Maltaqua
Family-run PADI 5-Star dive centre in St Paul's Bay, Malta, running recreational-to-technical training since 1970 with on-site accommodation and gas blending.
Last updated July 2026
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About Maltaqua
Mike and Agnes Upton founded Maltaqua in 1970 on Triq il-Mosta in St Paul's Bay. Both were instructors across multiple agencies who had already logged dives since 1968, and the centre they built has grown into one of Malta's longest-running dive operations, training thousands of divers and hundreds of instructors over more than five decades.
Day to day, Maltaqua runs shore-based guided diving in small groups, meeting each morning and choosing that day's site by wind and weather rather than fixing a single house reef. Deeper wrecks reached by boat charter, including the Imperial Eagle and the HMS Stubborn submarine, sit alongside the standard shore rotation as add-on trips a couple of times a week in high season. An unguided stream serves repeat, certified divers who prefer their own schedule.
What sets Maltaqua apart is the range under one roof: a dedicated technical department with its own gas-blending station for air, nitrox and trimix; UK Ministry of Defence approval as a training facility; on-site accommodation for dive-and-stay packages; and school-group marine-conservation add-ons run with Malta's National Aquarium and Sharklab. Few operators on the island combine recreational teaching, technical training and military-standard accreditation in a single centre.
What Divers Say
Both major review platforms sit close together on Maltaqua, each weighted heavily toward the highest score, with reviews running into 2025. Named-instructor praise recurs across different reviewers and years, and several describe Maltaqua as a place they return to on every Malta trip rather than a one-off booking.
The clearest recurring criticism is operational rather than safety-related: one reviewer described a site change from Cirkewwa to Ghar Lapsi on a hot, crowded day, with a partial refund offered afterward. Set against hundreds of reviews rating the experience as excellent, this reads as isolated friction rather than a pattern.
Dive Sites (1)
Pricing
We do our best to show current pricing, but rates may change without notice. Last verified July 2026. Always confirm the latest prices on Maltaqua's official website before booking.
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Courses
Guided Dives
Other Services
Course pricing is largely aggregated rather than independently re-scraped page by page; guided-dive and package prices are confirmed directly from the centre's own site. Verify current course rates before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has Maltaqua been operating in St Paul's Bay?▾
Since 1970, founded by Mike and Agnes Upton, both instructors who had already logged dives since 1968. It's one of the longest-running dive operations in Malta, having trained thousands of divers and instructors over more than five decades.
Does Maltaqua only run shore dives, or does it also do boat trips to deeper wrecks?▾
Its day-to-day model is shore-based guided diving in groups of up to six, but it charters boats roughly twice weekly in high season for deeper wrecks such as the Imperial Eagle and HMS Stubborn submarine, which sit beyond the standard shore rotation.
Can I stay on-site while diving with Maltaqua?▾
Yes. The centre has apartments about 100 metres away plus a seafront villa, set up for integrated dive-and-stay packages rather than requiring separate accommodation bookings.
Does Maltaqua offer technical and rebreather training?▾
Yes, through a dedicated in-house technical department with its own on-site gas-blending station producing air, nitrox and trimix up to 300 bar. It also holds UK Ministry of Defence approval as a training facility, a niche accreditation among Malta operators.
Is Maltaqua suitable for independent, repeat divers rather than guided groups?▾
Yes. Alongside guided packages, it runs an unguided stream for certified repeat visitors who bring their own transport and dive on their own schedule using rented cylinders.
What do divers say about Maltaqua's guided diving?▾
Reviews consistently praise named instructors and describe repeat visits over multiple years. The main recurring criticism is occasional last-minute site changes on crowded or hot days, an operational note rather than a safety concern.
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