Cool Zanzibar Water Sports

Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania

The team at Cool Zanzibar Water Sports are our pick for a no-fuss, genuinely friendly dive operation if you’re staying up north in Zanzibar. Their PADI resort status means they’re excellent for getting certified, especially for those first open water dives where you want patient instructors. We love that they keep things simple, focusing on getting you in the water comfortably and safely, without any unnecessary bells and whistles. You’ll find them close to some really good local sites, like the one we call "The Aquarium," which, on a good day, means schools of fusiliers so thick they almost block the light, and plenty of those electric blue surgeonfish. Dive briefings are thorough but relaxed, often delivered with a chuckle, and we’d suggest trying to get on their morning boat for the best visibility before the day trippers arrive. They're particularly good at spotting the smaller stuff, nudibranchs and flatworms, if you ask nicely. It's a proper local operation, which we always appreciate – you feel like you’re diving with friends, not just another customer.