Over het Centrum
SCUBA MALTA, located in St. Julians, Malta (MLT), is an SSI-certified dive center dedicated to providing exceptional underwater experiences. The center offers a comprehensive range of courses, including Advanced Open Water, Instructor Development Course, and specialized training such as Wreck Diver, catering to those looking to advance their diving skills and explore Malta's rich underwater heritage.
The facilities at SCUBA MALTA are designed to enhance the diving experience, featuring accommodation, a dedicated classroom, equipment rental, and nitrox air fills. For convenient exploration, the center provides shore diving access and guided dives, complemented by airport transfer services. These amenities ensure a seamless and accessible diving adventure for all.
SCUBA MALTA invites diving enthusiasts to discover the magic of the Mediterranean Sea. With a commitment to professional instruction and top-notch equipment, the center promises a safe and exhilarating journey beneath the waves. Whether beginners taking their first breath underwater or experienced divers eager to explore sunken wrecks, SCUBA MALTA is the premier destination for an unforgettable diving expedition.
Beschikbare Cursussen
10 cursosOpen Water Diver
The Open Water Diver course at Scuba Malta runs 2–3 days and includes 6 dives, certifying you as an autonomous diver to 18 m — the standard recreational qualification recognised at dive centres around the world. This is where most people start their diving life, and Malta is a particularly strong place to do it: visibility is exceptional, conditions are generally stable, and the variety of dive sites near St. Julian's means your certification dives aren't generic. The programme combines digital theory with confined water practice in a pool before moving to open-water dives. The confined water sessions let you nail buoyancy, mask clearing, regulator recovery, and the other fundamentals before you're dealing with the open sea. By the time you're doing your first open-water dives, the skills are already there. Scuba Malta's instructors have logged over 5,000 hours in Maltese waters between them. They know the sites around St. Julian's in detail — which spots suit which conditions, where to see what. For someone doing their certification dives, that local knowledge means the dives aren't just tick-box exercises; they're actual dives worth doing. Courses are taught in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and German. All equipment is included. The PADI version carries a 50 € supplement over the 550 € SSI price. Once certified, you can continue directly into the Advanced Open Water or any of the specialty courses on offer.
Advanced Open Water
The Advanced Open Water at Scuba Malta runs 2 days and covers 5 adventure dives, pushing your maximum depth to 30 m. It's the natural next step after Open Water and gives you the depth clearance to access most of Malta's better wreck diving — including the upper sections of Um el Faroud and the P29 patrol boat at Cirkewwa, both of which sit in the 18–36 m range. The 5 dives aren't generic skill exercises — they're structured around actual dive sites near St. Julian's, in water with the visibility Malta is known for. The course builds on what you already know and pushes your comfort with deeper profiles, navigation, and more varied environments. Scuba Malta's instructor team brings over 5,000 hours of time in Maltese waters to the table. At this level, that local knowledge matters more than it does in beginner training — knowing how a specific wreck or wall behaves at depth, how the current runs, where the interesting marine life sits, is the difference between a competent guided dive and one that actually teaches you something. Groups are kept small throughout. Instruction is available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and German. Equipment is included. The PADI version carries a 50 € supplement over the listed 395 € price.
SSI Scuba Diver
The Scuba Diver course is the entry point at Scuba Malta — a one-day programme that ends with 3 dives and a certification allowing you to dive with a professional to 12 m. It's built for people who want a real first certification without the full Open Water commitment, and it's enough to get you into the water at any dive centre worldwide as long as you're diving with a pro. Theory is delivered digitally before you get in the water, so the day itself focuses on practice. You start in confined water — a pool or sheltered spot — working through the fundamental skills before moving to open water for the actual dives. The instructors at Portomaso Marina have over 5,000 hours in Maltese waters, so by the time you're in open water you'll have someone next to you who knows exactly what to expect from the conditions. The 3 open-water dives take place near the St. Julian's base, in some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean. Malta's visibility is one of its real selling points — you're not learning to dive in murky conditions. Groups are kept small, which means the instructor ratio is genuinely attentive rather than just adequate. Instruction runs in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and German. Equipment is included. The PADI version of this course carries a 50 € supplement over the listed 330 € price.
SSI/PADI Rescue Diver
Rescue Diver is a substantial step up — it's the course that shifts your focus from your own dive to the diver next to you. At Scuba Malta the programme covers prevention and management of emergency situations underwater, both in confined practice and in real open-water scenarios near St. Julian's. Malta's varied dive sites make it a practical setting for this kind of training. The course uses realistic scenarios, not just pool drills, which means you're working through the techniques in actual sea conditions. The instructor team, with over 5,000 hours in Maltese waters, knows how to set up scenarios that feel genuine without being reckless. The Rescue Diver certification is widely regarded as one of the most valuable courses in recreational diving — it changes how you think about every dive, not just emergencies. It's also a prerequisite for the Divemaster programme, which Scuba Malta offers at 900 €. Available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and German. Equipment included. The PADI version carries a 50 € supplement over the 595 € price.
Divemaster SSI/PADI
The Divemaster programme at Scuba Malta trains you to work as a dive guide and become part of a dive centre team. It's available in course format or as an internship with assistance on Open Water and Advanced courses — the internship route being the more practical option if you want real experience guiding divers in Maltese waters. Scuba Malta's base in St. Julian's gives Divemaster candidates meaningful exposure to a real operational dive centre. The instructor team has over 5,000 hours logged in Malta, so working alongside them means learning the specific conditions, dive sites, and logistics of running dives here — not just the generic certification requirements. The Divemaster level certifies you to lead certified divers, supervise training, and assist instructors. It's the entry point into the professional side of diving, and from here the Instructor certification is the next step — which Scuba Malta also offers. Malta's year-round diving season and variety of sites — wrecks, caves, walls, and reefs across multiple depth ranges — gives Divemaster candidates a solid foundation in diverse conditions.
Ship Wrecks
Malta has some of the best wreck diving in the Mediterranean, and this specialty uses that directly. The Wreck specialty at Scuba Malta includes 2 wreck dives and covers basic penetration and exploration techniques — the foundations you need to start going inside ships rather than just swimming around them. The wrecks in Maltese waters are mostly intentionally sunk and well-maintained. Sites like MV Karwela (12–35 m, Gozo), the P29 patrol boat (18–36 m, Cirkewwa), and Um el Faroud (18–36 m) offer different challenges at different depths. The specialty dives are selected to match the course level, building penetration comfort in a controlled way before moving to more complex routes. With over 5,000 hours in Maltese waters, the instructor team knows these wrecks in detail — the entry points, the internal layout, how visibility behaves inside. That's the kind of local knowledge that makes wreck training here particularly good. The PADI version carries a 50 € supplement over the 330 € price. Equipment included.
Deep Diving
The Deep Diving specialty extends your recreational limit to 40 m and includes 3 deep dives. In Malta, that depth opens up the lower sections of wrecks like Um el Faroud (to 36 m) and Lantern Point on Comino (to 50 m) — sites where the full dive profile isn't accessible without this certification. The course covers dive planning for depth, narcosis awareness, gas management at depth, and the physiological factors that change below 30 m. The 3 dives are structured progressively, building depth incrementally rather than dropping you straight to 40 m on the first dive. Scuba Malta's dive sites provide good deep dive options: the P29 patrol boat's vertical silhouette at 18–36 m, and Lantern Point's open wall descending past 40 m with strong visibility and pelagic fish, are the kind of dives this specialty is built for. The PADI version carries a 50 € supplement over the 330 € price. Equipment included.
Nitrox
The Nitrox specialty at Scuba Malta is a theoretical course covering enriched air diving — how to analyse a nitrox mix, plan no-decompression limits with higher oxygen fractions, and manage oxygen exposure. A dive option is included in addition to the theory. Nitrox is particularly useful on Malta's wreck dives, where extended bottom time at 20–30 m is common. The extended no-decompression limits that nitrox provides mean you spend more time on the wreck itself rather than cutting dives short to manage nitrogen. At 220 € this is one of the more accessible specialties in Scuba Malta's catalogue, and it's directly applicable to most of the guided dive sites on offer. The PADI version carries a 50 € supplement.
Night Diving
The Night Diving specialty runs 2 night dives with flashlight use and underwater navigation techniques. Malta's underwater environment at night is noticeably different from daytime — octopus, moray eels, and crustaceans that stay hidden during the day come out after dark, and the experience of navigating by torch through a familiar dive site changes how you read underwater terrain. Sites like HMS Maori in Marsamxett Harbour and the shallower sections of the reef dives near St. Julian's work well for night diving training: well-known structures that can be navigated with a torch without the added complexity of unfamiliar layouts. The course covers pre-dive planning for night conditions, light signal communication, and returning to the entry/exit point. Two guided night dives in real Maltese conditions, with the centre's team who knows these sites at all hours. The PADI version carries a 50 € supplement over the 330 € price. Equipment included.
Underwater Navigation
The underwater photography specialty includes 2 dives focused on photo and video technique. Malta has strong visual dive sites — the HMS Maori with its bream, wrasse, octopus, and nudibranchs at 14–18 m, the P29 patrol boat's clean vertical silhouette at depth, and the light plays through Santa Maria Caves — all of which reward a photographer who knows how to work in the water. The course covers camera settings for underwater conditions, buoyancy control specific to photography (staying still while managing your position), lighting approach, and composition. Two dives gives enough time to run through technique and then actually apply it on a proper dive site. Good buoyancy is a prerequisite in practice — the photography course builds on it rather than teaching it from scratch. The Perfect Buoyancy specialty (240 €) is available separately if needed first. The PADI version carries a 50 € supplement over the 240 € price. Equipment included.
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Frequently asked
What people ask before booking
Scuba Malta runs official SSI (Scuba Schools International) and PADI courses. Both are internationally recognised, and the certification you earn is valid at dive centres worldwide. PADI courses carry a 50 € supplement over the listed SSI prices.
Instruction is available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and German.
Try dive sessions are capped at 4 divers. Snorkelling groups run a maximum of 8 people. The centre emphasises small groups across all activities.
Yes — all courses include complete diving equipment, which is regularly inspected and maintained, as well as insurance during training.
Yes. The Try Dive (90 €, 2–3 hours) and Scuba Diver/Open Water courses are designed for people with zero prior experience. No prior certification is needed for the introductory activities.
The St. Julian's centre is at Portomaso Marina, Level -5 — a modern marina with direct sea access, close to Sliema, Spinola, and Paceville. A second location in St. Paul's Bay is listed as opening soon.
SSI Scuba Diver starts at 330 €, Open Water at 550 €, Advanced Open Water at 395 €, Rescue Diver at 595 €, Divemaster at 900 €. Specialties range from 220 € (Nitrox) to 395 € (Rescue, Decompression Diving, Advanced Wreck). PADI versions carry a 50 € supplement.
Yes — the snorkelling experience (70 € per person, 1.5 hours) is specifically designed to work alongside diving trips, so families or mixed groups can participate at the same time from the same boat.