Topical
I’d heard so much about this diving centre I just had to get in touch with Steve Fox-Kirk, owner and head instructor of Taba Diving, and it was my pleasure to catch up with him for an Inside-Out style interview … I never imagined he’d take me on my first ever Discover Scuba Diving Course … sooo …
Passion
At the helm is Steve, whose passion for diving, safety and education has helped establish Taba Diving Centre as a leading force in Cyprus diving. Together with a multilingual team of instructors, Steve has built a centre that combines professionalism with a genuinely friendly atmosphere, creating an environment where divers of every level feel comfortable and confident.
Nostalgia
I asked Steve to take me back, and he said, “I grew up in Northampton, originally I wanted to be a Geography Teacher taking my degree at Manchester Uni. I made my first dive in 1983 at Capernwray Dive Site, a disgusting quarry in the Lake District, which is in the top 5 most famous dives in the UK, and was hooked instantly. In 1998, a very good, long-term friend, Andy, was running Taba Diving out here and asked me to come and help him. He smiled as he said, “I arrived with my Nokia 310 and no one believed it was a phone. I laughed and said, ‘I got loads of those’! He continued, Not long after I arrived, Andy had to move back to the UK, and I ended up running the centre myself.
Dived In
Steve continued, “I then became partners with the owner, ‘Jack’, running the centre, but he was a silent partner. I’ve always liked the quote from John Lennon, “Life is what happens to you, while you’re making all your plans”, and in 2013, I had the chance to buy him out and did.
Re-Building
In 2016, we had to move from the beach, it then took us three months to rebuild the dive centre, dividing the one big room into a training room and a kit room and generally making it look inviting”. Our Reputation grew quickly, and we soon became the official diving school for one of Europe’s biggest travel companies, ‘Tui’, and then, ‘Get Your Guide’ joined us, both introducing first-timers and experienced divers. Now we boast the largest number of Discover Scuba Divers in the country.
The East Coast
Cyprus is all-year diving, with swimming waters never dropping below 17°C and this area is famous for its turquoise waters, with visibility up to 40 metres, dramatic underwater landscapes and world-class wreck diving. This dive centre has quietly built a reputation for delivering exceptional training, personalised experiences and unforgettable underwater adventures.
Number 1
Located in the heart of Pernera, Protaras, I asked Steve to tell me more … he said “Taba Diving Centre has become one of the East Coast’s most respected names in recreational and professional diver training. We operate from our modern facility on Perneras Avenue, and the centre welcomes everyone from complete beginners taking their very first breath underwater to experienced professionals pursuing instructor-level qualifications.”
PADI 5-Star Standards
Taba Diving Centre holds since 2001 the prestigious PADI 5-Star Dive Centre status, an internationally recognised accreditation awarded to dive centres that demonstrate excellence in diver education, safety standards, customer service and environmental responsibility. The centre is also recognised as a multi-award-winning operation and offers recreational diving, Emergency First Response training and conservation-focused activities.
Unique
What sets Taba apart is its commitment to maintaining small groups. Families, couples and individual divers always enjoy personalised instruction, ensuring each experience is tailored to individual needs and abilities … Courses for complete beginners include the one I took so that I could write this article …
Discover Scuba Diving
This course is designed for those who have never experienced scuba diving before, from age 10. Discover Scuba Diving is the perfect introduction. Participants are collected from their place of stay and taken to the dive centre. First, you’ll cover the basic theoretical lessons on scuba diving. You learn the basics of breathing underwater, how to use the equipment, and cover the fundamental safety procedures and the very important hand signals … More …
Let’s Do It
Then they’ll take you to Pernera Bay, just over 100 metres from the centre, to make your first supervised dive in the Mediterranean. They even help you get into your dive suit. Initially, you’re just waist deep, and you’ll have a go at how to breathe underwater. I thought, ‘This is easy’ … Then Steve and I moved a little deeper, learning to equalise by holding your nose and blowing every metre or so. Getting the hang of adding air to your diving jacket so you float and then deflating it so you sink was also much easier than I had imagined, and within a few minutes, I was like a fish …
Captured
The dive included having about 80 photos and videos, including, luckily, with a tiny octopus, then having a cuddle with one of the statues and playing with the fish who came to check me out. Next thing you know, you’re in a world of your own, under the careful watch of your instructor. When we got back to shore, Steve said, “See that white buoy out there? It must have been way over 100 metres away! That’s where the statue was! … I couldn’t believe we’d gone that far and how long it had taken us … Many visitors describe this programme as the moment they became hooked on diving for life. I have to say, at age 69, that’s what happened to me, and I don’t know why I waited 33 years; I can’t wait to go again, it was just ‘out of this world’!
Bubble Maker
Not forgetting the little ones, this is a Discover Scuba Diving course for Children aged 8 to 10 years old, with a parent or guardian, taking on a similar course to the adults but also with one-to-one instruction, and it’ll probably get them hooked too.
Favourites
Another popular dive is Ayia Napa’s famous ‘Discover MUSAN‘, an underwater forest, the first of its kind in the world. It features over 93 artworks by Jason deCaires Taylor, some of which are in the form of trees, while others are statues, and your guide will get some really cool photos of you here!
Future Plans
Next, I think is PADI Scuba Diver Course, which serves as a stepping stone toward full Open Water certification. It introduces core skills and knowledge while allowing participants to dive under professional supervision. These are often held in the nearby Green Bay, a favourite training and beginner site featuring calm conditions, underwater statues and abundant marine life, where you might even be lucky to dive with the turtles.
PADI Open Water Diver
Widely regarded as the world’s most popular scuba certification, the Open Water Diver course transforms non-divers into certified divers over four days. Students complete theory sessions, confined-water training and open-water dives before earning a globally recognised qualification. Taba keeps training groups small, with a maximum of four students per instructor.
You Want More?
Once you’re a qualified Diver, Steve and his fully qualified team have over 20 more options for you, from the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, designed to build confidence and experience. This course introduces divers to a range of speciality dives, including deep diving, navigation and adventure diving experiences …
Speciality Diver Courses
Divers wishing to expand their skills can typically progress through a variety of Speciality Programmes … Steve said, ” Our Speciality programmes are geared to allow divers to focus on specific interests while accumulating experience toward advanced certifications”.
The Professional Pathway
For those dreaming of turning their passion into a career, Taba offers the complete professional ladder. From PADI Divemaster, the first professional certification in the PADI system, Divemaster training develops leadership skills, dive supervision techniques and advanced diving knowledge. Candidates learn how to assist instructors, supervise certified divers and conduct certain diving activities independently.
Assistant Instructor
The Assistant Instructor programme represents the first instructional level and prepares candidates for full instructor development.
Instructor Development Course (IDC)
The IDC combines the Assistant Instructor and Open Water Scuba Instructor programmes, preparing candidates to teach the full range of core PADI recreational courses. Industry-standard IDC programmes include teaching presentations, knowledge development, confined-water evaluations, open-water teaching exercises and emergency response instruction.
Discovering the Best Sites
One of Taba Diving Centre’s greatest strengths is its access to the spectacular dive sites of the Cape Greco region. The area is internationally renowned for exceptional visibility, warm Mediterranean conditions and dramatic underwater topography, with unbelievable rock formations, caves and massive drop-offs.
Cyclops Cave
Known for dramatic rock formations, caverns and fascinating underwater landscapes.
Konnos Bay
Ideal for training dives and underwater photography thanks to its crystal-clear visibility.
Caves and Tunnels
Cape Greco also offers exciting swim-throughs and geological formations that showcase Cyprus’s unique underwater beauty.
Wreck Dives
There are a few really cool Wreck Dives that require boat charters, working closely with Steve’s very good friend Christakis Giovanis’s boat. A few favourite wrecks include the Nemesis III, and Liberty, both just a five-minute boat ride from the Golden Coast fishing shelter in Pernera. The wrecks are resting in an upright position at a depth of about 26 metres. The Nemeses boat, originally named Thalia, was built in France in 1956 and was used as a bottom trawler. In 1987, it was transferred to Cyprus and renamed … The Liberty is a Russian Cargo Ship that was sunk in May 2009, primarily for the divers.
Greek Navy Vessel
The Kyrenia was a Greek navy vessel. Not to be mistaken with the 4th Century B.C. Greek merchant ship of the same name. The Kyrenia wreck was a motorised patrol boat which once was equipped with a front-mounted machine gun, which was sadly removed prior to sinking. The warship was donated by the Cypriot Ministry of Defence and sunk in March 2015 with the purpose of creating an artificial reef. It lies at a depth of 23 meters and is accessible by boat from the Ayia Napa harbour.
The Zenobia
Frequently ranked among the world’s greatest wreck dives, the Zenobia is a 172-metre Swedish ferry that sank in 1980 off the coast of Larnaca. Along with its cargo of trucks and cars. Today, it is considered Cyprus’s crown jewel of wreck diving.
Excellence
Taba Diving Centre’s reputation has been built on three key foundations: safety, education and customer care. The centre consistently receives outstanding reviews from divers who praise the professionalism of the instructors, the quality of the equipment and the personalised approach to training. Check out their reviews on TripAdvisor. Google. Facebook and Get Your Guide …
Small Groups
Taba Diving’s combination of small group sizes, experienced staff and access to some of the Mediterranean’s finest dive sites has helped establish Taba as one of Cyprus’s premier diving destinations.
More Than a Dive Centre
For Steve Fox-Kirk and his team, diving is about more than certifications and logbooks. It is about inspiring confidence, creating memories and introducing people to an entirely new world beneath the surface. Whether you’re taking your first underwater breath, exploring the legendary Zenobia, or beginning the journey toward becoming a professional instructor, Taba Diving Centre offers a gateway to some of the most extraordinary diving experiences Cyprus has to offer.
Let’s do it Again!
And once you’ve experienced the warm Mediterranean waters of Protaras from beneath the surface, you’ll understand exactly why so many divers keep coming back, including me …
Open Long Summer Season
1st April ’til 31st October
Daily: 8.00 am ’til 6 pm
Closed Sunday’s
Directions
You’ll find Taba Diving Centre at Protaras 20, Pernera Area, Protaras 5296 … it’s about 150 metres down slope from the centre of Pernera, next to Doma Restaurant … Click on the Google Map Icon below …
GPS: 35.029423, 34.041165
Discover New Worlds!
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