Our aim is to promote and to establish Kos and the surrounding islands of Kalymnos and Pserimos as a diving and diver training destination by offering divers the opportunity to dive the best sites to be found in the area.
Local Dive Sites
Kos Diving Society is a new and exciting project set up by a group of friends sharing the same goal, to promote Kos and the surrounding islands as a SCUBA diving and diver training destination by offering divers the opportunity to dive the best sites to be found in the area.
Kos Islands Dive Sites
Diving in Kos and the surrounding islands means clear water, little or no tides and currents, therefore great visibility.
Temperatures vary from a chilly 18 degrees at the beginning of the summer season but can reach a warm 26 degrees at its height. The best diving is done by boat.
Wall dives, wrecks, islands, caverns and holes make for some great diving. The dive site descriptions are brief but give an idea of what you can expect to find, and we hope to highlight that dives over sand and grass can be avoided. Contact us and let us show you the best diving on offer in the area.
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Local Dive Sites
The Cavern
Maximum Depth: 18 meters
Located in Vlychadia, close to the beach the Cavern is a huge open recess that allows divers to swim inside to admire an amazing collection of sponges clinging to the walls and ceiling. The variety of shapes, sizes and colours of the sponges is truly amazing. Nudibranch may be found on some of the sponges and soft coral. Wrasse and Bream swim in and out of the Cavern. As the diver ascends along the Cavern a bright beam of light shines from above like a huge spotlight. This natural feature is formed by bright sunlight shining through a hole in the roof of the Cavern. If conditions allow divers can ascend in the light and surface inside a circular bowl that shapes the light beam in the water below them, a great photo opportunity. Descend a few metres back into the Cavern, swim out to end the dive... great stuff
The Archway
Maximum Depth: 18 meters
At this site, before you even descend put your face in the water and there you’ll see a huge underwater Archway. A bright blue window invites the diver to descend and also indicates the direction of the dive. Swimming into the Archway you will find Bearded Fire worms, Sea stars, Sponges, Soft Corals and a large resident Scorpion Fish. Take time to check out the roof of the Archway, you will be amazed by the variety of colour you’ll see. One of the small recesses allows divers to surface inside a cave. Light filters in from the far corner illuminating small stalactites, take a few photo’s then return to the big blue window. The cave is a cool feature of the dive but not every divers idea of fun so it is seen as an optional extra.Once through the Archway a slow swim will take you over the top of the Cavern and back to the boat. Make sure you look out for Octopus and Moray Eels on this dive.
Vlychadia Island
Maximum Depth: 26 meters
Sitting just outside of Vlychadia bay a small island offers stunning visibility. You dive the entire Island, starting and finishing at the same point. The dive starts as a wall dive dropping to a maximum depth of 26m. The wall is on your right and is full of life and the diver could quite happily spend all the dive time just exploring along this area alone. The wall teams with life, macro photographers heaven. As the wall ends, you ascend over a ledge where to the left you see a large, sloping bank of sand that has been shaped (possibly by an army of sea urchins) into a perfect ski mogul course making a very unusual underwater feature. Large shoals of silver Smelt, Parrotfish, Greek Baiting Sponge, Octopus and the occasional Barracuda may be found on this dive. The end of the dive takes you through a shallow canyon where the visibility is normally so good it does not seem that you are underwater.
The Blue Hole/Volcano
Maximum Depth: 23 meters
A mini version of the famous site in Dahab can be found in Kalymnos. The Blue Hole, also known as the Volcano is another great dive site.As the name suggests a large circular shaped hole descends from the seabed at 6m to a depth of 23m narrowing only slightly as you descend. The walls of the Hole are home to many nudibranch, blennies and gobies. At the bottom of the Hole a number of traditional wooden fishing boats rest silently, disturbed only by the occasional fin tip. Two further small wooden fishing boats are found on the sea bed outside of the Hole along with the remains of a large exploded Mine. The topography of the site alone makes for an interesting and exciting dive. The dive ends with an ascent over the Hole from 5m into a swim through to the surface.
Agios Georgios/Saint George Wreck
Maximum Depth: 30 meters
The St George is a pre WWII 2000 ton cargo vessel that lies beneath the cliffs at Liani Punda close to the Blue Hole. The vessel sank during a storm in the 70’s and is now home for a great variety of marine life. The maximum depth on this dive is 30m but may be dived shallower as the visibility is always fantastic. It is a great introduction to wreck and deeper diving for the novice diver and experienced divers will enjoy ferreting around for conga eel in the vessels darker recesses.
Thor Star Wreck
Maximum Depth: 24 meters
A great deal of mystery surrounds this great wreck diving site on Pserimos. For many years the Thor Star was attached to the island by metal lines but a few years ago at the start of a new summer season the Thor Star was found to have dropped below the surface.Why the Thor Star rests here is a mystery, very few facts are known as to why the vessel got into difficulties and what was her cargo. The Thor Star totals 70m in length and is in two sections. The bow section lies at a maximum depth of 14m and so is an great site for novice divers. The stern section lies below the bow section and has a maximum depth of 24m. The vessel retains an enormous amount of marine life. You can expect to find all of the usual reef fish here but in bigger numbers. Tuna and Jackfish have also been cruising the wreck. Large yellow and blue nudibranch, octopus and cuttlefish are residents of the wreck, it really is a lovely wreck dive. For a few snapshots of the wreck have a look in the Media Gallery.
The Island
Maximum Depth: 18 meters
If roaming in clear blue water along a gently sloping reef is your idea of fun then this dive is for you. The Island can be enjoyed from just below the surface or from its maximum depth of 18m. Cruise over sponges, huge fan mussel and feather worms that cling to the the rocks. Investigate the wall sections and some small cavern like recesses as you slowly roam the site. Huge numbers of picarel, damselfish and silver smelt shoal around you. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for things in the blue.
The Gardens
Maximum Depth: 16 meters
The Gardens dive area is located at the end of the Island dive in Pserimos. It is possible to integrate the two sites. The site is named The Gardens as the sand bottom forms paths to follow as you explore the reef. It is a shallow dive and one of the most colourful the area has to offer. The Gardens is teaming with life, expect to see all of the usual reef fish but in bigger numbers. Their is no set route on this dive just follow the paths and enjoy the scenery.
The Pinnacle
Maximum Depth: 26 meters
This huge rock pinnacle rises from the seabed at 26m and ascends to 5m below the surface. The Pinnacle retains a great amount of marine life. Large amounts of fish make the Pinnacle their home. Start the dive at your agreed maximum depth and swim around the Pinnacle ascending slowly. As you near the top of the Pinnacle you may explore a few swim throughs. The Pinnacle is a great dive and is something a little different.
There are so many opportunities to enjoy wall diving in Kos, Kalymnos and Pserimos; too many for us to write site descriptions. Many of the sites described here can be part of a wall dive, this can make an interesting dive even better. Wall diving means flexibility with regard to dive profiles, depths and time and the area explored.