Mini Weekend at Banco di Santa Croce

Without heavy equipment, freediving allows you to move underwater with ease. It is the purest form of diving, and it gives you an incomparable sense of intimacy with the ocean. In the Try Freediving program, after a brief theory lesson, you’ll go freediving in a confined water area and discover why freedivers truly love this sport. Join us today and discover your inner freediver! Choose a date and book now—spots are limited. Only 12...! Use the registration feature on this page. Create your SSI account for free and with no obligation, choose a date, and confirm your participation. Our staff will contact you shortly at the email address you provided. To participate, you must bring the following: swimsuit, swim cap, flip-flops, bathrobe, and a change of underwear. COST: 15€ (to be paid on the same day) For information and reservations: ORSOLA -3919178438- orsola@laquiladimare.it

React Right is SSI's emergency first response course and provides you with the training and knowledge you need to act as a first responder in a medical emergency. In this flexible program, you can choose which topics you want to learn, including pre-assessment, first aid, BLS, and key stabilization techniques. You can also learn oxygen administration in diving emergencies and the basics of automatic external defibrillator (AED) use. Using a combination of academic sessions and hands-on training scenarios, this course will give you the tools and confidence you need for emergency response. Once certified, you will be able to act as an emergency first responder, provide first aid and BLS, administer oxygen, and provide support with AED in a medical emergency. Get your Specialty SSI React Right certification. Get started today! For info: Stephen - 333.1321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

The SSI Diver Stress and Rescue specialty course teaches you the skills you need to protect yourself and other divers. You'll learn how to identify stress, how to prevent accidents, and you'll be taught practical techniques for conducting rescues and providing emergency care. With a combination of practice sessions in the pool and in open water, you will become well prepared and confident in handling emergency and recovery situations. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Diver Stress and Rescue Specialty certification. For info: Stephen - 333.1321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

Instructor Specialty Seminar/Co-Teaching: DEEP DIVING Join our program to earn your certification, expand your professional horizons, and broaden your skills. Seminar cost: 150€ (excluding the SSI instructional kit) For more information: Stefano - 333.132153 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

The SSI Instructor Training Course is designed for professional divers who wish to become instructors and transform their experience into genuine teaching expertise.With L’Aquila di Mare – SSI Training Center, the ITC is an intensive, technical, and personal program designed to train instructors who are well-prepared, knowledgeable, and capable of teaching scuba diving with method, safety, and passion.During the course, we will work on communication, student management, SSI standards, academic presentations, pool presentations, open-water presentations, safety, and preparation for the Instructor Evaluation.Becoming an instructor isn’t just about being a good diver—it’s about learning to help others grow, observe, correct, motivate, and guide them responsibly.The training will take place at the L’Aquila di Mare Training Center, which features a dedicated classroom, a comfortable pool, a 4-meter pool, and an intimate setting—ideal for focused, high-quality work.A path for those who want to take the next step in their diving journey.Become an SSI Instructor with L’Aquila di Mare.Turn your passion into teaching.

The SSI Try Scuba program is the best way to try scuba diving for the first time. You’ll be in a confined water setting under the close supervision of your instructor, so you can enjoy those first unforgettable breaths underwater and experience the magic of scuba diving. By the end of this short course, you’ll have earned your SSI Try Scuba certification card, and you’ll undoubtedly want to dive again. Endless underwater adventures await you, and this course is where it all begins. Get started today! We only have 12 spots available! Reserve your spot now with no obligation! To participate, you must bring the following: swimsuit, swim cap, flip-flops, bathrobe, and a change of underwear. Cost: 15€. For information and reservations: Stefano - 333.3121563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

Live an unforgettable diving experience with the diving event at Argentario and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. From the port of Porto Ercole (GR) we will depart by boat for a day dedicated to exploring the characteristic seabed of Monte Argentario, Giglio Island and Giannutri Island, areas included in the protected terrestrial park and among the most attractive diving destinations in the Mediterranean. The dives offer fascinating scenery, with vertical walls rich in gorgonians, sponges and colonies of red coral, fascinating wrecks such as the Anna Bianca and Nasim, and frequent encounters with pelagic species such as barracuda, amberjack and tuna, as well as passages of marine life in the warmer weather. The outing includes two guided boat dives, dive guide, tanks and ballasts, and an onboard lunch with drinks and snacks. The fee is designed for both certified divers and those who want to practice finswimming in the crystal clear waters. The event is ideal for those who are already certified Open Water Diver (or equivalent) and want to explore some of the best dive sites in the Tyrrhenian Sea, each year scheduled on dates from spring to fall with confirmation of participation by the deadlines indicated. For info: Stefano - 3331321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

From October 30 to November 1, 2026, the island of Ponza will host an extraordinary diving weekend organized by ASD L’Aquila di Mare, ideal for divers of all levels and their companions. The event takes place on the largest of the islands in the Ponziane Archipelago, a renowned destination for the variety of its seabeds and the spectacular beauty of the central Tyrrhenian Sea coastline. Ponza offers a unique underwater environment, with rocky walls, natural caves, canyons, and picturesque dive sites, including formations such as Le Formiche, which slope down to a depth of over 50 meters and offer fascinating plays of light and underwater landscapes. Another major attraction is the Punta Papa Wreck (LST 349), a World War II vessel resting on the seabed at a depth of 25 meters. It is one of the island’s most photographed dive sites and is ideal for both technical and recreational exploration. The program includes daytime dives led by professionals, with all technical equipment provided for divers, and the opportunity to discover the rich Mediterranean fauna: groupers, scorpionfish, moray eels, octopuses, and, with a little luck, schools of barracuda. In addition to the dives, the event includes two nights’ accommodations in a hotel or apartment with breakfast, dinners at a restaurant, and round-trip ferry rides from Formia to Ponza. It’s the perfect opportunity to combine the diving experience with exploring one of the most popular destinations in the Tyrrhenian Sea, with its coastal landscapes and crystal-clear waters. For more information: Stefano - 333.1321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

It's easy to get rusty with diving skills and lose confidence when you haven't dived in a while. With the SSI Scuba Skills Update we will get you back in the water and diving with ease in no time. This refresher course allows you to review and practice the scuba skills you learned during the Open Water Diver course, under the guidance of an SSI Professional. This is a great course to take just before a diving vacation, so you can spend less time worrying about your skills and more time admiring marine life. If you are a student who is not yet Open Water Diver certified, a Scuba Skills Update is ideal for practice before open water training dives. Since there is no fixed duration, you can take your time and focus on the techniques you need. With us, you can participate in the practical session in the pool and finish the training in just 3 hours. For info: Stephen - 333.1321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

The SSI Deep Diving Specialty will teach you everything you need to dive to depths between 18 and 40 meters, through a complex of academic sessions and open water dives. You will learn how to safely plan and complete your deep diving adventures and how to use computers and gas consumption calculations to get the most out of your deep dives. Upon completion, you will have your SSI Deep Diving certification and be able to explore beautiful deep dive sites wherever you choose. This SSI specialty is also a prerequisite for some advanced training, making it the next logical step to take in your dive training. Option to finish the course at the lake (included in the price) or at sea (depending on scheduled trips and additional cost). For info: Stephen - 333.1321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

The SSI Perfect Buoyancy specialty is the best way to improve your buoyancy and get the most out of every dive. Buoyancy is an essential skill for diving, but any diver will tell you it takes time to perfect it. The Perfect Buoyancy specialty will teach you advanced buoyancy skills and techniques so that you can master it more quickly and enjoy more relaxed diving adventures. In this fascinating course, you will also learn new skills that protect the environment and work in every diving situation. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Perfect Buoyancy Specialty certification. With better buoyancy control, you'll soon be able to soar with ease and take the underwater photographs you dream of! With us, you can participate in in-water training sessions at our L'Aquila Municipal Pool location. For info: Stefano - 333.1321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

The Divemaster course is the first step in an exciting journey. Gain the respect of your fellow divers and become an ambassador for diving by taking the Divemaster course. All you need to get started are 40 verified/recorded dives and Deep Diving, Navigation, Night Diving & Limited Visibility certifications or at least 5 recorded/verified dives in each area plus Diver Stress & Rescue. You will be certified as a Divemaster/Dive Guide after successfully completing the Divemaster course. If you want to turn your passion into a profession by guiding certified divers, teaching ecology courses, assisting instructors or becoming an instructor yourself! For info: Stephen - 333.1321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

With this specialty program, you’ll gain the advanced skills and knowledge needed to navigate underwater safely and confidently. You’ll learn how to use a compass and natural navigation techniques, estimate distance, leave and return to a designated point, and master basic navigation patterns. You’ll also learn how to combine navigation techniques to enhance your diving experience. All of this sharpens your underwater observation skills, improves your safety while diving, and helps you get the most out of every dive. Upon completion, you’ll earn the SSI Navigation Specialty certification. For more information: Stefano - 333.1321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

A weekend dedicated to diving at Banco di Santa Croce, with arrival on Saturday and an overnight stay at a hotel, followed on Sunday by two dives from a dinghy.The fee includes:overnight stay in a double room at a hotel (breakfast not included);2 dives from a dinghy + park fee...Total fee: €155.00 per person.Transfers to and from the hotel and the port of Marina di Stabbia are not included and are the responsibility of the participants.Cost for dinner (if applicable): 35€, to be paid on site.

Aboard the luxurious Vita Xplorer, from November 7 to 14, 2026, we will set sail on the most classic and popular itinerary in the Egyptian Red Sea: the north, with its shipwrecks and Ras Mohammed National Park.Enjoy a unique diving experience aboard the Vita Xplorer, a modern cruise ship designed to offer comfort, safety, and fun to diving enthusiasts of all levels. The itinerary in the northern Egyptian Red Sea is one of the most iconic in the world: a perfect balance of historic wrecks, colorful walls, coral gardens, close encounters with marine life, and some of the most thrilling dives in the entire Red Sea. Our Red Sea Dive Safari aboard the Vita Xplorer features an itinerary in the northern Red Sea that combines exploration of the most famous wrecks—from the Thistlegorm to the Dunraven, from the Giannis D. to the Carnatic—with the teeming walls of Ras Mohammed National Park, featuring dives scheduled for the best times of day to fully enjoy the biodiversity, coral formations, and unique atmosphere of these iconic sites. On board the vessel, equipped with comfortable cabins, bright common areas, fine dining, and services tailored to divers, the experience is enhanced by the support of expert guides and support vessels, ensuring comfort, safety, and the opportunity to explore the reefs and wrecks of the Red Sea in an exclusive setting.SS ThistlegormThe SS Thistlegorm deserves special attention, as it is considered the most fascinating wreck in the Red Sea: sunk in 1941 and now resting at a depth of about 30 meters, its holds still contain perfectly recognizable motorcycles, trucks, ammunition, and military vehicles—all perfectly recognizable—which have been transformed by time and marine life into an extraordinarily evocative underwater museum, where the interplay of history, natural light, and marine life creates an iconic dive that remains etched in the memory of every diver.The boatThe Vita Xplorer diving cruise combines history, nature, adrenaline, and relaxation in a trip that’s ideal for wreck enthusiasts, underwater photographers, divers looking to improve their skills, and anyone who wants to discover the best of the Red Sea in absolute comfort.We’ll take you aboard the Vita Xplorer, a modern 40-meter-long dive cruise ship designed to offer maximum comfort and functionality during dives in the Red Sea. The boat can accommodate up to 24 divers in 12 air-conditioned cabins, all equipped with private bathrooms with showers, and divided into various types to meet the needs of every guest. The common areas are spacious and inviting: an air-conditioned indoor lounge where you can relax between dives, a dining area for onboard meals, and three sundecks where you can enjoy the sun, the sea breeze, or simply relax while taking in the view of the Red Sea. Designed for the most discerning divers, the boat features a large diving platform that makes entering and exiting the water easy, areas equipped for gear management, outdoor showers, and two support Zodiac boats for convenient access to dive sites. On board, you’ll find compressors, Nitrox, and facilities dedicated to technical diving, as well as the option to rent equipment. With an experienced crew, thorough briefings, and impeccable organization, the Vita Xplorer guarantees a top-tier diving cruise experience, combining professionalism, safety, and a refined atmosphere in which to enjoy a week of unforgettable dives.Aboard the Vita Xplorer, your week of diving will not only be an extraordinary experience among the wrecks and reefs of the Red Sea, but also an ideal opportunity to expand your diving skills. Thanks to the itinerary dedicated to the wrecks of the North—including the Thistlegorm, the Dunraven, the Carnatic, and the wrecks of the Gubal Strait—you can choose to participate in the SSI Wreck Diving course, which introduces you to the fundamental techniques for safely exploring wrecks, understanding their structure, reading currents, and managing your buoyancy in the confined spaces around the ship.Continuing EducationFor more experienced and motivated divers, the trip also offers the opportunity to complete the SSI Advanced Wreck Diving course, which includes more in-depth training on limited penetration procedures, the use of reels, and communication and safety techniques inside wrecks. With a realistic training environment, an ideal dive profile, and the support of certified instructors, the cruise on the Vita Xplorer provides the perfect setting to transform an interest in wrecks into true technical expertise, allowing you to return home not only with memories but also with new certifications and greater mastery of advanced diving.