Sea Riders
Small, owner-run SSI dive centre at Marina da Horta, Faial, led by marine biologist Alba; coastal, blue shark and Princess Alice Bank diving.
Last updated September 2026
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About
Sea Riders runs from a single boat, Cavalinha, out of Marina da Horta on Faial, with a coastal diving and freediving programme around Monte da Guia just five to ten minutes offshore, two named summer expeditions further out, and a sunset boat trip alongside them. Certified divers and freedivers join the Blue Shark dive on safety cables in open water, to a maximum depth of 10 metres, within Open Water Diver limits on any agency, or travel further out to Princess Alice Bank, a seamount reached after a two-and-a-half-hour crossing, where a shallower scuba dive and a snorkel run side by side. A hammerhead shark trip runs snorkel-only; the site's animals are hard to approach on scuba. The Blue Shark trip needs a minimum of four people to run, and Princess Alice Bank a minimum of six, going out about once a week. Multi-day packages bundle several of these products together, and the private charter option puts the whole boat, up to six people, at a group's disposal.
The centre is built around one person: Alba, a marine biologist, skipper and diving instructor, who founded Sea Riders and still leads its trips and SSI courses from Open Water through Divemaster. Sea Riders is registered with the Azores tourism authority as a nautical-activities operator, a scope that reaches beyond diving into boat rental, sightseeing tours and sport fishing, alongside a stated mission to fund ocean-education work through the business.
What divers say
Alba is named personally in review after review, credited not just for running the trip but for the marine-biology knowledge and instruction she brings to it. Blue shark diving and the hammerhead snorkel come up most often as the highlights, alongside praise for the boat and gear and the extra care taken on small, private-feeling group bookings; one reviewer describes booking the same annual group trip for a second year running. No repeated complaint shows up in the reviews.
Dive Sites (2)
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 Sea Riders's official website before booking.
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Courses
Guided Dives
Other Services
Blue Shark trips run with a minimum of 4 people; Princess Alice Bank needs a minimum of 6 and runs about once a week. Multi-day combo packages and discounts for groups of 4+ and Azores residents are also published.
Frequently Asked Questions
What depth does the Princess Alice Bank scuba dive reach, and what certification do I need?▾
Sea Riders describes this scuba dive, on its own site, as shallow, staying up to 20 metres on a safety cable. Other descriptions of the same seamount put its pinnacle nearer 35 metres, and the two figures are not resolved to one number. Either way, the certification requirement is the same: a diving certification plus at least 25 logged dives, with no specific level named.
Does the Blue Shark season really run into October?▾
Sea Riders states, on its own site, that the Blue Shark season runs end of June to end of October, but sets a shorter window in its own pricing and conditions terms, end of June to end of September. Booking towards the edges of the season is worth confirming directly, since the centre's own two figures do not agree with each other.
Can I see hammerhead sharks without a scuba certification?▾
Yes. Unlike the Blue Shark and Princess Alice Bank trips, the Hammerhead Shark Snorkel is snorkel-only; scuba is not offered because the animals are hard to approach with a tank on. A check-snorkel is required first for anyone without an existing freediving or scuba certification, and the trip runs June to September on a roughly 45-minute boat ride.
Does the Blue Shark dive ever move to Condor Bank?▾
It can, when conditions call for it. Sea Riders charges an extra fee for a Condor Bank trip, with two different figures across its own pricing material, 20 euros in the price table and 35 euros in the accompanying terms, so it is worth confirming the exact surcharge when booking.
Is Monte da Guia an official marine protected area?▾
Sea Riders markets its coastal diving programme as taking place around what it calls the Azores' first Marine Protected Area, but that description is the operator's own; no official government designation for Monte da Guia has been confirmed. The coastal dive sites themselves, 5 to 10 minutes out by boat, are real regardless of the label.
Does Sea Riders run an introductory dive for someone who has never scuba dived?▾
Yes, through the Try Dive product, a roughly three-hour, instructor-guided introduction in shallow water open to anyone regardless of prior experience. Snorkelling is open even more widely and can join any coastal trip without a certification.
Does Sea Riders' registered business address match its marina shopfront?▾
Not exactly. The Azores tourism registry lists Sea Riders Dive Center at a different street address, and with a different mobile number, than the marina shopfront, phone and email used consistently on the centre's own site, Google Places and the SSI directory. That split between a registered office and a harbour-front shop is common for a small Portuguese sole-proprietorship, not a sign of two different businesses.
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