What to do · Naxos
Try dive at Agios Prokopios
Information
- From
- €70 per person
- Duration
- 3 h
- Season
- Mid-April – early November
- Who it's for
- From age 10; children aged 8 to 9 with PADI's Bubblemaker programme
What it involves
A try dive is your first scuba dive, with no certificate or previous experience. On Naxos it is run by Blue Fin Divers, a PADI 5-star centre on Agios Prokopios beach, about 5 km from the port of the Chora. The programme they follow is PADI's Discover Scuba Diving.
It starts at the centre with about 45 minutes of simple theory and paperwork: how to breathe with the regulator, how to equalise your ears, the signals with the instructor. Then you put on the equipment, get used to it at the surface, practise a couple of exercises in shallow water and go down with the instructor for about 45 minutes, to a maximum of 7 m. Underwater you will see the sand and rock seabed of the west coast, with rock fish and meadows.
It is not a certificate. If you like it, the dive can count towards the PADI Scuba Diver or Open Water course, which the centre also teaches.
For children: Bubblemaker
For the little ones there is Bubblemaker, PADI's children's programme, which lets them breathe with a tank in less than 2 m of water, under the direct supervision of the instructor. According to the PADI site, it is for children from age 8. The adult Discover Scuba Diving asks for a minimum of 10, according to the centre itself.
Price, duration and what is included
- Discover Scuba Diving: €70 per person.
- Bubblemaker: €70 per child.
- Allow half a day for arrival, theory, equipment, the dive and a shower.
- It includes all the equipment: mask, snorkel, fins, jacket with tank, regulator, pressure gauge and a 5 mm wetsuit.
If you are already certified, the centre goes out by boat to wrecks and reefs on the west coast, such as the freighter Marianna, the Beaufighter aircraft or the Express Samina ferry. A single dive costs €70, with multi-dive packages and a supplement for some, such as the Express Samina (€120). Prices from the tariff published on its website, with no year given: confirm them when you book.
Season and how to book
The website gives two different seasons: from 15 April to 5 November in the header and from May to October in the contact section. If you are going in April or November, confirm beforehand that it is open.
You book by phone (+30 22850 42629), by WhatsApp (+30 6937 161226), by email or from the form on its website. In July and August book a few days ahead. The meeting is at the centre, on Agios Prokopios beach.
How to get there
Agios Prokopios is about 15 minutes by the beach bus from the KTEL station in the Chora; in summer it runs every half hour and the ticket costs €1.80. By car there is parking at several points along the beach. Afterwards you can stay on the sand: it is the first of the west-coast beaches.
What to bring and requirements
Bring swimwear, a towel, sun cream and something warm for afterwards. You will have to fill in a medical questionnaire: if you have heart, lung or ear problems or are pregnant, a medical certificate may be needed. Don't dive if you have to fly within the next 24 hours: tell the instructor if you are flying out of Naxos airport the next day.
Tips
- Do it early in the trip That way, if you like it, you have days to carry on with the introductory course at the same centre.
- Mention your flight Between diving and flying you must leave at least 24 hours; plan the try dive well away from the day you go home.
- Choose the morning The sea is usually calmer before the afternoon wind comes in, especially in July and August.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to know how to dive?
No. You only need to be able to swim and be in good health. The instructor goes with you throughout the dive.
From what age can you do it?
The Discover Scuba Diving, from 10 years old according to the centre. For the youngest there is PADI's Bubblemaker, from age 8.
How deep do you go?
At most 7 m on the adult try dive. Bubblemaker is done in less than 2 m of water.
As a familyWith teenagers
Who runs it
- Blue Fin DiversDiscover Scuba Diving, First Dive Down to 7 m Visit their website
- Blue Fin DiversBubblemaker, Introductory Dive for Children Visit their website
