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Location: South Ari Atoll Land based
Dates: Dec 29, 2025 to Jan 4 2026
Resort: South Ari Resort
Dive operator: South Ari Dive Center
Water Temp: 82-86 F
Air Temp: 82-88 F
Current: Mild to Strong
Visibility: 80 - 100 ft+
Experience Level: MOST Levels* (Must have 60 dives or more and be comfortable with current and using a reef hook)
Trip Highlights: South Ari Dive Center
South Ari Dive center is the First ever PADI 5 Star Dive center at South Ari Atoll. We are located in Dhangethi island, which is the Center of the Best Dive sites in the Maldives. All famous dive sites are located within 5 to 45 minutes of traveling from our dive center in Dhangethi. We have Experts with more than 17 years of experience in diving. South Ari Atoll located in the west of the archipelago is famous for its year-round population of whale sharks and Mantas which cruise the outer atoll channel gorging themselves on planktons.
Known For: Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, Eagle Rays, Sharks, Schooling Fish, Moray Eels and so much more
Your Special Requirements: We are happy to help you meet all your dietary, mobility and other special needs. Please click HERE to see how we do it.
Maldives entry Requirements:
US citizens can enter the Maldives for tourism without a prior visa. They will receive a 30-day tourist visa upon arrival. To be eligible, you'll need a valid US passport, onward or return ticket, and proof of sufficient funds. Additionally, all travelers, including US citizens, must complete a Traveler Declaration Form online within 96 hours of their scheduled arrival.
Passport
- Your passport must be valid for one month beyond your stay.
- You will need one bland passport page for your stamp.
- Traveler Declaration: Must be completed online via the IMUGA portal within 96 hours of your scheduled arrival time
- Travel declaration link: https://imuga.immigr...ov.mv/traveller
Pricing:
2025/26 TRIP PKG PRICING:
- Tropical Deluxe Diver D/O (twin beds and/or Queen/King for couples) = $1435 credit price or $1393 CASH
- Tropical Deluxe Diver S/O = $1747 credit price or $1696 CASH
- Tropical Deluxe NON-Diver * D/O = $1332 credit price or $1293 CASH includes 1-2 boat rides daily as not all dives are suited for snorkeling... EMAIL trips@singledivers.com for coupon and inventory set up)
- Tropical Deluxe NON-Diver* S/O = $1644 full price or $1596 CASH includes 1-2 boat rides daily as not all dives are suited for snorkeling ... EMAIL trips@singledivers.com for coupon and inventory set up)
* The operator is new to us owe can only rely on what they tell us. They promise that they can offer decent snorkeling but not every site is suitable for snorkeling and diving at the same time. So we ask for some flexibility on your part to help us. Expect 1-2 boat dive snorkels a day only. Email trips@singledivers.com to chat with Kamala and/or call her at 864-557-6079 to be sure this is right for you. NOTE: The price difference is not much because you go out on the boat like everyone else so we will handle the price reduction via a coupon you will book with. Talk to us to get this coupon
**All prices are per person.
***Cash Discounted Price is given when you select e-check at final checkout.
Discounts & Rebates:
DISCOUNTS & DISCOUNT DISCLAIMER:
You must use the code when you book as they are not retroactive after you sign up UNLESS otherwise stated like the member rebate etc. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause but the accounting expenses of manually trying to do the discount is far exceeding the discount amount making it very prohibitive to manage this way. So please be sure to use the discount code AT TIME OF INITIAL BOOKING.
NOTE: The EBD or Early Booking Discounts can only be used as follows:
- When paying in full
- When you first sign up AND make one payment only
- By the deadline given. After that deadline they disappear and the code will not work. (So please leave a buffer if you need to xfer money or have questions.)
- Only one (1) coupon code can be used per order
- NOTE: If you forget to use your coupon when signing up we can do a manual refund of the discount for you but must charge the $50 fee it costs us to process it. So please do not forget to use your code when first signing up.
EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNTS
- PAY IN FULL at time of Booking by June 30, 2025 for $50 off D/O or S/O (Use COUPON CODE: 25MLE50EBD)
- PAY IN FULL at time of Booking by July 30, 2025 for $25 off D/O or S/O (Use COUPON CODE: 25MLE25EBD)
- Deposit by Sep 15: Get (1) chance to win FREE Scuba Cowboy CD signed by the artist!
- Social Media Discounts: 1 extra chance to win a FREE SCUBA COWBOY CD and $50 gift certificate for purchases from anyone of our Corporate Sponsors for signing up on our Facebook Trip Event for this trip AND for liking SD.com if you haven't already AND for sharing the FB Trip booking on your page! GET ADD'L CHANCES FOR EACH FB GROUP OTHER THAN SINGLEDIVERS.COM THAT YOU SHARE TOO AND DOCUMENT (Must do all three!) - To enter send an email to trips@singledivers.com with links to your postings along with MALDIVES LANDBASED 2025/26 SOCIAL MEDIA ENTRIES in the title
- Cash Discount: Use our e-check option to pay for your trip and our RED CASH DISCOUNTED PRICES will be applied at checkout.
- Active Duty Military Discount: $25 OFF Active Duty Military Discount for any active duty military of any country that fights for freedom. Thank you for your service. (Please be prepared to provide proof of service in person at time of check in)
- Member Rebate: File for your $25 member rebate within 30 days after the trip for SD premier and above membership levels (See my forums signature for link to the forms forum or click on the green Paper Forms button at the top of the forums . If you are new to the site send an email to admin@singledivers.com to get the password. PLEASE follow the directions on the form for proper submission & processing. HAVE A GREAT TIME? CONSIDER USING YOUR MEMBER REBATE AS A GIFT BACK TO THE CLUB TO KEEP RUNNING GREAT TRIPS! We really appreciate the gesture! )
- SAVE $75 by submitting your Documents within 21 days of booking this trip. If booking within 45 days of the trip please submit your documents within 3 days. Otherwise the $75 document processing fee will be added to your final invoice
Only one (1) coupon code can be used per order
What's Included:
PACKAGE CONTENTS AND ADD ON PRICING:
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- 7 Days/6 Nights Tropical Deluxe room at a brand new resort staled for completion in August 2025
- Breakfast and Lunch and Dinner Daily
- Transfer via speedboat on Dec 29 and Jan 4 from/to the MLE airport island. Transfer also included on other days if arriving early or staying later IF set up by SingleDivers.com
- 3 Boat dives for 4 days (with option to add 1 more day if doing the liveaboard or 2+ if doing extra days before the trip which need to be set up via SingleDivers.com)
- Group T-shirt when available (see below for details) and other great give-aways!
- Lots of 'Meets & Greets' to get to know everyone!
- Taxes and fees.
FINAL ADD ON'S AND OPTIONAL ITEMS:
- Nitrox Upgrade Pkg for full week: $134 credit $130 CASH
- Boat Night Dive Nitrox inc'd Minimum of 4 required: $88 credit $85 CASH
- Boat Night Dive with AIR Minimum of 4 required: $78 credit $75 CASH
- 3 Tank Extra Day of Diving + Nitrox inc'd: $206 or $200 CASH
- Shore Diving - NOT AVAILABLE due to lots of boat traffic
- Extra Night Local Group Hotel d/o: TBA approx $125 d/o w/meals (We have rooms on hold so please use our block of rooms to keep from changing rooms. Email trips@singledivers.com to confirm before booking. NOTE: We do not guaranteed a d/o for extra nights but will help you find an appropriate roommate)
- Extra Night Local Group Hotel s/o: TBA approx $225 s/o w/meals (We have rooms on hold so please use our block of rooms to keep from changing rooms. Email trips@singledivers.com to confirm before booking)
- Tours: TBD (if enough interest)
- CF 100 tanks - NOT AVAILABLE
- DIN tanks - yes available ...all tanks can be yoke or din FREE
- DIN Adapters - NOT AVAILABLE but not needed
- Rent A Buddy - NOT AVAILABLE
- SD Air Research Fee - $37.00 FULL PRICE per member or $35 CASH
NOT INCLUDED:
- Airfare to Male (MLE)
- Rental, instruction and retail charges
- Dive Crew/Hotel/Wait staff gratuities (usually 15-20% of your land pkg cost)
- Extra nights outside of pkg dates unless set up via SingleDivers.com for the prices specified
- DIVE Insurance - is MANDATORY! DIVE insurance is VERY inexpensive. Even if you have insurance that you think covers DIVING ACCIDENTS and air lifts it is CHEAP to get a supplemental policy to ensure you are cared for.
- TRIP Insurance - It is MANDATORY. See INSURANCE section below for recommendations.
Accommodations:
ROOM AMENITIES
- 1 or 2 bed options
- Air conditioning
- Daily maid service
- Refrigerator
- Coffee Maker
- Hair dryer
- Laptop safe
- Full bath with tub
- Desk
- Cable TV
RESORT AMENITIES
- Free internet
- Free breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Outdoor dining
- Outdoor Pool
- Airport transportation
NOTE: Typically we can not guarantee specific rooms can be reserved for you. You are free to request any thing you want via our reservation system and we will try to get them for you but we can not guarantee any special requests can be accommodated other than those related to injuries, diets, etc. We allow roommates to determine amongst themselves who sleeps where. Our policy has always been to allow divers to work it out themselves and NOT assign or allow people to sign up for specific bunks/beds. Please do not book this trip if you must have a specific room/ or rooming accommodations. If you are injured and wish to email us in advance to discuss please email trips@singledivers.com and we'll discuss if the trip is suited for your specific limitation as well as if we think we can get the room type you need. Thank you for your understanding.
TOURS & ACTIVITIES:
- TBA
- In general there is not a lot to do either on the airport island, the island of Male or the Ari Atoll. It is a great place to relax, unwind, catch up on rest, and de-stress from the chaotic 2025 and slide into 2026.
Travel & Transfer Details:
AIRPORT INFO
You will fly into and out of Male International Airport (MLE). Please check online or with your travel agent for pricing and schedule information. If you would like SingleDivers.com to research and/or book your airfare ticket for you, we will be happy to do so for a $35 research & booking fee.
TRANSFERS:
GETTING TO South Ari Atoll from Airport
- It is usually a lot cheaper to book flights from a major hub such as JFK, LAX, MIA, ATL etc to MLE and then book your domestic flights from your home airport to that major hub. Major airlines such as Singapore airlines, Qatar airlines, Emirates airlines, Etihad airlines and others fly from major U.S. hubs to Male.
- Once the group is in Male, we will transfer via speed boat for the 1.5 hour trip to South Ari Atoll on Dec 29th. (You can depart for the island earlier or depart back to the airport later if you arrange it with SingleDivers.com)
- There are 2 private speedboat charters a day to the resort island... 11am and 4pm
- You must land at least 1 hr prior to the departure time or more to make the speedboat. So arriving at 10:30 will not leave you enough time to make the 11am speedboat so you will take the 4pm
- If you arrive after the 4pm transfer we will set you up in an Airport Hotel until the 11am transfers the next day.
GETTING FROM South Ari Atoll back to the airport
- The speedboat returns back to the airport island at 7:00 AM and afternoon 2:00 PM
-
if you take the 7:00 AM boat, you will reach the airport by 8:30 AM. so your international flight must departure after 10:30 AM and preferably later to offer some buffer and not be rushing.
-
If you are flying home plan to take the 7am transfer back to the airport island. If you are doing the liveaboard then plan to take the 2pm transfer back to the airport island.
- If you are flying home after the land pkg you should plan to take the 7am speedboat and book your flight home 10:30am or later.
- If you are doing the liveaboard after the land pkg then you will return to the airport island on the boat the 10th and depart the boat early in the am to NOW make a flight from 9:30am or later flights home.
IF YOU ARE DELAYED
- Email with DELAYED REROUTE TO MALE in the subject line and text 864-557-6079. I will keep the hotel/operator apprised of your arrival time to arrange a pick up.
- If you experience a flight delay keep trying to get here. We can work with all delays even with the speedboat transfer on the land based part of this trip.
VISA/PASSPORT INFORMATION
Please note that A U.S. passport valid for at least 1 months from the date of entry is required to enter the Maldives. Though not required by law, some travelers have reported difficulty departing Male using a passport with less than six months of validity beyond the date of departure. A 30 day tourist visa is required and will be issued free at the airport. Tourists must provide evidence of return or onward travel. U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry a photocopy of their U.S. passports with them at all times, so that if questioned by local officials proof of identity and U.S. citizenship are readily available. For other global citizens, please review Maldives visa requirements posted on the Internet.
Diving & Itinerary:
- South Ari Dive center is the First ever PADI 5 Star Dive center at South Ari Atoll.
- They are located in Dhangethi island, which is the Center of the Best Dive sites in the Maldives.
- All famous dive sites are located within 5 to 45 minutes of traveling from their dive center.
- We have Experts with more than 17 years of experience in diving. South Ari Atoll located in the west of the archipelago is famous for its year-round population of whale sharks and Mantas which cruise the outer atoll channel gorging themselves on planktons.
Equipment Rental Rates
Daily Price / Weekly Price (6 days)
BCD () $
Regulator w/ Console & Octopus $
Mask $
Fins (fits bare foot and boot) $
Snorkel $
Mask, Fin and Snorkel Set $
Wet Suit (3mm shorty) $
Dive Light $
Dive Computer $
While our personal So Ari Atoll Experience may vary due to weather and conditions, the outline below will give you a good feel for the exciting week in store for us:
Dec 29, 2025: This will be the official ARRIVAL date in MLE and then transfering to So Ari Atoll.
- Full details coming soon...
Dec 30, 2025: This will be our first day of diving.
Dec 31, 2025: The itinerary for New Year's Eve will be provided shortly but will include 3 boat dives today.
Jan 1-2, 2026: The itinerary for New Year's Day and the 2nd will be provided shortly but will include 3 boat dives each day.
Jan 3, 2026: Today is your free day to dry out gear, relax, pack, explore the tiny island we are diving off of OR IF DOING THE LIVEABOARD you can get another day of 3 tank diving in. (Bring a heavy duty large trash bag with you to hold your wet gear for transferring back to the airport island and meeting of the liveaboard if you plan to dive this last day or in case of rain. This will keep your dry gear dry while transferring)
Official Departure day AT ANY TIME YOU LIKE unless you have purchased additional nights. (PLEASE buy these via SingleDivers.com so you do not have to change rooms. Email trips@singledivers.com for room availability)
Jan 4, 2026: Today is our departure day. If you are FLYING HOME you should not schedule your flight prior to 9:35am. LATER IS BETTER but it seems most flights hover around 9:40, 10am and 10:30am. If you are TRANSFERING to the LIVEABOARD we will take the 2pm speedboat back to the airport island to minimize downtime boarding the boat.
Experience Required & Training/Workshops:
- Minimum Certification / Experience: Ari atoll is suitable for divers of MOST experience levels. We will be diving in current, so being comfortable with drift diving is beneficial. If you are a newer diver you should check with trips@singledivers to discuss your concerns. You need a minimum of 60 logged dives. This trip does not include our unique Rent-A-Buddy program. Please contact trips@singledivers.com if you have any questions.
- Certification in Paradise - there are no SingleDivers.com training activities nor workshops currently planned for this trip but Instruction / Classes are available on this trip. Please let us know what you are interested in and we will check with the resort about doing training during your trip and what they would charge. Often they will give us a better price so feel free to ask us to assist. If you would like us to help arrange additional training for you, send an email to trips@singledivers.com and request assistance.
PRICES: Prices for classes in Paradise are always more expensive than doing them at home. Sometimes SingleDivers.com has instructors on our trips who are happy to teach AND usually offer a member discount to anyone interested in taking a class. The more that take a class the more feasible a discount becomes .
Payment Details
PROGRESS PAYMENTS:
PROGRESS PAYMENTS:
-
Tropical Deluxe (Landbased) D/O:
Deposit: $750
7/20/2025: $500
9/20/2025: $185
Tropical Deluxe (Landbased) S/O:
Deposit: $750
7/20/2025: $500
9/20/2025: $497
Note: Trip must be paid in full 90 days prior to departure. Extras must also be paid in full 45 days prior i.e., Nitrox, extra nights etc. IF YOU NEED EXTRA TIME LET US KNOW! (Note that to add an extra to the trip you must pay for it when you add it.)
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
SingleDivers.com uses a secure payment gateway fully integrated into our online booking system that allows you to pay for trips or merchandise using the following payment options.
For full payment information related to your transaction, our shopping cart, how to manage a failed transaction, etc click HERE . We ask that you read this as you will certify when you sign up for one of our trips that you have.
Insurance, Documentation & T&C's:
INSURANCE
TRIP Insurance is MANDATORY due to CHRONIC CRAZY TRAVEL ISSUES and/or covid, other pandemics as well as the island location and so IS required on this trip! TRIP insurance is RELATIVELY inexpensive. Even if you have insurance that you think covers your trip…it is CHEAP (approx $100-$200) to get a supplemental policy to ensure you are covered for your investment in your dive trip. If you opt to not get trip insurance you are responsible for all losses related to your trip including not going for any reason. If diving a LIVEABOARD please consider the liveaboard rider offer by DiveAssure.com.
PRO TIP 1: Do not get the standard policy...it really does not cover enough to be useful. Consider instead a deluxe policy OR an annual policy for a set amount that you gamble a little on knowing you won't have a catrastropic loss every trip so you'll save money AND be covered when you need it most!
PRO TIP 2: Any policy is better than 'no policy' ie. 'self insuring'. We have the least number of issues with Dive Assure but most trip insurance policies will work except for the one's offered by the airlines. They only pay $200 towards a complete loss of your dive trip if they are responsible. While a nice supplemental...do not rely on this as its designed to cover the flight only.
We recommend:
Dive Assure: for either a 'one time'SingleDivers.com policy OR an annual policy for BOTH Dive & Trip OR just Trip Insurance providing PRIMARY COVERAGE with excellent rates and coverage! Please use THIS LINK and/or reference SingleDivers.com via the drop-down menu under GLOBAL PARTNERS. (If you can not find the drop down, do not reference anyone and email info@singledivers.com your policy info and we will do it for you via our Dive Assure company representative. OR SIMPLY USE THIS LINK AND YOU WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY TIED TO US. )
DIVING INSURANCE:
DIVE Insurance is required on all trips - GET THE DELUXE POLICY! DIVE insurance is VERY inexpensive. Even if you have insurance that you think covers DIVING ACCIDENTS and air lifts…it is CHEAP (approx $100-$125) to get a supplemental policy to ensure you are covered for an entire year of diving.
PRO TIP; The two primary suppliers of dive insurance DiveAssure.com and DAN are inexpensive enough to carry both. This way you will have the best coverage internationally, the best coverage domestically, primary insurance, secondary insurance and if a claim is denied on one policy you can submit it on the other. No matter what happens...YOU ARE COVERED!!! ... PRICELESS!!!
We recommend: Dive Assure: for either a 'one time' policy OR an annual policy for BOTH Dive & Trip Insurance providing PRIMARY COVERAGE with excellent rates and coverage! Please use THIS LINK and/or reference SingleDivers.com via the drop-down menu under GLOBAL PARTNERS. (If you can not find the drop down, do not reference anyone and email info@singledivers.com your policy info and we will do it for you via our Dive Assure company representative. OR SIMPLY USE THIS LINK AND YOU WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY TIED TO US. )
you can also use....
Diver's Alert Network: Please use our reference number when ordering: ID1603080 (This only works if you are a new first time DAN
DOCUMENTATION
All SingleDivers.com trips require necessary documentation to facilitate booking your trip and/or making it a better experience for you. Once you complete your documents online our automated system will take the information from your last trip with us and fill out your new trip forms for you. You then add any missing information and/or change anything that is no longer current. You will find the forms you need to complete under MY TRIPS which you will find under TRIPS in the main menu across the top of the site. Since each trip requires a unique set of docs, please choose the correct trip from your "My Trips" drop down and then complete the forms required for that trip. Some trips will also ask you to complete the resort or liveaboard's forms as well.
The AIR AUTHORIZATION FORM is only required when you are having SingleDivers.com book air for you but this includes air that is part of the trip pkg price.
Not all of our forms are online as they are either infrequently used or being phased out. If you need a form that is not in our online directory, send an email to trips@singledivers.com and ask for the form you need.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
All SingleDivers.com trips require:
- You agree to a number of things when you join our trips including buying insurance to cover your investment, reading all the trip details and trip pm's, doing all the required documentation etc. Please click HERE to read them all.
Edited by WreckWench, 24 June 2025 - 12:41 PM.
