Beginner Wreck Diving in Malta: Your First Three Wrecks

Yes — Malta is one of Europe’s best places to start wreck diving, and you do not need an advanced qualification to begin. If you hold a PADI Open Water Diver certificate — the entry-level licence that lets you dive to 18 metres — three of Malta’s wrecks are within your reach: the P31 patrol boat off Comino, Tugboat 2 off Sliema, and HMS Maori in Valletta. Below we compare all three by depth, access and difficulty, and explain exactly what you need to book.

First, two quick definitions, because we will use these words a lot. A wreck is a sunken ship resting on the seabed. A certification (or “cert”) is the licence that proves you have been trained to dive safely to a certain depth. Many of Malta’s famous wrecks sit deeper than 28 metres and need an Advanced cert — but the three we cover here are far shallower and made for beginners.

Key facts

• Best beginner wrecks: P31 (Comino), Tugboat 2 (Sliema), HMS Maori (Valletta)
• Minimum certification: PADI Open Water Diver (18 m depth limit)
• Depth range: 16–22 m (see the Tugboat 2 caveat below)
• PADI Open Water course in Malta: around €560 all-inclusive
• Dive season: April–October; September is warmest (~26°C)
• Dive sites in Malta and Gozo: over 100

Is Malta really a beginner-friendly wreck destination?

Malta and Gozo together offer over 100 dive sites, officially promoted by the Malta Tourism Authority. The islands built their reputation on big, deep wrecks — Um El Faroud, P29 and Rozi all sit in the 28–36 metre range and require an Advanced qualification. So it is easy to assume wreck diving here is only for experienced divers.

That is the myth. The reality is that a small number of shallow, upright, easy-to-navigate wrecks are genuinely suited to newly qualified Open Water divers. The problem is that most “best wrecks in Malta” lists mix beginner and advanced sites together without telling you which is which — so beginners end up reading about 30-metre dives they cannot yet do. This guide filters for you.

What certification do you need?

The rule of thumb in Malta is simple: 18 metres. A PADI Open Water Diver may dive to a maximum of 18 metres. An Advanced Open Water diver may go to 30 metres. That single number decides which wrecks are open to you.

The good news for beginners is that Malta’s conditions are forgiving: warm, clear, calm water with strong visibility (how far you can see underwater). That makes your first wreck dives less stressful than the same depth would be in colder, murkier seas.

Wreck	Location	Max depth	Access	Suitable for Open Water?
HMS Maori	Valletta / St Elmo Bay	16 m	Shore	Yes — shallowest, easiest
P31	Comino	~18–20 m (bow ~21 m)	Boat only	Yes — with care near the bow
Tugboat 2	Off Exiles / Sliema	22 m at the wreck	Boat / shore	Check with operator (see below)

Wreck 1: P31, Comino

The P31 is a 52-metre former Maltese patrol boat that was deliberately sunk (the term is “scuttled”) to create an artificial reef. It now sits perfectly upright on a sandy bottom, which makes it easy to follow. The average depth is around 15 metres, with a maximum of roughly 18–20 metres; the bow (front of the ship) reaches about 21 metres.

Visibility here is excellent — commonly 20 to 30 metres — so you can see the whole shape of the boat as you approach. A first-hand dive log describes the 18-metre depth as “easy to respect” for Open Water divers. One honest note: the deepest point at the bow slips just past the 18-metre limit, so on an Open Water cert you should stay along the shallower upper structure and dive with a guide who will keep you within your limit. Access is by boat only, usually from the Ċirkewwa area in the north.

Wreck 2: Tugboat 2, Sliema

Tugboat 2 (often written “Tug 2”) is a small tug boat scuttled in June 2013 off the Exiles point in Sliema. Here honesty matters more than hype. The seabed around it averages about 15 metres, but the wreck itself was shifted by a storm in 2016 and now rests at 22 metres — which is beyond the 18-metre Open Water limit.

This is why you will see it described two different ways. One dive directory officially tags Tugboat 2 as “Advanced” because of that 22-metre resting depth, while its own text calls it “one of the few shallow wreck dives in Malta, suitable for Open Water or equivalent.” Both things are a little true, which is confusing. **** Our advice: do not book this one on the assumption it is beginner-safe. Ask your dive centre directly whether they run it as a guided Open Water dive staying above 18 metres, or whether they require Advanced to reach the wreck itself. Different operators handle it differently.

Wreck 3: HMS Maori, Valletta

If you want the easiest, safest first wreck, this is it. HMS Maori is a Second World War destroyer lying in St Elmo Bay, just outside Valletta’s Grand Harbour. Its maximum depth is 16 metres — comfortably inside the Open Water limit — and it is shore-accessible, meaning you walk in from land rather than taking a boat. It is the shallowest wreck in Malta and carries real history, which makes it a rewarding, low-pressure introduction to wreck diving.

Course costs and booking a beginner package

If you are not yet certified, you can learn here. A PADI Open Water Diver course in Malta costs around €560 all-inclusive in 2026 — that price typically covers equipment hire, the online e-learning theory, and the licence itself. Many dive centres will then sell you a follow-on package of guided wreck dives once you are qualified, so you can go straight from your course to HMS Maori or P31 with an instructor.

When you book, ask three things: is equipment included, is the wreck dive guided, and what is the maximum depth they will take an Open Water diver to. A good operator will answer all three clearly.

Best months to go: season, visibility and water temperature

Malta’s dive season runs roughly April to October.

• September is the sweet spot: the water is warmest (around 26°C), visibility is strong, and the summer crowds have thinned.
• High summer (Jul–Aug) is warm and reliable but busiest.
• Winter (Jan–Mar) is much colder (14–16°C) and needs a thicker wetsuit, but it can reward you with visibility of up to 40 metres on a clear day.

For a first wreck trip, late spring or September gives you the best balance of warm water, good visibility and calm booking.

FAQ

Do you need Advanced Open Water to dive Malta’s wrecks? Not for all of them. HMS Maori (16 m) and most of P31 (~18 m) are within the Open Water 18-metre limit. But Malta’s deeper “name” wrecks — Um El Faroud, P29, Rozi — sit at 28–36 metres and do require Advanced.

What is the easiest wreck dive in Malta for beginners? HMS Maori in Valletta. At a maximum of 16 metres and reachable from the shore, it is the shallowest and simplest first wreck.

How deep is the P31 wreck in Malta? It averages about 15 metres, with a maximum of roughly 18–20 metres. The bow reaches around 21 metres, so Open Water divers should stay on the upper structure with a guide.

Is Malta good for learning to scuba dive? Yes. It has warm, clear water, over 100 dive sites, and an all-inclusive PADI Open Water course for around €560 — a strong, affordable place to start.

Planning the practical side of your trip? See our where to stay near the dive centres and do you need a car in Malta guides — a car helps a lot for reaching the Ċirkewwa and Comino boat departure points.