Diving in Cyprus

[melissac]

Hi everyone,

My patner and I are going to Cyprus (Limassol) for a week in April. Can anyone reccommend any dive sites. I'm an OW diver and my partner an AOW so we can only go down to about 18m max.

We will be hiring a car so will be able to travel around the island.

Any ideas?

Melissa :wavey:

 

[CyberFish]

Hi, I have done 90% of my diving in Cyprus so I may be able to point you in a few directions. Generally the water temperature will be around 19 surface and 17 at depth and the vis is likely to be 15m - 30m.

I am not familiar with any diving shops in Limassol myself, but I know other people who have used them. There are a number of good dive sites off the Limmasol coast so you won't be disappointed.

Limmasol is lucky to be close to one of the best wrecks in the world, the Zenobia at Larnaca. Most the wreck is deeper than 18 meters but I know OW divers get to see enough to make it a worthwhile trip (although I have never done it myself). I'll eat my dive boots if there isn't somewhere in Limassol that will run a trip there at least once a week.

As you have a car, you may like to make the 45 minute trip to Paphos and take some dives there. I would recommend Cydive near the harbour - I'm yet to met a nicer bunch of people, although maybe I'm biased as they got me through my OW last year They run a 14 day rotation on the dive sites and are open 7 days so you could have 28 dives to choose from. The sites are pretty varied, with shore dives, wrecks and other stuff.

I'll be out there myself during April so who knows, maybe I'll be buddied up with you or your partner! Hope this helps.

 

[espenskogen]

I second that - Zenobia is an amazing dive - The top of the boat is around 18 meters, whilst the bottom is at 42 - Great visibility, and plenty of spidge, should that be your thing.

It might well be worth doing a deep speciality whilst there, as you can't really ask for a better dive site to do it in.

Overall, Cyprus diving is good mediterranean diving, although to see big stuff you have to get quite deep, at least on the North side.

I'm sure you'll have a blast.

Good luck,

E

 

[utnapistim]

Hi everyone,

My patner and I are going to Cyprus (Limassol) for a week in April. Can anyone reccommend any dive sites. I'm an OW diver and my partner an AOW so we can only go down to about 18m max.

We will be hiring a car so will be able to travel around the island.

Any ideas?

Melissa :wavey:

Hi melissac

I can heartfully recommend the Akrotiri Fish Reserve near Limassol - you might need a boat to get there though (so think about contacting Buddy Divers - they go there regularily).

You can also visit CyDive in Paphos - they are among the best equiped dive operators in Cyprus for good dives there.

Unfortunatelly most sites I visited in Paphos were accessed by boat, so I cannot tell you much about going on your own.



Be sure to visit the Zenobia in Larnaca though;

It is not really a beginner's dive considering access (it's a boat dive) and depth (wreck starts at 18m) but you can maintain a dive profile around 18m if careful and still have plenty to see.

The wreck is among the biggest whole wrecks aroung the world (having 182m length).


Please PM me for details of dive sites/questions on getting around/anything else. I have been living in Cyprus for the last two years.


Please PM me for any extra details.