Most dives on Gozo start from the shore, straight off the rocks into deep water — Blue Waters Dive Cove puts every dive site on the island within 20 minutes' drive of its base in Qala. This guide compares five centres: Gozo Dive St Andrew's, Utina Diving and Ritual Dive in Xlendi Bay, Blue Waters Dive Cove in Qala, and Atlantis Dive Centre in Marsalforn. You will find their prices for single dives, packages, try dives, courses and boat supplements, so you can pick the format and centre that fits your level and budget.
Shore diving: single dive vs package
Blue Waters Dive Cove calls shore entry the most popular way to dive Gozo: sites are easy to reach by car and never more than 20 minutes away. The centre adds that deep water starts right off the shore, with 40 m+ reached quickly in some parts of the island. Sites include caves, reefs, tunnels, wrecks, the Blue Hole and the Inland Sea.
A single guided shore dive costs €45 at Blue Waters Dive Cove, €50 at Gozo Dive St Andrew's and €56 at Utina Diving. The price includes a tank, weights, transport to the dive site and an instructor or guide. Equipment rental is extra. Packages bring the per-dive price down — sometimes substantially.
| Centre | Format | Package price | Unit | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | Single dive | €45 | per dive | instructor/guide, weights, tanks |
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | 4-dive package | €160 | per package | instructor/guide, weights, tanks |
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | 8-dive package | €280 | per package | instructor/guide, weights, tanks |
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | 10-dive package | €300 | per package | instructor/guide, weights, tanks |
| Gozo Dive St Andrew's | Single dive | €50 | per dive | tank, weights, shore transport, guide |
| Gozo Dive St Andrew's | 11th dive onwards | €37 | per dive | tank, weights, shore transport, guide |
| Utina Diving | Single shore dive | €56 | per dive | land transport, tank, weights, guide |
| Utina Diving | 4-dive package | €216 | per package | land transport, tank, weights, guide |
| Utina Diving | 6-dive package | €312 | per package | land transport, tank, weights, guide |
| Utina Diving | 8-dive package | €400 | per package | land transport, tank, weights, guide |
| Utina Diving | 10-dive package | €480 | per package | land transport, tank, weights, guide |
| Utina Diving | 10+ dives | €48 | per dive | land transport, tank, weights, guide |
At Blue Waters Dive Cove, the 10-dive package at €300 works out to €30 per dive (€300 ÷ 10), against €45 for a single dive. Gozo Dive St Andrew's has no fixed package, but from the 11th dive onwards the price drops to €37 per dive; its accompanied dives need a minimum of 2 people.
Shore-dive packages at Blue Waters Dive Cove can be booked here: shore dive packages at Blue Waters Dive Cove.
Equipment rental
None of the shore-dive prices above include personal equipment (BCD, regulator, wetsuit, mask, fins). Rental is charged separately:
| Centre | Item | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | Full set (boots, fins, suit, regulator, BCD, mask) | €20 | per day |
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | Dive computer | €7 | extra to the full set |
| Gozo Dive St Andrew's | Full equipment rental | €10 | per dive |
| Gozo Dive St Andrew's | Full equipment rental | €15 | per day |
| Utina Diving | Full set (BCD, regulator, computer, wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, boots) | €20 | per dive |
| Utina Diving | Full set per day | €30 | per day |
| Utina Diving | Full set without dive computer | €15 | per dive |
At Utina Diving, a dive computer is mandatory for dives deeper than 20 m. At Blue Waters, the full-set rental does not include a dive computer — it costs an additional €7 if you need one.
Boat diving supplements
Most Gozo diving is from shore, but boat dives open up sites like the P31 wreck off Comino, the Santa Maria Caves, and the north coast of Gozo. Boat diving is a supplement on top of the guided dive price.
| Centre | Destination | Supplement | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gozo Dive St Andrew's | Standard boat dive | €15 | per dive | departs Xlendi or Mgarr; April–November |
| Gozo Dive St Andrew's | Single boat dive | €20 | per dive | supplement |
| Gozo Dive St Andrew's | Full day boat trip (2 dives) | €40 | per package | supplement |
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | Comino (2 dives) | €40 | per person | supplement |
| Utina Diving | Comino (2 dives) | €40 | per package | supplement |
| Utina Diving | North coast of Gozo (1 dive) | €20 | per dive | supplement |
| Utina Diving | Cirkewwa wrecks, Malta (2 dives) | €20 | per package | supplement |
| Utina Diving | Um El Faroud wreck, Malta (2 dives) | €35 | per package | supplement |
Gozo Dive St Andrew's runs accompanied boat dives most days between April and November. Its dive boat DIVEMANIA is a purpose-built 9.5 m vessel seating up to 22 passengers, departing from the Xlendi bay quay (50 m from the dive shop) or from Mgarr harbour depending on the weather. The centre's boat-diving page quotes €15 for a single standard dive trip, while its guided-diving price list shows €20 for a single boat dive — confirm which applies when you book.
Night dives
Night dives cost extra at all three centres with published rates. Blue Waters Dive Cove charges a €7 supplement and runs night dives on a regular basis throughout the year. Gozo Dive St Andrew's charges €15 extra per accompanied night dive, and Utina Diving €25. Torch rental at Utina is €5 per dive.
Try dives (Discover Scuba Diving)
A try dive — called Discover Scuba Diving (PADI) or Try Scuba (SSI) — is the quickest way to get underwater with no prior experience. At Blue Waters Dive Cove, Ritual Dive and Utina Diving a single try dive costs €70–€90, and two dives cost €130 at Ritual Dive or €165 at Utina Diving.
| Centre | Option | Price | Unit | Duration | Min age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | PADI Discover Scuba Diving | €70 | per person | 3 hours | 10 |
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | PADI Bubblemaker | €70 | per person | 3 hours | 8 |
| Ritual Dive | Try Dive – One Dive | €75 | per dive | ½ day | 10 |
| Ritual Dive | Try Dive – Two Dives | €130 | per person | ½ day | 10 |
| Utina Diving | Single Try Dive | €90 | per person | 2.5–3 hours | 10 |
| Utina Diving | Double Try Dive | €165 | per person | 5–6 hours | 10 |
| Utina Diving | Private Try Dive | €100 | per dive (extra) | — | 10 |
At Ritual Dive, the try dive includes basic diving theory and a quiz, a basic equipment briefing, confined water training and one open water dive, with about 45 minutes underwater. If you go on to the Open Water course, the one-dive try is credited towards it and its cost deducted; in the two-dive option, one of the two dives is credited. Book Ritual Dive's try dive here: try dive at Ritual Dive, Gozo.
At Utina Diving, the double try dive takes about 5–6 hours in one day or can be split over two days of 2.5–3 hours each. Depending on your comfort, the maximum depth is 12 metres. A one-to-one private try dive costs €100 extra per try dive; private sessions can also be booked for small groups.
Tip
At Blue Waters Dive Cove, the try-dive price covers everything you need — just bring a towel and some refreshments. At Utina Diving, the try dive starts with a theory introduction and basic scuba skills in shallow water before the dive itself.
PADI Open Water course
The Open Water Diver course certifies you to dive to 18 m with a buddy. At Blue Waters Dive Cove and Utina Diving it takes 3 days, and the five centres' prices run from €460 to €560 per person depending on the centre and group size.
| Centre | Price | Unit | Duration | Min age | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Waters Dive Cove | €460 | per person | 3 days | 10 | tuition, online manual, certification, full equipment |
| Gozo Dive St Andrew's | €470 | per person | — | — | equipment (excl. computer & torch), certification, manuals/e-learning |
| Utina Diving (1 person) | €560 | per person | 3 days | 10 | e-learning, theory, 5 confined water skills sessions, 4 OW dives, all equipment |
| Utina Diving (2 people) | €530 | per person | 3 days | 10 | same as above |
| Utina Diving (3–4 people) | €490 | per person | 3 days | 10 | same as above |
Blue Waters Dive Cove includes full equipment in the €460 PADI course. Gozo Dive St Andrew's teaches SSI, RAID and SDI/TDI rather than PADI; its Open Water Diver / Open Water 20 course costs €470 and excludes a dive computer, torch and boat supplement. Utina Diving says its PADI price includes eLearning, certification fees and all required equipment, with no hidden costs — the price depends on group size, from €560 solo down to €490 per person for a group of 3–4.
Book the Open Water course at Utina Diving here: PADI Open Water course at Utina Diving.
Beyond Open Water: Advanced, Rescue, specialties
Once certified, the usual next step is the Advanced Open Water course: five dives, after which you are certified to 30 m. Prices at three Gozo centres:
- Blue Waters Dive Cove: €300 per person (2–3 days, min age 12). Includes tuition, online manual, certification, tanks and weights. Equipment not included — €20 per day rental.
- Gozo Dive St Andrew's: €370 per person. Includes equipment (excl. computer & torch), certification, manuals/e-learning.
- Utina Diving: €480 solo, €450 for 2 people, €410 for 3–4 people (2–2.5 days, min age 12). Includes all equipment.
For the Rescue Diver course, Blue Waters Dive Cove and Utina Diving require Advanced Open Water certification and CPR/first aid training within the past 24 months. Prices: €350 at Blue Waters Dive Cove (3 days), €440 at Gozo Dive St Andrew's, and €500 solo / €470 for 2 / €430 for 3–4 per person at Utina Diving (3 days).
Specialty courses at Blue Waters Dive Cove include Wreck Diver €270, Deep Diver €270, Night Diver €250 and Enriched Air (Nitrox) €150. Wreck, Deep and Night include tuition, online manual, certification, tanks and weights; Nitrox includes tuition, online manual and certification. Equipment rental is extra at €20 per day.
Technical diving on Gozo
Atlantis Dive Centre in Marsalforn is a PADI 5 Star IDC Centre and BSAC dive centre with a dedicated technical diving programme. Course prices run from PADI Tec 40 at €450 per course to Tec Deep Trimix at €1,900 per course; TDI courses include Advanced Nitrox (€450), Extended Range (€550) and Trimix Diver 60 (€960). Equipment and cylinder rental is charged per day on top of gas fills; all tanks are O₂ clean and must be filled at the centre's base.
Blue Waters Dive Cove also teaches technical courses, priced per course: PADI Tec40 €350, Tec45 €350, Tec50 €400, or the Tec40/45/50 combo at €990 over 12 days (min age 18). These include hire of twinset, stages and weights, gases, instructor, land transport to dive sites and the certification card. Manuals, logbook and personal tec equipment are not included.
Choosing a centre: location and logistics
Xlendi Bay on Gozo's south coast is home to Gozo Dive St Andrew's, Utina Diving and Ritual Dive. Gozo Dive St Andrew's describes Xlendi as a small fishing village a stone's throw from the sea, bars and restaurants; when the weather allows, its boat leaves from the quay 50 m from the shop.
Qala is where Blue Waters Dive Cove is based, 5–10 minutes' drive from Mgarr Harbour and 10 minutes from Victoria. The centre says no dive site on the island is more than 20 minutes away.
Marsalforn on Gozo's north coast is home to Atlantis Dive Centre, which runs technical diving courses and PADI instructor development courses (IDC).
Tip
Blue Waters Dive Cove, Utina Diving and Atlantis Dive Centre ask for a diver medical questionnaire before any course or dive. If you have a condition listed on the form, you will need a doctor's clearance before diving.
When to dive in Gozo
Utina Diving dives all year. By its figures, the water is 14–16°C from December to March, when sites are less busy; from June to October it can be 24–28°C with more divers underwater, and it cools back to about 20°C in November. Atlantis Dive Centre names the warmer months from April to November as the best time to dive Gozo.
Boat dives at Gozo Dive St Andrew's run most days between April and November, and Utina Diving takes Open Water divers to the P31 wreck off Comino weekly from April to October.
Nitrox and DPV supplements
Enriched Air Nitrox is available as an extra or as a certification course:
- Gozo Dive St Andrew's: Nitrox tank supplement €7.50 per dive (up to 40%).
- Utina Diving: Nitrox (up to 40%) €7.50 per tank. Nitrox Diver course €135.
- Blue Waters Dive Cove: Enriched Air (Nitrox) course €150.
Diver Propulsion Vehicles (DPVs) cost a €45 supplement per dive at Gozo Dive St Andrew's and €30 per dive at Utina Diving. The DPV specialty course costs €280 at both centres.
