My first experience in scuba diving was with Watercolours Dive Centre. 

I have always wanted to try scuba diving ever since I was a little girl, but I never got the opportunity to do it. Maybe I was scared and very anxious about it.

In May 2026, I booked my vacation to Malta, in one of the best places for scuba diving in Europe. I decided to be brave and to get over it. I had heard of Watercolours Dive Centre, a dive centre located in Sliema owned by a local diver, by the sea. This dive centre boasts a natural enclosure, perfect for beginners, perfect for me. So, I booked a Try Dive with them. The adventure had just begun.  

The next day, I arrived at 8:30am. Another student was with me. We were kind of scared but excited at the very same time. We have dreamed about it for so long. I was scared of breathing underwater, and of the cold of the water. I had so many negative thoughts about scuba diving, but my instructor was so patient and put my mind at ease. He explained everything to us. How to breathe underwater, what exercises will help us to feel at ease and what things to do if we have a problem. We also learnt some basic signs to understand each other underwater, to ease communication. All was clear for me, and for my classmate. Then, my instructor gave us our full equipment: mask, fins, regulator which allows us to breathe, a BCD, known as Buoyancy Control Device, a hood, a wet suit and a tank obviously. We were ready to go.

Firstly, some little exercises in the natural pool. We pretended to lose the primary second stage (the thing we put in our mouth to breathe) and recovered it, we pretended to have water in our mask and learnt how to empty it. Exercises very useful underwater to manage a bad or a difficult situation. And we nailed it!

It was time for us to join the sea and to explore the marine life. We jumped into the sea from the enclosure. And here we are, underwater surrounded by shoals of fish and Posidonia. It was beautiful. We learned how to manage our buoyancy and not damage the seabed. It was a really good experience; I felt super comfortable thanks to my instructor and the exercises we achieved right before. When we got out of the water, I felt so relieved and happy about what I had just experienced. I couldn’t wait to dive again, with  Watercolours Dive Centre obviously. We cleaned everything and it was the end of my very first scuba diving experience. My first thought when I got out was that I need to do it again, and again, and again. All my fears had been erased.

 Therefore, I booked my second and third dive. When I arrived at the centre, I learnt how to equip myself, how to install my own gear, it was way less difficult than I expected, and this, thanks to my instructors.

We were briefed on where we could go, what exercises we would do, to feel more comfortable, and to handle situations underwater, and then it was time to go directly in the sea. I took a big step, gathered my courage, and jumped in the sea. Here we go for my second experience in the sea. The exercises I did previously and the new exercises we did that day allowed me to feel even safer, the instructors helped me and asked me to do them all over again, to train me. I took advantage of what I have learnt during my first dive, and everything went well. It was great. We explored the seabed, met some shoals of fish and even an octopus, a sleepy one. We went around 5 meters deep. It was impressive. I could not stop looking everywhere around me. The dive lasted around an hour and then we got out of the water to have a little break. I had something to drink and a little snack and then after around an hour or two we were ready to go again.

In the afternoon, I went for my last dive of the day. Even though I was quite tired from all the excitement and training, I could not wait to get back in the sea.

We equipped ourselves and jumped again. This time, it was easier for me and I felt great. We even reached 10 meters of depth, and we stayed about 45 minutes underwater.  We went to this amazing reef that has so many arches and curious structures. It was like visiting a new city. I loved it. I even met one of my favorite fish a ‘Girelle Paon’, a multicolor fish which in English is called a Wrasse. My instructor explained to me some facts about it once out of the water. Did you know that the male one is bigger and of a different color than the female? It was so great. When I got out of the water, I could not believe I did it. And it was amazing. That is how my first experiences ended, in Malta. 

I do recommend diving in Malta, there are a lot of beautiful sites, for all levels. Moreover, I also recommend Watercolours Dive Centre: a listening, patient and professional team. They also know how to be funny and how to make us have a really good time. The enclosure is perfect for beginners like me who have a little apprehension, and perfect for exercises. This is a great centre, and this experience marked me.  It has created in me so many memories.

The beginning of a new adventure and a new passion has been deblocked.