Malta/Gozo Recommendations

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advance

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Messages
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Location
Tel Aviv, Israel
# of dives
100 - 199
Hey friends,

I am licensed as a rescue diver (+Nitrox) with 200+ dives, with me might be another AOW diver. I'm planning on being in Malta in the beginning of May, perhaps splitting the time between Malta and Gozo.

I have some questions:

1. What would you say are the "must see" dives in Malta?
2. What would you say are the "must see" dives in Gozo?
3. What would you recommend as a plan, for 4 dives? Would it make sense to do 2 in Malta, 2 in Gozo? Focus just on Malta, Gozo? What about Comino?

Any recommendations for specific sites would be great, to try and help me focus. There are way too many options in Malta/Gozo.

Thanks :)
 
In Malta the el faroud is awesome if you like wrecks. You can easly do 2 dives there. If you go there go early, there isn’t that much parking. The first time i went there i was a lil late, so i had to drop my gf and our gear and go back to park the car a long way from the water. Its a very steep Hill.
In gozo the inland sea is realy nice and its easy to combine with the blue hole (the arch was there before it did collapse)

Gozo is Nice if you do it as a day trip. I think you can only dive comino with boat trips, it sure has some nice spots with some small caverns.
 
Hi advance,

It very well depends on your particular interests, however these are some of the very best sites suited for AOWD level and would be my choices for only 4 dives;

Gozo - Dwejra - Topography, Inland sea tunnel, steep walls going to +60m, good visibility.
Gozo - Reqqa point - Topography, Caves/caverns, steep walls going to +60m, good visibility.
Malta - Cirkewwa - Wrecks; MV Rozi & P29, vast and interesting site, good in marine life. '2 wrecks 1 dive' possible. +36m
Malta - Zurrieq - Wreck; MV Um El Faroud, large 110m oil tanker, split in two. A nice wreck dive. Safe to penetrate. +36m

If you have any particular interests I could perhaps point you to more specific sites

Enjoy your diving!
 
Guys, thanks - a lot.

I just wanted to offer my findings. I asked several dive clubs in Malta/Gozo for their recommendations, and also asked here. The results:

Location Votes
Fortizza Reef Malta 1
HMS Maori Wreck Malta 2
X127 Wreck Malta 2
P29, Rozi Wrecks Malta 5
Cirkewwa Arch Malta 3
Um el Faroud Malta 4
Blue Hole Gozo 6
Inland Sea Gozo 5
Cathedral Cave Gozo 1
Double Arch Gozo 1
Karwela Wreck Gozo 2
Cominoland Wreck Gozo 2
Caverns Comino 1
Xlendi Bay Gozo 1
Tunnel? Gozo 1
Ta Cenc Gozo 1
Mgarr Ixini Gozo 1
Reqqa Point Gozo 1

Seems like the sites I'll focus on are:

Malta:
Cirkewa Arch
P29, Rozi
Um el Faroud
Gozo:
Blue Hole
Inland Sea
 
Enjoy. You'll find your dive sites will mainly be determined by wind direction and swell. There's almost always something available to dive though!

And you can easily do an entire week on Gozo alone and be doing interesting and different sites every day.
 
Guys, thanks - a lot.

...Seems like the sites I'll focus on are:

Malta:
Cirkewa Arch
P29, Rozi
Um el Faroud
Gozo:
Blue Hole
Inland Sea

Hi advance,

At Cirkewwa (Malta North); Head out from Susie's pool on a 270deg bearing, the P29 is about 200m off the shore. Wreck safe to penetrate, a mock gun on the foredeck provides for a great shot if your buddy has a camera! Moving away on a bearing of 20deg you will reach tug Rozi situated some 140m away. Smaller and usually presenting more fish life, this is Malta's most popular wreck. Leaving the Rozi, on an easterly bearing, reach the reef, head NE along the reef. In some 12m bottom you'll find the arch going up to 8m. Return is a reciprocal, following the reef back, now on your left, exploring the many interesting features, including tunnels, small caverns, one of which holds the 'Madonna' statue just before the ledge to your entry/exit back at Susie's Pool. This is a long dive, allow minimum 1hr dive time, max depth 38m on P29 bows. Plan your gas accordingly or dedicate 2 dives.

At Zurrieq (Malta South); The Um El Faroud, the most accessible large wreck on the islands. The entry in this scenic valley is just below the steps of the small lower car park. Stride entry and immerse, cross to the other side of the valley keeping some depth, watch out for tourist boat traffic. Keeping the wall on your right, head out the valley and distance yourself from the wall on a 240deg bearing. On the sand at 36m, some 140m off the mouth of the valley you will reach the impressive stern of the tanker. The huge propeller is in a depression. Wreck was made safe to penetrate; visit engine room and cabins in the superstructure. The wreck is split midships, this has turned out to be an interesting feature in itself. Watch out for mild currents and fish below the keel in this area. Following structure reaching the bow, enjoy the impressive view from the bow to the sandy bottoms. Head back to superstructure and turn the dive to a NNE bearing, then follow the reef back to the mouth of the valley, exploring caverns on the way back. Exit the water on the eastern wall just bellow the diver ladders.

Dwejra (Gozo West); This most scenic location permits different itineraries; start dive at Blue Hole, at Inland Sea, at Crocodile Rock, combination etc.. For starters I would opt Entry/Exit at Inland Sea shallows. The entry is at the inland sea jetty, in the very shallows and slightly murky waters. Surface swim to the tunnel, keeping west of the fairway, watching for tourist boat traffic. At the tunnel; lights on, immerse, and exit to crisp clear open sea keeping the wall on your left. Reaching the breathtaking view out of the tunnel, follow your planned depth SSWrly savoring the view, exploring the many features until you reach the Blue Hole site, under which there is a large cavern worth visiting. Exit is a reciprocal all the way back; tunnel, inland sea, surface swim. Always be watchful of boat traffic! Also, open sea conditions dictate the viability of the site and not inland sea conditions.

Enjoy your diving!
 
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