Cipreia Dive Club
Dual SSI Diamond ITC and PADI dive centre at Sesimbra's Porto de Abrigo, running boat dives and courses to instructor level since 1992.
Last updated September 2026
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About
Cipreia Dive Club has run from Sesimbra's harbour, the Porto de Abrigo, since 1992, operating out of the Clube Naval de Sesimbra building. It is part of the OUTPRO outdoor-equipment group, based in Alfragide near Lisbon, which also runs three further Cipreia locations on Madeira. The centre is dual-affiliated, holding SSI's top Diamond Instructor Training Center tier alongside PADI Dive Center status, and trains through both agencies up to instructor level. It also registers as a Tourist Animation company under Portugal's RNAAT licence, a category that spans boat trips and snorkelling as well as diving. Cipreia advertises itself as the only Portuguese diving and training company certified to ISO 9001:2015.
Weekends bring a standing Advanced Open Water certification run at the River Gurara wreck, a pattern divers specifically recommend Cipreia for. The boat is a semi-cabin craft powered by a 260 hp Volvo Penta engine, aluminium-hulled, with capacity for 13 divers and two rear ladders. Air and nitrox fills run up to 40%, from a Bauer and B-Trox compressor set at 200 and 300 bar.
The named Sesimbra team includes instructor trainer Ricardo Germano, instructors Sebastian Albrecht, André Santos, Emanuel Agostinho and Susana Rico, and divemaster Maria José Borralho, among others, all doubling as skippers. Equipment rental covers BCDs, dive computers, drysuits, neoprene suits, regulators and cylinders in every size including children's, with outdoor showers, drying racks and separate changing rooms at the harbour base. Sesimbra sits about 30 km south of Lisbon, roughly a 30-minute drive.
What divers say
The dominant theme in reviews is the PADI Open Water Diver course: divers finishing it describe the whole team as professional and attentive throughout. Reviewers on diving forums independently name Cipreia among a short list of trusted Sesimbra operators, and one recent account describes an octopus-rich dive booked at short notice from Lisbon.
One experienced diver's account stands apart from that pattern: booked on a summer weekday, the trip ran a shallow, beginner-oriented profile instead of the deeper diving expected, and the reviewer's own advice was to check the schedule in advance for a technical or wreck dive. That matches the centre's own weekday and weekend split above: the daily programme and the weekend wreck programme are pitched at different divers.
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 Cipreia Dive Club's official website before booking.
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Courses
Guided Dives
Other Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I train to instructor level with Cipreia, and in which agencies?▾
Yes. Cipreia holds SSI's top Diamond Instructor Training Center tier and PADI Dive Center status side by side, and its own course structure runs from Beginner Courses through Skill Progression to Divemaster and Instructor levels in both agencies.
What certification do I need for the weekend wreck dive at River Gurara?▾
Gruta do Arcanzil (18 m average) and Ponta da Passagem (15 m average) sit within Open Water range. The weekend trip to River Gurara's stern averages 25 m, which calls for Advanced Open Water.
What does Cipreia's ISO 9001:2015 claim mean for divers?▾
Cipreia advertises itself as the only Portuguese diving and training company holding ISO 9001:2015 certification, a quality-management standard applied across the operation rather than a diving-specific award.
Is the Sesimbra base part of a larger group, and does that affect its pricing?▾
Yes. Cipreia is part of the OUTPRO outdoor-equipment group and runs three further locations on Madeira alongside Sesimbra. Prices differ by branch: the guided boat dive published for Sesimbra is a separate rate from anything advertised for the Madeira locations, so a Madeira price is not a guide to what Sesimbra charges.
How much does a guided dive with Cipreia cost?▾
A single boat dive from the Sesimbra base is priced from EUR 40. Course and equipment prices are quoted directly by the centre, not posted online.
Can I dive from shore with Cipreia in Sesimbra?▾
No. Every dive from this base runs by boat from the Porto de Abrigo harbour, and Cipreia advertises no shore-entry product for Sesimbra.
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