Scuba diving and snorkelling

The reefs and rocky outcrops around Sindhudurg Fort host the most accessible scuba diving on India's west coast. Operators on Tarkarli and Chivla beaches run introductory dives suitable for non-swimmers — a brief shore lesson followed by a guided descent to around eight metres — as well as full PADI courses over several days.

Snorkelling trips by boat are the cheaper alternative and require no booking in advance. The best months are mid-October to mid-May; the monsoon shuts everything down completely. Avoid weekends and holidays unless you actively enjoy crowds.

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A story
Malvan and Tarkarli were the first stretch of mainland India to develop a commercial scuba diving industry, in the early 2000s. The reefs around Sindhudurg Fort are modest by global standards — visibility rarely exceeds ten metres — but the warm shallow water makes them an ideal beginner site, and the local instructors are well organised and very cheap by international standards.