jaydubbs15

I am planning a honeymoon in Greece and the Greek islands for June. How is the scuba diving there? Does anyone have any suggestions as to which islands are best to scuba dive from? Any suggestions for dive operators? Any help you could give me would be appreciated. Thanks!

Jay

Heimdall

The water is crystal clear around the Greek islands I have visited, so visibility is great. On the minus side, there aren't any coral reefs or colourful tropical fish like you would find in the Red Sea, for example.

Many islands do offer scuba diving, and one I can recommend is http://www.blueisland-divers.gr/ on Antiparos.

brotherleelove2004

Heimdall is right, there's not much to see under water in the Aegean. I do understand, however that there is one dive site off Santorini, wreckage of an ancient ship of some sort. Sorry I don't have any more details.

jaydubbs15

Thank you Heimdall and Lee. I've heard that the Gov't eased restrictions on diving recently, but if there's nothing to see then that's disappointing.

Heimdall

Whoa, Jay, I wasn't trying to rain on your parade. All I was saying is that Greek diving doesn't compare with the Red Sea or Great Barrier Reef, not that you shouldn't dive there. I bring my mask and snorkle with me on every trip to the Greek Islands. I have also been to the GBR, but still enjoy snorkling Greek waters. Scuba diving will give you even more scope.

Suggest you check out http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/ca...s.cfm?catid=33 or a another diving forum and ask about the best dive sites in Greece.

jaydubbs15

Thank you Heimdall. I posted a question on scubadiving.com and learned that the Gov't recently eased restrictions on diving. But that is the only response I've received so far. I will try the loney planet too. Thanks again.

Jay

Heimdall

Jay, http://www.greeka.com/greece/greece-diving.htm is another link for you, and you can find lots more with a Google search.

Even without the scuba diving, Greece is a grat place to visit, and June is the perfect time to be there. Have a happy honeymoon.

Heimdall

Not only is it grat, it is also great.

brotherleelove2004

I'm gratful to you for clering that upp.

jaydubbs15

Thank you again Heimdall!

Heimdall

Tht's qute allrght, Lee.

europhile

In Greece, I have only been diving on Corfu, and I must say there was very little to see. Pretty much just sandy bottom, as I recall. I know they have a dive center on Mykonos because I saw it advertised there, but I didn't try it. Greece has so much to see and do above water, it might not be worth the time and trouble to dive there, since diving is really not it's strong suit. I probably won't do it again. For one thing, I'm a FL girl and I don't enjoy diving in cold water with wetsuits, weights, etc. The water is always going to be cold in the Med, and diving there was cumbersome compared to warm diving waters. Go to the Caribbean to dive (without wetsuits); go to Greece to soak up the sun and the ruins!

Aussiediver

I will be in Greece mid-June. I was planning to go to Santorini for a few days but got put off by the cost and apparent hordes of tourists. Now I'm wondering about Zakynthos or Antiparos. I'm in my 40s, a solo female
traveller, experienced diver (all Asia and Sth Pacific, which means I'm used to warm water and coral) and not interested in nightclubs. Can anyone advise on those 2 islands in general, and diving there or anywhere else in Greece? I tried contacting dive shops on both islands but neither have replied (maybe they're on holidays, though in general I've noticed that Contact Us links on websites never seem to work. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

Aussiediver

Sorry, forgot to say that the photos of the caves on both dive shops' websites appealed even though the fishlife didn't seem so spectacular.

Heimdall

Aussiediver, I'm not surprised you didn't get a reply this time of year. The dive shops are closed, and most likely their owners are back on the mainland until spring. Go to the "Contact Us" page on the Blue-Island Diver's website, and you will see a Nov-Mar conact address and phone number. If they don't answer there, chances are they have gone to one of those wonderful places you described in your post.

I have never been to Zakynthos, but return to Antiparos every year. Mid-June is the perfect time to be there, with pleasant weather and no crowds. June is popular with Norwegian and Swedish families, so you will see lots of blond-haired children running around.

The village has a pedestrian-only main steet, lined with cafes and tavernas. For some reason Antiparos reminds me of Noosa Heads

Heimdall

...on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, but quieter, more rustic, and cheaper. As stated previously, Greek diving isn't as colourful as the tropical reefs, but if you will be on the islands anyway you might as well have a go. It will also give you an opportunity to meet a few people, and have company for drinks and dinner in the evenings if you wish. Antiparos is a friendly place. I have met a few Aussies on the island, and they all seemed to enjoy beoing there.

Aussiediver

Thanks Heimdall for that. It certainly looks charming - now I'm wondering if I should stay more than a few days! I see you mentioned Blue Island Divers in one of your posts - their website was what got me interested in Antiparos in the first place. Those caves look great. But if anyone else has anything to say, I'd love to hear from you too. Thanks!

Heimdall

Aussiediver, I won't add anything else, but suggest you look at another website: http://www.islandstrolling.com