Utina Diving

Utina Diving is a dive centre in Xlendi Bay, a small harbour inlet on the south coast of Gozo, the sister island to Malta. It is a PADI centre at the top rating tier, and it teaches everything from a first breath underwater to professional training. Its motto is designed by divers, for divers, and it keeps groups small so that nobody is hurried.

On VisitMalta.co.uk the centre sits in our directory of dive centres in Malta. Gozo is a quieter island than Malta, and our Gozo guide explains the villages, coast and attractions around the diving.

Who runs the centre

The centre is run by Aaron and Marion, two divers who met while diving on Gozo and have settled on the island, swapping German pretzels and French croissants for Maltese pastizzi. Outside the water they hike the cliffs, run and barbecue at sunset.

Each has a diving ambition. Aaron wants to introduce scuba diving to young people growing up in Malta and Gozo, and to raise awareness of protecting the sea. Marion wants to become an instructor with Disabled Divers International so that diving is open to as many people as possible.

The team speaks English, German, French and Dutch, which suits visitors from across Europe. Free biscuits and drinks are offered at the centre, and the instructors take the time to answer questions rather than rush certification.

Beginner courses and your first dive

If you have never dived, there are several ways to begin. There is a try dive and a Bubblemaker experience for first-timers, and a refresher dive at €90 for certified divers who have not been in the water for a while.

The Scuba Diver course costs €350 over a day and a half. It combines e-learning and theory with three confined water sessions and two open water dives, and qualifies you to dive with a professional to 12 metres. It is the choice for people short on time.

The full Open Water Diver course runs for three days and certifies you to dive with a buddy to 18 metres. It involves e-learning, theory with your instructor, five confined water sessions and four open water dives. The price per person is €560 for one person, €530 each for two and €490 each for groups of three or four. The minimum age for both courses is 10, you need adequate swimming skills, and no earlier experience is required.

Course prices include PADI eLearning, certification fees and all the equipment you need, with no hidden costs. You get access to the eLearning as soon as you enrol, on a phone, tablet or computer, so you can start the theory before you travel.

Advanced and speciality training

Certified divers can carry on up the PADI ladder. The Advanced Open Water Diver course takes two to two and a half days and covers buoyancy, navigation with a compass and diving to 30 metres, through five adventure dives, of which deep and navigation are compulsory. It costs €480 for one person, €450 each for two and €410 each for three or four. The Rescue Diver course takes three days at €500, €470 or €430 depending on group size, and teaches you to spot stress and prevent accidents.

Speciality courses include Deep Diver at €350, which takes you to 40 metres and the best wrecks around the islands, Wreck Diver at €350, Diver Propulsion Vehicle at €280, and Enriched Air (Nitrox) at €135 for a two hour course that does not include diving. Search and Recovery is €350, Peak Performance Buoyancy €220, Emergency Oxygen Provider €135 and Emergency First Response €240.

Bundles lower the cost: Deep with Nitrox is €450, Deep with Wreck is €660, and all three together are €780. Divemaster training is also offered, with the price on request. Many of these courses carry minimum ages from 12 to 15 and require an earlier certification, which the centre confirms when you enquire.

Guided fun diving and what it costs

For certified divers the centre runs guided dives from the shore and from boats. A policy of diving your tank means dive time is not capped: the group stays down until the first diver reaches 50 bar, the safety reserve, or until anyone is no longer comfortable. Groups are limited to four divers per instructor.

A single shore dive costs €56, which covers land transport to the site, tank, weights and the guide. Packages reduce the price per dive: four dives are €216, five are €270, six are €312, seven are €364, eight are €400, nine are €450 and ten are €480. Beyond ten dives the rate is €48 a dive.

Extras are priced separately: two boat dives at Comino cost €40 extra, a single boat dive on Gozo's north coast €20, the Ċirkewwa wrecks on Malta €20, the Um El Faroud wreck on Malta €35 and a night dive €25. A scooter (DPV) is €30 a dive, a 15 litre tank €4 and Nitrox up to 40 per cent €7.5 a tank.

Equipment hire

The centre hires out a full set of equipment: buoyancy device, regulator, dive computer, wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins and boots. The full set is €20 per dive or €30 for a day, or €15 per dive and €24 per day without the dive computer. A torch is €5 a dive. Individual items are priced on request.

A dive computer is required for any dive deeper than 20 metres, so keep it in your hire set if you plan to go beyond that depth. If you bring your own kit, tell the centre when you enquire.

Dive sites, wrecks and seasons

The waters around Gozo and Malta offer reefs, wrecks, caverns, caves and tunnels for every level. The centre chooses the sites the evening before according to wind and waves, and it will try to match requests, depending on your certification and the weather. If a site is closed by the sea state, it offers another and tries again on later days.

Most wrecks lie below 18 metres, so you need Advanced Open Water certification, and the Deep speciality is preferred. Open Water divers can dive the P31 wreck at Comino on boat trips that run weekly from April to October. Our Blue Lagoon guide covers Comino above the surface.

The centre is open and diving all year. From December to March the water is 14°C to 16°C, the sites are quieter and the sea life is plentiful. From June to October it reaches 24°C to 28°C, and it slips back to about 20°C in November. For conditions on land, see our Malta weather guide.

Before you arrive

Bring a swimsuit, a towel, sun cream and proof of any diving certification. Water and snacks are provided at the centre. Everyone, whether trying a first dive or booking fun dives, completes a diver medical form. If any of the conditions on the form apply to you, the centre asks for a doctor's note confirming that you are fit to dive, and it can put you in touch with a doctor on Gozo if you cannot get an appointment at home. This page describes the service only and gives no medical advice.

The centre can also help you arrange accommodation, airport transfers and activities such as a rental car, a quad or jeep tour, horse riding or a kayak tour. Our guides to hotels in Gozo and where to stay in Malta give an overview of the options, and our page on flights to Malta from the UK covers the journey.

If you would rather dive without a tank, our directory also lists Apnea Total Malta, a freediving school on Gozo.

Contacting Utina Diving

The centre is in the Calleja Building on Rabat Road in Xlendi, Gozo. Opening hours are not published, so ask when you enquire. Tell the team which course or dives you want, your certification level and your dates, and which dive sites you would like to try.

Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Utina Diving, who will reply to you directly.