Scuba Malta

Malta is one of the easiest places in Europe to take up scuba diving, and Scuba Malta is a dive centre built to make that first step simple. It has two bases on the main island, one at Portomaso Marina in St Julian's and a newer one on the seafront at Buġibba in St Paul's Bay, so whichever side of the island you are staying on, you are never far from a briefing table and a boat or shore entry. Between them they cover everything from a two to three hour taster for complete beginners to Divemaster and Instructor training for people who want to work in diving.

For a UK visitor the appeal is straightforward. Water that stays warm enough to dive in every month of the year, visibility that regularly passes 30 metres, a long list of wrecks and caves within a short transfer, and instructors who teach in English alongside Spanish, Italian, French and German. On VisitMalta.co.uk the centre is listed in our directory of dive centres in Malta, where you can compare it with other operators on the islands.

Two dive centres, two good bases

The St Julian's centre sits at Portomaso Marina on Level -5, a modern marina with direct access to the sea and a short distance from Sliema, Spinola Bay and the nightlife of Paceville. Divers staying in the main resort area can reach it quickly, and our guide to hotels in Sliema and St Julian's shows where to stay nearby.

The St Paul's Bay centre is at the Sabi Complex on Triq Dawret il-Gżejjer, right on the seafront at Buġibba and facing the St Paul's Islands. From here Ċirkewwa, Comino and the ferry to Gozo are only minutes away, which is a real advantage when a day's diving takes you towards the north of the island. If you are choosing a base in that area, see our page on hotels in Qawra, Buġibba and St Paul's Bay.

Both centres have direct sea access and quick reach to the island's best sites, and both work in small groups of no more than a few divers, with a maximum of four students per instructor on courses. The centre operates under licence MTA0054.

Try dives for first timers

If you have never breathed underwater, the try dive is the place to start. It is a session of two to three hours in which you learn to use the equipment and then complete a real open sea dive with a professional instructor beside you the whole time. No experience is needed. The price printed for a try dive is €95.

For a few euros more, the try dive can be upgraded to include a wreck. The Try Dive plus Wrecks costs €155 and takes a first time diver down to a genuine Second World War wreck on the very first outing, guided throughout by an instructor. It is a memorable first dive, and a good test of whether you want to go on and gain a full certification.

Before any activity you complete a medical questionnaire so that the centre can check your health is compatible with diving. This is a standard step on every course, and it is worth reading it carefully before you travel. Everything that matters for the day, including full equipment, insurance and the guidance of a certified instructor, is included in the activity price.

Learn to dive: Scuba Diver and Open Water

Scuba Malta teaches to both SSI and PADI standards, and the first two certifications are designed for people starting from nothing. The Scuba Diver course, listed from €330, is a compact one day programme with online theory, confined water practice and three open water dives. It certifies you to dive to 12 metres under professional supervision, and it can be upgraded to full Open Water later by completing the remaining modules.

The Open Water Diver course, listed from €550, is the complete beginner's certification. It runs over two or three days and combines e-learning, confined water sessions and six dives, four of them in the open sea. Once qualified, you can dive with another certified diver to a maximum of 18 metres, without an instructor, and the certificate is recognised by dive centres around the world.

Both courses start with theory that you can study at home on the e-learning system before you arrive, which saves precious holiday time. The minimum age is 10, and anyone under 18 needs permission from a parent or guardian. You also need to be able to swim 200 metres unaided and stay afloat or swim for at least 10 minutes, and to pass the medical questionnaire.

Prices include the e-learning materials, full equipment of mask, fins, wetsuit, buoyancy compensator, regulator and tank, diving insurance, transport to the dive sites and the certification itself.

Advanced, Rescue and speciality courses

Once you hold Open Water, the Advanced Open Water Diver course, listed from €395, takes you to 30 metres over two days and five specialty dives. The dives cover deep diving, underwater navigation, wrecks and perfect buoyancy, plus a fifth chosen to suit conditions, such as night diving, search and recovery or underwater photography.

The Rescue Diver course, listed from €595, lasts two days with three dives. It teaches you to prevent problems, recognise stress in other divers and manage emergencies, and it includes React Right first aid training covering CPR, oxygen administration and defibrillator use. The minimum is Advanced Open Water, and the course is a required step towards Divemaster.

Specialities let you pick the skills you want. Prices printed on the site include Wreck Diver at €330, Advanced Wreck Diver at €395, Deep Diver at €330, Nitrox at €220 and Scooter DPV at €330, with Decompression Diving at €395. Night Diving is €330, while Perfect Buoyancy, Underwater Navigation, Search and Recovery, Fish Identification, Marine Ecology, Science of Diving and Underwater Photography and Video are each €240. In all there are 14 specialities, and several carry age and certification requirements, for example Advanced Open Water for deep diving, with a minimum age of 15.

For anyone who wants to work in diving, the Divemaster course is €900 and the Diving Instructor course qualifies you to teach. Training takes place in the same small groups as the recreational courses.

Guided dives and Malta's dive sites

Certified divers can join daily guided dives from both centres, all year round, in small groups with equipment included. The instructors know the sites, currents and conditions, and match each dive to the experience of the group, from Open Water upwards. Wrecks, caves, reefs and walls are all within reach, by shore entry or by boat.

The wrecks are the headline. Um El Faroud is a 115 metre tanker sunk in 1998, with an open structure and interior corridors. The P29 patrol boat has been turned into an artificial reef, and the tugboat Rozi lies at Ċirkewwa, compact and easy to reach. Other sites include HMS Maori, the Santa Maria Caves, the Inland Sea and the Blue Hole on Gozo. Visitors planning a day on the sister island can read our Gozo guide, and the nearby Blue Lagoon on Comino is a short hop from the St Paul's Bay base.

If someone in your party does not dive, the centre also runs snorkelling. For other ways to fill a holiday on and off the water, see our list of things to do in Malta and our guide to the best beaches in Malta.

Practical tips, seasons and languages

Malta allows diving comfortably throughout the year, with sea temperatures ranging from about 15°C in winter to 27°C in summer. Our Malta weather guide shows what to expect month by month if you are deciding when to book. If the sea is too rough for a dive or course session to go ahead safely, it is rescheduled or an alternative is offered.

On the day, bring a towel, water, swimwear and dry clothes. The team drives to the dive sites, so you should not get into the vehicles in wet clothes. Instructors teach in English, Spanish, Italian, French and German, so groups from several countries can be looked after in a language they are comfortable with.

Requests are normally confirmed the same day, often within a couple of hours, with your dates and what to bring. Tell the team your level, whether you have never dived, hold Open Water or are further on, and which dates you have free, and they will suggest the right try dive, course or guided dive.

How to book with Scuba Malta

Most visitors begin with one of three things: a try dive, a first certification such as Open Water, or a day of guided dives when already qualified. Flights from the UK are simple to arrange, and our page on flights to Malta covers the main routes, while our guide on where to stay in Malta helps you pick a base near the centre that suits your plans.

To ask about availability, prices or a particular course, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Scuba Malta, who will reply to you directly.