Deep Blue Azores
Porto das Pipas, 9700-154 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal, Angra do Heroísmo, Angra do Heroísmo, PRT
About the Center
Deep Blue Azores, located in Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal, is a diving center established in January 2017 by Nuno Oliveira and António Silva. Affiliated with SSI and TDI, this center offers a comprehensive range of activities and courses for divers of all levels. From Instructor Development Courses, Snorkeling, and Boat Diving to the specialized Wreck Diver course, Deep Blue Azores is equipped to meet every diver's needs, fostering a passion for the ocean.
The center's facilities include showers, lockers, a bar, accommodation for guests, equipment rental, a dive shop, air fills (including nitrox), and options for both boat and shore diving. Additionally, they provide guided dives to explore the best dive spots in the Azores, such as the Lidador shipwreck and Split Rock Coral Valley. With a strong commitment to the client experience, Deep Blue Azores also offers airport transfer services.
Founded by Nuno and António, two enthusiasts with saltwater in their veins and a deep pride in their Azorean heritage, Deep Blue Azores was created to share their passion and love for the ocean. Their dedication is evident in the excellent service and personalized attention they provide, as echoed by testimonials describing their dives as "one of the best dives" and "Outstanding experience." The center is dedicated to creating unforgettable memories beneath the waves.
Deep Blue Azores prioritizes safety and enjoyment, ensuring every diver has an enriching and secure experience. The professional and passionate team is committed to showcasing the hidden beauty of the Azores, offering immersive dive trips that reveal the true side of this archipelago. Whether you are an experienced diver or new to the sport, Deep Blue Azores is the ideal destination to explore the underwater wonders.
Available Courses
6 cursosSSI Open Water Diver
The Open Water course at DEEP BLUE puts you in the water around Terceira island, one of the Azores' most dive-rich environments. The center's site list of 24+ spots means the practical dives aren't done in a generic bay — Terceira has wrecks, canyons, coral valleys, and volcanic formations within boat range. Nuno and António founded this center in 2017 with a hands-on approach, and the Open Water program reflects that. Instruction runs under the SSI framework, with the full certification pathway available on-site, from this entry-level course through to Divemaster if you decide to keep going. The Azores sits in the Atlantic, which means conditions here are more variable than a Mediterranean resort pool — the Open Water experience at DEEP BLUE is real-ocean diving from the start. Past guests have noted that young and first-time divers were well looked after, with patient instruction and small-group attention. The 500€ rate covers the course itself. Gear is not automatically included in the center's standard dive rates, so confirm what the course package covers when booking.
SSI Advanced Open Water Diver
The Advanced course at DEEP BLUE runs at 500€ and builds directly on the Open Water foundation. On Terceira, that progression means access to a wider range of the center's 24+ dive sites — the advanced-rated 5 Ribeiras gruta, the deeper offshore areas, and more technical terrain like the Ilhéu das cabras canyon. Certification follows the SSI system, consistent with DEEP BLUE's overall training structure. The Azores environment pushes divers to develop real buoyancy and navigation skills — not something you can shortcut when you're diving Atlantic volcanic topography with genuine depth variation. The center's founders bring years of local diving knowledge to this course. Knowing which sites work for which skill level, and how Azorean conditions behave across seasons, is knowledge that doesn't come from a manual. That local context shapes how the Advanced dives are structured here. For certified divers looking to extend their range without jumping straight to specialties, this course opens up the deeper and more technically demanding sites in the DEEP BLUE rotation.
SSI Specialties
SSI Specialty courses at DEEP BLUE start from 150€ per person, with specialty plans (multi-specialty packages) from 350€. The specific specialties available aren't listed on the website, but the dive site inventory gives a clear picture of what the local environment supports: wreck diving on the Lidador, cavern environments at Ilhéu das cabras, offshore diving at Banco D. João de Castro, and coral formations at sites like Coral Valley. Third-party island excursions — to São Jorge, Pico, and Graciosa — expand the specialty dive geography further. Each island has its own character and underwater terrain, which opens up the possibility of combining a specialty course with an inter-island trip. All specialty instruction runs under SSI certification. The 150€ entry point covers individual specialty courses; the 350€+ plan pricing suggests DEEP BLUE offers structured multi-specialty paths for divers who want to build a broader certification portfolio during a longer stay. Contact the center directly to confirm which specialties are currently offered and which sites are used for each.
SSI Dive Guide
The SSI Dive Guide course at DEEP BLUE runs at 600€ and represents the first step into professional-level guiding under the SSI framework. At a center with 24+ charted dive sites across Terceira and regular excursions to neighboring Azorean islands, the local knowledge component of this training is substantial. Nuno and António have been running DEEP BLUE since 2017, and the Dive Guide course benefits from their accumulated experience navigating the specific conditions, tidal patterns, and site access points around Terceira. Learning to guide in the Azores — Atlantic swells, volcanic terrain, variable visibility — is a more demanding environment than many calmer Mediterranean or tropical sites. The SSI Dive Guide certification is recognized internationally and slots into the broader SSI professional pathway. For divers already holding Advanced certification and looking to turn Azorean diving into a career or extended professional experience, this course is the practical next step before the Divemaster level. Prerequisites and scheduling should be confirmed directly with the center.
Divemaster Pro
The Divemaster program at DEEP BLUE runs at 800€ — the top of the center's professional training ladder. Founded in 2017 by two experienced local divers, DEEP BLUE brings a working center context to this course: real dive operations, real guests, and a site list that spans wrecks, canyons, caverns, and offshore seamounts. Training here means working alongside Nuno and António in an active operation. Terceira's dive environment is varied enough that a Divemaster candidate gets exposure to genuinely different dive types — shallow coastal sites, the deeper Banco D. João de Castro offshore trips, and the inter-island excursions to São Jorge, Pico, and Graciosa. SSI Divemaster is a globally recognized professional rating. Completing it at a center that operates year-round on an Atlantic archipelago, rather than a seasonal resort, gives the certification real-world depth. Candidates get to observe and assist across the full range of DEEP BLUE's activities, from try-dive supervision to guiding certified groups on more demanding sites. Contact DEEP BLUE directly to discuss scheduling, prerequisites, and what the program covers in terms of logged dives and supervised activities.
Discover Scuba Diving
The Discover Scuba Diving experience at DEEP BLUE costs 120€ per person and is the center's entry point for non-certified visitors who want to try breathing underwater. The center operates out of Porto Pipas on Terceira, so the try-dive environment is Atlantic Azorean water — not a swimming pool or sheltered lagoon. Nuno and António built DEEP BLUE with a clear eye on making the experience accessible without dumbing it down. Testimonials from previous visitors specifically mention positive experiences for teenagers and first-timers, with instructors described as patient and attentive in the water. The Discover Scuba session is run under SSI, which means the structure and safety protocols are standardized. It's a single supervised dive rather than a multi-day commitment, and the 120€ rate is all-in for the experience. Whether gear rental is included should be confirmed at booking — standard dive rates at the center are listed as gear-excluded. For anyone traveling to the Azores and curious about what's under the water, this is a direct way to find out with two founders who know these sites intimately.
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Frequently asked
What people ask before booking
Gear is not included in the standard 55€ dive rate — the listing specifies 'no gear included', so you'll need to rent or bring your own. Contact them directly to confirm rental availability and pricing.
A minimum of 4 people is required for the offshore João de Castro trips. The rate drops from 275€ to 250€ per person for groups of 10 or more.
They work with SSI and IDEA. Courses range from Open Water and Advanced Open Water (500€ each) through SSI Specialties and all the way up to Divemaster (800€).
Yes — they run Discover Scuba try dives at 120€, and past guests have specifically mentioned positive experiences with young teenage divers. Instructors are described as patient and friendly.
Every day of the week, Monday through Sunday, from 08:00 to 19:00. The center is at Porto Pipas, 9700-154 Angra do Heroísmo, Azores.
Yes. They offer boat excursions to São Jorge (multiple departure points, 80€–150€), Pico (Sao Roque, 150€), and Graciosa (90€), all with minimum group requirements.
The center also runs snorkeling trips (50€), a Split Rock boat tour (50€), and has partnerships for whale watching, swimming with dolphins, and fishing tours.
Porto das Pipas, 9700-154 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal, Angra do Heroísmo, Angra do Heroísmo, PRT