Havelock Hostel
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Open Water Course — standard
Saltline Outfitters
Runs this trip
7 Days · 6 Nights
Fully planned multi-day journey
Accommodation
Havelock Hostel
Instructor-led
A certified instructor runs the activity and briefs you before you start.
Scuba diving
Seven days, four qualifying dives and a certification card
Moderate Intensity
Travelers can expect 4-6 hours of daily trail walking
Group size on request
Ages 10+ Welcome
The operator's minimum age for this trip is 10
Where this operator goes
7 days · 14 stopsItinerary
7 days, planned by Saltline Outfitters
The medical questionnaire is not a formality — a yes to anything on it means a doctor's sign-off before you get in the water, and that is hard to arrange on an island.
Port Blair, HavelockHow the day runs
- 2 hrs11:00 AM — the catamaran across
- 5:00 PM — the first classroom session and the medical form
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationHavelock Hostel
Included Activities
- Ferry tickets
- Guesthouse night
- PADI Open Water manual and eLearning
LANDMARKS Havelock jetty Dive centre Start point Port Blair, Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ), Port Blair 08:00 - 16:00Everything that frightens people about diving is practised here, deliberately and repeatedly, in water you can stand up in.
Havelock, Nemo ReefHow the day runs
- 8:00 AM — theory and the first confined-water session in the shallows
- 0 hrs2:00 PM — the second session on a sandy bottom at 5 m
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationHavelock Hostel
Included Activities
- All equipment
- Instructor at a maximum of four students
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Nemo Reef House reef Skills repeated at twelve metres, then time to actually look around. Green turtles are routine on this site.
Havelock, Turtle BayHow the day runs
- 1 hrs7:30 AM — out to the training site
- 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM — two dives to 12 m with skills at depth
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationHavelock Hostel
Included Activities
- Two open-water training dives
- All kit
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Turtle Bay Green turtles Staghorn coral At the end of dive four you are a certified Open Water diver, qualified to eighteen metres anywhere in the world with a buddy.
Havelock, The WallHow the day runs
- 1 hrs7:30 AM — out to the wall site
- 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM — the final two dives to 18 m
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationHavelock Hostel
Included Activities
- Final two training dives
- PADI Open Water certification and card
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS The Wall Soft coral Napoleon wrasse Dixon is a submerged pinnacle an hour out with barracuda schooling over it. It is a proper dive site and the first one you visit as a diver rather than a student.
Havelock, Dixon PinnacleHow the day runs
- 1 hrs7:00 AM — out to the pinnacle, an hour offshore
- 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM — two dives with no skills to perform
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationHavelock Hostel
Included Activities
- Two fun dives with a divemaster
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Dixon Pinnacle Barracuda Reef sharks No diving today. You need at least eighteen hours between your last dive and a flight, and this is that gap.
Havelock, Neil IslandHow the day runs
- 1 hrs9:00 AM — across to the quieter island
- 2:00 PM — Bharatpur and the natural bridge, on foot
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNeil Island Hostel
Included Activities
- Ferry
- Guesthouse night on Neil
LANDMARKS Bharatpur Beach Natural Bridge Laxmanpur More than twenty-four hours since the last dive by the time you fly, which is the conservative margin and the right one.
Neil Island, Port BlairHow the day runs
- 2 hrs9:00 AM — back to the capital
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Ferry tickets
- Airport drop
- Day 1Day 1 · Port Blair to Havelock
- Day 2Day 2 · Confined water: the skills
- Day 3Day 3 · Open water dives one and two
- Day 4Day 4 · Dives three and four, and the certification
- Day 5Day 5 · Two fun dives at Dixon Pinnacle
- Day 6Day 6 · Neil Island, and no diving
- Day 7Day 7 · Back to Port Blair, and out
Pickup point
Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026
Meet atPort BlairVeer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ), Port Blair
Reporting time08:00 - 16:00
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Included in the price
You arrange yourself
Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.
Where you'll stay
Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.
Neil Island Hostel
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
What you'll eat
6 breakfasts and 1 dinner across 7 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 7.
- DinnerServed on day 1
- BreakfastServed on days 2–7
7 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
Who runs this trip
Operated by
Saltline OutfittersVerified
“Coast and surf from guesthouses rather than resorts”
Based in Varkala Running treks since 2018
- Rating
- 4.8(10 reviews)
- Response time
- —
About Saltline Outfitters
Surf coaching and coastal trips run out of village guesthouses. Two sessions a day, because one is not how anyone learns.
Cancellation policy: Full refund up to 14 days before departure
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.8/5
Based on 10 reviews
Review summary
Food4.3/5
Guide4.5/5
Itinerary4.3/5
Transport4.4/5
Accommodation4.6/5
Tour operator4.5/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Pune2026-06-07 · Verified booking
Great few days in the water. Briefings were clear and nobody was pushed beyond their level. Hostel nights are basic but clean, and that's what the price says. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves.
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5
O
Owen Clarke – Stockholm2026-06-07 · Verified booking
Great few days in the water. Briefings were clear and nobody was pushed beyond their level. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Solid operator.
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5
A
Arjun Pillai – Chandigarh2026-06-07 · Verified booking
Visibility was excellent and the boat ran on time every morning. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. Would send friends their way.
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5
C
Carla Mendes – Toronto2026-06-07 · Verified booking
Visibility was excellent and the boat ran on time every morning. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Recommended.
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5
J
James Whelan – Lisbon2026-06-07 · Verified booking
Instruction was patient — I came in nervous and finished wanting to book the next level. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Would send friends their way.
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5
O
Owen Clarke – Lisbon2025-01-19 · Verified booking
Kit was in good condition, which matters more than people realise. Hostel nights are basic but clean, and that's what the price says. Crew were professional without being stiff about it. Good value for what's included.
Reply from Saltline Outfitters
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
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4
N
Nikhil Joshi – Pune2025-01-19 · Verified booking
Kit was in good condition, which matters more than people realise. Recommended.
Reply from Saltline Outfitters
Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.
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4
F
Farah Qureshi – Jaipur2025-01-19 · Verified booking
Great few days in the water. Briefings were clear and nobody was pushed beyond their level. Good value for what's included.
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Questions people ask
PADI requires a two-hundred-metre swim, untimed and any stroke, plus ten minutes of floating. That is genuinely the standard — it is about comfort in water, not speed.
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