Diving in Italy

its sort of been asked... Who are the best operators in Italy? IS the diving better in the north or south? I'm dying to go back to Italy and really see the whole country (would be going for at least a month this time) - and now that I am a diver, I'd like to see underwater as well!

Any suggestions?

Dear friend, I'm Italian, I can give you my idea. I'm not in the business but I manage a small italian portal with 600 buddies so I can give you information almost from everywhere in Italy.

In my opinion the best part is the south, the Island as Pantelleria, Lampedusa or Ustica. Also Sardinia is cool and bigger so you can have also better life and cheaper.
The Adriatic cost (the east one) is not very nice, except from the south.
The west side is quite good everywhere. It depends on what you can spend and what you prefer.

If I had 1500 Euro of budget I'd do this.
Arrival in MIlan, rent a car and go down to Liguria. You can visit is and have very incredible dives (Haven boat and other wrecks, walls in Portofino). Every dive costs about 30 Euro. Then I'd take the boat and go to Sardinia for another week in Maddalena, in the north of the island.
15 days are not so much but you'll enjoy a good trip.
If you want more info, you can send me and e-mail, because I don't connect too much often here.

ciao, let me know if and where you come.
Marco

I AM FROM NORTH JERSEY, AND LIVE IN SICILY THE ISLAND ON THE TIP OF THE BOOT OF ITALY. IT HAS IT'S SHARE OF GREAT DIVES, FROM WWII PLANES AND GREEK RUINS AND WRECKS. BY FAR THE BEST DIVING IS ON THE WESTERN PART OF THE ISLAND (POLERMO), AND JUST NORTH OF THAT IS USTICA--A GREAT DIVE. THE WATER STILL REMAINS PRETTY CHILLY SO A 5MIL SUIT IS RECOMMENDED. I LIVE ON THE EAST OF THE ISLAND , BY CATANIA, AND THERE ARE DIVES ABOUT EVERYWHERE. I RECOMMEND A DEEP DIVE QUAL, BECAUSE MOST OF THE REALLY COOL STUFF IS DOWN THERE. HOPE I HELPED, A LITTLE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SICILY I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IDELFINI DIVE SHOP THIER SITE IS WWW.IDELFINICATANIA.IT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS EMAIL ME AT NATTCMARS<AT>HOTMAIL.COM

I agree with Marco. Probably Sardinia is the best bet, scuba diving wise. Northern and Eastern Sardinia in particular.
Have fun in Italy!

I agree with USNMARS. Sicily has diving everywhere, not just the east coast. The Aci towns, Taromina are pretty also for swimming. Lessons and diving with my pal Guiseppe and Sylvie at http://www.isoledeiciclopidiver.com/en/home.asp in Acitrezza is where it's at!

Do you dive deep??

Try this one out:
http://www.projectdive.de/Gallery/2002_Haven/2002_Haven.htm

The report includes the URL of the dive centre.

best
Chris
(Milan, IT)

Who the best are I don't know. But of the dive shops I used I can give you a rating
In the summer of 2003 i drove around Italy and did some occasional diving
These are my opinions based on my criteria which are probabaly not yours and I'm not very experienced so take it with a grain of salt.
I did one dive in the North of Sardinia, Diving Centre Porto Conte , dove with Sergio Carboni. Friendly guy, equipment seemed pretty well kept. Dive was ok. Just one dive but felt professional.

Did 6 dives in the east of Sardinia with Diving club Cala Gonone.
This was IMHO the best diving shop i have encountered so far. The dives were nice, but the shop was very professional. Good communication, briefing etc. Touch stuff and you get a slap on the hand. Very biological, i like that. Took plastic picture board with them to show. Good explanations. Slow dives, relaxed dives. Professional dives:
2 examples:
1: Did one wreck dive at 30 metres . Not allowed to go deco, but still they hang spare bottles and regulators from the boat. Just like the book.
2: They dive with snorkels. I don't. The other divemasters from Italy don't. This is from the book. Give good example. No macho stuff
Some dives there are in a book i've got named Diving in Sardinia It shows dives they do and pictures showing them. The dive shop is not named in the book. I noticed when I dove.
Good equipment.
They are def. a must IMO.

Did 2 dives in the south of Sardinia with Fralomar.
IMHO this was a Divemaster who sucked. First dive he swam so fast i could not keep up and was breathing faster then my stages could deliver. Had to tell myself stop, you are panicking and I let him go.
2nd dive (stupid me) I had 20 logged dives (rooky!) and took he me with deflated jacket, because of strong currents, to 39 metres and had my first deco dive. I find that somewhat irresponsible. Thank god I just bought a Stinger so i knew what was happening.

After that I did 4 dives in Elba with dive now!
I heard that the guy who runs the shop was away. The divemasters who took shop, were very young <25 and did not have the feeling they were very experienced.
The "divemasters" i dove with were very nice persons. But i hate it when divers touch stuff and they touched stuff and their vins were all over the ground and plants.
So they were so so to ok, but a bit unprofi biological speaking.
BTW divinig was ok. More fishes than Sardinia

After that a dive in 5 Terra. Dive wat best I had in Italy. Divemaster was a vey nice guy, but did Deco again and he was a bit too carefree IMO. Broken 2nd stage which I noticed with a deflated BCD dropped from a boat. Not cool! Rest of the dive with the Octo and deco in strong currents without backup or rope.

Have fun and give please give us feedback after your dives.
I want to know about the diveshops on Aeolic

Ronald

NJDiveGirl:

its sort of been asked... Who are the best operators in Italy? IS the diving better in the north or south? I'm dying to go back to Italy and really see the whole country (would be going for at least a month this time) - and now that I am a diver, I'd like to see underwater as well!

Any suggestions?

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