The double arch is definitely one of Gozoâs most spectacular under water geological features. A smaller arch stands on top of a larger one on a rocky headland protruding from the reef in deep water some 300 metres off shore near Xwejni bay on Gozoâs North Coast. This dive site could be accessed by boat but is mostly dived from the shore. It is exposed to all north winds. The reef over the top arch is 17 metres deep and the foot of the bottom one reaches beyond 40 metres. Because of the depth and the arduous surface swim necessary to access this site, it is only for experienced divers. Fish life is prolific above and around this extended rocky headland and the two large archways.
This dive site is on Gozoâs north coast, west of Xwejni bay and about 300 metres offshore in line with the salt pans. Boats can be anchored immediately over the double arch reef but most go there from the shore and enjoy the long dive back south, over Posidonia meadows towards the shore. Dive vehicles are parked just off the Xwejni coast road and divers carefully cross the salt pans to enter the water at a small rocky inlet on the coast known as the washing machine because thatâs exactly what it looks like on stormy days. The Double Arch reef is about 300 metres to the North. Divers often surface swim the first 200 metres.
The salt pans are actively harvested and in order not to damage or dirty them, divers are urged to only walk on the rocky ridges dividing them
From the washing machine divers head out north on the surface about 200 metres before descending to 14 metres on the reef near a drop off. The drop off leads down to some house sized boulders at an average depth of 25 metres. Past the boulders the majestic double arch becomes visible and this is one of Gozoâs classic unforgettable scenes.
Divers then usually slowly dive over the boulders and through the bottom arch, dividing their attention between the various forms of marine life found here and the incredible views of the arches above. Grouper, blennies, nudibranchs and anemones are commonly seen while the shaded undersides of both arches are covered in small, colourful sponges and golden cup corals (Astroides calycularis).
Divers may choose to stay at 40 metres and dive around the rocky headland to the west or drop a bit deeper and follow the reef wall to the north east before turning around to look at the view of the double arch from this deeper angle. Slipper lobsters, large octopus and various species of sea urchins can often be seen here.
The numerous crevasses on the walls and the different sized boulders on the sea bed here are alive with marine life but time is limited because of the depth. The dive usually continues through the upper arch and up the wall slowly to reach the top of the reef at about 17 metres. A large shoal of barracuda are often encountered here whilst amberjack and tuna can often be seen hunting off the drop off. Divers take a last look at the double arch and start their long dive south towards the shore over large meadows of Posidonia. This is a 20 minute dive that gets progressively shallower and the final safety stop is done looking for cuttlefish, octopus and wrasse along the rocky Xwejni shoreline.
EXCELLENTBased on 317 reviewsVerifiedBrigitte SSuper organized diving center with great equipment and varied diving spots This year I went diving on Gozo. As I was looking online for a diving center that offers diving to the "Tuna Farm", I came across Gozo Dive St. Andrews, which turned out to be a great find. I was able to clarify everything in advance by email, so all the paperwork was already done when I arrived. Well organized and very friendly. I was looked after by Anthony, who chose the right equipment for me with me. Everything was very new and well maintained :-) As it wasn't that busy yet, there was only one other diver in our group. Anthony gave us good information about the spot and we went straight across the street into the water. Everything was very relaxed. As we realized on the second day of diving that my qualifications were not sufficient for the spot, Anthony and Lean immediately looked for options. They offered me the "deep diving" course so that I would no longer be restricted in the future. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for this course this time. Even during the trip across the island to the spots, Anthony gave us interesting details about the island. Thanks again for the all-round support :-) I will definitely come back to Gozo and my choice will again be "Gozo Dive St. Andrews".Verifiedthel6710/10 for Gozo Dive Second time with St Andrews. Fab instructor Ericka for my OW course, learned loads & went on further dive with Simon, hugely informative. Sites were amazing, what an island under & over water. Mark, Natalie & staff very welcoming, & organised our transfers, accommodation & gave suggestions. Very impressive team, working hard to cover everything & ensure safety. 10/10. Thanks Gozo Dive đVerifiedErik SSt Andrewâs dive shop, Gozo Amazing dive shop! Martin made our week dive experience. Easy to work with and very accommodating. Recommended for diver with experience. My group is all advanced open water and Nitrox certified with no need for dive guide. Very knowledgeable about conditions and very accurate daily dive site recommendations.VerifiedRory KIncredible people and excellent place to learn I did my Advanced Open Water padi course with St. Andrewâs Divers Cove the experience was exceptional. my instructor Simon is one of the best instructor Iâve had, friendly, excellent knowledge and amazing instructor. Simon has made me better and a more confident diver through conducting the padi course in a knowledge able and entertaining way!Verifiedthel67Comes with Free bananas đđ New to this dive school - happy customers. Well experienced staff, confident, informative, attentive & fun. Owner presence & oversight ensures well run system & quality delivery with good vfm. Thanks for the fun days out, til next time đ€đVerifiedSandraGreat Great ! Very well organized club, attentive, multilingual. For a stay with 10 dives, the objective has always been to introduce us to new sites each time. A special mention for Simon, who was our guide, and who is great.Verifiedchris gSt andews dive shop gozo As a diver I have always known of this dive shop in Gozo and have had air fills from there . On a recent holiday we visited Gozo and my friends car who keeps his car in malta to use on holiday/ diving trips broke down with a broken clutch cable . I suggested we go to see Mark at St Andews dive shop to see if he could recommend a good mechanic . Well to cut a long story short Mark the governor was so helpful he arranged his mechanic to fix the problem and the car was fixed within four hours . We were delighted as we were only on gozo for one day and were due to fly out a few days later so thankyou Mark and his mechanics !! On my many visits to Gozo the St andrews dive shop is always busy and customer friendly . If your planning a diving trip give that diving shop a goVerifiedOlivier LBeautiful diving holidays For a first in Gozo, a perfect success... Very professional center, both in terms of well-structured dives and safety, both in terms of magnificent sites, both in terms of pleasant and really available supervisors as well as the organization of transfers and accommodation. A truly relaxed vacation, to be repeated without a doubt.VerifiedLaetitia WTo do Great instructors, very professional and caring. A good pre-dive brief, a good debrief, excellent advice. Thank you ! However, be careful, this is not clear, you cannot share a diving pack with several people. Prices are per person! So 3 people doing a dive the price is 3 times a dive... Too bad đąVerifiedEvercuriosGreat days diving We had the best refresher day with st Andrewâs dive centre. We hadnât dived for 15 years or more and we eeee a little apprehensive but that evaporated very quickly. We were set up so just the two of us went out with our dive master Erika in xlendi bay. She really helped us to feel comfortable and in control and we had full faith in her. She obviously new the bay well and gave us a beautiful experience pointing out various fish and squid then ultimately taking us through the ledge. She went above and beyond by taking many great photos of us diving and the things we saw which she sent to us as a memento. Mark in the office was reliable and well organised and all the team were super friendly. Really recommend
EXCELLENTBased on 223 reviewsTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Elvan GökgĂŒrThey are very friendly and super helpful. We rented equipments and they were very professional. I would recommend this dive center to all divers.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Tim L. HellerAmazing people, service & dive center. We rented equipment for a day and discovered the beautiful Xlendi Bay and Xlendi Tunnel. There are several fantastic routes you can take here directly from the shore. The equipment served us well and was worth every penny! We could see conger & morray eels, squid, octopus, gar fish, and a barracuda!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Josienne WongHad my first diving experience here and they were super informative and helpful teaching me how to dive as a beginner.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Marc VanvlaenderenTop club avec un moniteur Charles qui nous a fait rĂȘver. Que de bons souvenirs MerciTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.laurent clavelBon club de plongĂ©e mais avec un cout trĂšs Ă©levĂ© alors que les plongĂ©es se font Ă pied sans bateau (104 eur pour 2 plongĂ©es avec le matĂ©riel). De plus les chaussons fournies Ă©taient basiques et trĂšs glissant inadaptĂ©s au site. Un grand merci Ă Charles pour son partage d'expĂ©rience et les plongĂ©esTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Antoine G.We had 6 great dives with Sandrine and Bruno, professional but easygoing, they gave great advices and loved diving with them ! Thanks again !Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.MiĆosz ĆuczkoSuch a cool adeventure for us. We had Been at one of the beaches inside tha land due to a windy weather. That was my 3rd diving, my GF first. Our instruktors name was Marcello (i really believe that's correct) hes such a cool guy, never left US in a trouble, always look after and he was able to make US laugh even if we were paniced. All best for him and this company. If your reading this - thanks a lot, that was a pleasure :)Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Sophie MLTMany thanks to Mark, Nathalie and their team for organizing my stay and for their advice (from renting the apartment to managing the various transfers) and to Bruno and Sandrine for the wonderful dives despite the sometimes capricious weather. A great week spent togetherTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Vladimir IvanovskiWe was diving for a first time and it was amazing. Erika was very professional and amazing trainer! I really recommend St Andrews and Xlendi bay for beginners like us đđ»đđ»đđ»Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Vincent DemollienUne bonne expĂ©rience avec une bonne instructrice comme Sandrine ! Au top !
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