Interest in diving in the Andamans rose sharply in June 2026, after Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, shared videos of a scuba dive during a visit to the islands. The clips, posted around World Environment Day, were viewed millions of times within hours. Operators say a surge of attention like this often brings in first-time enquiries, many from people who had assumed diving was not for them.
Frogman, a diving centre in Havelock, is one of the operators that builds its dives around first-timers, including guests who cannot swim. An instructor stays alongside each guest for the whole dive. A session starts with a safety briefing and a short practice in shallow water, where guests get used to breathing through the regulator and clearing their ears before moving out to the reef.
The dive itself is usually short and shallow. The instructor takes the guest down a few metres and stays within reach, controlling the pace and the depth. Because the guest does not have to swim or manage the dive, the focus stays on looking at the reef, the fish and the coral. Most centres carry out a basic health check first and explain conditions that can prevent a dive, such as some heart or breathing problems.
The people trying it have changed. Diving used to be mostly younger travellers and adventure seekers. Now families, couples and older visitors take part too, often after one nervous member is reassured that swimming is not needed. For many guests, the dive becomes the part of the trip they talk about most.
Suchit, the founder of Frogman, said the worry about swimming comes up almost every day. "Guests tell us they would love to try but they can't swim, as if that settles it," he said. "We explain that the instructor is right there and the water is shallow and calm. Once they are in, most forget they were ever nervous."
Most guided dives now include photos and short video taken during the session, which guests receive afterwards. Shared online, those clips have spread word of beginner diving in the Andamans and encouraged more first-timers to try it. The footage also lets a guest go back over a dive that passes quickly underwater.
The diving season runs through most of the year, with the calmest sea and clearest water usually between October and May. In that window, even a shallow beginner dive can bring guests close to reef fish, coral gardens and, at some sites, larger marine animals. Conditions change by site and by day, so instructors pick a spot that matches each guest's comfort, and a nervous first-timer is rarely taken anywhere demanding.
Reef care is part of every briefing. Guests are told not to touch coral or marine life and to stay with the instructor, habits that protect the reefs as visitor numbers rise. Reaching the island has got easier too, with ferries from Port Blair, which has direct flights from several mainland cities, and online booking that makes a first dive simple to plan.
Guests who enjoy a first dive often go further, taking certification courses that run from beginner open water level up to advanced and let them dive on their own elsewhere. Many also add other activities during their stay, such as snorkelling or island hopping between the nearby islands. For the centres on the island, the message to nervous beginners stays the same: you do not need to be a swimmer to see the reef, only willing to try with a guide beside you.
About Frogman
Frogman is a scuba diving centre on Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep), Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It specialises in guided dives for beginners and first-time divers, including guests who cannot swim, and also offers snorkelling, island hopping trips and diving certification courses, from beginner open water level up to advanced, led by certified instructors.
Media Contact: Frogman Scuba Diving Centre, Havelock, Andaman | Phone: +91 95319 24029 | Email: info@frogman.in | Website: https://frogman.in
