Azzurro Dive Academy
SSI Instructor Training Center at Rabo de Peixe, on Sao Miguel's north coast; family-run since 2011, away from the island's two main dive harbours.
Last updated September 2026
Book your dive directly with this centre.
About
Azzurro Dive Academy runs from the Clube Naval de Rabo de Peixe, a working fishing port on Sao Miguel's north coast, midway between Ponta Delgada and Ribeira Grande. That sets it apart from Sao Miguel's other dive centres listed in the island's official dive-centre directory, all of which run from Ponta Delgada or Vila Franca do Campo on the south coast. The business was founded in 2011, originally trading as Azul Profundo, before rebranding to its current name.
The centre is family-run, led by Paulo Franco as co-owner and Technical Director, an SSI Instructor Trainer who also holds a postgraduate qualification in hyperbaric medicine and a background as a Portuguese Navy and commercial diver. Tiago Marques leads as Base Leader, an SSI Assistant Instructor, Freediving Instructor and gas blender. Reviewers across both independent platforms name Paulo and Tiago directly, which corroborates the leadership the centre describes on its own site rather than merely repeating it.
Its SSI affiliation runs to Instructor Training Center level, alongside status as an Extended Range Dive Center, a Freediving Center and an SSI Scuba Rangers base for children. The course ladder spans try-scuba and beginner levels through Divemaster and Instructor, with technical, rebreather, commercial and Public Safety Diving on offer beyond the recreational side. On the equipment side, the centre sells, rents and services gear in-house and fills tanks with air, oxygen, nitrox, heliox and trimix, plus a DiveAssure travel-insurance product for visiting divers.
What divers say
Reviews on both independent platforms available for this centre are unanimously five-star, and the pattern is unusual for how consistently it repeats: the same handful of instructors, Paulo Franco most often, also Tiago, Mariana, Andre and Claudia, are named individually across accounts written years apart, from 2022 through 2026. That is a stronger signal for a small operation than review volume alone would be.
What reviewers praise is not a site or a boat but a feeling: instruction they describe as professional, patient, safety-conscious and personal, closer to a private outing than a standard procedure, with parents specifically noting the care taken with a first-time or young diver. No complaint pattern turns up across the reviews available for this centre.
Dive Sites (1)
Facilities
Pricing
We do our best to show current pricing, but rates may change without notice. Last verified September 2026. Always confirm the latest prices on Azzurro Dive Academy's official website before booking.
View pricing details▾
Courses
Guided Dives
Contact the centre directly for current course, dive and rental prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Azzurro Dive Academy operate only on Sao Miguel, or also on mainland Portugal?▾
The centre gives conflicting information here. It advertises operating exclusively on Sao Miguel in one place, but also lists Lisboa and Setubal in another. What's confirmed independently is the Rabo de Peixe base on Sao Miguel, live and operating; any mainland connection is unresolved, so ask the centre directly if it matters to your plans.
Can children learn to dive with Azzurro?▾
Yes. Alongside its recreational and professional course ladder, the centre runs the SSI Junior Open Water course for children as young as 11, and reviewers describe instructors taking that responsibility seriously with young or nervous first-timers.
Is Azzurro based in Ponta Delgada or Vila Franca do Campo, like Sao Miguel's other dive centres?▾
No. Sao Miguel's other dive centres run from Ponta Delgada or Vila Franca do Campo; Azzurro runs instead from the Clube Naval de Rabo de Peixe, a working fishing port on the north coast roughly midway between Ponta Delgada and Ribeira Grande.
Does the centre dive the sites listed on its SSI directory page?▾
No. That directory record currently lists dive sites on the Portuguese mainland, near Sesimbra, a data mismatch rather than routes run from the Azores. From Rabo de Peixe the centre dives Sao Miguel's own coastline; a reviewer has named the Dori wreck as a highlight dived from this base.
Does Azzurro offer technical or rebreather diving, or only recreational courses?▾
Both. Beyond the standard recreational ladder, it is registered as an SSI Extended Range Dive Center and teaches rebreather diving, and its technical director also has a commercial and Navy diving background, alongside gas fills up to trimix and heliox.
Is this your dive center?
Claim this page to manage your details, update pricing and hours, showcase your dive sites, and reach divers planning their next trip.