Top 12 Scuba Diving for Beginners in Greece

1.Scuba Diving Experience in Caldera for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 597 reviews · 3 hours · from $106Our pick

Meet Alex, Irini, or another Santorini Scuba Academy instructor in Emporio for a three-hour beginner scuba session. You’ll learn equipment basics and underwater signals, then spend about 45 minutes exploring a volcanic reef in the caldera. Gear, water, and a snack are included, while hotel pickup and photos cost extra.

“Overall for a beginners experience we couldn’t fault it absolutely great experience”

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2.Heraklion: Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners _Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 549 reviews · 3 - 6 hours · from $81Best value

Meet Aquadive at Mononaftis Beach in Agia Pelagia, or use pickup from selected Crete resorts. You get a 30-minute digital lesson, full equipment, close instruction from certified guides such as George, and up to 45 minutes underwater. Expect a gentle shore entry, fish, rock formations, and possible wait time between groups.

“My 15 year old is working on his dive certification & wanted the experience of diving in Crete. This is a shore dive & is great for 1st time divers but a little slow for people with more experience. The instructor was great & a very nice guy. The transport is a comfortable a/c van a nice drive to a beach & a cute little town. The dive was about 30-40 minutes in about 5 meters of water. Good safety briefing. Wetsuit and equipment provided. Would have liked to have purchased a Tee-shirt commemorating his 1st dive in Crete. Maybe consider investing in some merch :-) Overall, a good experience…”

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3.Heraklion: Beginner Scuba Diving Lesson with PADI Instructor

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 355 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $88

Spend 2.5 hours learning scuba basics with Petros and the CRETANDIVERS team in Agia Pelagia. After a calm, multilingual lesson and safety practice, you’ll make a supervised open-water session in clear bay waters, reaching no more than six meters. Small groups, full equipment, and hotel pickup make this a friendly first step.

“It was great and safe, the instructors were great and helped to defeat ure fears. Definitely going to come back!”

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4.Diving Adventure for Beginners and Experts

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 237 reviews · 1 day · from $82

At Waterhoppers Diving School, you get a safety briefing, equipment, breathing practice, and one guided scuba session near Kalithea. Instructors including Mike, Claudia, Sharon, Anna, and Martin work with beginners and experienced participants in groups of up to six. A second session may be added for a fee.

“Very friendly staff, especially Sharon! Learnt our names and bent over backwards to ensure we were looked after and had the best experience possible. Would recommend to beginners.”

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5.Chania: Scuba Diving for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 196 reviews · 3 hours · from $140

Learn scuba basics in a 25-minute class, then enter the Aegean from Almyrida Beach with a PADI instructor. You descend to 8 meters in a small group of up to eight, with one instructor for every two adults and one for each child. Hotel pickup, equipment, insurance, and free photos and video are included.

“Incredible first dive! The staff/instructors are super friendly and professional, and the dive area itself is very pretty and “friendly” towards beginners.”

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6.Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 112 reviews · from $147

Meet in Oia, transfer to Amoudy Bay, and take a boat to Armeni Bay for a first scuba experience. Your instructor explains the equipment, hand signals, and safety steps before you practice underwater skills and explore volcanic formations to a maximum of 12 meters. Small groups, full equipment, water, and a snack are included.

“Scuba diving for the first time is a thrill!!!! I loved it! Everything from communication with the scuba team prior the diving, to the instructions by Omar, to the underwater peaceful views, simply amazing!”

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7.Chania: Scuba Diving for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 103 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $145Top rated

Spend about three hours learning scuba skills with a PADI instructor near Almyrida, then make a supervised shore descent to around 8 meters. You receive full equipment, a 45-minute underwater session, hotel transport within the Chania region, and free photos and short videos. The instructor ratio is one for two participants.

“My first diving experience was an exhilarating and unforgettable adventure. As I descended into the crystal-clear waters, a rush of excitement and nerves filled me. The vibrant marine life surrounded me, and the colorful coral reefs seemed to be from another world. With each gentle stroke of my fins, I felt weightless and free, as if I was flying through an underwater paradise. The experience was both humbling and awe-inspiring, leaving me with a deep appreciation for the wonders of the ocean and a newfound passion for diving.”

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8.Anavyssos Athens Riviera: Beginners’ Guided Try Scuba Diving

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $90

At Aqualized Dive Adventures in Anavyssos, you’ll learn basic scuba skills, equipment use, and underwater communication before heading to a nearby beach. Instructors such as Stavros, Geo, Katerina, Aspa, and Johannes stay close throughout. The four-hour outing includes all gear, but not hotel transfers.

“We had á great time, Johanes was our teacher and guide for the day and he explaned all so well that the dive was very easy and no stress. Higly recomend :)”

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9.Try Scuba in Crete – Free Certification & Photos (Beginners)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $144

Start with a clear beginner briefing, then enter calm Cretan waters with a certified instructor beside you. You will practice basic skills, reach about 10 meters, receive free underwater photos and an SSI Try Scuba recognition card, and return after roughly three hours. Pickup is available in the Chania area.

“Great experience. Picked up from our airbnb rental (slightly late but that didn't matter to us, we were contacted to say pick up would be late, that was the main thing). Kitted out properly. Very clear instructions during briefing from Dimitri. Driven to the beach, tanks on & off we went. My 2 sons & I had never done this before so it was a brand new & amazing experience for all of us. I'd say the half hour was just about right, for a taster session. You don't need to be a good swimmer at all (which I'm not), just comfortable in water. Overall I'd strongly recommend this to…”

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10.Private Discover Scuba Diving for Beginners in Athens with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $203

You’ll meet Extreme Divers for a five-hour beginner scuba outing near Vouliagmeni Lake. A divemaster provides the equipment, briefing, and underwater guidance for your private group of up to six. Pickup is available from central Athens hotels, Athens Airport, and Piraeus port. George and Danae are among the instructors guests have praised for friendly, careful service.

“Great personal service. Knowledge crew. Great deal and hot showers available in shop after boat dive❤️”

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11.Private Discover Scuba Diving for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 25 reviews · 5 hours · from $200

Spend five hours trying scuba in the warm, clear waters near Athens. Danae and the English-speaking team provide hotel pickup, full equipment, DAN insurance, and patient instruction for beginners. Learn basic underwater skills, then explore to 10 meters with up to five other participants, looking for octopuses, eels, starfish, breams, and other Mediterranean fish.

“The guide, and other staff, were super helpful. they explained everything carefully, and helped the people that were a bit scared at the start masterfully. They were very friendly and helpful. the dive itself was also amazing, we saw all kind of fish and starfish. The pick up service was very convienent as well. They equipment was good as well. I am overweight, but they had all the necessary equipment for me as well. Overall a great experience, and I would recommend it to anyone, but especially people who do this for the first time.”

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12.Plakias: Try Scuba Diving first time – Private, from 8 yrs.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $174

Start at Dive2gether Crete in Plakias for a four-hour PADI Discover Scuba session. After a careful briefing, you learn basic skills in shallow water, then explore near Skinaria, Plakias, or Souda Beach with no more than two participants per instructor. Ages 8 and up are welcome.

“Profesional, a nice experience. They have good equipament and very profesională instructors. The experience was interesting and we have everything we need from them.”

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