OK Diving Malta

OK Diving Malta is a small, friendly dive school at St Paul's Bay on Malta's north coast, teaching PADI and SSI courses and guiding certified divers since 2012. It runs from the Sirens Water Sports Club, so it has a heated pool, a changing area and direct access to the sea on the same site. Groups are kept small, and every beginner has their own instructor.

For a UK visitor the setup is easy: you can try diving in a single morning, finish a full certificate in three days or book a block of guided dives, and the centre collects guests from hotels in the surrounding resort towns. Our guides to hotels in Qawra, St Paul's Bay and Buġibba will help you choose a base nearby.

The school, the team and the facilities

The dive school sits inside the Sirens Water Sports Club, which has several heated swimming pools, a gym, restaurants, changing rooms, showers, lockers and a chill-out area with hammocks and parasols facing the sea. The club also runs daily boat trips to Gozo and Comino from the same jetty as the dive centre. The centre has its own equipment room where you can wash and store your kit each day.

The team first met in Malta in 2012 through a shared love of diving, and later worked together as diving, freediving and climbing instructors in Thailand and Indonesia. Outside the water they enjoy swimming, surfing, kayaking, climbing and trekking, and they will advise on other trips around the islands.

Safety and quality are built into the routine. Equipment is checked every year, air is filled at the centre's own BAUER loading station with a Securus filter, and DAN insurance is included in all dive courses. Instructors hold certification from PADI and SSI, and they speak English, Spanish, French and Italian, so say which you prefer when you book.

Try diving for the first time

The Discover Scuba Diving experience costs €70 including VAT and takes about three hours. It is designed for people who have never dived, including nervous swimmers. You meet your instructor at the centre, learn to breathe underwater and the basic hand signals, and practise in the heated outdoor pool at 27 degrees before heading into the sea. The open water dive goes to a depth of up to 12 metres, with no more than four people per instructor and all equipment included. A deposit of €35 holds your place, and free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the dive.

You do not need to be a strong swimmer, but you do need to feel comfortable in water. Everyone fills in a medical questionnaire at the centre on the day, and anyone who answers yes to a flagged question needs a doctor's certificate. If you decide to continue, a discount on the Open Water course is available to those who have completed the Discover experience, so ask when you contact the centre. Children aged 8 to 10 can try the Bubble Maker pool experience.

Getting certified: Open Water and beyond

The Open Water Diver course costs €490 including VAT and qualifies you to dive without an instructor to 18 metres. It runs over three days, typically from about 8:30 to 16:00, though the exact length depends on how quickly you master the skills. The price includes online theory with five modules and an exam, five blocks of heated pool exercises, four dives in the Mediterranean, transport in Malta from the centre to the dive sites and all equipment. Groups are limited to four or five students. The minimum age is 10, and you need basic swimming skills and good general health.

You can choose SSI or PADI certification, both recognised worldwide. The centre recommends SSI because its app and online platform make the theory easier to complete from a phone, and you can finish the theory before you travel. If the centre's diving director adds a dive at Gozo or Comino, that carries a supplement of €25 or €30. The deposit for courses is non-refundable because it gives you immediate access to the online learning, which you can complete at any dive centre if your plans change.

For divers who already hold a certificate, the Advanced Open Water Diver course costs €390 and takes you to 30 metres, while a refresher course costs €65 for those who have not dived for a while. Further options include Rescue Diver at €450, Emergency First Response at €150, Enriched Air Nitrox at €160, Wreck Diving at €350, Deep Diving at €300 and the Divemaster course. Keen candidates can join the Divemaster internship, which trades work around the centre for training and dives.

Guided dives, packages and extras

Certified divers can book guided packages that range from €85 to €105 for two dives, with the lower price covering tanks and weights and the higher one a full set of equipment including wetsuit, BCD, regulator, mask, snorkel, fins and boots. Four dives cost €165 to €195, six cost €225 to €280 and eight cost €280 to €360. Extras include a night dive for €15, a boat dive to Comino for €30, a Gozo trip with ferry and transport for €25, and a larger 15 litre tank for a small extra charge. You can bring your own kit and use the storage, rinse and drying area, or rent it by the item.

The final choice of dive site is made each day by the diving director, based on weather, experience and group size. Malta offers reefs, caves and wartime wrecks, with visibility of up to 30 metres and sea temperatures that run from about 15 degrees in winter to 28 degrees in summer. See our directory of dive centres in Malta if you want to compare centres.

When to go and what to bring

The main diving season runs from April to October. Summer from June to August has the warmest water, and spring and autumn are quieter. Winter diving is possible but cooler and windier, so conditions vary. It is wise to book ahead in July and August. Our Malta weather guide gives a month by month view.

Bring swimwear, a towel, water and sunscreen, plus your certification card and logbook if you are certified, and a doctor's note if your medical form requires it. Time your diving around your flight home, and ask the centre for the waiting period before flying. If you are travelling from the UK, see our guide to flights from the UK to Malta. The surrounding area has the best beaches in Malta for days off the water, and you can read about our Gozo guide and the Blue Lagoon guide if you plan a boat trip.

If you are still deciding where to stay, our advice on where to stay in Malta compares the main areas, and things to do in Malta has ideas for the days between dives. St Paul's Bay is a lively resort area with shops, cafés and restaurants within easy reach, and the centre is a short distance from the bus stops, which makes it simple to reach without hiring a car. Many guests combine a few days of diving with sightseeing in Valletta, Gozo and Comino, all within reach of the north coast.

When you are ready to ask about a dive, a course or your dates, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to OK Diving Malta.