Azul Diving Madeira | SSI and PADI dive center in Funchal
Hotel Penha França Mar, R. Carvalho Araújo, São Martinho, 9000-022 Funchal, Portugal, Funchal, PRT
Over het Centrum
Azul Diving Madeira is een 5-sterren PADI- en SSI-duikcentrum in Funchal, Portugal. Met een sterke toewijding aan uitmuntendheid en flexibiliteit geven ze prioriteit aan de ervaring van elke gast, of het nu gaat om duiken op de beste duiklocaties van Madeira of het ondernemen van spannende walvis- en dolfijnenexcursies. Ze bieden een uitgebreid scala aan PADI- en SSI-certificeringscursussen, waaronder een instructeursontwikkelingscursus, snorkelen, bootduiken en wrakduiker, allemaal gegeven door ervaren en gecertificeerde instructeurs.
Het centrum beschikt over verschillende faciliteiten om het duikcomfort te garanderen, waaronder kluisjes, een bar, accommodatie, verhuur van uitrusting, een duikwinkel en luchtvullingen (inclusief nitrox). Ze faciliteren ook bootduiken en begeleide duiken, met extra diensten zoals luchthaventransfers. Veiligheid is een topprioriteit, gekoppeld aan een sterke nadruk op plezier en ecologische duurzaamheid, waarbij ze zichzelf beschouwen als ambassadeurs voor de oceanen.
Azul Diving Madeira is trots op haar vloot boten en haar toewijding om onvergetelijke duikervaringen te bieden. Voor gecertificeerde duikers bieden ze dagelijkse uitstapjes aan naar het Garajau-zeereservaat en het beroemde wrak van Afonso Cerqueira, met een garantie van 50 bar resterende lucht of 60 minuten bodemtijd (computer mogelijk). Bovendien kunnen deelnemers tijdens hun walvis- en dolfijnenexcursies het rijke zeeleven van Madeira ontdekken, waaronder potvissen, tuimelaars en gewone dolfijnen.
Met twee locaties op Madeira, in Funchal en Ponta de São Lourenço, Azul DivingMadeira is gemakkelijk bereikbaar. Het centrum spreekt meerdere talen, waaronder Spaans, Engels, Frans, Duits, Italiaans en Portugees, waardoor de communicatie met een internationale klantenkring soepel verloopt. Hun toewijding aan 5-sterren service omvat onder meer het omgaan met alle duikuitrusting van aankomst tot vertrek, waardoor een meer ontspannen en plezierige duikervaring mogelijk wordt.
Beschikbare Cursussen
2 cursosOpen Water Diver PADI/SSI
The Open Water course at Azul Diving runs over three days and follows the PADI curriculum, with eLearning or the latest PADI materials used for the theory component. The Funchal base handles the classroom and pool work, with ocean dives into the Garajau Marine Reserve area — a protected zone that puts certified fish and varied terrain in front of students from their very first real dives. Pool sessions come before each open-water dive, so skills are practiced in a controlled environment before being applied in the sea. The approach is methodical: instructors walk through what will happen on each dive and why, which reviewers note significantly reduces anxiety for nervous beginners. Maria is one of the named Open Water instructors at the centre. The PADI 5 Star rating means the centre operates to the top tier of PADI's quality standards, and instruction is available in English, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and German, so language barriers are rarely an issue for visiting divers. Completing the course certifies you to dive independently with a buddy to 18 metres worldwide. Azul Diving's location in Funchal means the qualifying dives happen in genuinely interesting water — the same marine reserve where the 2022 European Open Championship of Underwater Photography was held — rather than in a sheltered bay with nothing to look at.
Try Scuba Experience
The Try Scuba at Azul Diving starts in the classroom at the Funchal centre with a theory briefing before anyone touches the water. From there the group moves to the pool for a session with the actual equipment — regulators, BCDs, masks — to get comfortable breathing underwater and handling the kit before the pressure of an open-water environment. Once the pool work is done, the instructor takes participants out to the ocean for a real dive. The target depth is a maximum of 12 metres, and the dive runs roughly 45 to 50 minutes. The Funchal location means the ocean dive takes place close to the Garajau Marine Reserve area, with the resident marine life that comes with a protected zone — groupers, octopus, and whatever the Atlantic brings in that day. Everything you need is included: complete scuba equipment, the pool time, the briefing, and the ocean dive itself. At the end, participants receive a Certificate of Recognition, which is the standard document that allows you to continue with a full certification course later if you decide to take it further. Minimum age is 12. You need to be able to swim. The experience is not suitable for pregnant travellers or people with heart, respiratory, circulatory, or psychological conditions, or those taking prescription medication. You also need to avoid flying within 12 hours of the dive. Public transport serves the Funchal location, which makes logistics straightforward if you're staying in the city centre.
Services
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Recommended dive sites
The spots this centre offers its students
Galerij(11)
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Frequently asked
What people ask before booking
From Funchal: the Garajau Marine Reserve and the Afonso Cerqueira wreck. From the Ponta de São Lourenço base at Quinta do Lorde Marina: the Ponta de São Lourenço Protected Area. Two-dive trips and single-dive slots run Monday through Saturday depending on the day and departure point.
12 years old. The programme includes a theory briefing, a pool session, and an ocean dive to a maximum depth of 12 metres lasting around 45-50 minutes. Full equipment is provided.
Three days, based on how the course is described in guest reviews. It includes pool sessions for skills practice before moving to open-water dives.
English, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and German.
The centre guarantees either 50 bars remaining in the tank or a full 60 minutes of bottom time — whichever comes first. Gear is set up and handled by staff from arrival to departure.
Yes, particularly at Ponta de São Lourenço. The Mediterranean monk seal — fewer than 25 individuals estimated around Madeira and the Desertas Islands — has been spotted at both locations. It's not scheduled, but the centre documents encounters regularly.
Yes, through their partner Blue Safari Madeira. Tours depart from Funchal Marina and target sperm whales, pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, and common dolphins. A marine biologist is on board and sightings are guaranteed.
Funchal: Penha de França Mar, Rua Carvalho Araújo 1, 9000-022 Funchal. Ponta de São Lourenço: Quinta do Lorde Resort, Hotel & Marina, Quinta do Lorde, 9200-044 Machico.
How to get there
Hotel Penha França Mar, R. Carvalho Araújo, São Martinho, 9000-022 Funchal, Portugal, Funchal, PRT