Blue Ocean Divers
German-owned SSI/PADI dive centre at Luz Bay Club, Praia da Luz near Lagos, running shore and boat dives across the western Algarve since 1996.
Last updated September 2026
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About
Blue Ocean Divers is a small, founder-led shore-and-boat dive centre based at the Luz Bay Club in Praia da Luz, a few kilometres west of Lagos on Portugal's western Algarve coast. German instructor Elmar Vees and English instructor John Giddings founded the school in 1996, and Elmar still leads the school day to day, the instructor reviewers most often name.
The base gives the centre a genuine weather advantage: dives launch from shore and pool at Luz Bay Club for beginners and refreshers, and by boat toward Sagres or around Lagos, with the choice of coast made day to day depending on conditions. Around 20 sites are on offer, from shallow reef and grotto dives near the base to a handful of deeper wrecks off Lagos and Sagres. The course ladder runs SSI-first, from Bubble Maker at age 8 through Divemaster, with PADI certification also offered; depth caps on every course, 12 m for Scuba Diver, 18 m for Open Water Diver, 30 m for Advanced Open Water Diver, match the two agencies' own published limits. Rental gear is described as well-kept and available in a wide range of sizes, and exposure protection is sized for the Atlantic's cooler water. The centre names April to October as its best diving window, with visibility averaging 5 to 15 metres and reaching up to 20 metres on the clearest days. Small groups are the stated norm: the centre aims to be the only group on a site at a time.
Beyond diving, the team runs guided kayak tours along the coastline and day and night snorkelling trips, led by the same instructors who teach the courses. Ute Doert, a PADI instructor with the centre since 2000, runs the course side; Daniela "Danny" Keilhofer and Katharina Linke lead the kayak and snorkelling tours.
What divers say
Reviewers keep returning to the same two things: how safety-conscious the small groups feel, and how well the cold-water kit performs. "Relaxed and professional" and "everything was safe, planned well" are typical, and the full-length 6-7 mm suits with hoods draw specific praise for keeping divers comfortable in the Atlantic's cooler water. Families get singled out too: several reviews describe children aged 10 to 13 completing trial dives or full Open Water certification, with named instructors credited for patience and clarity.
Dive Sites (11)
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 Blue Ocean Divers's official website before booking.
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Courses
Guided Dives
Other Services
No credit cards accepted; advance payment or bank transfer only.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep is the WWI wreck (the Torvore/Tovore) that Blue Ocean Divers dives near Lagos?▾
The centre's own dive-sites page states 32 metres for the Torvore/Tovore, a WWI-era coal freighter. That figure sits inside a wider range given for the same wreck elsewhere, roughly 27 to 36 metres, so treat any single depth as approximate and confirm your planned depth with the centre before choosing a training level for the dive.
Is Blue Ocean Divers' 'Seahorse reef' the same site as the Seahorse Reef near Faro?▾
No. The shallow shore dive the centre calls Seahorse reef, maximum 8 metres, sits in the Lagos/Praia da Luz area where the centre is based. A differently located site under a similar name lies roughly 90 km away near Faro and the Ria Formosa lagoon. If you're researching a specific Seahorse Reef, check which stretch of coast is meant before booking.
Does Blue Ocean Divers teach PADI or SSI courses?▾
Both. The school's course ladder is built around SSI, and it is listed in SSI's own directory, but it also runs the PADI line, and its instructors hold PADI qualifications alongside SSI, CMAS and IAHD certifications. A course here can finish as either an SSI or a PADI certification; say which you want when you book.
What's the minimum age for a child to try diving here?▾
Bubble Maker, a pool-only taster, is open from age 8. Children can dive in the sea and work toward a full certification from age 10.
How long has Blue Ocean Divers been running?▾
The centre states its founding as 1996 on its own About page, crediting co-founders Elmar Vees and John Giddings, and separately says on its homepage that it has organised Algarve dive trips since 1993, three years earlier, a minor inconsistency between two pages of the same site that isn't resolved. Take 1996 as the founding date of the school itself.
What wetsuit do I need for diving with Blue Ocean Divers?▾
The centre's standard is a 6 mm neoprene wetsuit with hood, booties and gloves year-round; Atlantic water here runs 14-22°C, and an ice vest is offered as an optional add-on for the colder end of that range. Rental gear is available in a range of sizes if you don't bring your own.
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