CIPS Dive
PADI/CMAS/FFESSM centre in El Port de la Selva, running since 1994; daily boat dives across ~20 Cap de Creus sites including Massa d'Or, April-October.
Last updated September 2026
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About
Thierry Trossel arrived in Port de la Selva in 1994 and founded CIPS Dive that year, one of the longest-established dive centres in town. He still runs the centre and dives with clients personally, and his own bio page stays as spare as the operation itself: three sentences and a single working photo instead of a corporate profile. The team grows from two permanent instructors through the off-season to six during July and August.
CIPS Dive names around 20 sites along the coast between the harbour and Massa d'Or, the flagship pinnacle that anchors every Cap de Creus centre's marketing and still draws its own superlatives from long-time divers. The centre also runs a retail dive-and-fishing shop and describes itself as the town's sole AQUALUNG distributor. Divers meet at the centre's own shop on the beach, about 100 m from the harbour, before boarding for the day's trip. Boat trips run daily from April through October, built around three shapes instead of one fixed departure: a morning single dive, an afternoon single, or a double with an hour's surface interval.
Recent reviews single out the working boat's hydraulic lift as a genuine comfort feature for older divers or anyone exiting the water in heavy gear. Documentation for any trip follows the standard Spanish requirements: a valid diving certification, waived for baptisms and initiation courses, plus civil liability insurance, accident insurance and a medical fitness certificate, with insurance available to buy on-site for divers who don't already hold it.
What divers say
Two threads run through the reviews, and they point in different directions. The trip side of the business draws strong, consistent praise: the boat's hydraulic lift comes up repeatedly as a comfort feature, Massa d'Or draws superlatives from experienced Mediterranean divers, and named staff, Thierry himself plus Marina, Marc and Carla, recur across accounts written years apart. One family review pairs a child's account of a shallow cave dive with a parent's relief at feeling their son was safe throughout.
Against that, a narrower, recurring complaint about course delivery, rushed pacing and a language mismatch, surfaces independently across accounts written years apart, and the wider review record carries the same shape: a large majority of glowing reviews alongside a small but consistent cluster of very negative ones. The pattern sits with the certification courses, not with a day's guided diving, and is worth weighing before booking one.
Dive Sites (12)
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 CIPS Dive's official website before booking.
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Courses
Guided Dives
Other Services
Insurance can be purchased directly from the centre for divers who do not already hold it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has CIPS Dive been running, and who runs it?▾
Thierry Trossel arrived in Port de la Selva in 1994 and founded CIPS Dive that year, one of the longest-established dive centres in town. He still runs the centre and dives with clients personally; the team grows from two permanent instructors to six during July and August.
Who are the instructors right now?▾
The centre's own team page lists six current instructors: Thierry Trossel, Laia Ricart, Marc Mates, Marcos Gimenez, Marina de Llobet and Carla Canet. A July 2026 review also names an instructor, Didier, working alongside Thierry that month who isn't among the six listed. That most likely reflects a page not yet updated for the season, though it could also be a boat or skipper role kept separate from the instructor list.
What's the boat like, and when do trips leave?▾
Trips run from a working boat fitted with a hydraulic lift between the dive deck and the water. A morning single dive leaves around 08:30 and returns by about 11:00, an afternoon single leaves around 15:00 and returns by about 17:00, and a double dive leaves at 08:30 with a one-hour surface interval and returns by about 13:30.
Are the certification courses as good as the diving?▾
The diving and boat side of the business draws consistently strong, recent praise. A narrower complaint about course delivery, rushed pacing and a language mismatch, recurs independently in accounts written years apart; it is a real minority pattern, not an isolated one. Anyone booking a certification course should ask about group size and lesson pacing before committing.
Does CIPS Dive dive at L'Encalladora?▾
The centre lists L'Encalladora among its named sites, but the park's own protection record marks that island's north face as an Integral Marine Reserve where diving is prohibited. Whether the site the centre dives is a different, permitted face of the same landmark isn't established. Confirm directly with the centre before booking that specific site.
When is CIPS Dive open?▾
Boat diving runs daily from April to October, per the centre's own schedule. Its listed hours (08:00-20:00 daily, year-round) are the shop and office schedule, not a claim of winter diving trips.
What depth does each course qualify me for?▾
PADI Open Water Diver qualifies to 18 m, PADI Advanced Open Water to 30 m, and CMAS Level 3, the deepest course CIPS offers, to 40 m. These are agency-wide standards, not a claim specific to CIPS.
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