TRAVELSPECIAL
The Azure Alps
Tube worms on the Um el Faroud
Malta , Mediterranean Sea
Many European dive centres close over the ‘ off ’ season , but there ’ s something different about Malta . It is , after all , the beating heart of the Mediterranean scuba scene , with its cobalt-blue water , breathtaking underwater topography and crowd pleasing wrecks . As local photographer Pete Bullen observed in SCUBA ’ s June 2022 Travel Special , you can get there with regular flights from most British regional airports , there ’ s virtually no tide and the climate is steady . Underwater highlights include the world-famous Blue Hole and Azure Alps ( formerly the Azure Window ); the purpose-sunk wrecks of Gozo and Comino and of course the stately Um el Faroud wreck at Wied iz Zurrieq .
Why winter ?
Being winter in the Med , there ’ s certainly a risk that dives may be blown out . So , it does represent a bit of a gamble , but winter prices and lower crowds can make the risk worthwhile . We asked Pete Bullen for his evaluation , and he replied that there was “ nearly always ” somewhere to dive , though a strong southeasterly wind could blow out both islands . As for water temperatures , a drysuit will be your friend . Pete says it can get as low as 11 ° C , but recent years have seen an average of 13-15 ° C .
“ I used to recommend avoiding February , but the last three have been wonderful ,” Pete says . “ I dive year-round and the diving in March and April is usually excellent .” Keep an eye on the ever changing wind forecasts – the golden rule here is that if you find you have a site to yourself , it may be due to an imminent change in conditions .
Costs
Malta vies with Lanzarote as the low cost destination on this list ; it is especially good value for groups . Expect around £ 300 for the flights and same again for a week ’ s accommodation . BSAC has two
Centres of Excellence in Malta : Dive Deep Blue Ltd divedeepblue . com / and Maltaqua , maltaqua . com . Maltaqua is offering a winter special : accommodation for four nights ; six dives over three days ; road transport to and from the sites ; rental of tanks , weights , BCDs and regs and airport pickup / drop-off , all for € 350 per person , based on six sharing and two to a room . The deal applies until April , excluding 19 December to 20 January .
Redeemer statue at Qawra Point
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