When there is a lot to choose from, sometimes a problem arises in the form of the so-called “harvest disaster”. Preparing for the Cypriot dives, Adam and I chose a different solution. It was a bit more expensive (unfortunately), because we decided to dive with five different diving centres. And if you don’t have a package, it’s hard to get discounts.

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We laid out a plan for our dives and used it gradually, sometimes only slightly modifying it as the days went by.

While presenting through D24 a few different dive sites in Cyprus, I will at the same time suggest to you the order of selection of dive sites that seems to me the most interesting.

Let me just add that it is in Cyprus that the British Akrotiri bases are located, currently carrying out air strikes on oil fields in eastern Syria that are controlled by the so-called Islamic State. Moving around this third largest Mediterranean island, we passed through British Army areas several times.

In the west of the island

It was hot. The air temperature was still around 30ºC.

As we planned to go around as much as possible, we used a mid-range hotel in Larnaca as our temporary home. Therefore, to get to the west coast of Cyprus, we had to get up early. Such a diving holiday from 6 in the morning. And so, thanks to Adam, we managed to postpone the “start” to 10.00 a.m. Of course, only because it was October and fewer and fewer customers.

Driving to Latchi (read “Latczi”) we passed Paphos, where there are interesting ruins described by archaeologists and remembering the Roman times when St Paul of Tarsus was on the island. We visited the city on the way back.

After reaching the place (more than 200 km drive on nice roads in left-hand traffic) we entered the 5-star Latchi Diving Centre. It turned out that this establishment is run by Englishmen. All diving is done from a boat, and you can also enjoy all kinds of water sports there, or rent a boat.

Our guide, although low-key, seemed fine. He quickly showed us what and how, we selected our equipment (ballast and cylinders) and after changing our clothes we jumped on board. It turned out that there were only three of us, which is always very nice. The fewer people in the group the better and the easier it is to approach animals underwater.

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We dive

We sailed to the area around St. George Island, where we had our first dive. The guide turned out to be a man who pedantically followed safety procedures. After a briefing and equipment check, marking the boat with the dive flag and taking a surface buoy, it was time to dive. Fortunately, after the first 5 minutes, when he saw that we were doing quite well, he relaxed a bit and we did not have to show the international diving sign “OK” every minute.

At this location we descended to over 30 metres depth and found that the temperature had dropped to 20ºC. We had previously dived in other locations on the island at a minimum of 26ºC, so we got cold. We were wearing individual wetsuits, hoods and gloves. The initial goosebumps somehow subsided when we saw sizable jackfish and groupers in the depths. Some of them were holding in small groups, which is rare. for these animals.

Larger specimens swam from a distance and there was no chance to come closer. The lay of the land made for interesting observations. We spotted several octopuses. Buried with their tentacles, they were moving the stones in order to better camouflage themselves. On the rocks, hardly noticeable because they blended into the environment like underwater chameleons, lay motionless scorpions.

The second dive after a short break was made a short distance from the islet. It was called “St. George reef” by the local centre. A shallow dive among rocks, chasms and tunnels, of which there were two. We swam through both of them twice, observing dark corners illuminated by our artificial light. Everywhere we swam there were fish characteristic for the Mediterranean Sea: mullets, chestnut chromis, amarellas, wrasse and obladas. Fragments of a few amphorae, broken years ago, turned out to be interesting finds, about which I will tell on the occasion of immersions in the Turkish part of Cyprus.

We unequivocally concluded with Adam that, given the variety of dive sites around Cyprus, the water temperature and the number of fish, Latchi was as suitable as possible to start a diving adventure, but not to finish it. Curiosity must grow. Therefore, I recommend starting your dives from this location.

Wojciech Zgoła
wojtek@dive-adventure.eu