Full-day private boat trip from Plakias

Most boat trips make a group choose. The divers go out in the morning, the people who do not dive wait on the beach, and everyone meets up again for a late lunch. Our full-day private boat trip is built the other way round. For about eight hours, two to six guests share one boat along the south coast of Crete: certified divers, people trying their first dive, and snorkellers, together, with lunch on board and all equipment included. It is the one day of the holiday nobody has to sit out.

What the day includes

• About eight hours on the water. A real day at sea, not a morning hop.
• Two to six guests. The boat is yours and the people you bring, with six as the maximum.
• Lunch on board. Mediterranean food, served on the boat.
• All equipment included. Diving and snorkelling kit for everyone.
• Divers, first-timers and snorkellers together. Everyone does what suits them, from the same boat.

Who the day is for

Mixed groups

This is the trip we get asked about most by couples and families where only some people dive. A certified diver can do their dives, a partner who has never dived can try it with the instructor, and the children or the friend who would rather stay at the surface can snorkel over the same reef. Nobody spends the day in a car park or on a sunbed waiting. Our page for non-divers travelling with divers covers the other options if a full day is more than your group wants.

Certified divers who want a proper day

If everyone on board dives, the day becomes a dive trip with room to breathe: more than one stop, long surface intervals in the sun, lunch on board and no rush back. If you only want a morning, our boat dives are one or two dives and shorter.

First-timers

Guests who have never dived can try it during the day, with the instructor, starting in shallow water. It is a gentler introduction than many people expect, because there is no schedule to keep and nobody waiting for you to finish.

Groups staying further away

The full day makes the most sense for guests who have a drive to reach us. Guests in Agia Galini and Spili often choose it, because one drive to Plakias buys a whole day on the sea. Tell us where you are staying and we will set the meeting time around the drive.

How the day runs

The stops are chosen on the morning, based on the wind and on who is on board, not printed on a schedule weeks ahead. A typical day looks something like this.

1. Meet at the centre in Plakias. Equipment fitting for everyone, a briefing for the divers and first-timers, and a plan for the day.
2. Morning on the water. The first stop, usually while the sea is at its calmest. Divers dive, the first-timer has their session with the instructor, and snorkellers explore the reef from the surface.
3. Lunch on board. A proper break in the middle of the day.
4. Afternoon stops. A second dive, more snorkelling, or simply time on the boat and in the water.
5. Back to Plakias at the end of the day.

Exact departure and return times depend on the day. We confirm them with you when you book.

Where the boat goes

The day is built around the sites we know best that can be reached by boat, and the stretches of coast between them that no path reaches.

• The old harbour of Damnoni. A gentle, shallow slope that suits first-timers, with deeper sections, caves and gorges for the certified divers.
• Peristerovolakas. A long shallow reef near Souda sloping into deeper blue, good for snorkelling and diving alike.

The south coast faces away from the prevailing wind that hits the north of Crete, so the sea is usually calm. If it is not, we will tell you, and suggest another day rather than sell you a rough one.

Why a boat for six

Six guests is not an accident. It is the whole idea. On a small boat, the day can be adjusted to the people on it: a longer snorkel for the children, a second dive for the keen diver, a quiet hour at anchor for the person who came to read. It also means there is room to actually sit down.

Giannis, who has over ten years of diving experience, is the person guests mention most in their reviews. He teaches in Greek, English and German.

Being honest about it

A full day is a long time on the water. It will not suit everyone: very small children, or anyone prone to seasickness, may be happier with a shorter trip. Whether someone can be dropped off during the day depends on the day, so ask before you book if that matters to you. For some groups, a morning of snorkelling and a dive close to the centre works better, and we will say so.

Booking the day

The price is shown above and comes from our current rate card. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates, how many of you there are, and who dives, who wants to try and who will snorkel. We will come back with a plan for the day.