Divers Club Azores
Small, owner-run Mares/SSI dive centre in Lajes do Pico, running Princess Alice Bank, Condor Bank and Shark Diving expeditions.
Last updated September 2026
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About
Lajes do Pico, on Pico's south coast, is a different departure point from the Madalena marina cluster and Faial's Horta-based fleet that anchor most of the area's other dive operators. Divers Club Azores works from here, running both of the area's headline offshore expeditions, Princess Alice Bank and Condor Bank, alongside reef and freediving trips and a slate of non-diving Pico experiences: private sunset boat trips, wine-focused island tours and scooter hire.
The centre is a Mares/SSI dive centre, holding Portuguese tourism-activity licence MT 11/2025. Lucie, who was born and raised on Pico, runs it personally, managing every booking, itinerary and enquiry herself. No second owner or instructor stands alongside her, though guide Amanda and skipper Greg are named repeatedly across diver reviews. Gas fills are air only, with no nitrox on offer, worth checking before a trip or course that assumes it.
Both flagship trips, Princess Alice Bank and the dedicated Shark Diving product, ask for Advanced certification or 50 or more logged dives, plus a mandatory check dive, and run from the beginning of July to mid-October. A third product, Bait Balls, is snorkelling only, watching feeding aggregations without any diving at all.
What divers say
Two threads run through the centre's reviews. One is the wildlife: divers repeatedly name mobula rays on the Princess Alice Bank trip, and one account describes a whale shark staying with a pair of divers for nearly all of a second dive on the same full-day outing. The other is the team: Lucie, guide Amanda and skipper Greg are named repeatedly, and reviewers consistently praise the equipment, supervision and logistics as professional. One diver recorded the crew responding to a weather-cancelled Princess Alice Bank trip by arranging an alternative activity for the group instead of simply calling it off.
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 Divers Club Azores's official website before booking.
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Guided Dives
Other Services
Reef diving, shore diving and equipment rental are quoted directly by the centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 'Advanced certification or 50+ logged dives' requirement cover the depth divers actually reach at Princess Alice Bank?▾
Not on its own. The seamount's pinnacle peaks at 35 metres, and both PADI and SSI cap standard Advanced Open Water training at 30 metres; 40 metres belongs to the separate Deep Diver specialty. A diver holding only a standard Advanced card is being sent 5 metres past that certification's standard depth cap unless the 50-plus-dives alternative, or the guide's own judgement on the day, is covering the gap. The trip also requires a mandatory check dive first.
What is the difference between the Shark Diving trip and the Princess Alice Bank expedition?▾
Shark Diving is a half-day outing, up to six hours, along Pico's south coast (six to thirty miles out) for one dive with blue sharks, using chumming sparingly and prohibiting touching or feeding; it costs EUR 280 per person plus a EUR 60 mandatory check dive. Princess Alice Bank is a full-day run of about 60 nautical miles, roughly two and a half hours each way, for two dives on the seamount at EUR 350 (or EUR 250 for snorkelling), plus the same EUR 60 check dive. Both share the same certification bar and the same July-to-mid-October season.
Does Divers Club Azores also run trips to Condor Bank?▾
Yes. Alongside its flagship Princess Alice Bank expedition, the centre runs offshore trips to Condor Bank, a second seamount off Pico's south coast, targeting the same kind of pelagic life.
Is the Bait Balls trip scuba diving or snorkelling?▾
Snorkelling only. It is a six-hour boat trip watching bait-ball feeding aggregations, with equipment, snacks, water and a light lunch provided on board, at EUR 325 per person. Divers on this trip have reported dolphins, turtles and large tuna schools around the bait ball.
Where does Divers Club Azores operate from?▾
From Lajes do Pico, on Pico's south coast, a different departure point from the Madalena marina cluster used by other Pico operators and from Faial's Horta-based fleet to the north. Its offshore runs to Princess Alice Bank and Condor Bank leave from here.
Who runs Divers Club Azores?▾
Lucie, who was born and raised on Pico Island, runs the business personally, handling every enquiry, booking and itinerary herself. No second owner or instructor stands alongside her, though guide Amanda and skipper Greg are named repeatedly across diver reviews dated from June 2025 to September 2026.
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