In general a lot of the diving in Europe is done independently and depending on the location not many guided dives are organized. It is possible to rent gear at dive shops and to fill the tanks there. The dive sites can often be reached by car. This is especially true for the diving in lakes, quarries and rivers but also for ocean diving in some regions.

Austria

The most famous dive site in Austria is the green lake which is only diveable from May till June. Clean water from melting snow floods the basin between the mountains. The paths, trees, a bridge and some benches are then below the surface creating a breathtaking scenery for a shallow water dive in incredible visibility. Hundreds of other lakes allow many different high altitude dives in the Alps with ice diving in winter.

Belgium

Diving in Belgium is possible in natural lakes and quarries or the North Sea. The freshwater dives often have limited visibility and the conditions for ocean diving might be rough.

Bulgaria

The Black Sea off Bulgaria offers mainly wreck diving. Some marine life like pipefish, scorpionfish, stingrays and some smaller fish can be observed. The visibility is less than 10 m and can get lower especially in silty areas and after rain.

Croatia

Croatia offers a wide variety of diving. Many amazing wreck dives are possible along the whole coast line. The marine life includes octopus, cuttlefish, nudibranchs and many fish species endemic to the Adria. The underwater scenery is stunning with huge rock formation, caverns, swim-throughs and huge gorgonian fans. In the south some archeological sites can be visited to see amphora and pithoi from 300 AD.

Cyprus

The marine life in Cyprus includes turtles, grouper, barracudas, sting rays, octopus, moray, jacks and more. Besides the marine life some famous wrecks including a ferry liner sunk in 1980 offer amazing dives. The visibility can be up to 30 m.

Czech Republic

Diving here is mostly natural lakes, quarries and rivers.

Denmark

In the cold waters off Denmark diving with playful seals might be one of the most exciting options. Hundreds of wrecks lie in the waters around the country of the little mermaid, many in diveable depths.

Finland

The best diving in Finland is possibly wreck diving. Due to the cold temperatures and the low saline in the Baltic the wrecks are well-preserved.

France

In the Normandy in the north of France a massive amount of wrecks can be found. The water is colder and murkier but the history behind makes it worth to dive there. The south offers warm waters in the Mediterranean. France is also famous for its cave systems which attracts cave divers from all over the world.

Georgia

In Georgia it is possible to dive wrecks including a sunken mussel farm in the Black Sea.

Germany

Diving in Germany is possible in lakes, quarries and in the sea. The visibility in most of the lakes and quarries is limited but there are some amazing dive spots. The wildlife includes carp, eels, trout and crayfish. Some of the lakes even offer wreck diving. The main attraction in the ocean are WWII wrecks.

Greece

Besides possibly huge amounts of antiquities lying around the canyons, caverns, swim-throughs and walls make the diving in Greece special. The marine life includes octopus, cuttlefish, seahorses and some schooling fish.

Hungary

The most amazing dives in Hungary are probably in a stone mine (technical and for open water certified divers possible), a beer factory and hot springs.

Iceland

Iceland is famous for the dive in crystal clear water in Silfra. Two continental plates come so close together that the diver can touch both sides. Further it is possible to dive underwater hot springs or watch a geothermically grown cone.

Ireland

Special creatures can be encountered in the cold waters around Ireland including dogfish/catshark, conger eel, playful seals and the impressive basking sharks.

Italy

In Italy it is possible to find everything that the Mediterranean has to offer. Ustica and Sardinia offer some of the best diving. In Ustica the sights include schooling barracuda, groupers, amberjacks, sea slugs, octopus, amphorae and ancient wrecks in stunning landscapes made out of caverns, caves and arches.

Macedonia

In Lake Ohrid it is possible to dive a neolithic stilt village and other prehistoric settlements.

Malta

The blue hole in Gozo is regarded as one of the top sites in Europe. Waves and wind formed a hole into the rock formations over thousands of year. The site is accessed over a rocky entry from where the divers swim out into the blue ocean through a hole. Another incredible dive here is the inland sea, a lagoon surrounded by cliffs which leads to the ocean through a tunnel.

Montenegro

At the coast of Montenegro it is possible to dive at WWI and II wrecks, in caves, through tunnels, caverns, over nice coral and sponges as well as at walls.

Netherlands

Wrecks and schooling fish can be found in the sea off the coast of the Netherlands if the conditions are good. The visibility is mostly low and the entry can be rough. Animals to be encountered are lobster, crab, cuttlefish and schooling fish around the wrecks.

Norway

In the fjords the underwater world continues like it looks above with steep walls, crevices and caverns. An exciting and probably one of the fastest drift dive is in Saltstraumen with the worlds strongest tidal currents. This current brings in huge amounts of nutrients attracting a wide variety of marine life like huge wolf fishes, cods, coalfish, halibuts and flounders. The walls and the ground is covered in kelp forests, anemone and dead mans fingers. Another unique opportunity in Norway is to snorkel with Orcas during the season.

Poland

The coast of Poland is abundant with wreck diving sites. Many of the wrecks are at diveable depth for recreational divers, others offer exciting discoveries for technical divers.

Portugal

Mola mola (sunfish) sightings are not uncommon in Portugal. The best diving can be found at the Azores. The stunning landscapes with arches, caves, caverns and walls are frequented by molluscs, lobsters, shrimp, froupers, stingrays, morays, wrasses and nudibranchs. Around the formations pelagics can be observed in the blue like tuna, jacks, barracudas, sardines and mackerels.

Romania

Besides a variety of amazing wrecks including a submarine the sights in the Black Sea include seahorses, pipefish, scorpionfish, stingrays, crab and sponges.

Russia

A video of some guys playing hockey under the ice in Russia made it around the world. Not too many creatures live under the ice of the White Sea besides some sea stars, anemones, small fish and crab.

Spain

Some of the best diving in Spain can be found at the Medes Island. Stunning rock formations with caverns and steep walls covered in colorful sea fans create the special ambiance of the dives here. Morays, octopus, lobster and nudibranch as well as groupers, schooling barracuda and jacks complete the picture.

Sweden

Sweden’s cold waters offer well preserved wrecks, ice diving and marine life like salmon, cod and trout. The visibility is better than one might think with up to 15 m on a good day.

Switzerland

Diving in Switzerland is all altitude diving in fresh water. It is possible to dive in lakes and rivers. The most famous dive is the valley of Verzasca with an exciting drift dive in cristal clear waters through impressive rocky landscapes.

Turkey

The diving in Turkey offers some great Wrecks which serve as artificial reefs. Especially at the favorite destination Kas schools of fish, lobster, octopus, crabs, stingrays and groupers swarm around the wrecks.

Ukraine

An underwater museum called “Alley of the Leaders” with Soviet Union leader’s busts and other sculptures has been set-up in the Waters of the Ukraine.

UK

The cold waters of the UK offer dives with playful sea lions, wrecks from the World Wars including submarines. The wildlife includes dead mans fingers, comb jellies, crabs, lobster, anemones, conger eels and even some nudibranchs.