Malta one of the oldest and newest diving destination in Europe.

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

susan6868:
Tonio- I was wondering if you could tell me what the visibilty is (generally speaking) and also what are the best or most popular months for diving off Malta. Is there a month that is warm and dry and less likely to produce storms?
Also, during the warm months, what is the average water temperature?
Are you familiar with Island Residence Club at Radisson SAS Golden Sands Resort & Spa?
We are able to obtain weeks there through time share and wondered is the hotel and location are any good?
Thanks again. Hope to meet you when we finally do get to Malta.

Please excuse the delay in replying, but I have been having problems with my comoputer.
The visibility is rearely below 83 ft and usually at around 100ft with peaks to133ft.
The best and most popular months for diving on the islamds are at opposite extremes.
Most of us here beleive that the best months to dive here are betwen October and the end of April.
The reasons are the clarity of the water when the viz is still the same but clearer, sharper, the colours are sharp and bright, there is no algea or algea bloom. The fish life, because of migratioin is usually more interesting as there is a higher possibility of seeing pelagic fish such as tuna, dorados, thunny, bonitos. Plus the possibility of seeing some fantastic Planktonic creatures.
The sea temp is at around, 22c October to November while the air temp could be the same. The temp fot the rest of the months, December to April, will be at around 14c. So definetly a good semi-dry suit or dry suit.
The minumum lehght of the dives is at around 45mins to 60mins. with some dives running at around 70mins sometimes 90mins.
The most popular months for diving and the ones that also gurantee good hot weather are between May and September. The viz is still the same but the water is warmer. around 18c in may going to 23 and 27c July August September.
The difference is that there is more Algea growing, and because of the warmer waters, this has a burnded look.
However you are still guranteed some very good diving.
Though the water is quite warm, I do suggest that you still wear a full suit.
This for two particular. Firdst if you are going to be diving a minimum of two dives a day it will still sap the energy out of you.
Second is that In the summer months we often come across, sections, of termoclines(sections of colder water) where the temp could fall from 27c to a19c sometimes 15c. These could be at any depth.
Most of the dives here are sgore dives, so I strongly recommend that you buy yourself a good pair of hard soled booties and open strap fins.
The Golden Sands Radisson is by far one of the nicest Hotels that have been built on the island. it has a very good reputation for service.
It is also located on two of the best sandy beaches on the island, though it Over looks Golden Bay, the nicest beach is Ghajn Tuffieh, (the Eye of the Apple) which is a mere 10mins to 15 mins walk from the hotel and I think the most beautiful beach on the island.
If you look like walking, then this is quite a good place for exploring particularly as near there are some historical sites going back to the Punic period 300-400BC, as well as Roman baths.
The Hotel is aorund a 10mins drive from St. Paul's BAy where you can find some 10 diving centers to choses from, the oldest of which is Maltaqua, then you have , Deep Blue, Subway, Buddies Cove, and many others.
Because The Hotel is rather secluded, albeit in a beautiful area, and is serviced by a cheap efficient bus service I do recommend that you look into renting a car, this will give you the opportunity to explore the island after the diving.
However if you decide not to, the island is rather samll so AAny diving centre you may chose on whatever part of the island offer a pickup service, which for the greater part is free.
Except for the odd person we all speak english, and thanks to TV can understand New Yorkese:)
This is an island to explore Though the summer months can give the impression that it is not green(unlike the winter months) it is still a fantastic place to explore.
I hope that I have responded to all you question. I wuill reply to any questions you may post or which you can contact me directly.
See you here.
 
kreuzerkrieg:
Planning to dive at Gozo this year (june-july), about week or so, I believe we will perform 10-12 dives. The question how do you suggest to spend these dives - places, sites, diving resorts?
Thanks in advance

Totally new to this forum, but seeing your question I decided to sign up :wink: I went to Gozo in July 2004 for holidays and here I got addicted to diving :D Did my OW and AOW in two weeks there at St. Andrew's Divers Cove in Xlendi. Without any dives I could compare the ones on Gozo to, I could easely see how unique the visability was for Europe :) Up to 60m of clear sight and 26'C, loved it!

If you want to check out the divesites before you leave have a look at this website: http://www.gozodive.com/divesites.htm They show about 50 sites, most of them you can reach from land.

The locations I liked most were the Azure Window, The Blue hole and Mgar ix-Xini but there are many more great locations, I'm pretty sure about that :wink:

I hope you have a great time there and I wish I could go there as well this summer :14:

PS: There are some nice hotels in Xlendi and good prizes if you book early. If you want a great bungalow a bit more inland I can suggest Cornucopia in Xaghra. Had a great time there.
 
Malta is great. A lot of shore diving but thats one of the few negatives (i hate shore diving with a passion).

Its the best diving in the med by a long way if you like wrecks. Not much fish life but if you're into wrecks its superb.

A few artificial wrecks if you like that sort of thing (Faroud, Rozi etc) but lots of real ones too.

The advantage from the UK is its cheap to get to and for the moment fairly cheap to eat/drink/stay there although this could change when the euro arrives as it made everywhere else more expensive.

Its not the red sea but for somewhere slightly closer to home its great.

Got some photos here i took last november:

http://www.hvsac.co.uk/gallery2/v/malta2006/

November the water temp was 20c. I had a 5mm suit and was absolutely frozen so next time i'd take drysuit for that time of year.
5mm semi through summer would probably do though.
 
ErikH:
Totally new to this forum, but seeing your question I decided to sign up :wink: I went to Gozo in July 2004 for holidays and here I got addicted to diving :D Did my OW and AOW in two weeks there at St. Andrew's Divers Cove in Xlendi. Without any dives I could compare the ones on Gozo to, I could easely see how unique the visability was for Europe :) Up to 60m of clear sight and 26'C, loved it!

If you want to check out the divesites before you leave have a look at this website: http://www.gozodive.com/divesites.htm They show about 50 sites, most of them you can reach from land.

The locations I liked most were the Azure Window, The Blue hole and Mgar ix-Xini but there are many more great locations, I'm pretty sure about that :wink:

I hope you have a great time there and I wish I could go there as well this summer :14:

PS: There are some nice hotels in Xlendi and good prizes if you book early. If you want a great bungalow a bit more inland I can suggest Cornucopia in Xaghra. Had a great time there.
Thanks for info!
 
Great Thread.

I will be in Rome this year..but won't get down to Malta. I hope to someday.

I have always told people Malta is where Malted Milk Balls come from. Hope you don't mind the joke. :)
 
String:
Malta is great. A lot of shore diving but thats one of the few negatives (i hate shore diving with a passion).

Its the best diving in the med by a long way if you like wrecks. Not much fish life but if you're into wrecks its superb.

A few artificial wrecks if you like that sort of thing (Faroud, Rozi etc) but lots of real ones too.

November the water temp was 20c. I had a 5mm suit and was absolutely frozen so next time i'd take drysuit for that time of year.
5mm semi through summer would probably do though.
Wreck is great, we surely will dive some wreck there, especially if there some remnants of WWII wreck.
20C and you got frozen with your 5mm??? Don’t you have to be cold resistant as the rest of “northern people”??? :rofl3:
 
I heard that 5mm is the bare minimum but adding a 1.5mm hooded vest would make it just right. I have heard that BARE makes much of their wetsuits in Malta as that is where the company/factory is located. I hope to buy the hood there next month when I go.

Hoping to do my AOW, Deep and Nitrox specialties when I go there.
 
kreuzerkrieg:
Wreck is great, we surely will dive some wreck there, especially if there some remnants of WWII wreck.
20C and you got frozen with your 5mm??? Don’t you have to be cold resistant as the rest of “northern people”??? :rofl3:

20c and 5mm gets cold when doing extended deco stops where you aren't moving.

As for cold resistant - thats why we own drysuits. Unfortunately due to luggage restrictions i couldnt take mine to Malta.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom