Favorite place in Europe for Vacation and Diving?

[liuk3]

My wife really wants to go to Europe, so I am trying to begin planning a vacation to Europe. I want to dive a lot, whereas my wife does not. My wife would rather relax, tour, and shop while I am diving. Could you suggest ideas or your favorite places to go vacation in Europe where one can dive recreationally as well? I'm just trying to get ideas to plan a vacation, and I am not very familiar with Europe. Thanks.

 

[300bar]

1st of all I don't have a clue on what your travel plan looks like,BUT a lot of northern Europeans come to the Netherlands to dive.
Dutch(hay we're home)Germans,belgiums.Frence,English.I've seen them from Norway,Sweden,letland,estland.poland and russia.
Take you pick if you are in northern Europe.
If you come close give me a PM.


cheers,

 

[liuk3]

Thanks, Evert. I don't have a clue either. I am just now starting to think about putting together a vacation for next year to Europe. I want to dive a lot, but my wife does not. So, I thought it would be great if I could find some location with a good compromise. All of Europe is pretty much fair game. We've been to Bora Bora, Cozumel and Hawaii, but she really wants to go to Europe, and I'm just not really familiar with the dive vacation spots in Europe.

 

[Tomeck]

I think Spain, Malta, Croatia or Greece are very good to dive a lot. Diving in France is very complicated, because PADI or NAUI are badly recognized.

 

[300bar]

Ok then,what does the wife likes to to.
Beaches,citys,musea,nature walks,skydiving(?)
A lot of european countrys can accomodate both your wishes.
It just depents on when you want to come over.(time of year)

 

[String]

Yeah Spain good for holidays with some OKish diving.

Greece nice relaxing holiday, fantastic scenery with some mediocre diving.

Or Malta, not that great for shopping but fantastic diving.

Italy is another option especially the south for both.

 

[Don Wray]

Figure 1.5 on your budget as the dollar is crap compared to the Euro and the pound. As Tomeck said, PADI and Naui aren't widely recognized however PADI is more known than others. A YMCA cert is the same as their CMAS so that should not be a problem. That being said, the dive ops I called in France did not have a problem with my PADI cert and said there would be no restrictions on the dives I want to do later this year, as they consider my OWSI the same as the CMAS entry level instructor. I'll have to look them up for you if I can still find the numbers. "I just want to dive Normandy!!!!!!!!"

 

[chrisch]

What kind of diving, what other non-diving activities?? Europe is huge, as big as the US but with many languages and countries. Warm water, cold water, wrecks and reefs. You could spend a month just discussing France alone. (France BTW PADI OWSI is CMAS 2 star and not entry level CMAS instructor as PADI is no-deco)

South West England and Ireland are good places and speak English (sort of ) Spain is good for beaches and food. Help us narrow it down a bit - tell us more about what you like to do.

Chris

 

[Tomeck]

What kind of diving, what other non-diving activities?? Europe is huge, as big as the US but with many languages and countries. Warm water, cold water, wrecks and reefs. You could spend a month just discussing France alone. (France BTW PADI OWSI is CMAS 2 star and not entry level CMAS instructor as PADI is no-deco)

South West England and Ireland are good places and speak English (sort of ) Spain is good for beaches and food. Help us narrow it down a bit - tell us more about what you like to do.

Chris

In many dive shops other than England or Ireland, they can speak English.

 

[Zerovis]

got to agree Europe is huge you had better do a check on water temp, stay away from spain's costa del sol,temp can vary wqite allot Ireland and the UK are quite cold and sometimes vis is limited can be great diving esp wrecks in Scotland and the south west of Ireland ,hot as much life as in some of the places you mentioned, check the time of year Ireland reaches about 15 deg c about july to Aug. but 7 to 8 deg c in jan feb, I have dived in the canaries and the life is good water 19 to 23 deg c but all led dives ,