Blue Fin Divers

A PADI dive centre on Agios Prokopios beach, about 5 km from Chora. It offers introductory dives, the children's Bubblemaker programme and courses from Open Water to Divemaster, with boat trips to wrecks and reefs on the west coast.

Who they are

Blue Fin Divers, which also presents itself as Naxos Diving Center, opened in 2006. According to the centre, it was the same year in which Greece lifted the legal ban that restricted free diving along the coast. It is right on the front line of Agios Prokopios beach, on the west coast of Naxos, about 5 km from the port and 4 km from the airport. It is a PADI 5 Star Resort, one of the highest categories PADI gives its centres. The website does not give the owners' names. Of the team it says they are experienced instructors who speak several languages, although it does not list them.

What it does and where it dives

The centre covers the whole PADI ladder, from first contact to professional courses:

• Bubblemaker, the introductory programme for children.
• Discover Scuba Diving, the introductory dive for unqualified adults.
• Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver, the first two qualifications.
• Advanced courses and specialities for certified divers.
• Snorkelling trips.

Certified divers go out on the centre's boats to a dozen sites in the area. Among the wrecks are the cargo ship Marianna, the ferry Express Samina, a Beaufighter aircraft and an Arado seaplane from the Second World War. There are also reefs such as Virgin Reef, Black Rock, Calypso, Agios Nikolaos, Graviera and Trapezaki, as well as cave dives. The prices of each course and dive are in the entries on this page.

The website gives two different seasons: in the header, from 15 April to 5 November, and in the contact section, from May to October. The prudent thing is to confirm the dates if you travel at the start or end of the season.

Equipment, insurance and safety

All dives are guided by instructors and the price includes DAN insurance, an insurer specialising in diving. The centre works with Cressi, Oceanic and Scubapro equipment, among other brands. A dive computer is rented separately, at €5 per dive, and a GoPro at €15. Those who bring their own regulator, BCD and suit get a 10% discount. The website does not publish the minimum ages for each programme or the medical questionnaire it requires. On PADI courses it is usual to have to fill one in before entering the water, so it is worth asking when you book, especially with children.

Booking and facilities

You book by phone on +30 22850 42629, by WhatsApp on +30 693 716 1226 or by email at [email protected]. The online booking button leads to the contact form. The website does not publish cancellation terms or whether they pick up from hotels. Next to the centre there is a diving shop and a beach bar-restaurant with sun loungers, so you can spend the whole day at Agios Prokopios between one dive and the next. The website is in English.