Bentota sits on Sri Lanka's southwest coast and offers four boat-only sites covering natural reef, artificial reef, drift, and wreck diving. Mada Gala combines reef and wreck in one dive while Barrakuda Point and Y-Gala are current-driven drift sites that demand confident buoyancy control. The depth range runs from moderate to thirty metres, catering to beginner through advanced divers. Strong currents are a recurring feature at several sites and visibility can be limited, so divers should check conditions with their operator before going out. The prime season runs from November to April.
Monthly water temperature across Bentota's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water is warm throughout the year, peaking in April and May and dipping slightly in July and August. Conditions are most settled from November to April; the southwest monsoon outside that window increases swell and can further reduce the already variable visibility at sites like Y-Gala and Barrakuda Point.
Water temperature around Bentota ranges from about 27°C in July to 29°C in February, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
With water around 27–29°C, a rash guard or 3mm shorty works in Bentota year-round.
Fin maps 4 sites in Bentota (4 scuba diving sites).
2 more sites to explore
