Sicily

[LEWISR]

Has anybody dived Sicily recently the family holiday may be in Sicily
Any info would be helpfull thanks

[ChristianG]

Has anybody dived Sicily recently the family holiday may be in Sicily
Any info would be helpfull thanks
I've referred this thread to an Italian friend of mine, a keen diver, who has lived there for quite some time. He's not a member here but he may, then again he may not, respond.

[Beppe G]

I've referred this thread to an Italian friend of mine, a keen diver, who has lived there for quite some time. He's not a member here but he may, then again he may not, respond.
Hi Christian and hello everybody!I'm very happy to be able to help.
This is my reply cut and pasted from another forum.It's referred to northern Sicily only so I'll add some info for the rest of the island:


Ok,maybe I can be helpful for once.Actually dive centers in Sicily usually open between the end of April and May.I had a quick look at that Aquatica and they indeed don't mention any opening date but given that they operate from a camping they might start a bit late in the season.
I've found this though:http://www.divingcapitanonemo.it/. They say they're open "tutto l'anno",the whole year.Their site seems to be only in italian tho,but you can try to contact them anyway,I'm sure they can help you.They're located in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto which is actually a Milazzo suburb.
I never dived with any of them but know that area pretty well.I often dive the only shore dive in the area called "Punta Rugno".No reason to dive that site if you're not up for diving pretty deep:red gorgonians starting from 50-55m.down.All the other sites are doable by boat only.
Since you are going to be in the area you might consider Messina.A friend of mine,Domenico Maiolino,has a dive center there http://www.ecosfera.info/home/ click on the Union Jack and...everything is still in Italian.
I saw him just one week ago and apparently he was working on his RIB to have it ready for Easter.The dive center is open anyway.There are a couple of interesting shore dives:"the Amerique" also called "relittino"(small wreck) but that is crap.Right next to it there's a very good one,an English wreck,the Bowesfield,impressive upright wreck but it starts at 36m and due to the bottom incline goes down to 65m. so it's a dive that takes you at least to 40-45m. to visit the bow.The tricky part is the current,being in the Messina strait saying that currents can be fierce is an uderstatement, but it's done following the lunar phases and the currents tables so it's possible to do it in reasonable safety.
There's another pretty shallow wreck in the area the "rigoletto" or "Maddalena lo Faro";depth between surface to 35m. very close to shore,again to be careful with currents,lines and nets.Other sites doable by boat are the "Valfiorita" wreck(sunk by a British sub),depth between 48 to 60+m.;the "Arturo Volpe" 65m.;on the other side of the strait the "Cannitello" between 28 to 55m.(hair raising current if you're unlucky);lo Scalone (the big stairway),spectacular, right in front of the dive center,a drift dive.Again on the other side of the strait a very popular one:"la Montagna di Scilla",a pretty easy one,a pinnacle raising form about 55m.up to 15m. between 30 to 45m. it's covered in red gorgonians.
Whatever other info you need just ask.
Cheers.

P.S. there are no other dive sites in northern Sicily execpt for the Palermo area.
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That was for Northern Sicily,now a bit of info about the rest:
Taormina,on the eastern coast between Messina and Catania,one of the main tourist actractions of the island,pretty easy diving, walls,easy caves and some canyons.You can contact the Diving Center Capo Taormina,you'll find it on the net.
Catania(that's where I live):due to its proximity to Mt.Etna all the coast is made up of lava so we have black lava slopes going down to depths between 40 and 70+ m. but the best dives are for us locals,we know where to go and in the summer all the sites are crowded like hell by sunbathers and difficult to reach and park.On the other hand if you go thru dive centers they take you by boat to the less interesting sites,the very easy ones; I wouldn't bother.
Siracusa(still on the easten coast 60km south of Catania):easy shallowish caves,usually no deeper than 20-25m.(easy if you don't deep penetrate them,otherwise you need to be an experienced cave diver.The last three deads a few months ago).
Another few km south and you reach the small village called Marzamemi.From there you can dive four excellent wrecks:the Nevada,the Baarn,the Chillingham and the Sebastiano Veniero an Italian sub sunk in the 1926 after colliding with a cargo ship.Lost for nearly 80 years it was found by chance by the legendary free diver Enzo Majorca one of the free diving pioneers of the world(but he was on SCUBA when he found it:-))
All these wrecks are at depths between 45 to 55m.
Nothing on the southern coast of the island.
As I've mentioned there are a few sites around Sicily's capital city,Palermo.
40 km.off Palermo there is Ustica one of Italy's dive Meccas.Small nice island,2 hrs by ferry,1hr by fast boat.It's a protected area so plenty of huge groupers and ricciole(sorry but I don't know its english name,any way a big pelagic,the same family of tunas) and the ubiquitos barracudas.Also a few good easy caves,plus the 2 most popular sites of the island:lo scoglio del Medico and la Colombara.
Other islands around Sicily are:Marettimo(done it but not impressed),Linosa,very close to Africa(further from Sicily than Malta to give you an idea).Done last year,not bad and really in the middle of nowhere,a very small and god forsaken place.
Eolie islands,off Messina.Not done yet,but I'm very likely to go this year,at least for a quick look.
Pantelleria,again off the southern coast facing Africa.Never done but it's supposed to be good.
Water temp.in the summer is around 23-25° on surface.Bare in mind that we have thermoclimes so the deeper the coldest,its not like the Red Sea.First thermoclime at 20m. second at 30.,deeper than that it's usually between 14-16°
For more specific info about the islands just digit the island's name on google followed by "diving" and you'll find the list of all the dive centers.
My fav island is Ustica anyway;nice above the water as well and easy to reach from Palermo.
For any other info just ask,I will be glad to help.

Cheers

B.

[Eddie Clamp]

Hi Christian and hello everybody!I'm very happy to be able to help.
This is my reply cut and pasted from another forum.It's referred to northern Sicily only so I'll add some info for the rest of the island:

Cheers

B.


Many thanks Beppe.

With your permission I would like to use the info you have sent on our BSAC Sicily "where to dive" page

[Beppe G]

Many thanks Beppe.

With your permission I would like to use the info you have sent on our BSAC Sicily "where to dive" page

Hi,
go ahead Eddie.Very glad my post can be of some help:)

Best regards

B.

[LEWISR]

Beppe
Many thanks for the infomation i now know where to look for some diving.
Ps I did find a translation site which i used on the web site you suggested
Roger

[LEWISR]

Christian
Thanks for your help
Roger

[ChristianG]

Thanks for your help
You're welcome. :)

Beppe omitted to mention the Aeolian Islands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolian_Islands) where, more years ago than I care to remember, I once stayed for a few days on Lipari (the main island of the group). They include Stromboli which is a volcanic crater and still active and where the islanders produce a marvellous sweet wine and Vulcano, from which the now notorious English word Volcano derives.

I did a bit of snorkelling there (fantastic viz) but I was on a hiding to nothing if I were to have gone diving - the divorce would have taken place a lot earlier but, last time I looked, there is now a dive shop there, shouldn't be too hard to find and the islands are beautiful, relatively unspoiled and a great place for a relaxing holiday. There are also some excellent restaurants, an important consideration in my book.

Sicily is, quite simply, brilliant, I have very fond memories.

[Beppe G]

Beppe omitted to mention the Aeolian Islands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolian_Islands)
Well Christian,I didn't,I just spelled it the italian way:Eolie islands;)

There are also some excellent restaurants, an important consideration in my book.

Absolutely.As an Italian I take food very seriously:)

[Beppe G]

Ooops,there's something I actually forgot to mention,two of the most popular sicilian wrecks:the Kent(48/50+m.) and the Capua(28/36m.).Both near S.Vito lo Capo between Palermo and Trapani (closer to Trapani,the westernmost tip of the island).Also in Trapani the Pavlov,a tanker,shallow(10-30ish) and easy but a good dive.Near Palermo we have the Generale Arturo Chinotto(103m.)and the Nave degli Schiavi(90m.).That's another story.

[ChristianG]

Well Christian,I didn't,I just spelled it the italian way:Eolie islands;)
Sorry, my mistake, my Italian is pretty poor but I really should have recognised that. I would, or rather should, have also recognised "Isuli Eoli" which is the Sicilian version of Italian, IIRC. :D

But at least I have been to somewhere on your beautiful, historic (I'm a complete sucker for the Greco-Roman period), island you have not seen yet. Given the length of time that has taken place since I was last there I won't bother to mention my favourite restaurants. The one in the middle of town is probably still there, and probably still up there, but the one on the outskirts of the town was "padrone" owned and I doubt that he's still alive. It was wonderful, the best eggplant ever, and the small glass of Carlo Hauner's best Malvasia supplied FOC by the padrone at the end of our meal was, quite simply, both sublime and an eye opener, I'd never even heard of it before. The padrone said that this particular Malvasia came from the slopes of Stromboli but I suspect that it is more likely to have been harvested on Salina. We went to Stromboli, of course, to see the light show but we didn't circumnavigate it and I rather doubt that even grapevines, hardy as they are, would manage to survive for enough years to have harvestable grapes. I could well be wrong of course.

[Eddie Clamp]

Hi,
go ahead Eddie.Very glad my post can be of some help:)
Best regards
B.

Hi Beppe!

I have added all your information to a new page on Italy. There is now a link to both Ustica and Sicily there at: http://www.bsac.com/divelocations.asp?itemid=1753&itemTitle=Italy&section=1250&sectionTitle=Southern+Europe+%2F+The+Mediterranean :)

Many thanks

[Beppe G]

Hi Beppe!

I have added all your information to a new page on Italy. There is now a link to both Ustica and Sicily there at: http://www.bsac.com/divelocations.asp?itemid=1753&itemTitle=Italy&section=1250&sectionTitle=Southern+Europe+%2F+The+Mediterranean :)

Many thanks
Eddie,
what can I say,I'm honoured:o

For whatever info you all need about the area I'll be happy to help.

Thank you

[Beppe G]

Sorry, my mistake, my Italian is pretty poor but I really should have recognised that. I would, or rather should, have also recognised "Isuli Eoli" which is the Sicilian version of Italian, IIRC. :D

But at least I have been to somewhere on your beautiful, historic (I'm a complete sucker for the Greco-Roman period), island you have not seen yet. Given the length of time that has taken place since I was last there I won't bother to mention my favourite restaurants. The one in the middle of town is probably still there, and probably still up there, but the one on the outskirts of the town was "padrone" owned and I doubt that he's still alive. It was wonderful, the best eggplant ever, and the small glass of Carlo Hauner's best Malvasia supplied FOC by the padrone at the end of our meal was, quite simply, both sublime and an eye opener, I'd never even heard of it before. The padrone said that this particular Malvasia came from the slopes of Stromboli but I suspect that it is more likely to have been harvested on Salina. We went to Stromboli, of course, to see the light show but we didn't circumnavigate it and I rather doubt that even grapevines, hardy as they are, would manage to survive for enough years to have harvestable grapes. I could well be wrong of course.
Christian G:the wine fine connesseur,the somellier(among other things:) )
;)

[JuriK]

More tips about Sicily diving.

I was renting an appartment in a small town Castellamare Del Golfo, located approx 60 km west from Palermo. The reason why I decided to do my dives in that particullar location is simple - Zingaro natural park. Along the coastline From Scopello till San Vito Lo Capo there are plenty almazing and well preserved diving sites. Personaly I would recommend:
Underwater Archealogical Museum at Tonara Scopello
The Capua Wreck - IIWW an armed war ship at 39m depth
The Ficarella Cave - the entrance is at 14m depth, leads through the tunnel to the large cave with a fresh water.
More info at:
http://www.cetaria.com/

Good Luck!