News
Diving with… Calypso Diving Centre, Gozo, Malta
In this ongoing series, we speak with the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
What is your name?
George Vella
What is the name of your business?
Calypso Diving Centre
What is your role within the business?
Owner
How long has the business operated for?
Since 1985
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
Since 1984 and hold PADI OWSI & BSAC Advanced Instructor
What is your favorite type of diving?
Wall dives and caves / caverns
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?
Nothing replaces experience!
What is your favorite dive in your location and why?
Wied il-Mielah: because even in the peak season, there are hardly any other divers there and the formation of the caves, light reflections and the school of barracuda make it an awesome dive.
What types of diving are available in your location?
We offer both shore and boat diving and the dive sites are never more than a 15 minute bus / boat ride away. We have reefs, caverns, caves, drop offs, visibility in excess of 35 metres, almost no currents and no tides. Many of our dive sites are suitable for beginners and experienced divers alike; they are equally beautiful whether in shallow or deep water.
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
Seeing a high percentage of our clients coming back to us; even though there is a lot more competition nowadays and we are not the cheapest when it comes to prices.
What is your favorite underwater creature?
Octopus
Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?
Nothing specific. We just keep trying to make our clients feel welcome and at home, whilst improving our facilities all the time.
As a center what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?
Price dumping from the new operators on the scene to try and take clients away from you. It is a big issue here, especially when it is a very seasonal operation.
Is your center involved in any environmental work?
We try to make all our dives a clean-up dive every time and involve our clients in it as well by providing them with net bags to collect any rubbish, especially plastic from underwater. Unfortunately a lot of education is still needed in this area.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?
It is a growing industry and you can see this by the amount of new operators getting on the bandwagon every year. Marine protected areas are a must here and need to be enforced to sustain our industry and also the fishing industry.
What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
Our island of Gozo is a gem of an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea which boasts some of the most spectacular diving in this region and is no more than a three and a half hour flight away from most European countries.
Where can our visitors find out more about your business?
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
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