luxury yacht. As with the island resorts, standards vary on the dive liveaboard so it's important to speak to an expert that is familiar with the great range of boats in the Maldives.

Maldives liveaboard itineraries are just as varied with boats venturing south during the calm seas of the dry season to take advantage of the spectacular shark action in the channels with select boats even based in the deep south. Our aim, as always, is to match the perfect boat and ideal itinerary with your diving requirements and holiday expectations.

You can also take advantage of our extensive knowledge of the Maldives island resorts to add a land-based resort extension either before or after your liveaboard.

A Maldives liveaboard allows you to cover a lot of sea miles and reach remote areas or dive the pick of the region's sites in comfort. The social aspect of a Maldives liveaboard means this kind of holiday is equally suited to solo travellers, couples or groups of dive buddies. A Maldives liveaboard holiday is a fantastic way to meet like-minded divers and you can dive magnificent Maldives dive sites by day and relive the day's adventures back onboard in the shared dining facilities with other guests who have a similar passion for diving

You can combine your Maldives liveaboard with a stay on a Maldives island resort or, with so many options for indirect flights to the Maldives, you can also combine your Maldives liveaboard holiday with a tour of Sri Lanka or a city stopover in the likes of Dubai.

Take an internal flight north from Male to Hanimaadhoo, the most northerly airport in the Maldives. From here liveaboards can dive Haa Alifu Atoll, Haa Dhaalu Atoll and Shaviyani Atoll as well as Maamakunudhoo Atoll. 

Maldives Northern Atolls

Above the Maldives' central atolls lies Lhaviyani Atoll, Raa Atoll, Noonu Atoll and Baa Atoll as well as the smaller Goidhoo Atoll. These Maldives northern atolls can be reached by liveaboards departing Male or via a short internal flight. Baa Atoll is particularly popular for its manta diving so many liveaboard itineraries will include this region, during manta ray season. If travelling from Male, liveaboards have a long channel crossing to negotiate and they will not attempt this if conditions are not favourable. 

Maldives Central Atolls

An itinerary sailing the Maldives’ central atolls departs from Male and takes in some, but not all, of the following; North Male and South Male Atolls, Gaafaru Atoll, Felidhue Atoll (aka Vaavu Atoll), Rasdhoo and Ari Atolls.

Maldives Southern Atolls

South of the Maldives' central atolls, the Maldives' south encompasses Meemu Atoll, North and South Nilandhe Atoll (aka Faafu Atoll and Dhaalu Atoll) and the more remote Thaa Atoll and Laamu Atoll. These are occasionally included in a longer duration safari starting in the Maldives central atolls. They are more commonly dived from a liveaboard positioned in one of these atolls with air access to and/or from your liveaboard from Male airport.

Maldives Deep South

Around the Equatorial channel (Addu Kandu) lie the most southerly of the Maldives' atolls. On the northern side is the larger Huvadhoo Atoll while to the south are tiny Foammulah Atoll and Addu Atoll, containing the island of Gan. Diving in the Maldives deep south is about as remote as you'll find, with access by air or an extended one-way safari to or from Male.

For more detail about Maldives diving and Maldives dive seasons visit our Maldives destination page Maldives Dive Holidays or for more background on dive sites around the Maldives Dive Regions

Do keep in mind that even if a particular itinerary is confirmed, travel in the Maldives can involve some long sea passages crossing open channels. Attempting these will be at the discretion of the skipper who will take into account the safety of passengers, crew and vessel, as well as your diving enjoyment.

Q: For a liveaboard in the Maldives what should I bring with me?

For any liveaboard, we recommend that, in addition to your standard dive kit that you have a dive computer. We also recommend a surface marker buoy (SMB) particularly on more remote sites, a torch and your certification card/logbook. Some divers like to use reef hooks for hanging out on channel corners. Policies on this vary so please ask at the time of booking your Maldives liveaboard holiday.

Q: Can I hire dive gear?

Equipment is rarely held on your liveaboard and is normally sourced from a dive shop in Male prior to your arrival. We recommend that you reserve any scuba diving equipment that you would like to rent in advance by notifying us at least seven days before your departure.

Q:  I am a newly certified diver, will I be restricted on a liveaboard?

A:  Diving in the Maldives is suitable for certified divers of any level, but please be aware that you must stay within your recreational limits. Dive guides may ask less experienced divers to sit out on some dives with extremely strong currents, but this is quite rare.

Which Maldives liveaboard route?

Which Maldives liveaboard itinerary should I choose?

For a first trip, the central atolls out of Male: North and South Male, Ari and Vaavu, with the Embudhoo and Guraidhoo channels, Maaya Thila and Fish Head, the hammerheads at Rasdhoo and the night dive at Alimatha. For sharks, the deep south: boats visit Huvadhoo between January and March for hammerheads, silky sharks, tiger sharks and grey reef sharks, and it is about as remote as diving gets. For mantas, Baa Atoll from August to October, when the plankton is trapped in Hanifaru Bay; diving is prohibited in the bay itself, so you dive the surrounding sites and snorkel with the mantas, with a park fee of around US$20 paid to the rangers. For something few divers have seen, the far north out of Hanimaadhoo, where a handful of boats dive Haa Alifu and Haa Dhaalu.

When is the best time for a Maldives liveaboard?

The dry north-east monsoon, November to April, brings the calmest seas and the best visibility, which is when the boats make the long crossings south. From May to October the mantas and whale sharks shift to the western side of the atolls and the chance of big manta numbers is highest. A few boats are based in the south all year. Tell us your month and your logged dives and we will match you to the route.