Which are the best diving seasons?

Diving in Zanzibar is good all year round, but sea conditions do vary from one season to another:

October - November | March - April: These are the best seasons for diving in Zanzibar. During this time the wind completely stops and as a result the sea becomes perfectly calm and visibility is at its best.
Christmas and January: Kazkazi (Northern wind) season. In intervals of 2-3 weeks, the wind blows hard for a few days. During these few windy days, the Ocean gets choppy and visibility might drop as well. When the wind blows, we are limited to 4-6 dive sites closer to Nungwi. Very rarely we might even need to cancel a day of diving.
The rest of the year: During the rest of the year we have access to almost all the dive sites with good conditions, however, there is a slight chance of wind and small waves once in a while.

You can find a prediction of our weather and sea condition on WindGuru

What is the water temperature?

Between November and May, water temperature is 28c-29c. We recommend a 3mm wetsuit for this season.
Between June and October, water temperature drops as low as 24c-25c. We recommend a 5mm wetsuit.

How does a typical diving day work?

We prefer that you arrive a day earlier to register and get fitted.
The following morning when you arrive at the dive center, your dive gear will be already waiting for you on-board. We offer coffee/tea and WiFi, while you wait for the rest of the divers to arrive.
Our boats normally leave between 8:30-9:30, directly in-front of our dive center reception. But, some days the times may vary due tides and currents.
The average time to most dive sites is around 30 minutes by boat.
Each dive trip includes two guided dives in two different spots.
Between the dives, you will spend an hour surface interval on-board with snacks, fruits and water.
We arrive back at the dive center around 13:30-14:30. Once back to the beach, our staff will off-load your gear and prepare it for the next day, meanwhile you can log your dives, use our fish books and enjoy our free coffee/tea and WiFi.

How big are the dive groups?

We decide on the dive groups at the end of each day. We try to group divers together with other divers with a similar levels of experience.
Maximum limit of 6 certified divers per guide. However, the average is usually 4 divers per guide.
Maximum limit of 4 students per instructor. However, the average is 2 students per instructor.
Our boats are spacious and can take up to 14 divers.

Is there a set dive schedule?

On most days, we send out two boat:

Our fast boat goes daily to Mnemba Atoll. Leaving at 8:30 and back at 13:30-14:00. In Mnemba we dive the sites of Kichuani, Wattabomi and sometimes Aquarium.
Our Dhow boat goes daily to different dive sites closer to Nungwi. We choose the dive sites for this boat, one or two days ahead, depending on our customers preferences and sea conditions.

What if I have not dived in a while?

We offer free refresher course (if needed), to all our divers, at 15:30 every day. It is conducted off the beach, directly in front of the dive centre and takes about 1 hour. It is free in order to encourage participation by everybody that needs to familiarize themselves with their diving skills.
Taking the refresher course builds your confidence and takes care of any minor issues you may have, allowing for safe, comfortable dives the following day. Being confident will maximize the diving experience, not only for yourself, but also for the rest of your dive group.
Depending on how experienced you are:
If it’s been a while since you last dived, we might suggest you to take the course.
If it's been over a year, we may insist that you take the course.
If it's been too many years, we might also require that you do an open water dive, off the beach, before going out on our boat. This will cost $60.

Do you offer hotel transfer?

If you stay any hotel in Nungwi or Kendwa that is too far to walk, we can offer a free transfer to get you here for your dives and back.

We do not offer transport from any other parts of Zanzibar.

If you stay in other parts of the Island, we recommend using a dive center in you area to save unnecessary travel time.
Dive Point Zanzibar is an excellent dive center servicing the area of Zanzibar East Coast (Matemwe, Kiwengwa, Mpwani, Uroa)
Buccaneer is a reputable dive center servicing all the area of South Zanzibar (Paje, Jambiani, Kizimkazi)

How to book on-line?

Firstly, please contact us with any queries you may have. Once you have decided to reserve, let us know the dates so we will add you to our booking list. Please notify us in advance if there is any changes or cancellations.

We do not require a deposit for diving reservations, but we do require confirmation in order to keep your space. Confirmation should be done a day before your scheduled dives, no later than 14:00. Confirmation can be made by phone, e-mail or passing by our shop. Please note that we do not keep the spaces for customers that do not confirm in time.

When and how to pay? can I pay by card?

Payments for your dives can be done after you are done diving.
We accept cash in US Dollars, Euros and Tanzanian Shilling.
The exchange rate that we use (for Euros or Shillings) is the official exchange rate on Google at the time of payment.
We also accept all Card Payments but, banks all over Tanzania charges 4% extra for any Card payment.