Christmas Island Diving
What To Expect When Diving on Christmas Island
You'll find untouched dive sites, caves and grottos, sharks, dolphins, endemic fish, steep drop-offs, rare birds, lonely beaches, dense jungle, waterfalls and blowholes, as well as the famous crabs are waiting for visitors to this gem in the Indian Ocean!
Christmas Island is part of Australia, and only 3½ hours from Perth. It is located in the Indian Ocean Territories, approximately 350km south of Java.
For nature lovers and divers looking for a place without mass tourism, Christmas Island is the perfect destination.
Diverse spots with caves, drop offs, coral gardens and good chances of shark encounters make Christmas Island a top destination for divers.
The dives around Christmas Island are a unique experience. In addition to coral gardens with huge table corals, there are steep drop-offs – several hundred metres deep.
More than 200 coral species live here, as well as endemic fish and the big ones of the seas. Different species of sharks - especially during the summer months – can been seen here. Apart from white tip and grey reef sharks, the curious silky sharks at the early morning dives are a real peculiarity. With a little luck you can also encounter hammerheads, whale sharks and mantas during the dives.
The visibility of more than 30 metres is excellent almost all year round and on the boat trips you will sometimes encounter dolphins and during the whale shark season the gigantic plankton eaters often appear nearby.
The water temperature ranges between 24 and 28 degrees all year round.
Another treat of Christmas Island are the numerous caves and caverns.
In the "Thundercliff Cave" you can even go to the surface inside the cave, walk into the cave and admire the big stalactites.
Macro lovers will get their money's worth on the reefs around Christmas Island: ghost pipefish, harlequin shrimps and dragon moray eels provide great photo opportunities.
The abundance of underwater life in Christmas Island is always on display with large schools of many different types of fish always evident with the reliable 30+ metre visibility.
Diving With Us
Extra Divers Christmas Island offers daily half-day trips, 2 dives per day, that start at 07:30 in the morning and return back around 12:00 in the afternoon.
In busy times, boats fill up quickly and afternoon trips also go out regularly for 2 dives as well (starting at 13:30).
We do 2 dives, with each dive being max 30 meters (or to your training depth if shallower) for max 1 hour.
In between the dives we make a minimum 1 hour surface interval and move to the next location for the second dive.
This schedule is optimal because it allows you time to explore the underwater world and then have the other half day to explore the island. The boat goes out regularly.
Non divers are welcome to see the island from the sea or snorkel.
For those interested in Technical Diving, please contact us, as we can offer support.
Contact us for dive packages including accommodation.
During the months of January to April we often carry out maintenance activities.
To ensure the boat is available during your holiday, please contact us before confirming accommodation or flights.
Our boats are nice and big (11 meters long, 4 meters wide), the roof offers full sun protection, and they even have a marine toilet!
We offer snacks and tea, coffee, hot chocolate & drinking water on board and have all the latest safety equipment required by Australian regulations.
There is even a toilet
They have plenty of space for dive equipment under the seats, and a dry area in the bow for day bags.
There are ladders on the stern made specially for divers and snorkellers to come up with fins, so it's an easy boat to go diving from.
While our boat may take up to 20 people on board, it is rare to have that many, leaving lots of space.
Gear Rental
We have a full range of rental equipment, with the option of full equipment hire (BCD, regulator, shorty wetsuit, dive computer, SMB) or any combination of the above.
We also are the only dive centre on the island to offer Nitrox.
Our dive tanks are DIN and Yoke/INT
Every diver is also required to carry his/her own SMB (surface marker buoy) for signalling at the end of the dive.
Fins, mask and snorkel are also available.
We are the only dive centre on the island to offer Nitrox.
Diving Gallery
The latest pictures from Instagram
Video Gallery
A video by Scott Portelli, December 2020
Destination WA TV segment November 2020
Video Bubbles came to visit!
Try Scuba
With our SSI Try Scuba program, you can experience diving even if you have not previously completed a scuba diving course.
This is an equivalent to the PADI Discover Scuba Diving program, you may have heard of also.
You can even show your children the joys of diving, with the eligible age starting from 12 years old. (a signed doctors certificate is required up to 14 years old.)
Our instructors will stay right with you throughout the dive to ensure you are safe and having fun.
The Try dive takes about 3 hours total - we start with briefing you and showing you the equipment, then we do some skill practice in the shallow water and then from there we swim out onto the shallow reef to enjoy the underwater life.
The Try Scuba costs $169 and includes a short theory session, all dive equipment, shallow water skill practice and 1 shore dive with an instructor.
You must complete a short medical form, before commencing the experience
The Try Scuba program is not a certification by itself, but if you like it we can go straight into an entry level course, and the first try dive that you do will count as credit towards a portion of the course.
Disabled & Accessibility
Diving is for everyone.
Your disability should not stop you from experiencing the wonders of the sea.
We welcome those with any special needs to our dive shop and boat.
Please contact us for details, so we can advise you further and provide any equipment.
Our staff have experience with wheelchair users and other disabilities.
We love to assist everyone!
As divers we can't hear anything under the water properly, we can't speak under the water (we use hand signals), we have foot long feet, so can't walk properly (fins).
We have this experience every day and can adjust to your needs!
Its about what you can do- not what you can't!