Boat dives off Plakias, south Crete

Some of the best diving on the south coast of Crete has no path down to it. The deeper walls, the caves and the stretches of reef between the bays can only be reached from the water. Our boat dives take certified divers there: one or two guided dives, with at most six guests on the boat, all equipment included, and the sites chosen on the morning for the conditions rather than printed on a schedule weeks in advance.

How a boat dive works with us

A boat dive here is a small, unhurried thing. This is the usual shape of the morning.

1. Message us first. Tell us your certification, roughly how many dives you have done and when you last dived. That tells us which sites and profiles make sense.
2. Meet at the centre in Plakias. We check your paperwork, fit your equipment and talk through the plan.
3. Out on the boat. With six guests at most, there is room to kit up without queueing and time for a proper briefing.
4. The dive. Guided, at a relaxed pace, following a plan built around the group rather than the fastest diver.
5. A second dive, if you booked two. A surface interval on the boat, then a second site.
6. Back to the centre with the rest of the day free.

Why a small boat matters

Our boat carries six guests at most, and that is deliberate. It means the dive can be adjusted to the people on board: a shallower second dive for someone who is tired, a longer look at the cave for someone who has been waiting to see it, or a site change when the wind shifts. On a bigger boat, the schedule decides. On ours, the group does.

It also means your guide can actually watch you. Giannis has over ten years of diving experience, is the name guests mention most in their reviews, and speaks Greek, English and German.

Where the boat goes

Which sites we dive depends on the wind on the day, and on who is on the boat. These are the sites we know best, two of which can be reached by boat.

The old harbour of Damnoni

From the boat, Damnoni's deeper side comes into its own: steep declines, caves and underwater gorges beyond the gentle slope that we use for training.

Peristerovolakas

A reef near Souda, on the western side of Plakias bay: an extended shallow reef that slopes into deeper blue. A good second dive after a deeper first one.

Along the coast

Between and beyond the named sites, the boat gives access to walls and stretches of reef that nobody walks to. The south coast faces away from the prevailing wind that hits the north of the island, so the water is usually calm, and visibility often runs past thirty metres.

You can read more about each site on our dive sites page.

Shore dives or boat dives?

Most of our diving is from the shore, because here many of the good sites are reachable on foot. So why choose the boat?

• Choose shore dives if you want a relaxed, flexible dive close to the centre, or if you are getting back into diving after a break.
• Choose boat dives if you want the deeper walls and caves, fewer people in the water, and a morning on the sea as well as under it.

Both are guided, both include all equipment, and you can mix them across a week. Our page on diving for certified divers covers the shore dives in more detail.

Who can join

Boat dives are for certified divers, from any recognised agency. SSI and PADI are both welcome, and a PADI card works with us exactly like an SSI one.

• Not certified yet? Start with a try dive, or take the SSI Open Water Diver course.
• Certified but out of practice? A guided refresher in shallow water first makes the boat dive far more enjoyable.
• Want to go deeper? The SSI Advanced Adventurer course includes a boat adventure dive and a deep dive.

Bringing people who do not dive

If someone in your group does not dive, the boat dive is not the best fit for them. The full-day boat trip is: about eight hours on the water for two to six guests, with lunch on board, where divers, first-timers and snorkellers share the boat.

Coming from further along the coast

Our centre is in Plakias, and most boat divers are staying nearby. Guests in Lefkogia and near Preveli have the eastern sites close by. Guests in Agia Galini or Rethymno often book two dives, so the drive to Plakias pays off with a full morning in the water. Tell us where you are staying and we will set the meeting time.

Planning your dives

• Bring your certification card or have your digital card ready, and your logbook if you have one.
• Plan around flights. Leave a gap between your last dive and your flight home.
• Message early in summer. With six places on the boat, space is limited.

Message us on WhatsApp with your certification and your dates, and we will suggest the right dives for you.