Self-reliant diving in Greece

[WS007]

Has someone here information, or a link, about self-reliant scubadiving in Greece (I am asking for a friend)?

Thanks, Wolfgang

 

[stepfen]

I guess by self-reliant you mean solo. Solo diving (scuba and free) is by law forbidden.
Nevertheless a friend of mine ( ) dives regularly solo and has been checked few times by the coast guard with no issues. Coast guards are after illegal fishing (scuba spear fishing is strictly illegal and coast guards do care for this).

Assuming your friend will not be fishing he/she will be fine.

If your friend needs the official law I can look for it (in Greek). Just let me know.

Edit: If interested your friend can find the law here:

Νόμος 3409/2005 - ΦΕΚ 273/Α/4-11-2005 (Κωδικοποιημένος)

Στο αρχικό κείμενο έχουν επέλθει μεταβολές. Το Κωδικοποιημένο αρχείο, εκδόθηκε σε επικαιροποιημένο και ενοποιημένο κείμενο, την 26.05.2020 με ενσωματωμένες τις μεταγενέστερες τροποποιήσεις.

www.e-nomothesia.gr

Article 11 paragraph 6, mentions (my translation):
For scuba diver it is forbidden:
(a list of several things that are forbidden such as scuba diving without certification, scuba spear fishing, disturbing sea creatures, looking for/collecting/photographing archeological artifacts etc follows) and in case e (ε) it says:
to dive without being accompanied by another scuba diver.

 

[WS007]

Thank you Stepfen...

With "Self-reliant" I was meaning the diving without a diving base, just private on your own. I did this in the 90ies and then were strict regulations: it was forbidden almost everywhere to dive without guide from a divingbase, only at about a dozend locations it was allowed, after registration at the harbour police...

Wolfgang

 

[stepfen]

Nowadays rules to that extend have eased. Divers are now actually allowed to dive everywhere, without a dive operator, except some special areas (near harbors, military areas, some ancient wrecks, shipping lanes, underwater cables etc).

Exceptions as said above: no fishing, no picking up artifacts, no solo diving (this is actually not enforced) etc.

You still need to get permission from coastguard to dive at night (1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise). For dive operators permission can be obtained with a phone call - for private divers (no LDS) one needs to have the permission arranged in written beforehand.

Dive shops might be hesitant at first to rent you equipment, but if you talk to them to know you better (and maybe dive with them few times) they should be happy to rent tanks, weights etc

 

[BojanD]

Hello guys, I found this info on some greek website:

Scuba diving is prohibited to persons who do not have a certification recognized by an organisation under article 3 and not under the services of a recognized recreational diving service provider. Recognized organisations currently include: ANDI, IANTD, PADI, SSI & The Greek Diving Federation (ΕΟΥΔΑΤΚ).

Is it true that only those associations are recognised?

I know a few divers that are PDA CMAS TDI etc and they never had any problems, they just send an email to the port authorities to inform them about the dive plan and they are good to go.

 

[BoltSnap]

photographing archeological artifacts

Taking pictures of archeological artifacts/things is forbidden?

 

[happy-diver]

Well if the English see the photos you just never know they may wish to add to their collection

 

[stepfen]

Taking pictures of archeological artifacts/things is forbidden?

Yes it is, although (as usual here in Greece) the law is a bit vague.
There is a long list of things SCUBA divers are not allowed to do underwater in the relevant law including (my translation) :
Moving, removing or photographing items with archeological or other value.

There are exceptions to this of course, but generally, it is not allowed.

Well if the English see the photos you just never know they may wish to add to their collection

Don't be racist my friend

 

[stepfen]

Hello guys, I found this info on some greek website:

Is it true that only those associations are recognised?

I know a few divers that are PDA CMAS TDI etc and they never had any problems, they just send an email to the port authorities to inform them about the dive plan and they are good to go.

Sorry I didn't notice your post earlier. In theory the organization needs to be EU based (!!!??!!), have an office/representative in Greece and apply/register/pay a fee to the ministry to get permission. Although I can't find any official list of registered organizations I would assume that all the known ones (including the ones you mention above) are registered.

In practice I don't think anybody will care for such details, assuming the divers have some qualification.

I have been asked only once by the coast guards to show my "PADI" card. I waved to them an electronic SSI card I had in my mobile and they didn't even look at it. I dive independently - i.e. withouth local shops, hence I am checked quite often by the coastguard for ilegal activities.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Coast guards are after illegal fishing (scuba spear fishing is strictly illegal and coast guards do care for this).

Assuming your friend will not be fishing he/she will be fine.

I do plan on spearfishing for lionfish on my rebreather (and boat) when I make the move. I suspect the Hellenic Coast Guard will not be too concerned. The scientists I was working with last month said it likely won't be a problem. I saw several on pretty much every drive I was on around Kythera. Not a good thing when there are so few fish.

Hello guys, I found this info on some greek website:

Is it true that only those associations are recognised?

I know a few divers that are PDA CMAS TDI etc and they never had any problems, they just send an email to the port authorities to inform them about the dive plan and they are good to go.

Only instructors of those agencies are allowed to teach in Greece. These maintain an office/representative in the country. And of course have dive centers. You can't teach independently in Greece, not legally at least.

While I started an NGO (non-profit AMKE, as NGO is a 4-letter word in Greece) for supporting underwater research, I had to have a Greek resident in the organization (he's the COO).