Cresta Dive Centre

Ray Casey, known locally as KC, has been diving in Malta since 1989. Charlotte Fenech, Charlie, arrived from Kent and became a PADI Staff Instructor in 1992. The two have known each other more than 33 years and have run Cresta Dive Centre together as owners for the last 18, based at Cresta Quay on St Julian's seafront. The centre says it has taken more than 8,000 courses through to certification over that time.

A house wreck, the Bristol Beaufighter, sits less than five minutes out by the centre's own boat, alongside longer trips north to Cirkewwa's eight named dive points and south to the Blue Grotto at Wied iz-Zurrieq and Ghar Lapsi. The wreck circuit continues with HMS Maori, Rozi, P29, Tug 2 and Um El Faroud. Cresta runs PADI courses from Discover Scuba through Divemaster and specialty diving, but keeps to recreational depths. No technical or decompression diving is offered here. Free pickup covers St Julian's, Sliema, Gzira, Swieqi and Pembroke, and a private instructor is available for parties of two or more at no extra charge.

Cresta holds 4.9/5 across 346 Google reviews and 4.9/5 across 397 on TripAdvisor, ranking second of 49 Tours & Activities in Saint Julian's. Reviews name KC and Charlie directly rather than praising the business in general terms, and repeatedly mention door-to-door pickup, gear cleaned and ready on arrival, and patience with returning or refresher divers. One diver came back to dive with Cresta twelve years after training there, calling it the only choice in Malta for anyone starting out.