What is the water temperature?
The water temperature varies between 29 C degrees to 24 C, warm enough to wear just a 3mm neoprene suit or a 5mm in the winter. Our “winter” is July-Aug-Sept.

What is the underwater visibility?
On our reefs and walls the visibility often exceeds 30 metres and can reach 70m. The visibility in the channels on an outgoing tide ranges from 10 metres up 30 metres. Due to the complexity of our Oceanic and tidal currents mixing we sometimes get a 30m clear blue dive in the morning and a 10 metre visibility dive in the afternoon. This is when we get to see the huge grouper and schools of jacks feeding.

What is the range of diving depths?
 We find that the best life light and healthy reefs exist between 15-25 metres of depth. Most of our dives are planned to a maximum of 25m (or 80 Ft). Sometimes, when there is something very special, we go deeper. Due to the lack of a decompression chamber in Tanzania we limit all recreational diving to a maximum of 30m.

Are there strong currents?
In some of the channels, at certain times of the year we get strong currents that are good challenging drift dives. While these dives may excite some of you, we generally only go to these spots when you ask us to! On the whole our diving in Pemba is sedate, easy and safe.

Are the coral reefs alive?
Our reefs are in phenomenal condition, almost pristine. We are blessed with some of the most healthy coral reefs in the world – El nino did destroy small areas of coral above 8m, but below 8m the coral fields are healthy, robust, and endless. We have fields of cabbage patch coral, and lots of staghorn.

Any sign of coral bleaching?
El Niño has spared most of Pemba, and there is virtually no coral bleaching on reefs deeper than 8m. The island of Pemba is based on the Indian Ocean floor with depths of 3000m and 1500m on either side. This  provides the reefs with fresh, cool, clean water on a constant basis.

What will I see on my dives?
Schools of bigeye jacks, schools of chevron barracudas, hump head parrotfish, Maori wrasse, extremely colourful tropical reef fish, sea turtles, tons of anemones and clownfish plus a tremendous variety of hard and soft corals. We also have ribbon eels, eagle rays, occasional manta rays, Hammerhead sharks sometimes visit. We are also home to the 30cm nudibranch!

If you are interested in extreme close-up photography, Pemba offers an opportunity to photograph rare species such as the fire dartfish, leaf-fish, ghost pipefish, seahorses, and dozens of nudibranches.

How many dive sites does Pemba have?
We have explored and charted over 30 spectacular dive sites and there is still  miles of uncharted reefs and channels.

How does the diving compare with Zanzibar ?
The diving in Zanzibar is very different but in some cases equally as good. With the exception of Mnemba Atoll, Zanzibar’s diving is based upon the continental shelf on which it sits. This means that the types of fish are less often pelagic. The visibility in Pemba is also consistently better, and the spread of good sites is island wide. We do co-operate with the Zanzibar Dive centre and Scoobadoos and recommend both centres.

Pemba is a world class diving destination.

The dive centre

Are there dive boat trips in the morning?
We depart every morning for a two tank dive trip. We usually depart at 0900hrs.

How many tanks per trip?
2 tanks per trip are the norm but we certainly cater to our customers' desires. We can schedule 3 tank dives on request.

Are there night dives?
We do not conduct night dives due to the difficulties posed by unexpected currents. This may change as our live aboard dive boat comes on line.

Are there shore dives?
Pemba does not offer shore diving because the best channels, coral gardens and wall dives are more than a mile from shore. Pemba ’s  western shoreline is mostly mangrove formations which provide the nutrients and nesting places for juvenile fish. The east coast is solid hard coral.

How many dive boats are available?
Swahili Divers owns and operates 5 custom designed dive boats. These vessels have been designed and equipped specifically for diving and contain all of the equipment to make your trip comfortable and safe.

How many divers per group?
A maximum of 7 divers per group, but we try to keep that to five divers or less. We can accommodate larger numbers for groups in our dhow Plovver. This is capable of carrying up to 22 day divers.

Can non-divers come on the boat?
They are more than welcome. Spouses and family members often accompany our diving guests, making the overall experience more enjoyable.

Can snorkellers come on dive boats?
Again, snorkellers are more than welcome. Lots of dive sites offer the opportunity to snorkel and scuba at the same site. Our vertical walls and channels often rise to within a few feet of the surface.

Are there special snorkelling trips?
Yes, Swahili Divers offers dedicated snorkelling trips to Mislali Island. These trips depart in the morning and include a trained guide.

What time do you get back from the morning dive?
Morning dive trips return between 4-5pm.

Is lunch served on the boat or at the resort?
On the boat you have a generous Lunch . This includes a salad or pasta or Biriyani (Riz-pilau) with eggs, chapattis, fruits and sandwiches.  Lunch is also available for the culture hogs back at the resort.

How close are the boats to the Hotel?
The boats are 10 minutes ride from  hotel. Transfers are provided for each trip.

Is there shade on the boats?
Every one of our Dhows have shaded areas and have custom built dive ladders for easy entry and exit. Speedboats are not shaded, but the ride is short and you always end up on a beach for lunch.

What safety equipment is on the dive boats?
All of our boats have first aid kits, O₂ kits, VHF radios, life jackets and cell phones. Offshore vessels have life rafts, Personal locator beacons (EPRIB) and flares.

All of our boats have twin engines.

Are weight belts available?
Yes, weights and belts are provided by Swahili Divers. We have belts in a wide range of sizes and weights in 2,3 and 4 pound (1 to 2 kilo) increments.

What size scuba tanks are used?
We use 10 and 12 litre aluminium tanks. We also have a couple of 15 litre tanks for the big guys! All of the tanks are regularly inspected and hydrostatically tested.