{"id":6316,"date":"2026-09-17T10:37:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T01:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.gogo-tour.com\/info\/?p=6316"},"modified":"2026-09-14T11:59:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T02:59:15","slug":"okinawa-diving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.gogo-tour.com\/info\/okinawa-diving\/","title":{"rendered":"Okinawa Diving Guide: 13 Dive Sites, Seasons & Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Diving in Okinawa \u2014 no certification needed to reach 12 metres<\/span><\/h2>\n\n

There are three ways to get in the water in Okinawa. Snorkelling<\/strong> keeps you on the surface. Discover scuba diving<\/strong> takes you down to a maximum of 12 metres<\/strong> with an instructor beside you and no certification card required<\/strong>. Fun diving<\/strong> goes below 18 metres and is open only to certified divers. The first two need nothing but a swimsuit and a free half-day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Prices sit in three clear bands: \u00a54,000\u20138,000<\/strong> for snorkelling, \u00a58,000\u201320,000<\/strong> for a discover scuba dive, and \u00a515,000\u201325,000<\/strong> for a guided fun dive. Add roughly \u00a52,000\u20135,000<\/strong> if the site is reached by boat.<\/p>\n\n

The best water is between April and November<\/strong>, when the sea sits at 24\u201328\u00b0C. Winter still holds 21\u201322\u00b0C, so Okinawa is a genuinely year-round destination \u2014 and from December to March the visibility is the best it gets all year.<\/p>\n\n

One practical note before the sites. The Blue Cave in Onna, Sunabe in Chatan and Kouri Island are all spread along the coast one to two hours’ drive from Naha<\/span>, and you will be carrying wet gear and a change of clothes. A rental car is what makes a multi-site trip possible.<\/p>\n\n

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Got your dive dates? Sort the driving first<\/p>\n

\n See Okinawa rental cars<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Snorkelling, discover scuba or fun dive \u2014 which one are you booking?<\/h2>\n\n

Settle this before you open any dive shop’s booking page. Certification, depth and minimum age all differ, and choosing here cuts the shortlist down immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n \n \n
<\/th>Snorkelling<\/th>Discover scuba<\/th>Fun diving<\/th><\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n
Certification<\/td>None<\/span><\/td>None<\/span><\/td>PADI OW \/ AOW<\/td><\/tr>\n
Maximum depth<\/td>Surface<\/td>12 m<\/td>18 m and below<\/td><\/tr>\n
Minimum age<\/td>5 and up<\/td>10 and up<\/td>10 and up (shop’s call)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Guide ratio<\/td>1 to 4\u20136<\/td>1 to 1\u20132<\/td>1 to 4<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Snorkelling \u2014 you do not need to be able to swim<\/h3>\n\n

You wear a buoyancy vest, a mask and a snorkel, and float on the surface looking down. It is the least physically demanding option and non-swimmers can take part<\/strong>. Most shops accept children from age five.<\/p>\n\n

What you give up is depth. That matters less than you would expect in Okinawa, where visibility runs 20\u201330 metres \u2014 coral heads and schooling reef fish read clearly from the surface. For a trip with grandparents or small children, this is the right starting point.<\/p>\n\n

Discover scuba diving \u2014 12 metres, no licence<\/h3>\n\n

You carry a tank and actually descend, but no certification card is required. An instructor stays with you for the entire dive and handles your buoyancy<\/strong>, so your only job is getting comfortable breathing underwater. The depth limit is fixed at 12 metres.<\/p>\n\n

The difference from snorkelling is the sound and the scale. Looking down through the surface is not the same as dropping to the fish’s own level. With one instructor to one or two guests, the ratio is also why most first-timers feel settled within a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n

Fun diving \u2014 for certified divers<\/h3>\n\n

Open to holders of PADI Open Water or Advanced Open Water and equivalents. You follow a guide past 18 metres, then have room to explore. The terrain sites \u2014 Dream Hole, the Devil’s Palace \u2014 are only accessible this way.<\/strong> Bring your certification card and logbook; shops will ask for both.<\/p>\n\n

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What diving in Okinawa costs<\/h2>\n\n

\"Divers<\/p>\n\n