What diving in Europe entails really depends on which country divers visit. There is such a variety in climate, types of diving and what to see. It varies from a huge collection of WWII wrecks in the northern seas of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to the crystal clear waters of the Alpine lakes in Germany to the colourful and flourishing reefs in Spain, just to name a few. The definite recurring spectacle here are the wrecks. There is a lot of history to admire in the waters in and around Europe, including the ancient ruins in the Aegean Sea in Turkey. Some of the more well known diving locations include Spain, Cyprus, Croatia, Malta and Greece but some of the more unexpected countries also have some really impressive diving. Dive through the largest artificial reef in the Netherlands, or be blown away by the amount of wrecks available for exploration off the coast of the United Kingdom or visit the unique Blue Hole in Malta.

 

There are liveaboards which visit Spain and Italy, but most of the diving in this region is done through dive clubs, dive centers and dive resorts. Different areas require different levels of experience, but most areas also offer dive courses, for example, Malta is recommended as a great place to get a wreck diving certification due to stunning wrecks in fantastic conditions. The waters here are not tropical temperatures so especially in the winter, drysuits are necessary. 

Malta has really impressive features for divers of all levels. Some of the spectacles are the Blue Hole and the variety of wrecks. The climate here is among the best in the world and the diving conditions are overall very pleasant. It’s the sunshine and turquoise waters, type of diving. 

 

Spain has a coast on both the Mediterranean and Atlantic ocean. The most popular diving destination in the Atlantic are the Canary Islands, this is a year-round destination with over 100 dive sites. Crystal clear waters, an underwater museum and spectacular marine life is just a short summary. The Mediterranean dive areas around Spain are difficult to sum up as there is so much to see but it comes down to excellent visibility, vibrantly coloured coral formations, clouds of shimmering fish, shipwrecks, coral walls, steep drop offs and an abundance of reef species. 

 

Turkey has its coast on three different bodies of water; the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Marmara Sea. The Mediterranean has caves, shipwrecks, Thornback Rays and Caretta Caretta Turtles and much more. The Aegean Sea has larger species including Dolphins, Seals and Sharks but also some ancient ruins and other history underwater. The Maramara Sea is also a top diving destination for diving into history and diving among historic ruins. 

 

Some of the other, warmer, and more well known diving countries in Europe including Greece, Italy, France and Croatia. All have some unique elements to their diving but all have overall great climates and pristine waters. 

 

Some of the less famous areas include the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom even though there is great diving. These countries are colder with more challenging diving conditions, so prior training and experienced guides are needed. The Netherlands has one of the largest artificial reefs in the world bordering the dykes, hundreds of shipwrecks scattered along the North coast and surprisingly vibrant corals. Germany has diving around and inside the country in the clear waters of the Alpine lakes. In the Baltic Sea there are wrecks from WWII for the history buffs, among many other wrecks. The lakes in Germany are really for divers who want to experience visibility and stunning topography like nowhere else. In the United Kingdom, the main spectacles are definitely the wrecks even just due to the sheer amount that there are in these waters. There are also multiple marine protected reserves in which the marine life is thriving.