Plan Your Trip

Accommodation

Where you stay should depend on your target dive sites. If your primary focus is hitting the deep wrecks of Gozo (Karwela, Cominoland, Hephaestus) and North Malta (Rozi, P29), you could base yourself in Mellieħa, Ċirkewwa, or St. Paul's Bay in Malta — or indeed Xlendi bay in Gozo. This cuts your morning drive times down and keeps you near to the Gozo ferry terminal. If you don't mind a drive then, staying in Marsascala or the outskirts of the Three Cities offers excellent, quieter coastal residential options away from the heavy tourist traffic of St. Julian's. That said — if you just want to be in the middle of everything then Sliema has many excellent options.

Car Hire

A rental car is an operational necessity for independent diving in Malta. Some dive shops rent out their mini dive trucks that have seating for 5 and plenty of room for equipment on the back.

Malta drives on the left-hand side of the road (UK style). Coastal paths leading down to dive entries can be steep, narrow, and unpaved, so ensure your rental policy covers undercarriage and tire damage. Driving in Malta can be a little exciting — we would recommend fully comprehensive insurance to be safe.

Equipment Hire

Malta is dense with five-star IDC centres and dedicated technical facilities. When organizing equipment hire, choose a shop that offers 24/7 key-box access or late-night cylinder drop-offs. If you are an advanced or technical diver, ensure your chosen facility features continuous-flow blending stations capable of accurate Nitrox and Trimix mixes on demand. Standard practice in Malta involves renting "cylinders and weights" for the week, allowing you to self-guide across the islands while returning to the shop solely to swap out empty tanks for fresh fills at the end of each day.