Do I need previous scuba experience to dive in Crete?

No experience required for our Try Scuba Diving programme. Anyone aged 8 and over in basic health can try it. A certified SSI instructor stays with you the entire 40-minute dive, maximum depth 10 m (5 m for ages 8–12).

What does the Try Scuba Diving cost at Poseidon Diving Club?

One Try Scuba dive is €65. Two dives in the same day are €110. Junior price (ages 8–12) is €55 / €100. All equipment, marine insurance and certified SSI instructor are included.

How much is SSI Open Water Diver certification in Crete?

SSI Open Water Diver certification is €430 and includes 5 dives, theory, equipment and lifetime certification recognised in 130+ countries. Allow 3–4 days to complete the course.

Where is Poseidon Diving Club located?

Mades Bay, on Crete's north coast, roughly 25 minutes east of Heraklion city. We offer free transfer within a 10 km radius of the dive centre.

How many dive sites do you visit?

Nine dive sites around Mades Bay — Blue Cave, Trypa Rocky Reef, Posidonia Oceanica meadow, Mades Beach Left & Right Reefs, Edge of Mades Beach, Mononaftis Bay, the Adeb Al Salam shipwreck and Mades Bay Night Dive — plus full-day trips across Crete: the Byron I wreck and the Elephant Cave & Minnewaska double dive in Chania. Depth range 10–40 m.

When is the diving season in Crete?

April through November, daily 10:00–18:00. Water temperature 18–26 °C, visibility typically 20–30 m. Best months for warm water and calm conditions are June–September.

Poseidon Diving Club Crete | SSI Scuba Diving · Mades Bay

★★★★★ 5.0 on Google

Free transfer within 10 km

SSI Certified · Marine Insurance Included

Choose your descent

Four ways
to meet the sea

Beginner Try Scuba dive over rocks, Mades Bay

Try Scuba Diving

40 min underwater. No experience required. From €65.

Begin →

Try Snorkeling

Guided 40 min, keep gear until sunset. €40.

Float →

Certified Divers

Dive sites & day trips across Crete. Boat & shore.

Choose a site →

Become a Diver

SSI Open Water. Five dives. €430 all-inclusive.

Get certified →

For beginners · Ages 8+

Try Scuba Diving

Discover the magic of the underwater world with our Try Scuba Diving experience, designed for beginners with no prior experience. Perfect for anyone aged 8 and above who wants to explore the sea in a safe, fun, and unforgettable way for around 40 minutes underwater.

Your adventure takes place in the beautiful waters of Mades Bay or Mononaftis Bay, depending on weather. Under direct supervision of our certified instructors, you'll receive a short briefing on diving skills and safety rules, then enjoy a guided dive at a comfortable depth.

Maximum depth 10 m — for children 8 to 12, depth limited to 5 m. Optional: underwater photos and video on GoPro.

Adults €65 / 1 dive · €110 / 2 dives

Junior 8–12 €55 / 1 dive · €100 / 2 dives

Book your first dive →

Snorkeling tour at Mades Bay, clear shallow water

All ages · No experience

Try Snorkeling

Explore the beauty of the underwater world with our Try Snorkeling experience — a fun and relaxing activity suitable for everyone, with no standard age limit required.

We enter the water directly from the beach — no boat needed, easy and accessible for all. An experienced instructor accompanies you for a 40-minute guided snorkeling tour through crystal-clear waters and vibrant marine life.

After the guided tour, keep the snorkeling equipment and continue exploring on your own until closing at 6 PM.

Per person €40

Guided time 40 min + free use

Reserve your tour →

SSI Certifications

Courses &
Specialties

The full SSI pathway, taught in small groups by certified instructors.

Basic Diver Your first step into scuba — 2 dives, down to 12 m.

2 Dives · 12 m

€160

Scuba Diver One step further — 3 dives, down to 12 m, more independence.

3 Dives · 12 m

€270

Open Water Diver The lifelong start — 5 dives, down to 18 m, full SSI certification.

5 Dives · 18 m

€430

Advanced Adventurer 5 specialties in 3 dives, down to 30 m — try before you commit.

3 Dives · 30 m

€330

Diver Stress & Rescue Recognize, prevent, respond — the safety mindset.

3 Dives

€450

Deep Diving Down to 40 m with planning, gas & dive computer.

3 Dives · 40 m

€350

Night & Limited Visibility The reef after dark — a different sea entirely.

2 Dives

€280

Perfect Buoyancy Hover, glide, frame the perfect underwater photo.

2 Dives

€250

Navigation Compass, distance, return-to-point — own the dive.

2 Dives

€250

React Right CPR, first aid, AED, oxygen — first responder ready.

Emergency

€200

Equipment, SSI fee and dive insurance are included in every price. Bring your own gear — we apply a tiered discount per item.

Dive Sites

Map of the
deep

From accessible reefs to a wreck that sank on January 17, 1985. Each site has its own personality, depth, and inhabitants.

Book 2 or more dives and get a discount →

Boat dive

Blue Cave

Open cavern, 11 m entry. Groupers, lionfish, WWII bombs on the seabed.

12–30 m · OWD€65

Boat dive

Trypa Rocky Reef

Rock formations and canyons. Towering black sponges. Schools of fish.

13–25 m · OWD€65

Shore dive

Posidonia Oceanica

Mediterranean seagrass meadow. Barracudas glide. Rare squirts hide.

12–18 m · OWD€45

Shore dive

Mades Beach — Left Reef

Black sponges, groupers, barracudas. Moray eels for the lucky.

12–18 m · OWD€45

Shore dive

Mades Beach — Right Reef

Moray eel territory. Canyons, octopuses, biodiversity.

12–20 m · OWD€45

Boat + shore return

Edge of Mades Beach

Open-sea descent, coastal swim-back. Crabs, slugs, groupers.

15–25 m · OWD€65

Shore · double

Mononaftis Bay

Two distinct sites. Barracudas, sometimes rays, sometimes turtles.

12–40 m · OWD€90

Shipwreck

Adeb Al Salam Shipwreck

10 m, schools of small fish, passing tuna. 15-min swim to reach.

10 m · OWD€100

Night dive

Mades Bay — Night Dive

Octopuses, moray eels, hunting barracudas under dive lights.

12–18 m · OWD€75

Drag the rail through every site

Full-day adventures

Day Trips

Adventures beyond Mades Bay — wrecks and caves across Crete, transfer and gear included.

Shipwreck · 1985

Byron I Shipwreck

Sunk Jan 17, 1985. Atmospheric, accessible, deeply photogenic wreck.

15 m · OWD€150

Double dive · Chania

Elephant Cave with amphora and divers, Chania

Elephant Cave & Minnewaska

The most famous cave in Crete and a British shipwreck in Chania — an unforgettable double dive.

Double dive€220

About Poseidon

A team that
lives in the sea

At Poseidon Diving Club Crete, diving is not an activity — it is our way of life. We are a team of experienced divers and certified instructors who share a deep love for the sea, underwater exploration, and the natural beauty of Crete.

Safety is always the first thought. Every dive is carefully organized with quality gear, full marine insurance, and instructor supervision so you can relax and enjoy what you actually came for: the silence below.

"We are committed to the ocean itself — beach and underwater clean-ups, eco initiatives, a sea protected for tomorrow's divers."

From April to November you'll find us at Mades Bay daily, 10:00 to 18:00. Off-season we're online — happy to answer questions and plan a trip with you.