FAQs
Towel, hat/cap, payment, sunglasses, refillable water bottle, reef friendly sunblock,
divers certification card and log book.
At all there our locations, morning trips are a blend of divers and snorkelers. We go out for two dives a day, with a surface interval on the boat where we serve local snacks, fruit, and water. Boats depart in the morning and return early afternoon.
In Kendwa and Stone Tow, our afternoon trips are dedicated to divers only, with one afternoon dive and a night dive. The surface interval on the boat includes local snacks, fruit, and water, all while enjoying the breathtaking African sunset. These boats depart in the early afternoon and return by early evening.
We arrange our courses to start when it is suitable for our clients – give us your date of preference and we’ll try to accommodate you and get you started as soon as possible.
It is possible to get NITROX-certified with us, however at this point we are not offering dives with NITROX for certified divers.
No. Please note that we do not touch land during any of our trips. Mnemba is a private resort and we are not allowed on it unless it’s an emergency.
Diving in Zanzibar is good all year round, but sea conditions do vary from one season to another.
March / October-November
These are the best months to dive Zanzibar as the wind is finished and the rain hasn’t started yet. Visibility tends to be quite good and weather is nice and warm with the exception of a few showers here and there.
April – May
This is the official rain season in Zanzibar. Diving conditions are normally still good, however it can be very rainy.
June - September (Kusi - wind from the South)
Wind can be expected and with it some waves can result in choppy trips. In August, being one of our windiest months, we reserve ourselves the right to cancel any trip due to weather conditions, in which case of course any payment made prior to the trip will be refunded fully.
December - February (Kaskazi - wind form the North)
Please note that December and January being the windiest months of the year, we reserve ourselves the right to cancel any trip due to weather conditions, in which case of course any payment made prior to the trip will be refunded fully.
We advise you to book in advance to avoid disappointment. You are always welcome to come to one of our shops to do your bookings but we cannot guarantee that we’ll have the spaces on our boats, so at the end it’s a matter of luck.
For certified divers, as a dive shop policy, a Refresher course will be required for any diver who has not dived for 12 months or longer.
*Proof of your last dive will be required when diving with us*
Yes, we also take snorkellers on our boat trips. If your friend doesn’t want to go in the water, they will still have to pay the space on the boat for snorkelling.
We provide free return transfers for both the morning boat trip and afternoon pool trainings between One Ocean Matemwe and hotels and villas located in these areas: Pongwe, Kiwengwa, Pwani Mchangani and Matemwe.
If you want to combine your dives between Stone Town and Mnemba or just do a day trip from up to the East Coast, you’ll be welcome to dive in our Matemwe branch. You’ll have enough time to get there in the morning.
Transfer costs are not included in One Ocean rates but we can help you to book a taxi.
One Ocean only offers transportation around the Kiwengwa and Matemwe areas. One Ocean does not provide transportation around the island, this would have to be organised by yourself. A taxi driver would normally bring you up, wait for you and take you back at the end of your activity.
Transfer costs are not included in One Ocean rates but we can help you to book a taxi.
One Ocean does not provide transportation from Stone Town to the East coast, a taxi driver would normally bring you up, wait for you and take you back at the end of your activity.
Transfer costs are not included in One Ocean rates but we can help you to book a taxi.
There is a dala-dala leaving from Stone Town to Matemwe every day. But we highly recommend not to take the dala-dala since its departure times fluctuate. Furthermore the dala-dala can and will stop everywhere which results in a delays.
We are happy to provide you with a list of hotels that are conveniently located and good value. If you would like assistance booking your trip, don't hesitate to let us know - we offer bespoke dive & stay booking service, please enquire info@zanzibaroneocean.com.
All dives, irrespective of diver experience and qualifications, are led by PADI Divemasters or Instructors who are familiar with the locations One Ocean dive in. This is primarily for safety and liability reasons.
Yes, we accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) but surcharge all card payments with 5%.
Tides affect our boat trips in Matemwe. The departure time has to be confirmed the day before as it can change depending on the tide. In low tide, the trip has to be done by bus for about 15 minutes on an unpaved road. In high tide, the boat will leave from or go back to the dive centre directly.
In season, there are kite-surfing options. You can visit Stone Town, do a spice tour, watch the Red Colobus monkey at Jozani forest, go snorkeling, join sunset cruises, visit prison island, go for a quad biking tour or go sky diving.
If you are concerned about diving because of a medical condition, we advise you to seek medical clearance to dive from a Physician beforehand. See the link to our medical statement and questionnaire.
If you are not certified or have never dived before you can experience scuba diving with the PADI Discover Scuba Diving course.
Yes, you start your course at home and do your confined or pool sessions and complete the open water dives with us. If time is tight you can sign up for PADI E-learning and have all your theory done just to be reviewed with our instructors and get straight in the water.