Madeira Diving Center

Located in Caniço de Baixo, the Madeira Diving Center is a cornerstone of the local diving community. Established in 1980, it is the island's oldest dive centre, now operated by a second generation of divers who maintain a focus on individualised service rather than mass tourism.

The centre is positioned for easy access to the island's best sites, situated directly opposite a local supermarket and bakery. For those staying in the Sunshine Ferienapartments, located in the same building, the transition from your accommodation to the dive desk is seamless.

The team is led by Felix Waschkewitz, an SSI instructor and both a Barakuda and CMAS Team Leader. He is joined by Carlota, an SSI instructor, providing a multilingual environment where you can communicate in English, Portuguese, German, or Spanish.

This is a family-run operation that prioritises small groups to ensure a relaxed and safe diving experience. Their long-standing involvement in local conservation is evidenced by their role in the creation of the Garajau Underwater Marine Park.

As an SSI affiliated centre, they offer a comprehensive curriculum ranging from the Open Water Diver course to advanced specialities. You can progress through the Advanced Adventurer, Deep Diver, and Wreck Diver programmes, or refine your skills with the Perfect Buoyancy and Navigation courses.

For those looking to professionalise, the centre provides Dive Guide training. They also offer specialised digital kits for various disciplines, including Night Diving & Limited Visibility and the Science of Diving, alongside the React Right & Stress & Rescue course.

Boat diving is organised through a local partner, allowing you to reach offshore sites such as the wreck of the Afonso. For land-based sites, the centre utilises a climate-controlled Ford Transit for transfers.

The shore base is well-equipped for both recreational and technical divers, featuring two Bauer compressors with a capacity of 350 L/min. A dedicated Nitrox installation is available on-site for those looking to extend their bottom time.

For those needing to hire equipment, the centre stocks high-quality Mares kit that is renewed annually. This includes wetsuits, regulators, BCDs, and fins, as well as dive computers and torches for night diving.

The marine life around Madeira is diverse, with rocky walls and reefs hosting large schools of fish. You will frequently encounter barracuda, jacks, and various species of wrasse, alongside colourful parrotfish and triggerfish.

Macro life is abundant, particularly around the rocky overhangs and sandy patches. Keep an eye out for octopus, seahorses, and various species of moray eels, as well as nudibranchs and anemones that decorate the reef.

In the sandy areas and near the reef edges, you can find stingrays and butterfly rays. Crustaceans such as slipper lobsters and various species of shrimp also inhabit the crevices and anemones.

The area offers a variety of entry methods, ranging from easy access via stone steps at Reis Magos to more traditional boat entries for offshore sites and wrecks. Many of the local sites are located near the reef flat or accessible directly from the beach, making them suitable for a wide range of experience levels.