Physical Condition
The year-round temperature in the waters of Maldives is a constant 20°-30°C (68°-86°F), with the lagoons often reaching 32°C (90°F). The calmest seas and bluest skies are from May to November, when the winds are north-westerly and the currents outside the atolls run west to east at an average of twenty four meters (80 feet) a minute. The roughest seas are experienced during June, and sometimes in October or early November, when strong winds blow from the north east and currents run east to west at thirty meters (100 feet) a minute.
The best underwater visibility occurs towards the end of the north west monsoon, from March to April, when forty meters (130 feet) is normal. On some occasions it is possible to see seventy meters (230 feet) down the coral edge. But in April, when plankton begins to bloom, the visibility is reduced to about twenty meters (66 feet). Nonetheless, this is possibly the most interesting time on the eastern side of the atolls, for the plankton rich waters attract manta rays and whale sharks. Local visibility is also affected by the rise and fall of the tide, incoming tides bring clear water, while the falling tide is filled with plankton and sediments.
To appreciate the full beauty of the corals and fish, bear in mind the effects of water on sunlight. Because of the refraction of light through water, objects seem closer and larger than they really are. Colors also change. As the diver descends deeper more light is filtered out by water, absorbing different colors at different rates.
Within the first five meters (16 feet) all reds disappear and red coral appears black. Orange appears black within ten meters (32 feet), yellow will be completely absorbed by twenty meters (66 feet) and green by twenty five meters (82 feet). The last color to go is blue. It therefore makes sense to take a torch on any dive to bring out the true colors of the marine environment.
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 Words of Wisdom before you hit the road
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