This was the first time in Malta for me, although the club went a couple of years ago. We would be using the same dive centre and accomodation so it should go well and it did.
Flying out on BA was pleasant, no hassles depite tons of baggage and Jude and Kev bringing little Luke and a professional baby sitter (aka Jude's Mum). We were met at Malta airport and whisked away over the bumpy roads to Buggiba, not the prettiest town in the world, but a convenient base.
There were eight of us diving, with qualifications ranging from not quite Ocean Diver up to instructors and there was something for all of us.
The water was about 15C, so we brought dry suits, but the weather was warm and the sea clear and blue, so diving was a joy. Being early in the season we suffered a little bit from strong winds and couldn't do the boat diving we planned, so we missed out on a couple of nice sites, but there was plenty of shore diving to go at.
For me the highlights were the Um el Faround (A sunken tanker), seeing squid on the night dive and the flying gurnards, which look like the most boring fish in the world until they unfold their winglike fins.
An excellent week away diving at a reasonable price. Thanks to Judy for organising it all!
Report By: Iain C.