my Malta recommendation...

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TruckDiver1981

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hi all, well after asking for help on here and going on holiday earlier this year i thought i would just quickly write this in case anyone else is off on holiday to Malta.

I ended up diving with a company called New Dimension Scuba, who are based in St Pauls Bay, a 10 minute walk from my hotel in Bugibba. They were first class, very very friendly and accomodating, a great laugh and experinced in what they do. I am planning on heading back maybe next year for another holiday and i will certainly be using them again

So if your off there, give them a try is all i can say! there are some great dive sites all around the islands, and they place is also a cheap one to boot!
 
The recent court case aside (if you are really interest google Stephen Martin)

Malta is a great place to dive.
A small Island, with a large number of shore dives. Most sites have facilities, ladders, parking often toilets as well. Because the Island is small, there is normally shelter somewhere to allow diving. There is also a good selection of sites for the experienced and inexperienced alike.
Whilst the fish life is not as prolific as the Red Sea, the introduction of a no take policy around the dive sites has seen a significant increase in fish life.

There are a number of dive guide books. The one I prefer is Scuba Diving Malta, Gozo, Comino by Peter Lemon .

In addition to the Diving, the Island has a lot of history, with many places to visit, useful if your significant other is not into diving.
It is possible to dive in the morning then go touring later in the day. The bus service is good and cheap.
Maltese is a mix of Italian and Arabic, although the vast majority of Maltese speak excellent English.

For those of you used to driving on the correct side of the road (THE LEFT :)), the Maltese also drive on the left.....ish, actually they tend to drive in the shade. Indicators appear to be optional, as is randomly stopping in the road and at junctions. (If you are involved in a automobile accident, leave the vehicles where they are until the Police arrive - if you move the vehicles YOU are then at fault!)

Food is a mix of seafood, and Italian based an a little North African. The local beer is Cisk, a lager.

Unescorted diving is allowed, for anyone with a qualification of Advanced Open Water and higher (or BSAC Sports Diver and higher). However, if you have limited or no experience of Malta, it may well be worth having a dive guide to start with.

If you visit, I heartily recommend a Valletta harbour cruise, in one of the smaller boats, it gives you a good introduction of the history of the island and Valletta.


Gareth
 
Considering what happen ti Steve Martin, and my DM status, this island is off my list.

The whole story was a case of locals trying to find a foreign scapegoat. No way for me :eek:
 
Thanks for the detailed info Gareth,, I'm really excited and can't wait to go now! Seems like a nice island offering diving as well as rich culture and history just what I like, I'm more into wrecks and nice reefs and coral with small colorful fish rather than big fish

could you recommend good diving centers?

I've googled and a total of 75 dive centers popped up! I'm looking for accommodation as well and seems like it's better if i take it as a package, hotels are pretty expensive around the time I'm planning to go,, also how many days would you recommend? Will 10-12 dives be enough to cover the best dive sites or will I need to stay longer as I'm planning to stay a maximum of 8-9 days including the 24h before flight.. Im working on my Advanced now if that would make any difference
 
Jumana

Which dive centre to use is very dependent on were you are based, and if you are driving or using the centre and their guides. If you are an OW diver you will need to dive with a guide, so they will provide the transport to and from the site. I would suggest that you want to be in walking distance of the centre.

The tourist area is generally the north of the island, some of the dive company's such as Maltaqua have there own accommodation, so offer a complete package including the diving. I am normally based south of Valletta, on the east coast at Marsascalla. Most people I know book either accommodation only or half board.

I would suggest it is advantageous to have your AOW, and still use a guide. 10 - 12 dives over a week is good going and should give you a good tast of what Malta can offer. The busiest site is generally Cirikewwa at the north of the island, with a good idea of sites for all abilities.
Zurrieq has the Um El Faroud, which is a deep dive, although the creek is a nice dive and you can dive either side of the entrance to the creek and these are nicedives.
I personally like the Maori at the entrance to the grand harbour in Valletta.

You can easily spend a day in Valletta, as I previously said, a harbour cruise is worth doing.
Mdina is a great place to visit, its also worth a visit at night.
If you are using the buses you can get a weeks bus pass that works out economical, although you might need to go to Valletta to get one. There is also a museum pass that allows access to most but not all of the museum/historic sites - check up on this in advance. If you want to do the hypogeum you need to book this months in advance via the internet.

Gareth
 
i did a harbout cruise round Valetta and would also recommend it! as i said int he original post i used New Dimension Scuba, and would highly recommend them if you are staying near them. they were recommended to me by another company on the island but i cannot remember what their name was
 
Thanks guy for all this info! really appreciate it!
 
Wrecks? also are they deep/shallow?
 

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