DIVING IN MALTA & GOZO
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DIVING IN MALTA & GOZO |
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email: mark@inspired-training
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Malta and Gozo have long been a mecca
for scuba divers. Just 2.5 hours flying time from the UK means diving
same day in crystal clear Mediterranean water, almost as warm as
anywhere in Egypt. Landing in Malta you either stay in the
many resorts around the island or get a ride to the ferry port and onward travel
to Gozo. Its 40mins by car to the ferry and then 25mins at sea on the continuous
ferry service (cost £3 or so as a foot passenger) |
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If you stay on Malta you have all the usual infrastructure of a large island with either frantic bars or laid back beaches. On Malta I stayed in Buggiba on the north west coast. Malta like Gozo is blessed with dozens or interesting shore dives but is also slightly closer to the dozens of wrecks that surround the island. Some wrecks are close to Malta, some Gozo, but whether you leave from either island the wrecks are not far away. Gozo life trickles by a very sedate pace compared to Malta, dive sites are all very close so if you want to roll out of bed at 2pm and still go diving, Gozo is the place. Gozo feels as though it is 20 years behind Malta regarding the rat race but you needn't put up with old fashioned accommodation. We stayed eventually at Ulysses apart-hotel which is a veritable oasis in a guesthouse desert and quite inexpensive.
Gozo is predominately all shore diving but has some excellent sites whether deep or shallow, cave or wreck. Gozo has three wrecks placed almost side by side in 40metres or so depth. All are easily accessible from the shore, the wrecks (Cowella, Xlendi & Cominoland) are reached by jumping from the shore and following compass bearings read from the information plaque in the adjacent car park. Cowella and Cominoland are upright and interesting to all divers capable of diving to 30metres plus with penetration opportunities for those inclined. The Xlendi turned turtle as she sunk so offers her rump to the casual observer but scope for advanced exploration if you are up for excitement. Gozo has some well stocked dive centres and all things recreational or technical is available. I dived on my Pelagian CCR with my buddy Iona using a twin-set hired from Moby Dive, because of our extra gas reserves we managed a dive that covered a tour of 2 of the wrecks on a dive lasting 80 minutes. Gozo dive centres will either guide you around any dive site for seemingly little money but if you want some self directed exploration then all have no problem hiring you kit and pointing you in the right direction.
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Malta and Gozo
are of course islands and therefore prone to the prevailing winds. Luckily the
islands are of a size that their are always dive sites available on the lee
coast. In Gozo, the lee coast is never more than 20mins away. Malta is the
larger island so you can expect slightly longer travel times but of course
more choice. Gozo and Malta both offer caverns and caves and 'inland seas' and
both have fantastic wrecks that can be reached from shore.
Gozo has deeper water (70metres+) that is easy to reach from the land and plenty
of easy-to-reach caverns and caves but Malta is surrounded by wrecks from WW2
that are easier to reach from here than Gozo (although there is not much in it).
There are plenty of shallow wrecks for all tastes, but i was most interested by
the likes of HMS Stubborn (submarine in 60m) and the other dozen or so in
technical dive depths. Such names as HMS Russell, SS Polynesian, HMS Southwold
and the S31 Schnellboot will moisten the lips of any tech diving looking for
something out of the ordinary.
Check this map for other wrecks
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Gozo and Malta have masses of excellent shore and wreck diving all just 2-3 hours from Gatwick and all generally in Red Sea conditions.
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I dived with
Moby Dive
in Xlendi, Gozo |
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copyright Mark Ellyatt
email: mark@inspired-training
copyright: Mark Ellyatt 1999-2007
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