First Experience Scuba Diving

Recommended by 92% of travelers

Malta

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore Malta’s underwater world with this beginners' scuba diving— no prior certification required. Start with a briefing with the instructor, followed by a shore training dive. Next up, a fun dive at the max depth of 16ft (5m). Enjoy a fun, small-group experience (max 6 travelers) and feel safe and secure with your instructors the entire time.

Try a new activity with hands-on instruction from your guide
Easy-to-find: Meet at the conveniently located dive center
All your gear is included in the price for a hassle-free experience
A small-group experience ensures plenty of personal attention

What's Included

Online theory material
Safety briefing
Complete diving kit
1 training dive
1 shore dive with a maximum depth of 5m
Transportation to and from the dive site

Towel (Please remember to bring your own towel)
Swimsuit (Kindly ensure you have your own swimsuit)
Hotel pickup and dropoff (Transportation to and from the activity location is not included)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Diveshack
20 Ix-xatt Ta' Qui Si Sana, SLM3111 Tas, Tas-Sliema SLM 3111, Malta
If you booked the Activity in St Paul's Bay please note the Meeting point is Aquatica diving Centre

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
For swimmers only.
Those with listed and serious medical conditions need written medical approval before diving.
English speaking/understanding is required.
Minors must be 10 years old to participate, and need tutor/parental written consent
For safety, wait minimum 12 hours -recommended 24 hours before flying after this activity.
The activity's duration, including the start time, might be subject to changes due to factors like weather and sea conditions, traffic, parking availability, participants' physical capabilities and punctuality, especially during the peak season (June, July, and August).
Before the session, we'll be in touch with you via WhatsApp (or SMS/email if you don't have WhatsApp) to provide essential instructions, eLearning link and confirm the exact starting times. Please keep an eye on your phone for updates!

We cannot guarantee your participation in the activity or issue a refund, if you are late and health restrictions and requirements are ignored.
pregnancy
heart/lungs/blood issues
age 45+ with high cholesterol/blood pressure/smokers
eyes/ears/nasal problems
recent surgeries or related ongoing issues
neurologic conditions or learning/developmental disability
loss of consciousness, migraine/headaches, seizures, strokes, head injury
psychological/addiction issues
back problems, hernia, ulcers
diabetes, stomach/intestinal problems (diarrhea)
taking prescription medications (excepting birth control/anti-malarial drugs other than mefloquine - Lariam).
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 4 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Roisin_J

This was a great experience imo. The instructors were very friendly, informative and willing to help. I had a little panic within the first few minutes and my partner continued the activity. I wish I had given it another try, he had a great time, and saw some cool things while scuba diving. Make sure to study the material provided beforehand, and listen to the instructors. But would definitely recommend!

Reviews

4.6

based on 53 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Definitely a good first time

L_C, Dec 2025

Very friendly and easy going first time diver experience. Lots of local amenities. Francesca was very kind and patient and a fun instructor

Great Intro To Scuba Diving St Paul's Bay- Very Professional & Friendly

Lindsay_G, Aug 2025

Aquatica Diving Centre St Paul's Bay are very, VERY professional and excellent instructors both dry training (pre) and in water. Company use divessi.com as portal for all learning (inc basic for awareness in the underwater world). And yes, forms to fill, but they are happy to help. Intro to Scuba course fab. Francesca is a great communicator doing landside training. And higly competent multilinguist manager. Vinnie our dive instructor from Costa Rica, a talented thoughtful young man: graduate of eco tourism, highly conscious to espouse the need to respect our precious seas and oceans which we fully took on board (touch nothing !). Just right. Both of them. Malta does not disappoint. It is busy. It is high season, but it pays off to walk a little further to find the holiday gems in your area. We have booked more, with guided snorkelling next. Thank you for a memorable family experience!

VERY Unfortunate , but really not a good experience

Paris_R, Jul 2025

Im really sorry for this review, but i really did not enjoy the experience overall … I came before my booking time , due to to wanting answers to some questions i had, unfortunately, this did not happen as Beth & holly were more interested in me going to sit a few doors down in a cafe & to come back for my booking time… so i did that came back & then didn't even get to ask my questions , because i then had to sort out documents + see if equipment fitted (everything just felt rushed. After this i was told we will be going to St Pauls Bat site to do the dive to meet Moteo… so we got there for them to tell me theres no changing site... eventhough I asked at the Silema Site, if I could change there as I had my swimming custome, plus my own diving suit, so again things felt very rushed & really didn't help with Moteo rushing through the instructions & what to do.. considering this experience is for beginners ( it really didn't feel like it) which resulted in me not being able to continue with the activity…. I definitely would NOT recommend this to beginners & hoping to get a full refund from my bank as I weren't able to get it from them.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thank you for your review. While we value all feedback, we believe it’s important to clarify a few points about your experience. When you arrived earlier than your scheduled time, you were greeted by two of our resident divers, Holly and Amber. While they are long-time friends of the centre and always happy to welcome fellow divers, they are not part of our staff and understandably preferred not to provide information or guidance outside their role. They kindly suggested returning at the agreed booking time, when the professional team would be ready to assist. At 13:30, your scheduled time, our Professional Aoiffe welcomed you and supported you throughout the session. She guided you through the standard check-in, documentation, and equipment fitting process. We do apologise if this part of the experience felt rushed—our activities are structured to allow each customer the time they need to get ready and ask questions, while also maintaining efficiency and ensuring the group stays on schedule. Regarding your attire, we recognise there was a misunderstanding. While it’s unusual for beginner divers to arrive with their own wetsuit, Aoiffe invited you to try on one of ours—both to confirm the correct fit and provide a chance to change from your swimming costume. When you declined, she understood that you were fully prepared and ready for the activity, as the rest of the group already was. Upon arrival at the dive site, Matteo conducted a full safety briefing and confirmed that you had a number of questions, which he took the time to address. He also noted that you appeared very anxious about the activity. This is completely understandable, and our instructors are trained to handle nervous first-timers with extra care. In the water, Matteo worked patiently with you, but it became clear that you were not comfortable placing your face in the water—something that is essential for progressing in even the most basic diving experience.You also requested a refund, which we respectfully declined. Our beginner programs are specifically designed to let guests try scuba diving in a controlled, supportive setting. Sometimes, a person may realise that diving is not for them—and that’s okay. But unfortunately, not completing the experience is not a valid reason for a refund, especially when full support and professional guidance were provided throughout. Lastly, we did notice that your first message to us mentioned booking a parasailing activity. It’s possible there was some confusion from the very beginning, and perhaps the activity you experienced wasn’t quite what you had in mind. If that’s the case, we can understand why the session may not have matched your expectations. We wish you all the best in your future adventures and sincerely hope you find experiences that bring you confidence, enjoyment, and fulfillment

Fantastic experience

Josh_S, Jun 2025

Mark and Kas our instructors were fantastic! They made everything easy to learn, were very patient with my teenage son, and made the experience memorable!

Great first experience

Ally_P, Apr 2025

Me and my partner did this together, this booking is for a try dive for Beginners. We were completely new to the experience and had an amazing time. Emma and Marcell were so reassuring and attentive, they made us feel completely at ease, safe and were very patient when my wife was nervous. We saw lots of shoaling fish, even near the surface. Even though it was April, the wet suits provided kept you lovely and warm.

Fantastic excursion - do the light homework before hand

AnneElizabeth_J, Apr 2025

Really fun experience! We were in very good hands with our instructors - they made sure we were all safe in and out of the water. Heads up to others who plan on booking this: 1. Read the pre-dive material and try to practice the hand signs before your excursion. 2. If you plan on renting an underwater camera or towel, coordinate with Diveshack ahead of time. 3. Theres an upgrade on their website to dive to see a ship 🚢. I'd check that out if that interests you as well. Overall, my partner and I had a fantastic time! Highly recommend!

Great first-rime scuba diving experience

Inbar_Z, Jan 2025

Amazing first time experience to try a bit of scuba diving and get the feeling under water. Alex was very informative and patient and made our experience as debutants very special.

Felt super safe and in extremly capable hands

Alma_R, Dec 2024

Amazing experience. I was terrified at the beginning, but Alex is just the best instructor ever!!! He knows what he is doing and with him you can feel nothing but safe. I can just recommend.

Scuba diving in Malta!

Roisin_J, Dec 2024

Memories made

Emma_T, Oct 2024

Extremely proffesional. Very imformative and felt very secure and safe. Well done :) . Also Emma gives that little Extra to everyone with a fabulous personality. We will deffo be back

Full money taken - nothing received in return.

Matthew_T, Jul 2024

You are encouraged only to dive if well enough. However on the morning of my afternoon dive I was not well. Informed the company, they said they’re booked this week and cannot rebook me. (Availability showed on the website and I’m here for two weeks). They refused to rebook or help in anyway. Just took my money and told me to rebook through the website. Money is more important to these people than safety. They’ve kept full payment and I have nothing to show for it. Diving with another company here in malta instead and they’re great! Avoid these unhelpful money grabbers. I understand there is a “cancellation policy” and you might lose a deposit, I just wanted to reschedule. Lost full payment. They couldn’t be less helpful.

Good for all experience levels

Iain_M, Jul 2024

Absolutely amazing trip. Only wish is that I’d booked a longer time. Instructor was very experienced and really good at explaining all the equipment and techniques.

A great beginner's experience to scuba diving

Richard_T, Apr 2024

This was a great beginner's experience to scuba diving. The water was crystal clear and there was loads of sea life (including a barracuda and sea urchins - as well as loads of fish species). Holly made the whole experience feel safe and fun.

Highly recommend

Rachel_A, Mar 2024

So much fun, our guide was brilliant. I don’t think we were able to get as far out as maybe planned but think that’s cause I was struggling to get to grips with the regulator. Bit cold but that’s what you’d expect this time of year. They give you all the gear to keep you warm as possible. Great experience

DIVESHACK Goods

Ashlei_H, Jun 2023

Unfortunately the weather caused super choppy water and poor visibility but the shop was amazing and did everything they could to relocate the dive to better water. The instructor was amazing-Tim came in to fill in for other instructors all the way from the UK...so Id like to shout out to both Diveshack Malta and Diveshack UK.

Proffesional

Katherine_F, Apr 2023

Julia is a very lovely instructor. Friendly, and you can See she has a great rxperience. The Equipment, location , instructions are very good. I saw some people getting certificated there. So, it was good experience. I'm Not good at all at diving , and weather did not help . It was a good Day.

Request Julia as your Dive Instructor

Michael_F, Apr 2023

Amazing experience with an outstanding instructor who taught our son how to scuba dive. This is a MUST if you ever wanted to try scuba diving in one of the best places to dive in the world. This was all made possible due to our Brazilian dive instructor, Julia, who was truly a pleasure to meet and spend the day with. Her bosses should give her a raise since she deserves it.

Considering it was our...

Vesna_B, Nov 2022

Considering it was our first time we were bit anxious but girls were absolutely amazing. They explained everything and were so patient. They didn't left our sight under water and gave us absolutely amazing experience that we will never forget. There are 5 stars but its worth 10. Highly recomended for everyone.

Beautiful experience

Rachel_B, Oct 2022

We had such a lovely time. Our first diving experience so a bit nervous but Francesca was patient and professional with her expert supervision. A really fantastic experience in a beautiful setting. We could not recommend more! Thank you

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Dear Rachel, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! Even if a little bit nervous at the beginning you have been super good. So proud of you!!!:) Hope to see you again!!!

Amazing Experience

DOUNIA_Z, Sep 2022

It's the first time I dive. It was such a n amazing experience with amazing monitors. They take time to explain in details about the equipments , how to manage the diving. They make you comfortable and relax. Thank you for this afternoon and for sure I will return but this time with my wife ( she were with me but could not dive because she is pregnant XD)

Très appréciable

Tiffany_B, Jun 2024

Formation très complète et personnel très sympathique, rassurant, patient et dynamique ! Ce fut une très belle expérience malgré notre appréhension !

Super Erfahrung und Einstieg 👌🏼

Sven_G, Jan 2024

Sehr tolle Erfahrung 👍🏼 Georgia und Yolanda sind Super -Guides , man bekommt einen umfassenden Einblick ins Tauchen mit einem guten Mix aus Theorie (ohne das es trocken wird 😉) und dann der Praxis - die Unterwasserwelt ist schön 🤩 und mit den Beiden fühlt man sich auch sicher und geborgen. Dankeschön

Super Einführung ins Tauchen

Angela_R, Oct 2022

Unser Lehrer Davide hat uns freundlich empfangen und in der Tauchschule alles leicht verständlich erklärt. Er hat sehr darauf geachtet, dass wir alles verstehen und war uns sofort sehr sympathisch. Im Wasser selbst war er sehr geduldig bei den anfänglichen Übungen. Beim Tauchgang hat er uns nie aus den Augen verloren und immer gefragt ob alles in Ordnung ist und wenn notwendig geholfen. Das Tauchen selbst war auch dank unserem tollen Tauchlehrer eine unglaubliche Erfahrung für uns, die wir sehr gerne wiederholen möchten. Wir haben uns jederzeit sehr sicher und gut aufgehoben gefühlt. Wir können die Aktivität mit sehr gutem Gewissen weiter empfehlen :-)

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Dear Angela, Thank you very much to join our team for your first Scuba diving adventure! We're really happy to know you love it!!! Hope to see you again in the island!!!:)