Short answer: the safest way to find people to go diving with in Malta is through a licensed dive centre or a diving club, where you are paired with divers of a similar level and dive with a guide if you need one. Away from the water, you can also post a social plan around a dive day, such as meeting at a dive centre and having lunch together afterwards, so you meet people who share the hobby. The diving itself should always be organised through a licensed centre or between properly qualified, independent divers who know the local rules.
Malta and Gozo are among the best-known diving destinations in the Mediterranean, with clear water, shore entries, reefs, caves and wrecks. Diving is also a sport you should never do alone, so the question “who will I dive with?” comes up for every newcomer, visitor and returning diver. This guide explains where divers find each other on the islands, what the rules say about who can dive independently, and how to turn a dive day into a way of meeting people.
Where to find people to go diving with in Malta
Licensed dive centres
Dive centres are the main meeting point for divers on the islands. They run guided shore and boat dives, courses and equipment hire, and they pair divers who arrive alone. Recreational dive centres are licensed by the Malta Tourism Authority, and many belong to the Professional Diving Schools Association, the islands’ main association of diving schools, whose website lists its member centres. If you are new to Malta, booking a few guided dives is the easiest way to meet other divers at your level and to learn the local sites.
Courses and speciality training
Taking a course, such as an advanced, deep or wreck speciality, puts you in a small group with the same people for several days. Course groups often keep diving together afterwards, which makes them one of the best ways to find long-term buddies.
Diving clubs
Clubs bring together local and resident divers for regular club dives, training and social events. Ask at dive centres or search for diving clubs in Malta, and check that a club is active and that its dives are organised in line with the local rules before you join.
Online groups
Expat and diving groups on Facebook and similar platforms are where people post “looking for a buddy for a shore dive at the weekend”. Treat these as a way to meet, not as a substitute for checking someone’s certification and experience; the dive centre or your own pre-dive check should cover that.
A social plan around the dive
Many divers want company for the whole day, not just for the time underwater: getting to the site, lunch afterwards, a coffee while you fill in logbooks. That social part is where a plan works well. You can post a plan to meet at a public place, go to a dive centre together for its guided dive, and share lunch afterwards. For other activities you can find company for, see our guide to finding people to hang out with in Malta.
Malta’s rules for independent divers
Malta regulates recreational diving services. The British Sub-Aqua Club’s Malta diving guidance, based on definitions provided by the Malta Tourism Authority, summarises the key points as follows (last checked October 2026):
- Independent divers are divers qualified and experienced to dive to 30 metres. They may dive for their own enjoyment with other independent divers without using a dive centre.
- Divers below that level must use the services of a licensed operator in Malta and dive with an instructor through a centre.
- Younger divers under 15 have extra conditions and must be accompanied by an adult independent diver.
- Divers over 60 need a valid annual diving medical issued by a diving doctor.
Separately, expect a dive centre to ask you to fill in a medical self-declaration form; depending on your answers, it may ask you to see a doctor before diving.
Rules can change and the details depend on your training agency and experience, so confirm your status with a licensed dive centre or the PDSA before you plan to dive independently. If you are not an independent diver, the answer is simple: dive with a centre, and meet your buddies there.
How to plan a social dive day with new people
MeetNow does not organise dives, check certifications or provide dive guides. What it can do is help you find company for the social side of a dive day. A host posts a plan at a public place with the date, time, seats and who pays; people ask to join with a short note; the host picks who comes, and accepted guests get a group chat. For a dive day, that could look like this:
- Choose a dive centre and book the dive. Each person books their own place on the centre’s guided dive, or independent divers agree a site and plan between themselves.
- Pick a public meeting point. The dive centre itself, or a café nearby, is ideal. Everyone can find it and the centre’s staff are around.
- State the level in the plan. Say whether the plan is for beginners diving with a guide, or for independent divers only, and ask joiners to mention their certification and number of dives in their note.
- Keep it small. Two to four guests is plenty for a first dive day.
- Say who pays. “Pay your own” is the natural choice: each person pays the dive centre for their own dive and equipment, and for their own lunch.
- Use the group chat for logistics. Agree arrival time, car sharing, and what everyone is bringing.
If you are joining someone else’s plan, our guide on how to ask to join a plan explains what to write in your note.
Example plan description
Saturday shore dive and lunch. Meeting at 09:00 at a dive centre in the north of Malta, then joining the centre’s guided shore dive (each person books and pays the centre directly). Looking for 3 people with an Open Water certification or higher; please mention your level and roughly how many dives you have done. Lunch together afterwards, pay your own. Make your own way there; car sharing can be sorted in the group chat.
Adjust the centre, site and time to your own plan, and only state what the centre has confirmed.
Buddy checklist for diving with someone new
Diving with a new buddy is normal, and good habits make it safe. Before you go in:
- Share your experience honestly. Certification, number of dives, last dive and any limits.
- Agree the plan. Maximum depth, maximum time, turn-around point and minimum gas on return.
- Do a full buddy check. Equipment, air, weights, releases and signals, using the routine you were trained in.
- Agree what to do if you are separated. Usually a short search, then a controlled ascent and meeting at the surface.
- Stay within your limits. The plan should suit the least experienced diver in the group.
- Debrief afterwards. A short chat about what went well is also the moment to suggest the next dive.
Safety box
Safety box. Never dive alone, dive within your training and use a licensed dive centre if you are not an independent diver. Check the weather and sea conditions on the day and follow the centre’s or your own dive plan. On land, meet at a public place such as the dive centre, tell a friend where you are going and with whom, arrange your own way home, and leave if you feel uncomfortable. On MeetNow the host chooses who joins and anyone can block a user; read how MeetNow approaches safety for more. If you prefer to stay on dry land, see how to find a hiking buddy in Malta.
FAQ: diving with new people in Malta
Can I dive in Malta without a dive centre?
Only if you meet the definition of an independent diver, broadly someone qualified and experienced to dive to 30 metres, and you dive with other independent divers. Everyone else must dive through a licensed dive centre.
How do I find a dive buddy if I travel alone?
Book guided dives with a licensed dive centre. Centres pair divers who arrive alone and usually group people by level, so you will dive with someone of similar experience.
Do I need a medical to dive in Malta?
Expect a dive centre to ask you to complete a medical self-declaration form, and depending on your answers it may ask for a doctor’s approval. According to the MTA definitions summarised by BSAC, divers over 60 need a valid annual diving medical from a diving doctor.
Does MeetNow organise dives?
No. MeetNow helps you find company for plans at public places, such as meeting at a dive centre or having lunch after a dive. The dive itself should be booked with a licensed dive centre or planned by qualified independent divers.
Who pays on a dive day plan?
“Pay your own” is the usual choice: each person pays the dive centre for their own dive and equipment hire, and for their own food and drinks.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins. It is live on the web now, starting in Malta, with the phone apps on the way: open MeetNow and see the plans near you.
