Phoenix Dive Club Plakias
Phoenix Dive Club was the first PADI dive centre founded in Crete and has been training divers on the south coast at Plakias for more than 25 years. It holds PADI 5 Star Gold Palm resort status, one of the highest rankings PADI awards a dive centre, and runs the full range of PADI courses from a first breath underwater through to professional qualifications.
What Phoenix Dive Club offers
The centre is built around teaching rather than day trips. Four things define it.
First is the course range. As a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm resort, Phoenix can offer every PADI course available, from first-time discovery dives through open water certification to specialities and professional levels. Second is the teaching style, which the centre describes as personalised, easygoing and professional rather than processed in batches. Third are the instructors, every one of whom began their diving career at this centre, which is unusual and says something about how it is run. Fourth is the specialisation: whether you want to learn about underwater plants and animals or to add technical skills, there is a course rather than a generic dive.
Twenty-five years of continuous operation on the same coast is the relevant number here, this is the established dive school of south Crete, not a seasonal operation.
Places this dive centre is near
The centre works the south coast of the Rethymno regional unit.
- Plakias, the club is based at Plakias, the main village of this stretch of the Libyan Sea coast.
- Damnoni, the neighbouring bay of Damnoni is part of the same sheltered coastline.
What the courses cover
PADI courses available at a 5 Star Gold Palm resort include:
- Discover Scuba Diving, for first-timers with no experience
- PADI Open Water Diver, the standard entry certification
- Advanced and speciality courses, including underwater naturalist skills
- Professional-level training
Course content follows PADI standards, taught by instructors who trained at the centre themselves.
Why we recommend this experience
We recommend Phoenix for the thing that matters most when you are learning to dive: the track record of whoever is teaching you. This was the first PADI centre established in Crete, it has run for over 25 years, and it holds 5 Star Gold Palm status. When you are about to breathe underwater for the first time, that history is worth more than a discount.
The south coast location is a genuine advantage. Plakias faces the Libyan Sea with sheltered bays and clear water, and it is far quieter than the diving on the north coast, which means smaller groups in the water and better visibility on most days.
The instructor detail is the one we would point at specifically. Every instructor at the centre started their diving career there, which means they were trained to the same standard they now teach. In an industry where seasonal instructors move between centres each summer, that continuity is rare.
Two things to note.
The centre’s strength is courses rather than one-off boat trips. If you want a single fun dive between beach days, ask what is running; if you want to come away certified, this is the kind of place built for it.
Contact the centre directly for current course dates, prices and availability, schedules on the south coast are seasonal and worth confirming before you travel.
CreteLocals insider tips
Contact them before you travel, plan the days you need, and pick the season carefully.
- Email or call the centre before your trip, since course places and schedules are seasonal on this coast.
- Allow several consecutive days if you want Open Water certification, which cannot be compressed into an afternoon.
- Ask about the naturalist and speciality courses, which are what the 5 Star Gold Palm status makes available.
- Book a discovery dive first if you have never dived, before committing to a full course.
- Base yourself in Plakias rather than commuting, because the south coast is a long drive from the north.
- Check medical requirements in advance, as PADI standards ask for a health declaration before any course.
What to know before you go
Phoenix Dive Club is based at Plakias on the south coast of the Rethymno regional unit and operates as a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm resort.
Contact the centre directly for course schedules, prices and availability: isabellapapadaki@yahoo.gr, +30 693 233 6525.
Frequently asked questions
How long has Phoenix Dive Club operated?
Phoenix was the first PADI dive centre founded in Crete and has been training divers for over 25 years.
What is a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm resort?
It is one of the highest rankings PADI awards a dive centre, and it allows the centre to offer every PADI course available.
Can complete beginners dive here?
Yes. The centre runs discovery dives for people with no experience, alongside full certification courses.
Where is the dive centre?
Phoenix Dive Club is based at Plakias, on the south coast of the Rethymno regional unit facing the Libyan Sea.
Who are the instructors?
Every instructor began their diving career at this centre, and all teaching follows PADI standards.
How do you book?
Contact the centre directly by email or phone for current course dates, prices and availability.
Location
Phoenix Dive Club Plakias is located at Κόκκινα Χωράφια 740 60. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
