Divinguru Nilaveli is the east-coast base of Divinguru, Sri Lanka's largest PADI diving school, founded in Unawatuna in 1999 by Hans and his team and now operating three PADI 5 Star Dive Resorts (Unawatuna, Nilaveli, Trincomalee). The Nilaveli centre opened in 2010, was upgraded to PADI 5-Star IDC status in 2016, and sits directly on Nilaveli Beach with its own equipment room, classroom, compressor room and seven Yamaha-powered dive boats carrying a maximum of 5 divers each. Diving runs from mid-March to the end of October, centred on Pigeon Island National Marine Park about 1km offshore, known for black-tip reef sharks, turtles and colourful reef fish at depths of 10-12m suited to beginners. The centre teaches the full PADI curriculum from Discover Scuba Diving through Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver and Divemaster, plus specialty courses such as Deep, Wreck, Night, Nitrox, Underwater Photography and Peak Performance Buoyancy, and is the first PADI Freediver centre in Sri Lanka. Guided snorkelling trips visit Pigeon Island and Mortar Rock, and seasonal whale and dolphin watching boat trips run from the same base. Rental equipment (ScubaPro BCDs, regulators, 3mm wetsuits) and free Nitrox for certified divers are included in dive prices, along with free pickup and drop-off along the Trincomalee-Kuchchaveli coast. On-site accommodation and a beach restaurant are available at Divinguru Beach Resort next door.