When you are finally tired of tropical fishes and modern day wrecks, come to Italy, here you can visit ancient
roman wrecks laden with amphora and spanish galeons, in crystal clear warm mediterranean waters. Visit the island
of Ponza, Venetone, Stromboli, and Tavolara the smallest kingdom in the world. There are many PADDI scuba centers
in Italy.
Water temperature: 14°C early in the year (57°F) to 24°C (75°F) in July and August
Recomended Suits: 5mm suit in the summer months, a drysuit between October and May
Visibility: 10 - 30 metres (30 - 100 feet)
Type of diving: Rocky reefs with caverns and overhangs, wrecks in some locations
Marine life: Octopus, groupers, bream, barracuda, tuna, sponges, coral
When to go: April to October are the best months for diving and some dive Centers are only open for these months. In July and August air temperatures can become very hot
HMS Janus (F53) named after the Roman god, was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Limited at Wallsend-on-Tyne on 29 September 1937, launched on 10 November 1938 and commissioned on 5 August 1939. Janus participated in the Battle of Calabria in July 1940 and the Battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941. Janus was struck by one Fritz X dropped by an enemy German He 111 torpedo bomber and sank off the Anzio beachhead in western Italy on 23 January 1944.
Mohawk Deer Cargoship which ran into the cliffs of Portofino. She lays in 45 meters of water. Bow starts at 18 meters and the open stern stops at 42 meters. One can completely swim through the wreck and come out at 42 meters in a forest of gorgones. The wreck lays in the protected Underwater Reserve of Portofino.
KT Sestri Levante, Liguria, max depth 59 meters, min depth 45 meters, upright, The Germans transformed the French ship into a warship in WWII and was then torpedoed by the British.
GenoaOnly ten minutes by boat of the harbor of Santa Margharita di Liguria, just at the entrance of the port of Portofino, lays in 60 meters of water the wreck of the GENOVA. The depth and close reach of the wreck makes it relatively easy to dive. It’s an ideal wreck for normoxic dives and as warming up dive for the deeper wrecks later on. A German U-boat sank the GENOVA in WWI (1917). The GENOVA was transporting war equipment. The GENOVA is a cargo ship of 3500 tons and is 100 meters long. The bow points in the direction of Chiavari. The wreck is still in good condition. The anchors have been taken away. The diver can look through the portholes into the cabins. One can still find some "memorabilia" in the wreck. It makes a nice dive which can be made almost every day, because it is protected against strong winds by the cliffs of Portofino. Visibility can be poor, due to the fact that the harbor of Portofino is quite close and bigger cruiseships tend to anchor close to Portofino, close to the wreck. The position of the wreck is upright. Although the wreck can be penetrated it is advised to take care since a lot of silt and mud is inside the wreck. At the stern the diver can see part of the propeller a big part is sunk in the mud.
SS Romagna, WWII wreck, 32-45 meters deep
SS Isonzo, WWII wreck, 57 meters deep, 90 meters long
