Emperor Leo

Emperor Leo Liveaboard Dive Trips

Emperor Leo is part of the “Constellation Fleet” – a guarantee for professional cruise management and safe diving. At 115 feet long,the Emperor Leo has plenty of space for the 24 guests she can carry.

The Maldives is warm and fascinating and provides rich marine life with coral reefs teeming with activity, visited by schools of fish and playful dolphins.

With 26 atolls consisting of outer and inner reefs, The Maldives is one of the most diverse scuba diving destinations in the world. Amazing channel dives draw animals from the deep, which will leave you spellbound. Mountainous pinnacles (thila) rise from 35m and taper to 8m, which makes them ideal for those slower, more relaxing dives.

The average water temperature is 27C (80F) and current can be strong at about 1.5 knots, which is ideal for shark and manta ray encounters. Fasten your seat belts and glide into the blue for the most awe-inspiring experience of your life.

Join Emperor Leo with the mantas & whale sharks in the sunny Maldives.

Book The Ultimate Liveaboard Dive Vacation Aboard The Emperor Leo Liveaboard with The Ultimate Dive Travel Agency

Itineraries

The Emperor Leo runs 3 different itineraries throughout the year. All are 7 nights

The Best of the Maldives

Rasdhoo Atoll, North & South Ari Atolls, Vaavu Atoll, North & South Male Atolls

Deep South & Southern Sharks (February & March)

Laamu Atoll, Huvadhoo Atoll, Foammulah Island, Addu Atoll

South Central Atolls (January-March)

North & South Male Atolls, Vaavu Atoll, Meemu Atoll, Thaa Atoll, Laamu Atoll

Best of The Maldives

Best of the Maldives – and it delivers exactly that. This is where you dive the best and most famous dive sites of the Maldives in a week of wonderful liveaboard diving across Male and Ari atolls.

Enjoy a dive holiday that gives you all you could wish for from the iconic sites of North Male, South Male, and Ari Atoll. Awaiting you are channels, drifts, and pinnacles where you have every chance of meeting mantas, whale sharks and mesmerizing marine life of so many varieties. We don’t follow an exact itinerary; flexibility is the word so that no matter what time of the year you visit, this underwater world is yours (and ours) for the exploring.

This itinerary gives you a marine mix of big fish such as shark and manta dives as well as reef dives, reef fish, morays and the abundant macro life. Get up close at the cleaning stations without disturbing the locals! One of the best-known dive sites is Maaya Thila; this pinnacle is approximately 30m in diameter and falls away to reveal sharks and fish aplenty.

A night dive from sheltered moorings here is a must! And the boat will also aim to find whale sharks so you can get in the water and snorkel with them…as long as they stay around long enough!

Deep South & Southern Sharks

The Deep South and Southern Sharks trip is available in February and March, which are the best times to sail to the southerly Maldivian atolls and dive into the shark action in these out-of-the-way southern dive sites between Huvadhoo and Addu (Seenu) Atolls.

Spend a week away from the madding crowds and dive Foammulah and Huvadhoo on the lookout for the Indian Ocean’s larger residents; tiger sharks, silver tips, grey reef sharks, whale sharks and many, many more.

From Male, we take you to Laamu (Kadhdhoo) or Addu (Gan) by domestic flight to join your liveaboard, and then it’s off on our adventure. Laamu is an oval shaped southern atoll, which has some of the top dive sites in the world such as Guraidhoo and Gan. In Foammulah you can expect to meet tiger and silvertip sharks. At Huvadhoo, one of the deepest lagoons in the Maldives, the currents are ideal for even more shark sightings including, hopefully, whale sharks and silkies, hammerheads, tiger and grey sharks spotted most of the time.

There are swift channel dives with several kandus; Vilingilli, Nilandhoo, Mareehaa, and Kondeey. Addu Atoll hosts the WWII wreck, HMS British Loyalty, as well as popular majestic Manta Cleaning stations with more relaxing sites to either start or end the trip with too.

This itinerary suits experienced divers (100+ dives) looking for ‘away from it all and different diving’ with quite a focus on drift diving.

South Central Atolls

South Central Atolls. Looking for action? Speedy drift dives, mantas, sharks and diving several atolls? Our guides and crew make it their business to make sure you see mantas and sharks as well as potential magical creatures coming out from the depths of the blue.

January to March is the time to join us as this is when the current in the Kandus is largely incoming from the east. There’s a good variety of diving from thrilling channel dives to more relaxed diving inside the atolls on Thilas or Giris.

The best thing? There are few other boats as we visit atolls that have very few resorts and lots of uninhabited islands so liveaboard competition is low.

Hammerheads are often found in Thaa as well as whale sharks who visit our boat at night attracted by the krill, which, in turn, are attracted by the lights. When the currents are running well, the channel dives here are outstanding. Abundant with schooling snappers, jacks, barracuda, white tips and greys, grouper, Napoleon wrasse, turtles, eagle rays and more.

You will either join your liveaboard in Male or Laamu (Kadhdhoo) and then it’s off on our adventure.

This itinerary has a lot of drift diving so it’s best suited to more advanced divers. With visibility being really good in the southern atolls, this is ideal for photographers and videographers looking for larger Pelagic action.

Fancy an extended trip? South Central matches up perfectly with Deep South Southern Sharks. Stay on board for a second trip and join us in the southernmost atolls of the Maldives for even more exciting channels and adventures with pelagics from the blue.

Deck Plans

Vessel Specifications

Name: Emperor Leo
Type: Wooden hull
Length: 115 feet
Beam: 31 feet
Engine: 500 HP Mitsubishi
Water Makers: 9500lt/day
Nav and Comms: VHF radio, GPS chart plotter, Telephone, Mobile

Diving facilities
Compressors: 2 x Coltri + Nitrox
Nitrox diving: FREE
Dive equipment rental: Full range on offer, must be arranged before arrival. SMB, dive computer and reef hooks are required on all dives. For your safety, both SMBs and reef hooks are offered complimentary.
Safety: Oxygen/Medic First Aid Kit
Dhoni: Large diving dhoni, fully equipped with compressors, tanks & oxygen kits
Camera facilities: Charging stations, air gun, rinse tanks & camera table

Accommodation
Upper deck: 1 double suite, 2 twin (can be changed to doubles), 1 twin.
Lower deck: 2 double, 2 twin (can be changed to doubles), 4 twin.
All cabins: Ensuite, with individually controlled air con and fan.
Main deck: Comfy sofas, bar, Jacuzzi
Life jackets & life rafts
Guests: maximum 24
Crew: Dhoni Crew: 3 Diving Guides: 4

FAQ's

What are the water temperatures?

Water temperatures usually stay between 27 – 30°C although thermoclines can sometimes be found at depths below 20 meters.

What wetsuit should I bring?

A Lycra 3mm wetsuit is fine in tropical waters but some divers prefer a 5mm suit if doing more than one dive a day. It’s really how you prefer to dive but we’re happy to advise.

Do you use DIN or International tanks?

All tanks are fitted with 5/8’s DIN valves. We strongly advise divers with M26 regulators to note that when traveling outside Europe tanks with M26 valves or adapters to fit M26 regulators to 5/8’s DIN tanks may not be available. These adapters cannot be purchased in countries such as Africa, Asia, etc and we have limited stocks available for rent. Please remember to either bring your own adapter with you or check with us regarding availability at the time of booking.

What is the maximum dive time?

Generally 60 minutes; this is so we can account for all divers.

Are there any specific rules I need to adhere to?

Emperor is extremely environmentally aware and asks that you refrain from taking knives or gloves when you dive. Do not touch, ride, feed, catch or harass anything you find underwater.

Do not come back on the boat with less than 30 bar in your tank, ascend or descend very close to the reef or ascend or descend down the mooring line.

No solo diving, no decompression diving, use good buoyancy control when using cameras. And that means we all have a great dive.

How many dives per day will I be able to do?

There will be no diving on your first day and 17 dives offered per week (2-3 dives per day). You must ensure that you leave a minimum of 24 hours between their last dive and their flight departure (or going to altitude)

Itineraries & Dive Sites

All itineraries and dive sites are subject to various unpredictable changes including weather conditions and changes in Maldivian Government approval. Whilst Emperor Maldives makes every effort, we cannot guarantee diving at specific sites. In adverse weather conditions, the guides and captain of the boat will have the final decision about which dive sites to visit to ensure that the guests, staff and boat safety is not compromised in any way. If in the unfortunate event that dives are missed, or dive sites are not reached due to weather conditions or other unforeseeable changes, Emperor Maldives will not offer a refund or compensation.

Food & Special Dietary Requirements

The meals onboard are usually buffet style with a variety of local and international dishes to suit everyone.

Local food is traditionally a bit spicy, fish is available onboard, mostly frozen with a few fresh catches along the way.

For any special dietary requests, such as vegetarian or any allergies, please inform us prior to arrival.

We source items locally, therefore items such as, but not limited to, wholemeal pasta or flour, gluten-free products or soya substitutes are not typically available.

Internet

All our liveaboards are equipped with Wi-Fi and internet is available when a mobile signal is present, usually only nearby or in port. This service is for limited internet browsing and to connect with communication applications. Upload/download is very limited, therefore we ask guests to refrain from transferring large files. Signal strength can vary, which can result in intermittent and/or slow connections, depending on the local mobile provider. If you are a high level internet user, we advise that you purchase a local data SIM at Male airport upon arrival; your Emperor Maldives representative can help you.

Alcohol

Importing of alcoholic beverages is prohibited under Maldivian law and will be confiscated at Customs on arrival and returned to you at departure; this can be quite a time consuming process. Alcohol is available to purchase onboard; a beer is around 5 USD, spirits between 6-10 USD and a bottle of wine between 30-50 USD.

Diving typology – definitions

The Maldives offers different types of diving areas, all characterised by medium to strong currents making them rich in marine life. Here’s a quick overview of the definitions:

Thila

An underwater island that can be both so small that you can dive all around it or so large that you’ll manage to see only one side during a dive. A Thila within a Kandu is usually the diving area where the strongest current is but also the ones that have the most interesting sea life.

Kandu

A channel or pass around the border of the atoll where when the tides change the water flow in and out of the atoll. Perfect places for drift dives and where you can see big pelagics like sharks, tuna and mantas.

Lagoon

Each island in the Maldives has its own lagoon, usually not very deep. It can reach around 20 metres and is mostly sandy. These places are protected from the current so the ideal spot for scuba diving courses and snorkelling but not as interesting from a marine life point of view.

Electricity

UK 3 pin electrical sockets using 220 volts AC 50Hz.

Emperor Virgo

Maldives Map

Emperor Leo
FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

What is the water temperature like?

Water temperatures usually stay between 27 – 30°C although thermoclines can sometimes be found at depths below 60 feet

What wetsuit will I need?

A Lycra 3mm wetsuit is fine in tropical waters but some divers prefer a 5mm suit if doing more than one dive a day. It’s really how you prefer to dive but we’re happy to advise.

Do you use DIN or International tanks?

Is there a maximum dive time?

Generally 60 minutes; this is so we can account for all divers.

Are there any specific rules I need to adhere to?

Emperor is extremely environmentally aware and asks that you refrain from taking knives or gloves when you dive. Do not touch, ride, feed, catch or harass anything you find underwater.

Do not come back on the boat with less than 30 bar in your tank, ascend or descend very close to the reef or ascend or descend down the mooring line.

No solo diving, no decompression diving, use good buoyancy control when using cameras. And that means we all have a great dive.

How many dive a day can I do?

Itineraries and Dive Sites

Food and specialty dietary requirements

The meals onboard are usually buffet style with a variety of local and international dishes to suit everyone.

Local food is traditionally a bit spicy, fish is available onboard, mostly frozen with a few fresh catches along the way.

For any special dietary requests, such as vegetarian or any allergies, please inform us prior to arrival.

We source items locally, therefore items such as, but not limited to, wholemeal pasta or flour, gluten-free products or soya substitutes are not typically available.

Is there internet onboard?

Alcohol

Diving typology - definitions

The Maldives offers different types of diving areas, all characterized by medium to strong currents making them rich in marine life. Here’s a quick overview of the definitions:

Thila

Kandu

Lagoon

What kind of electricity is onboard?

UK 3 pin electrical sockets using 220 volts AC 50Hz.