Sea Walk in Andaman and Nicobar Islands – The underwater adventure

Sea Walk in Andaman and Nicobar Islands – The underwater adventure is developing into a major tourism hub with stunning beaches and pristine islands having equally exotic names, making it the best spot for adventure sports like snorkelling and sea-walking.

Not all are accustomed to heart-thumping adventures, enjoy this milder version. If you are doubtful to undertake snorkelling or scuba diving in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands yet wanting to do something more exciting than taking a tour in a glass-bottom boat, then the undersea walk is just the thing for you. The best part about the undersea walk is that you can bring along your non-swimmer friends and try the sea walk.

In the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the undersea walk or helmet walk takes place at North Bay Beach near the capital city, Port Blair, and at Elephant Beach in Havelock Island. In this adventurous activity, you will walk on the sea bed, seven meters from the surface, during high tide as well as in calm water.

About the adventure: Sea Walking

Before we dive deep into the water here is some general information about the activity. To help you breathe underwater, a helmet that encases your head and shoulders is given, with a breathing device. The helmet provides oxygen to the wearer. To supply the wearer with free flow of fresh air the helmet is connected to an air compressor or oxygen cylinder, which is placed in a craft or platform above water. This helps you walk underwater without any trouble in breathing. Unlike scuba diving or snorkelling, you are connected to the surface and walking around, which is an advantage for non-swimmers. The transparent helmet offers a clear view of your surroundings underwater creatures. You walk down a secured ladder from a platform or boat to the seafloor.

An underwater guide accompanies you with scuba gear and secondary air sources to assist you in case of an emergency. Besides the underwater guide, another person, a surface swimming monitor, monitors the helmet divers and ensures their overall safety of all the participants. The adequate air supply is maintained through the air compressor on the overhead platform. A ready to use reserve air supply is always available, to ensure full safety of the divers. The underwater activity is held for 10-15 minutes with a maximum of nine participants.

Dos & Donts:

A normal healthy individual can take part in the walk, except those suffering from certain medical conditions, owing to the safety of the participants and taking into account the safety concerns below water. So, it is mandatory to fill the customary form with utmost honesty, any wrong information may result in undesired consequences. As of children, a child below the age of seven is not permitted for the walk. Children above 7 years of age are allowed to take part if an adult accompanies the child during the walk. The local administration has made it mandatory for all the divers of legal age and a guardian or parent of an underage diver to read and sign an assumption of risk and release of liability waiver prior to participating in the adventure. Also remember, this activity is subject to weather conditions and tide height, so it doesn’t happen on all days. 

Well in advance before the dive, the manager of the activity gives you a description of the activity and local marine life and conservation issues and a set of safety procedures. The walkers and the operators need to follow a set of rules given by the administrator, like the walk cannot be extended more than 500 meters from the nearest land and that the walk must happen only in an approved area. You’re advised not to touch any marine life or go close to or touch any corals. Feeding the fishes much be highly avoided. All these rules seem quite imposing but all these to maintain your safety and also the safety of marine life.

You are always welcome to set your expectation limits quite higher when you decide to take part in one of the mind-blowing adventure sport Sea Walk in Andaman and Nicobar Islands – The underwater adventure Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Pickyourtrail will help you pick the right destination and meet your expectations without moving a nail. Plan your Andaman tour packages with Pickyourtrail and enjoy the above mentioned adventurous sport like never before.