Dive Vision Malta

Dive Vision Malta sits in Marfa Bay on the north-west coast of Malta, about five minutes by road from the Ċirkewwa marine park and the same distance from the Gozo ferry terminal. It is a German-run SSI dive centre, and its team teaches and guides in German, English and French. The village of Mellieħa is a short drive away, and a free pick-up from there is offered.

On VisitMalta.co.uk the centre is listed among our dive centres in Malta. It suits UK divers who want a relaxed base in the north, with shore dives, boat trips to Comino and Gozo, and a full range of courses, all with prices published for 2026.

The dive centre and its equipment

The premises are in the lower level of the Riviera Spa Hotel, an adults-only property, and were fully renovated in spring 2021. Inside there is a spacious reception and check-in area, an indoor pool for training, a shop selling snorkelling and diving equipment with branded merchandise and souvenirs, and a separate classroom for lessons. Photographers have their own corner with charging points, so cameras can be prepared before a dive and cared for afterwards.

Behind the scenes there is a compressor room with a Bauer 550 compressor and nitrox mixing system, a small workshop, showers and toilets, wash pools for rinsing kit, and plenty of storage and hanging space. Clients can leave their equipment in the centre, which is locked when it is closed. The cylinder fleet comprises 60 tanks with DIN valves, in aluminium and steel and in sizes from 7 to 15 litres, and INT adapters are available.

For hire there are 20 complete sets of rental equipment, four sets of sidemount equipment and three underwater scooters. The 9.5 metre speedboat Happy Days seats 15 people and carries toilets, exit ladders and GPS, although it is shown as under reconstruction at present. Shore dives are reached by truck and minibus. Our Mellieħa guide is useful for the surrounding area.

Dive sites on Malta, Comino and Gozo

The location gives access to roughly 30 dive spots, depending on wind and wave conditions. Sites are usually chosen two days ahead and may change on the day for weather. Close to the centre is the protected marine area at Ċirkewwa, with the wrecks Rozi and P29, and the small island of Comino lies opposite the bay. Gozo is about a fifteen-minute boat ride away, and when the sea is too rough for the boat the centre can reach Gozo by ferry.

The site list is graded for difficulty. Easy options include Paradise Reef, the Ċirkewwa Arch, Sugar Loaf and Madonna, the Maori wreck, Anchor Bay beside Popeye Village, and the P31 wreck and Santa Marija Caves at Comino. Medium and more demanding sites include the Um El Faroud, a 110 metre Lebanese tanker lying at up to 38 metres, the Imperial Eagle wreck, the Cominoland and Karwela wrecks, and the Blue Hole and Inland Sea in Gozo. The Blue Lagoon guide and our Gozo guide cover the islands above the surface.

Most Maltese wrecks lie deeper than 20 metres, and Maltese rules cap Open Water divers at 20 metres. To dive them you need an Advanced or 2-star certification or the Deep Diving Specialty. Depth limits are 12 metres for Scuba Divers, 18 metres for Open Water and 30 metres for Advanced, with 40 metres for those with deep training.

Guided dives, prices and rental

Guided dives are run in small groups divided by experience, and buddy teams are matched by experience and air consumption. Most dives last about 60 minutes or until 50 bar. The usual programme is a two-tank dive in the morning, back by lunchtime, with a third or single afternoon dive on request, and night dives are offered regularly.

Guided diving prices for 2026 include weights, tank, transport to the site and a guide: one dive 50 euros, two dives 90 euros, six dives over three days 240 euros and ten dives over five days 375 euros. Private guides and group prices are on request. A shore trip to Gozo carries a 25 euros surcharge and a shore trip to the Um El Faroud 10 euros, two boat dives in a day add 35 euros, and a guided night dive adds 15 euros without a torch. A snorkel trip from the boat with mask, snorkel and fins costs 40 euros.

Full rental equipment including a dive computer costs 15 euros per dive or 25 euros per day, with individual items such as a regulator, BCD or wetsuit at 8 euros and a scooter at 40 euros per day. Extra 15 litre cylinders cost 2 euros, with six for 10 euros and ten for 15 euros, and nitrox is 5 euros a tank, six for 27 euros and ten for 40 euros. Card payments carry a 3% surcharge, and prices may change.

SSI courses from first breath to specialties

Courses follow SSI standards in groups of up to four students per instructor, and children aged 8 to 10 are taught one to one. The theory can be completed online before you travel, and the account is activated at no extra charge once you register. For courses the online certification fee of 50 euros is added, and a printed card costs a further 10 euros.

Beginners can start with SSI Try Scuba for children aged 8 to 10, down to 5 metres, at 80 euros, or the SSI Basic Diver for ages 10 and over, a sea dive to 12 metres, at 110 euros. A refresh dive for returning divers is 85 euros. The SSI Scuba Diver course, limited to 12 metres, costs 285 euros, and the SSI Open Water Diver course over three days, to 18 metres, costs 475 euros, with rental equipment included. If you take Open Water within six months of Basic Diver you receive credit for that dive.

Certified divers can take SSI Advanced Open Water (five dives, 340 euros), Deep Diving (three dives, 204 euros), Recreational Sidemount (342 euros), Scooter or DPV (155 euros), Enriched Air Nitrox (115 euros) and Diver Stress and Rescue (345 euros). Other courses include buoyancy, night, photography and wreck specialties at 136 euros and advanced wreck at 272 euros. For a stay in Malta, the centre suggests deep, nitrox, wreck and scooter courses.

Underwater photography and non-diving days

Centre manager Gorden has been shooting underwater since 2004, and his pictures have appeared in dive magazines. He offers private SLR underwater photography courses on request, aimed at divers aged 14 or over with good buoyancy control, basic knowledge and their own camera, lasting three to four days. Prices are on request.

Valerija, the other centre manager, handles logistics and marketing and looks after the cats of Marfa Bay. The instructors include Oreo, fluent in French and English, Katja, who has a background in environmental science, Jana, a keen underwater photographer, and Arthur, who speaks French, English and Spanish.

Non-divers can join snorkel trips, and the centre points to cultural days in the Valletta city guide and Mdina walking guide. For more ideas, see things to do in Malta, and the Malta weather guide helps with choosing a month.

Booking, cancellation and safety

A deposit of 50 euros per person secures a diving trip, with a full refund up to ten days before, half up to five days before and none after. Open Water and Scuba Diver courses need a 100 euros deposit, specialty courses 75 euros and Try Scuba, Basic Diver and refresh dives 50 euros, each with its own cancellation terms on the centre's FAQ. Boat dives must be cancelled 24 hours ahead or the 35 euros boat surcharge applies.

Every diver completes a medical self-disclosure form at check-in. Divers over 60 need a diving fitness certificate from a doctor, and the centre asks for evidence of recent fitness where the form raises questions. Dives stay within each diver's training, with no diving alone, and at least 18 hours should pass before a flight home. The nearest decompression chamber is at Mater Dei Hospital in Msida, 25 to 35 minutes away depending on traffic, and diving accident insurance can be bought on site.

UK visitors can compare flights to Malta from London, and the nearby Aloha Boat Charters Malta and Abyss Diving Club Bugibba show other water options. To arrange dives, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page, with your certification level, logged dives and dates, and we will pass your message to Dive Vision Malta.