Paphos
Church Bay
-
MAX DEPTH
22M -
DIVE TYPE
Reef -
CERTIFICATION
Scuba Diver+ -
ACCESS
Shore
Church Bay is a great dive for all level of divers, beginning at just 5m and gradually descending to 23m.
This dive site is often paired with Amphitheatre which is located just 150m away on the other side of the bay. Together these 2 dive sites make for an awesome 2 tank shore dive.
For this dive a minimum certification level of Scuba Diver is required.
If your last dive was more than 1 year ago then you will be required to complete a refresher before joining any of our scheduled dives.
Once you have entered the water you will be surrounded by huge schools of Mediterranean sand smelt. These are small glass like fish of around 8-15cm in length which live in schools of around 2000 fish! From the shallows there is a drop off from 7m to 11m onto a large sandy patch where you can find Japanese Puffer fish and sometimes cuttlefish.
There are 3 main swim throughs at Church Bay with plenty more if you look for them! The second is by far the largest, enter from behind a small boulder and the cave will open up in front of you. This cave has a rock bottom so there’s no need to worry about reduced visibility after the first diver has gone through. Like other locations the reefs are made of volcanic rock which means bubble streams stay to flow out of the top of the reef.
The schedule for this dive site varies depending on the course or activity which you are doing.
We will meet at our well-equipped diving centre in Paphos Harbour. Our friendly and helpful PADI professionals will help you with equipment and begin with an interesting and informative dive briefing. Unless you have your own diving gear, all equipment is supplied by us. We spend a few minutes checking your sizes and will fit you with the suitable gear. All of our diving equipment is well maintained and serviced regularly to ensure your safety and comfort.
Once everyone is ready we will go by car to the dive site. The journey from the centre to Church Bay takes roughly 20 minutes.
To enter this dive site there is a short walk down the side of the cliff. Don’t worry there is a rope secured to the wall acting as a handrail. However you can also put your equipment on by the water if it’s easier for you!
Once you have entered the water you will descend into a shallow area of 3-5m, once your ears are comfortable and you have tightened any equipment which may have come loose. Swim though the shallow area to the middle of the reef where there will be a drop off down to a sandy ‘V’ where the bottom is at 11m.
Follow the sandy bottom keeping the reef on your right shoulder and you will find a series of swim throughs. The rock at this dive site is volcanic which means there are small holes in the rocks, which creates a Champaign effect after swimming through them.
Descend from the swim throughs towards the deepest part of the dive (between 12-22m) before slowly making your way back to the exit.
Yellow spotted pufferfish, sand smelt and Salema are most commonly found at this dive site.
For more information about the marine life we see in Cyprus, head over to our marine life page!
Complimentary fresh fruit and refreshments will be served on your return to the dive centre and our PADI professionals will debrief you and help you to complete your logbooks.
