Calabria's Diving Areas

For everybody who loves the world of diving and for all those who would like to get to know it, Calabria offers one of the best diving areas in the Italian Mediterranean. It is mainly due to the geological characteristics that the diving areas south of Tropea offer conditions that can be found hardly anywhere else in the Mediterranean. Many of the rocky reefs and the underwater peaks around Capo Vaticano hide such a variety of life that we are reminded of the Mediterranean's nature of bygone times. Of special interest is the octopus nursery at Vador and the richness of primitive life and crustaceans at Formicoli. The temperatures are very pleasant all year round, even in October.
Right off the Cape one of the most beautiful diving areas is waiting for you: Mantineo. It is here that you find a rock covered in rich vegetation with overhangs and lots of little caves; one of these is a 4 cubic metre hollow with stalactites and you can dive in this one. As well as the large number of scorpion fish you see in this true aquarium you are also guaranteed to see octopuses, dusky groupers and moray eels. Sometimes you can even see flounder in the surrounding sandy sea-beds. A very special place has been created by one of the volcanoes in the surrounding area. If you hit the sand here little bubbles will rise and you can see black sand. Stromboli says hello.
With boat rides of between ten and a maximum of thirty minutes you reach many more impressive diving areas. In front of the Bay of Santa Maria is the Scoglio della Galea which is a reef covered in colourful red sponges. Because of the currents which are often strong in this area the water is always very clear. Visibility in the whole area in normal water is mostly about 30 metres, for this we can thank the depth to the sea-bed.

Please note

All big diving schools stipulate that you must have at least one day between the last dive and your flight home so that the nitrogen that builds up in your blood while scuba-diving has time to dissipate completely. In this way you avoid any dangers to your health.

The Diving School

With our partner, the Torre Ruffa Diving Club, we have many different diving courses on offer. Beside the PADI Open Water Course and the PADI Advanced Open Water Course there is also a taster course and a "Bubblemaker" in our programme and these allow adults and children to enter the fantastic underwater world. Of course single dives and diving packets can also be booked.
The diving school is in the new marina in Tropea, right opposite the Hotels La Pineta. It prides itself on high safety standards and quality, it unites a professional team of diving instructors and dive masters with years of experience. With modern equipment the customers can have English, German or Italian instruction and within a few days are able to move confidently through the exciting underwater world.

Diving Courses

PADI DISCOVERY COURSE
The PADI Discover Diving programme is a taster course and an ideal introduction to the world of diving. In one day you will have four lessons of professional instruction and lots of fun during your first, fascinating diving experience. The first breath underwater, the weightlessness, the wonderful colours of the underwater world - you will be amazed!
On completion of this course you receive a certificate which qualifies you as a Discover Scuba Diver and allows you to continue your diving career and participate in many different courses. The next step in your training
would be the PADI Open Water course.

PADI OPEN WATER COURSE
This course is the basic training for independent diving. During the training for this Open Water Diver we will increase your basic knowledge over five days (about 4 hours per day) and in competent company you can feel your way step by step through the underwater world. After completion of the PADI PADI Open Water Course you are then allowed to complete various specialist courses and allowed to go diving without a diving instructor or dive master, but always with a dive partner.

PADI ADVANCED OPEN WATER COURSE
This course builds on the classic beginners' course, the PADI Open Water Diver. Over four days and a total of sixteen hours you learn additional skills and gain more experience, which is why the course makes the practice dives in different specialist areas, for example wreck dives, night diving or deep-sea diving. After successful completion of this course you will be an experienced diver able to dive in the waters of this world and the doors are open to you to undertake PADI specialist courses.

Prices -> Diving Cources

All courses include: lesson material, log book, equipment, dive boat, certificate and qualified diving instructor.

Information:
The duration of all courses includes the theoretical lessons, the transfers to the dive area and the dives themselves. Children over the age of 8 can take part in the Discover Course. Timetable and order of the dive course may be restricted by weather conditions.

Prices -> Individual dives