Barefoot Scuba E-Brochure

8/8/2019 Barefoot Scuba E-Brochure

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Floating in splendid isolation in the Bay of

Bengal is an archipelago of 572 islands, islets

and rocks, stretching over an area of more than

700 km from north to south. Only 36 of these

islands are inhabited. Known as the Andaman

& Nicobar Islands, this Union Territory is a part

of the Republic of India.

Once part of a hill range, stretching from

Myanmar to Indonesia, these undulating

islands are covered with dense forests and

endless variety of exotic flowers and birds.The

rare flora and fauna, underwater marine life

with crystal clear water and mangrove lined

creeks, offer a dream view of the rare gifts of

nature.

Ab o u t Th e An d a m a n & N ic o ba r I s l a n d s


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G et t in g t o t h e An d a m a n I s l a n d s & t o H a v e l o c k

East of South Andaman Island is a group of 9

emerald is lands that form Ri tchie ' s

Archipelago, of which Havelock Island is the

largest.

Havelock Island, heart of all scuba divingactivity and tourism in the Andamans is a

tranquil laid back island where pristine white

sandy beaches welcome you and spectacular

diving and snorkeling make your holiday a

splendid one.

Port Blair, the capital city of the Andaman

Islands can be reached from mainland India

with direct flights from Chennai or Kolkata. All

major airlines like Indian Airlines, Kingfisher

and Jet Lite have daily connections to Port Blair.

Havelock is located about 57 km northeast of

Port Blair and can be easily reached by regular

ferry sailings. There are usually 3 sailing per day

and the journey from Port Blair to HavelockIsland is covered in about 2.5 hours.

It's meandering coastline and tall indigenous

rainforest trees makes one feels lost in

paradise. A visit to Havelock and the Andaman

Islands in general is a memorable once in a

lifetime experience.

N

S

W E


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Abo u t Ba r e f o o t Sc u b a & w h a t w e o f f e r

Located at Beach No.3 on Havelock Island,

Barefoot Scuba was one of the first dive

operations to be set up in the Andaman Islands

and over the years has made tremendous

progress.

Barefoot Scuba is the only PADI 5 Star InstructorDevelopment Dive Resort in the Andaman

Islands. Diving or learning to dive with a PADI 5

Star IDC facility means that you enjoy better

services and higher safety standards. We

believe in small groups and personalized

service to enhance your diving experience and

safety.

The dive centre is fully equipped with a state of

the art equipment area, a comfortable

classroom, a designated filling area and a

service area. With top of the line diving

equipment, outstanding customer service and


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Abo u t Ba r e f o o t Sc u b a & w h a t w e o f f e r

an impeccable safety record, we are the

preferred dive operation in Havelock.

Our dive centre is under European

management. Our extremely experienced,

friendly Instructors and Divemasters are all

PADI professionals who love their work andlook forward to interacting with you. With the

instructors being a mix of nationalities, the

added advantage for our guests is that all our

courses can be taught to you in most European

languages.

For our staff, your safety always comes first and

we pride ourselves in a proven safety record.

We play an active part in the Seacology

Environmental Education Centre in Havelock,

and PADI's Project A.W.A.R.E. These initiatives

raise awareness through education and bring

about a positive change. We conduct a number

of workshops in conjunction with local schools

to try to nurture the hope of protecting the

Andaman Islands and its marine habitat in our

future generation.

At Barefoot Scuba, there is something for

everybody. We provide a wide range of services

to complete your dream holiday. With us, you

can leave your worries behind and enjoy a trip

to paradise.

t o s o c f u e rb a a b

nals di sn ,a im na dd i

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D i vin g

Being the only PADI 5 Star

Development Dive Resort in the Andaman

Islands, Barefoot Scuba offers a complete

range of PADI courses from the popular

Discover Scuba Diving Programs through to

the professional levels of Divemaster

Assistant Instructor, Instructor and beyond.

We also offer a variety of Specialty Courses,

First Aid Courses and well priced course

packages that are interesting for those wishing

to continue or enhance their diving

knowledge.

Certified divers can enjoy guided fun diving in

small groups over beautiful coral reefs and our

dive packages are a popular choice. Whether

you are staying for a day or for a week, we have

fun diving packages to suit every diver.

Instructor In our quest to bring you something new each

year, this season we are the only dive facility in

India with a state of the art Bauer Membrane

System for safe filling of Nitrox/Enriched Air.

We look forward to teaching Nitrox courses

and staying down for longer!

Dream, discover and explore the hidden

treasures of the Andaman Sea with us.


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Snorkeling is an activity that has no real

barriers when it comes to age, fitness level or

enjoyment. It's a great way to enjoy the

wonderful marine life that the Emerald Isles

have to offer.

All you need is a mask & a pair of fins - exploring

the underwater world just couldn't be easier or

more rewarding. It's really simple, so if you are

just a beginner and have never tried it before

don't miss this opportunity to get your glimpse

of what the underwater world has to offer.

Believe us- it will take your breath away!

Barefoot Scuba offers several short half daysnorkeling excursions as well as full day

snorkeling programs. Guests can join our

regular dive trips as a snorkeler or opt for the

afternoon snorkeling trip or the sunset

Sn o r k el i n g

snorkeling trip that allows guests to enjoy a bit

of a lay in.

For those who want to live life king size; choose

from a wide range of boats and charter a

private snorkeling boat.

Come join us. Allow us to unveil the

underwater marvels of the Emerald Isles.


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O f f t h e bea t en t r a c k

To give your holiday an extra edge and formemories to last you a lifetime, Barefoot Scubaoffers you some amazing specials too.

Dive or snorkel with Rajan ourcelebrity elephant

Rajan - Barefoot's 59 year old retired Asianelephant is the last of the famous oceanswimming elephants of the Andaman Islands.He is a well known celebrity having featured inthe Hollywood movie 'The Fall'.

With us, you could dive or snorkel alongsidethis beautiful tusker and add that extra zing toyour Andaman experience. Every seasonsnorkelers and divers from all over the globeare amazed and mesmerized by his grace andrelative weightlessness underwater.

If you thought diving with a great white shark isthe most special you could do, think again!


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O f f t h e bea t en t r a c k

It is not Barefoot's intention to turn thiscelebrity elephant into a circus act by gettinghim to swim too often and with too manypeople. Hence diving or snorkeling with Rajanneeds to be booked ahead of time so we cankeep our bookings few and far between.

Rajan's story is an extremely interesting oneand if you are interested in learning more abouthim, please visit www.divewithrajan.com

Dive the unexplored with our specialtrips and safaris

On our magical dive safaris guests will betreated to spectacular reefs and stunning divesites that are beyond what's usually possible onour day trips. Dive safaris will involve 3 divesper day with overnight camping in tentedaccommodation on other Islands in theAndamans. It's a great way to enjoy the best of both worlds!

Our speedboat expedition trips will take youwhere no other dive centre in the Andamanswill. Dive the unexplored waters around theactive volcano 'Barren Island' or try theundived waters of Invisible Banks. These tripsare exclusive to Barefoot Scuba and can be

done as single day safaris.

Barefoot Scuba's special day trips allow gueststo dive the top 3 dive sites of Ritchie'sArchipelago in a single day. A fun day on ourlarger boats and 3 fantastic dives on the bestsites makes this trip a very popular choice withour guests.

An opportunity that's not be missed It'ssimply breathtaking!


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N e w d es t in a t io n s

As the Andaman Islands open up to tourism,Barefoot Scuba too explores new frontiers withthe motive of allowing you to discover divingbeyond Ritchie's Archipelago.

Our new dive operation in Avis Island allows you

to be amongst the first to explore the magicalNorth Andaman waters. Located off the straitbetween Middle and North Andaman, this keyshaped Island exclusive to the Barefoot Groupwill definitely enchant you.

New dive operations are also being planned onBarefoot Group properties around thearchipelago in the near future. These new

destinations will allow you to dive the pristineuntouched reefs just waiting to be explored.

If you wish for a holiday in the AndamanIslands, leave the planning to us. From meetand greet services, to round trip transfers,accommodation and plenty of activities toenthral you, Barefoot Scuba ensures that yourvacation is well planned, well executed andhassle free.

OTHER SERVICES


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An o v e r v ie w o f d iv in g in t h e An d a m a n I s l a n d s

Journey to the Bay of Bengal in Asia and explore the

magical Andaman Islands - a wondrous realm of stunning

marine and coral reefs, swimming elephants, pristine

beaches and mysterious tribes who exist beyond the reach

of time. Pass through shimmering gates of coral and

discover volcanic gardens of an underwater paradise.

Here lions, unicorns and butterflies masquerade as fish.

Dugongs play in the sea-grasses of shallow reefs that

fringe the outer islands and every dive trip brings the

promise of exploration and new discoveries

Jacques Yves Cousteau

Although dive pioneer Jacques Cousteau dived

the waters around the Andaman Islands quite

some time ago- it's only now that they are

becoming one of the world's newest diving

destinations which have yet to be explored

properly for diving. After a 60 year period of


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virtual isolation from the outside world the

Indian government has made a decision to

allow limited, environmentally conscious

tourism development in the islands.

Although diving is a recent development in

India, the Andaman Islands offer some

splendid diving and untouched coral reefs. A

hidden jewel, waiting to be explored!

The best time to dive the Andaman Islands is

February and March. Our peak season is from

November until Mid April. The second week of

May brings in the monsoon season and for this

reason Barefoot Scuba is closed in June and

July.

August and September too are wet months

and although diving in these months come

with their own charm; generally these months

offer slightly reduced visibility and rougher

seas than the peak periods.

With water temperatures not dropping below

26C and averaging 28C, diving here is

extremely comfortable and enjoyable to learn.

Visibility in our surrounding waters can vary

from 5m-40m depending on the site and the

season. Currents can range from nothing to

strong and are completely dependant on the

dive site and the tides.

The dive sites are between 30 minutes and

1hour 30 minutes by boat and vary quite a bit in

what the individual sites offer, with regards to

topography and fish life. We have dive sites

suited for all levels of divers; however some of the best dive sites require an advanced level of

certification


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Sites within easy access offer large healthy coral

fields and habitats for marine critters of all sizes.

It is possible to get exciting dives with manta

rays, devil rays, sharks, sea snakes, a variety of

groupers, humphead parrotfish, large schools

of trevally, napoleon wrasse, turtles, octopus

and so on.

Existing dive sites have proven to amaze and

thrill divers of all levels; however there are areas

of undiscovered and un-dived waters which

hold much more to be explored. In our quest to

show you the best that these magnificent Isles

have to offer, we are constantly on the lookout

for new spectacular dive sites all over theAndaman Islands.


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O u r bo a t s & eq u i pm en t

Barefoot Scuba owns a fleet of

dive vessels. Based on the

diving excursion chosen, the

appropriate boat is designated

for the trip. Guests can also

choose to charter the boat of their choice for private trips.

All our boats are equipped with

ladders to make entries and

exits easier, canopies, spares,

first aid kit, emergency oxygen

and floatation devices. Our

boat crew are trained in firstaid and handling emergencies.

We carry mineral water, tea,

cookies and a vegetarian lunch

on all dive trips.

Dunghis are traditional Burmese fishing boatsused extensively throughout the AndamanIslands and their unique design makes themsuitable for our waters. These boats aremodified to suit diving needs and are the most

common boats used for day diving trips in theAndamans. Our dunghis seat about 8 divers ina shaded seating area and offer additionalroom at the bow for those wishing to sit outand enjoy the sun.

'Laxmi, our larger more comfortable boat isabout 16m in length and travels between 8 and10 knots. She is equipped with a dive platformfor easy access, tank racks for storage of tanksand a ladder to help you enter and exit thewater.

She has a wheel house, a nice small seatingarea, an open sun area at the bow of the boat, atoilet and a small kitchen. There is a hatchwhere all the diving equipment can be stored.Laxmi can take up to 12 divers comfortably andoffers a relaxed ride to our dive sites.


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O u r b o a t s & e q u i pm en t

Valsa has been rebuilt into a custom made diveboat for the upcoming season and no efforthas been spared in providing her with the bestfacilities. Made completely in timber she isabout 14 meters in length and is equipped witha powerful engine.

Complete with a tank rack, an equipment area,

a swim step, a sun deck for divers to relax, atoilet on board, a wheel house, a simple cabin(2 berths) and a small kitchen area Valsa is agreat boat to be on. She travels at about 8knots and can comfortably accommodateabout 12 divers at a time.

Badmaash is the fastest speedboat in the

Andamans and can get you to the best divingspots like Barren Island and Invisible Bankswithin 2 hours from Havelock and Port Blair.Onboard facilities like air-conditioned cabinsensure that you feel extremely comfortableand pampered.

Built by GC Marine (Dubai), this boat is 35 feetand is powered by twin 225HP MercuryOptimax OBMs. Below deck is an air-conditioned cabin, a fully equipped galley anda toilet.


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O u r d iv in g e q u i pm en t

Our dive gear is state-of-the-art equipmentfrom Scubapro. We have a range of BCD sizes

to accommodate all divers. Our gear is washedthoroughly in fresh water every day after useand serviced regularly with standard spares asrecommended by the manufacturers.

Our scuba cylinders are 12-litre Catalinacylinders with the ability to accommodate

both DIN and Yoke Valves. We also have a fewlarger tanks available for rent should you

require a bit more air. Our cylinders arehydrostatically tested as per internationalregulations. They are filled to 200 bar usingBauer Mariner breathing air compressorsunder strict adherence to operating standards.

For divers who wish to dive with their own dive

computers, we rent out Suunto Geckocomputers to our guests. Despite the watertemperature averaging 28C, we generallyprovide 3mm short wetsuits in all sizes to ourguests. If you find that these are inadequatethen we can provide you with 3mm fullwetsuits. We have a variety of masks and arange of prescription masks as well to suit the

needs of our guests. Our fins come in full-footand open-heel models. We have boots andbooties of all sizes for divers who opt for open-heel fins.

We understand that an enjoyable diverequires comfortable and well maintainedequipment. We do our best to ensure that ourguests are provided with equipment that isoptimum to their needs.


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Ac c o m m o d a t io n

Discover Indias best kept secret- The Andaman Islands through Barefoot Scuba Dive Resort (also known as Caf Del Mar) and the Barefoot atHavelock Resort.

Located at Beach No.3, the Barefoot ScubaDive Resort is the perfect choice for thebudget conscious traveller. Located in the

same premises as the Barefoot Scuba,Barefoot Scuba Dive Resort offers its guests aconvenient base from which to explore not justthe snorkeling and dive sites around Havelock,but also the village market, the elephanttraining camp and the forest trails beyondBeach No. 5.

The resort has a lovely restaurant called CafDel Mar that serves both Indian andcontinental fares. The icing on the cake is themassage centre where guests can indulge in atraditional Ayurvedic massage while enjoyingviews of the ocean. A splendid way to treatyourself after a day's diving!

The resort is easy on the pocket, simple andelegant and offers three different categoriesof rooms.

The Sea Facing Duplex Cottages are woodand bamboo structures that face the seathrough a small grove of coconut trees. Theairy bedroom on the upper floor leads out toa private balcony which is the perfect place torelax after a day of diving. The interiors aresimple, with ceiling fans, electric lights andpower outlets provided.

The bathroom on the lower level is equippedwith a western-style toilet, shower and wash-basin with running water. The sit-out, belowthe balcony, is the ideal place to hang yourhammock, forget your worries and relax.

Ba r ef o o t Sc u b a Di ve Re so r t


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The Garden Bungalows are made of bambooand are quaint elevated cottages that areclean and simplistic. The interiors are verysimple and these huts have a view of theGarden. The attached bathroom has awestern style toilet and a shower.

For guests who require accommodation thatis basic yet comfortable, the GardenBungalow is a perfect choice.

The A Frame Huts are small elevated canestructures perfect for the backpacker on atight budget. These little huts do not have anen suite bathroom. The resort has 4 cleanbathrooms equipped with western style

toilets, showers and wash basins with runningwater for the use of the guests staying in thesehuts.

All A frame huts have a ceiling fan, a light, amattress and a mosquito net which is

sufficient for the traveller that is looking foraccommodation that is inexpensive for hislong stays.


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Duplex non a/c cottages and the brand newchic Nicobari Villa. All categories of rooms havewonderful views of the rainforest and allmodern amenities to make your trip justperfect.

Guests here can enjoy bird-watching and Rajanour celebrity elephant too lives at this resort. Alarge spacious lounge bar, two restaurants, anAyurvedic massage centre, escorted naturewalks, kayaking and yoga classes make theBarefoot at Havelock resort and its environs aone-of-a-kind holiday experience in Havelock.

If your holiday is all about luxury, comfort,

relaxation, peace, quiet and nature at its best,the picturesque Barefoot at Havelock Resort isthe perfect place to be.


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C o n t a c t a n d Res e r va t io n

We will be happy to assist you with your

booking and answer any questions that

you may have on the Andaman Islands.

We recommend sending us an email,

however should you not have access to

the Internet we are just a phone call

away.

For reservations and enquiries

For information, availability and prices

please send us an email on

For more information regarding

Barefoot Scuba and Barefoot Scuba Dive

Resort please log onto

please call +91 95660 88560

[email protected]

www.diveandamans.com.

For more information regarding

Barefoot at Havelock Resort please log

onto

For more information on Rajan, our

swimming elephant, please log onto

For more information on our diving

safari's and overnight diving

expeditions please log onto

For more information on how to

become a professional diver please logonto

www.barefootindia.com.

www.divewithrajan.com .

www.liveaboardindia.com.

www.goproindia.com.

Introducing the mesmerizing Emerald Isles to you would be an honour and we lookforward to welcoming you soon.

T Copyrighted by Barefoot Scuba - Part of Barefoot Group / Some images are copyright of adventure4ever.comext

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Barefoot Scuba E-Brochure