Scuba Diving Tours
Explore mysterious underwater worlds in Antarctica, the Arctic and beyond.
AE Expeditions has been operating scuba diving holidays in the polar regions for more than 20 years. In fact, we were the first expedition cruise operators in the world to offer this ultimate polar adventure!
Regardless of the destination, our focus is to encounter remarkable wildlife and witness spectacular marine ecosystems. The select group of daring adventurers who choose this unique activity program will have unbeatable experiences and stories to share and cherish.
Whether you choose to dive in the freezing waters of Antarctica or the Arctic, in underwater worlds full of grounded icebergs and rare creatures, the experience is guaranteed to stir your soul. In temperate and tropical destinations we visit, you can explore remarkable kelp forests and swim among dugong, sea turtles and whale sharks. Marvel at brightly coloured coral, uncover historic shipwrecks or perhaps even swim between two continents – the opportunities for adventure are endless.
You can rest assured that you and your small group of divers will be in safe hands with an experienced Divemaster, who will keep a close eye on the group from a Zodiac and help you maximise your experience scuba diving in some of the wildest places on Earth.
‘Getting out amongst it’ is our philosophy, and that is exactly what we do. Weather permitting, you will dive while other expeditioners are doing their activities – kayaking, snorkelling, or exploring ashore. Our experienced dive guides are skilled at finding the best opportunities to dive, while taking into account the ever-changing weather and sea ice conditions. We aim to offer you the best quality dive experience while maintaining the highest safety standards.
Antarctic and Arctic diving reveals a world of ice, where you will see glaciers, gigantic icebergs and a unique blend of marine, making for a very special experience. With numerous diving opportunities along your voyage, no two days will be alike – a truly inspiring and unforgettable experience awaits.
We try to get you off the ship to dive up to two times per day (except for sea days). However, we are always at the mercy of the weather and changes to the voyage itinerary to take advantage of unique opportunities like wildlife sightings. Embracing the unexpected is part of the excitement of expedition-style travel!
Polar regions
Scuba diving in Antarctica and the Arctic reveals worlds of hidden ice, where you will observe glaciers, gigantic icebergs and fascinating marine life underwater, making for a very special experience.
In polar regions, the dive sites vary from shallow ice diving, diving along a wall or around a grounded iceberg. The maximum depth is 20 metres / 65 feet. The combination of sunlight and the extraordinary formations of ice cause an overwhelming, ever-changing spectre of colours, with a fantastic variety of shades and brilliance. Diving in polar areas offers opportunities to witness spectacular ice formations in addition to interesting marine life.
Temperate regions
In a wetsuit or perhaps even a drysuit, you can explore remarkable kelp forests, swim among sonorous whales, uncover historic ship-wrecks and even swim between two continents!
While Iceland is renowned for its dramatic terrestrial landscape, many people don’t know that it offers excellent scuba diving opportunities for those with drysuit diving experience. Here you can dive between tectonic plates, experience hydrogen sulfide bubbles within a geothermal spring, and see a huge variety of marine life in the fjords and ocean.
The United Kingdom is full of diving hotspots and hundreds of shipwrecks that divers come from all over the world to explore.
Tropical regions
Embark on a wreck dive, encounter majestic marine wildlife including dugong, sea turtles and whale shark, or marvel at brightly-coloured coral. Discover some of Earth’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems, many of which have been designated as ‘Hope Spots’ by Mission Blue.
When diving in tropical destinations such as Costa Rica and Panama, you will see an incredible array of marine life. Caño Island Biological Reserve boasts some of the best diving spots in the country. Because of the clear see, divers will have visibility of between 10-30 metres / 30-100 feet. In addition to colourful coral gardens, you may find bull and nurse sharks, manta rays, dolphins, sea turtles, and the occasional humpback whale. As for fish, get ready to see damselfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, porcupine fish, goatfish, goby, and perhaps an octopus.
Our diving activity is not for beginners. Requirements vary slightly depending on the region you are diving in. For polar destinations, you must be at least an Advanced Open Water Diver and Drysuit Specialty certified diver with at least 30 drysuit dives. You are also required to complete a minimum of 10 dives in the 12 months before your trip, with a minimum of 5 of those dives in a drysuit. For temperate and tropical regions, you must be at least an Advanced Open Water Diver with a minimum of 30 logged dives. You are also required to complete a minimum of 6 of those dives within 12 months of your trip.
Before departure you must show an internationally accepted diving certificate, diver’s logbook and a current diving medical (no more than 6 months old) from your doctor confirming that you are in suitable physical health to participate in our diving activity. A divemaster will review your form for suitability and experience before approving your diving spot.
The initial dive will be a ‘check-out’ dive so each diver can check and adjust their weights and equipment. If our divemaster feels that you do not meet the necessary experience, they have the right to exclude you from participating in the dive program. This decision will be made for your own safety and for the safety of the other divers.
Why is so much experience required?
A higher level of diving experience is required for the polar regions because of the remoteness of the location. Diving is no fun if you are cold and uncomfortable. When you are diving in cold water, you consume more air, expend more energy, and can become more fatigued. You may also find it more difficult to perform complex tasks that require manual dexterity in cold water.
We pride ourselves on taking adventurous souls to some of the most wild and remote destinations on earth, which offer endless opportunities for adventure activities like scuba diving. However, at all times safety is our highest priority.
Diving in remote polar areas is not more dangerous than normal scuba diving, but it is more equipment and labour intensive. We don’t have a decompression chamber and offer only basic medical services on board, so cannot accept risky ventures from any of the divers in this activity program.
All dives are conducted using a buddy system of two or three divers. If you are not travelling with a buddy who is diving, we will pair you up with other divers on your expedition. All divers are expected to have enough experience to read their compass, depth gauges and look out for each other in order to have a safe dive.
Before each dive, your Divemaster will brief you about the location, the weather, sea or ice conditions and the procedure of the dive. All divers are required to follow the instructions of the Divemaster and guides at all times. All participants are expected to fully understand and accept the risks involved in polar diving and participate at their own choice.
The Scuba Diving activity is available for an additional surcharge and includes guided excursions, fares for this activity start from US$940, AU$1,300, £770 or €860.
Prices are indicative only and are variable. They are calculated based on the days of voyage, ability to carry out the activity and exchange rates, reach out to our friendly team for voyage specific pricing.
Top reasons to choose a Scuba Diving Tours holiday
Bragging rights
Earn the ultimate bragging rights for diving where only a select group of daring adventurers have ventured before.
Unforgettable wildlife encounters
Swim with penguins, whales, seals and dolphins and marvel at otherworldly creatures few get to see.
Reach new depths
Gain experience diving in destinations unlike anywhere else on the planet.
Experienced Divemasters
Find the best opportunities and get the most out of every dive with the help of our experienced Divemasters.
Make friends
Forge lifelong friendships with your small group of like-minded adventurers.
Stay fit
Being active every day on your holiday means you don't have to feel guilty about being spoilt by our expert chefs!
Enhance your experience
Add another layer to your once-in-a-lifetime holiday and make the most out of your time in some of the most remote places on earth.
You love it!
Let’s face it – if you have the required experience to participate in our diving activity, it's one of your all-time favourite hobbies!
AE Expeditions is delighted to have been named one of the Best Dive Travel Agencies in the world in Scuba Diving Magazine’s 2023 Readers Choice Awards.
Scuba Diving FAQs
We limit our diving groups to a maximum of 6 divers in cold water destinations and 8 divers in warm water destinations. While you are in the water, your guide will be on board the Zodiac keeping a close eye on the group, ready to provide assistance and to give you advice and tips on how to maximise your experience on each of your dives.
You should be 14 or older to participate in our scuba diving program. Please note the minimum age required to complete most Junior Advanced Open Water Diver courses is 12. Drysuit Diver specialty courses require a minimum age of 10.
Aside from days at sea, we plan to dive up to twice per day. However, there are certain factors that are out of our control, including weather conditions and availability of anchorages. Voyage itineraries are only a guideline and safety is always the priority.
Weather can be hard to predict and can vary from day to day. Because of this, we often need to adjust our ‘itineraries’ to take advantage of favourable weather and ice conditions. Our flexible approach means we can alter the itinerary to incorporate wildlife sightings and other one-of-a-kind opportunities. Embracing the unexpected is part of the excitement of expedition-style travel. A flexible approach and a sense of humour will make the voyage more enjoyable for you and your fellow expeditioners.
Exclusive Zodiac cruising will be offered if the conditions for diving are not suitable.
English is the main language used for our dive operation. For safety reasons, you must be proficient in English in order to participate in our scuba diving activity.
In the polar regions, you will encounter marine life seemingly from another planet, such as the giant isopods and salps. Take your time to explore and enjoy an environment few divers have ever experienced. Observe kelp walls, sea snails, spider crabs, sea butterflies, jellyfish, squid, sea squirts, squat lobsters, starfish, krill anemones, peacock worms and countless fish species. In Antarctica you may have the opportunity to dive with penguins, whales and seals, which race fearlessly by, graceful in a way that’s not possible above the surface.
Get lost in kelp forests in temperate regions, or swim with sonorous whales. In tropical regions, marvel at colourful coral gardens frequented by damselfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, porcupine fish, goatfish, goby and octopus. Delight in swimming with playful dolphins and curious seals as you make your way through the spectacular underwater ecosystems. Keep a lookout for bull and nurse sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, and the occasional humpback whale.
No. Each diving place is for one person only.
While diving is generally an equipment intensive activity, diving in polar regions requires an extensive amount of additional equipment because of the cold weather and water. On board we have two compressors, steel cylinders and lead weights. The cylinders we provide are steel 12.2 litres by Faber, with dual outlet valve, yoke and DIN compatible filled to 220 bar. Lead weights are available in 0.5, 1, 3 and 4 kilograms (1, 2, 6.6 and 9 pounds).
All divers must bring their own personal equipment. This will depend on where you are diving and a detailed list will be shared with you when you express interest in adding this activity to your voyage.
In polar regions, where the ocean water can be as cold as -1˚C/30˚F, a drysuit is the only thing that will keep you dry during a dive. The type of dry suit you use is not important so long as it fits you correctly and you are proficient in using it.
Insulating undergarments will trap air against your body to keep you warm. The colder the water, the more (or thicker) layers of undergarments you will need. We recommend wearing two or three layers, depending on your drysuit. The first layer should be a type of material that helps wick any moisture away from the body, while the second and third layers should be should thicker insulating material, such as fleece, synthetic pile or thinsulate. The one-piece jumpsuit style is the most common and comfortable configuration of dive wear and is available in a variety of thickness depending on your drysuit and the water temperature.
The right accessories will also help you have a more comfortable experience. We recommend a 5-10mm neoprene hood with face and neck seal, regular 5-7mm neoprene semi-dry gloves or mitts, and three-finger mitts over five-finger gloves.
Finally, it is important to bring a warm hat and gloves to wear before and after each dive, and a wind and waterproof spray jacket to keep the cold wind off your drysuit.
AE Expeditions is proud to have some of the world’s best dive masters on our staff, so you can rest assured that you are in safe hands. Our guides have dived all over the world and in some of the most remote and challenging locations. Our team of experienced Divemasters has over 20 years’ polar diving experience. YourDivemaster will ensure that you adhere to Standard Safety Diving Practices at all times, provide you with detailed briefings and share best practice procedures to ensure a safe diving experience.
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