We’ll let you in on a little secret: the more time you spend around tech divers and learn about tech diving, the longer the list of destinations to dive grows. Some take days to get to, while others are just around the corner. Of course, all of this depends on where you come from. In any case, here are our top ten reasons why Gozo and Malta should be on your list of tech diving destinations.
There are far more than ten reasons for tech diving in Gozo and Malta, so feel free to use this list and start your own. So, here we go in no particular order:
Reason 1: Gozo’s House Wrecks
Right off the coast of Gozo, you have access to four shipwrecks. The MVs Xlendi, Karwela, and Cominoland were sunk between 1999 and 2006. Since then, they have become arguably Gozo’s top dive attractions for wreck fans.
The MV Karwela is a particular favorite with its iconic stairways, but this wreck has a small but outstanding engine room, too. The MT Hephaestus is the most recently sunk Gozo house wreck and has been underwater less than two years. If you dived in 2022, you could be forgiven for thinking the ship looked out of place underwater. By now, it’s attracted plenty of marine life, including pretty territorial reef fish.
No list of house wrecks in Malta and Gozo would be complete without a mention of the Um el Faroud wreck in Malta. A tragic accident led to the ship being damaged beyond repair. A few years later, it became a diver’s paradise off Malta’s south coast.
Reason 2: Plenty of Flights
Getting to Malta and Gozo is easy with plenty of flights arriving in Malta daily from all corners of Europe and beyond. Getting from Malta to Gozo is easy, too. You can choose the fast ferry from Valletta to Gozo harbour or make life even easier by opting for a private door-to-door transfer.
And if you don’t mind driving on the left side of the road, a rental car is perhaps the most flexible option there is. Would you like to know more about traveling to Gozo? Just drop us a line.
Reason 3: A Long Season
I’m going to say that Gozo is divable year-round. However, the conditions differ between the main diving seasons and the shoulder seasons.
During the winter months, winds can be high and days can be rainy, limiting your choice of dive sites. You may even have the odd day where exploring above the surface makes more sense than diving. The upside of winter diving? Having dive sites to yourself and watching the underwater world change with the seasons.
Tech diving in Gozo is perhaps at its best during the shoulder seasons. Crowds are smaller, the outside temperature is not too hot, making gearing up easy. The weather is calmer than it is during winter, giving us more choice of dive sites, too!
Reason 4: The ‘Heritage Wrecks’
The so-called heritage wrecks have that name because they are under the care of conservation organisation Heritage Malta.
These wrecks are largely war graves from WWI and WWII, and there are a few restrictions for diving them. First of all, they can only be accessed by boat. Second, you need a permit from Heritage Malta. Third, there are a few rules to follow, including not penetrating the wrecks.
While that may sound difficult, it doesnt have to be with a little forward planning. And the dives are definitely worth it, as you can see from the videos below.
Reason 5: Outstanding Topography Above and Below the Water
Gozo and Malta have some spectacular topography above and below the water. That means this is far more than a wreck diving destination. Pinnacles, arches, tunnels, and the remains of the collapsed Azure Window in Gozo all make for outstanding dive sites like Double Arch.
Plus, remember if you join us for technical dives, you’ll have a day or so to explore at the end of your stay, and the landscape is just as stunning above water. Feel free to ask us for suggestions, but here are some of our favourites:
- The cliffs around Xlendi and Sanap
- The Saltpans in Xwejni and the arch at Wied al-Ghasri
- Dwejra Bay
Go check them out!
Reason 6: Great Training Areas
When you come for a diving course, what you can see underwater almost doesn’t matter.
Instead, what you need is easy access to great training sites that offer the depths and conditions you need for the training you want to do. Gozo is great at that for several reasons:
- We have plenty of shore diving which makes planning a training day easier. Within reason, we can get in the water when we’re ready rather than having to adhere to a boat schedule.
- Many of the training sites have shallow areas of rock or sand that are ideal for confined water trainng. They also make it easy to keep a small group together while training in real world conditions.
- Gozo entries over uneven rocks can be tricky, but several of our training sites offer sheltered access, well-placed ladders, and basic facilities.
All of those and more make this a great island for technical diving training at any depth.
Reason 7: Easy Access to Different Depths
Reason 8: Great Choice of Dive Sites After Your Training
Technical diving training is important, but gaining experience after your course and keeping up your skills is just as critical.
Luckily, Gozo and Malta offer more than just training sites for courses. The islands also leave us plenty to explore during guided experience dives.
Don’t take our word for it – just check out the two videos below to see just how much you can pack into a week in Gozo and Malta.
Reason 9: Windy Day? Dive the Other Side
When we were based in Indonesia, looking at moon phases and tides was critical. Here, we are looking at the wind forecast.
Wind from the north makes it hard or impossible to dive in the north because of waves and entry and exit security. But there is always the south to dive when this happens and vice versa.
Gozo is small enough that we have the luxury of checking out a dive site in person and then make a decision whether it’s safe to dive or safer to change location. And driving from one side of the island to another takes between ten and 20 minutes.
Reason 10: Support for Open Circuit and Rebreather Diving
Malta and Gozo have become fully-fledged technical diving destinations. That means there is a lot of support for both open circuit and rebreather diving, starting with gases and sofnolime, plenty of storage for your equipment when you’re here and easy access to spare parts for almost any brand.
At Dark Horizon Diving, all of our Gozo-based courses are run out of Gozo Technical Diving, a well-established, well-equipped and spacious dive centre in Xewkija in Gozo. The team just recently introduced a Nardi Trimix Blender, making custom gases even easier to blend for all of our guests. Plus, you’ll never be stuck for anyone to talk to about tech diving and related topics.
Are you ready to discover Gozo and Malta (tech) diving for yourself? We’re always happy to talk about reasons to come here and build you a diving package that’s just right for you. Get in touch!