Course overview

Combine diving with marine protection through PADI AWARE conservation programmes in Hikkaduwa, a town with a long tradition of reef and turtle stewardship on Sri Lanka's south coast. Through courses such as Dive Against Debris and AWARE specialties you learn to survey reefs, remove and record marine debris and support local conservation. You finish with a recognised AWARE specialty and the skills to dive as part of the solution.

What you’ll learn

• Conduct a Dive Against Debris survey and record findings
• Identify and safely remove marine debris without harming life
• Understand local reef and turtle conservation challenges
• Practise reef-friendly buoyancy and diving habits
• Contribute data to citizen-science conservation projects
• Promote sustainable diving and reef protection

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 10 (varies by specialty)
• PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent) for in-water programmes
• Some AWARE programmes are open to non-divers
• Diver medical clearance signed by a physician for diving components

What's included · What's not

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Conservation briefing & survey dives

   Learn AWARE survey and debris-removal methods, then complete conservation dives on Hikkaduwa's reefs recording data and removing debris to certify.

Verified through iDive

Every partner school in the iDive network is vetted on safety, instructor credentials, equipment standards and student feedback. Talk to a iDive dive pro on WhatsApp for current availability and reviews specific to Hikkaduwa.

Frequently asked questions