[suddha]

I've just finished getting my Dept of State Med Clearance, and I start the various training classes in April. By the time all is said and done, and by the time I spend some time w/ my family prior to deploying, I should be looking at a late June, early July start date.

I've done a ton of research, and am pleasantly surprised by the tremendous amount of diving I can do in the local area. Sri Lanka has a lot of dive spots, along with some really neat natural attractions above water. The maldives are an hour flight, Thailand and Bangkok are less than 4 hours away. For the next couple of years I plan to hit all of them at least once.

I have spent a good deal of time in Sri Lanka and done many dives there. My wife is Sri Lankan.

You're going to love it. All my dive (and topside) videos from Sri Lanka are here: http://www.vimeo.com/user2999552/videos/sort:date

A great site for your dive research:
http://www.divesrilanka.com/

These guys are new - the only dive op in Colombo, and fantastic:
http://www.colombodivers.com/

And I highly recommend this op down the coast a ways:
http://www.internationaldivingschool.com/

I'm so jealous you get to live there. One day I'll do the same. All the best.