Scuba Diving and Overcoming Fear with Waterhoppers Rhodes

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When I studied abroad in Australia some time back, I knew I just had to go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.  My friends and I set it all up, but when the time came to scuba dive, everyone panicked. Scuba diving for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience.  

I mean – you’re willingly diving deep underwater with heavy equipment where you can not breathe. It sounds scary! I often tell people that scuba diving was one of the most daunting adventures during my travels, so I knew I had to give it another shot in Greece. 


Scuba Diving with Waterhoppers Rhodes

Have you went scuba diving with waterhoppers rhodes?

The day started at Mandraki Harbor in Rhodes Old Town at 9 am. Cameron and I made our way to The Waterhoppers dive boat, the “Katerina,” for a day of sun, fun, and fearlessness. We boarded our vessel and were immediately welcomed by the staff from around the world.

With about 30 other adventure seekers we were given an overview of all the necessary safety precautions and “need to know” hand signals underwater. All while making our way to our dive spot.  I distinctly took note of one hand signal in particular. Do not give a thumbs up to say you are “Okay,” it means you want to go to the surface. An easy mistake for us Americans whose national hand gesture is the thumb.

We anchored in Kalithea Bay, our home for the day. Kalithea means “beautiful view” in Greek and that is exactly what we had the entire time diving.  Waterhoppers Dive School actually has its own private dive station where the boat moors, so it is just the crew and passengers enjoying the beautiful bay for seven hours.

About to dive with waterhoppers rhodes
Just a tad bit goofy looking

We were set to go for two dives for the day, the first was a beginner dive. It was Cameron’s first-time scuba diving and only my second, which was years ago. We suited up, waited for the staff to put on our tanks, and were ready to go for our first dive of the day!  

Despite being scared in Australia, this time around was a complete breeze. We went about 5 meters underwater for the first dive and had great visibility. Cam and I knew we were in great hands the whole time and could not have felt more at peace with the sea. We also felt great knowing that if anything went wrong the Waterhoppers team was floating 5 meters above us watching.

After the first dive, we couldn’t wait to get back in the water to go for longer and deeper. The second dive was much smoother, less awkward, and was where I felt comfortable enough to pull out our GoPro and get some great underwater shots. We saw a plethora of beautiful marine life during this time like bream, damselfish, rock fish, and pipe fish. We had our hopes set on seeing an octopus or barracuda, but no dice.

Scuba in Rhodes

Although we would have liked to see an octopus swimming gracefully by us while underwater, it was okay that we didn’t. We had such a fantastic time scuba diving in the Mediterranean that we are looking into getting PADI certified soon!

Scuba diving was initially scary for us, but after about one minute we were instantly hooked and very quickly got over our fear. I don’t know why it took me so long to try it again after diving in Australia. Now we are eager to dive during our African adventure this year in Mozambique. Stay tuned!

Diving with Waterhoppers

Good to Know

  • Waterhoppers has dive trips every day but Sunday and takes off at 9am from Mandraki Habour in Rhodes Town.
  • Average water depth for dive is 10 – 15m
  • This is the Mediterranean so expect extremely clear waters with visibility around 20m+
  • Common marine life: bream, damselfish, rock fish, flounders, pipe fish, octopus
  • Maybe you will see: Mediterranean barracuda, monk seals, turtles, nudibranch
  • Average Water Temperatures: 19°C to 30°C
  • Current is very weak to nonexistent

Recommended for a day of Scuba Diving?

  • Swimsuit
  • Towel
  • Change of clothes
  • Sunscreen
  • Drinking-Water and lunch (There are snacks on the Katerina as well)
  • A good book to read while other groups are diving

We’re Now Open Water Certified!

We got our SSI Open Water Scuba certification on the island of Nusa Lembongan off the coast of Bali. We’ve now gone on numerous dives around the world and look forward to many more. Check out some of the posts!


Plan and Pack for Greece


Travel Insurance

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We don’t travel without travel insurance and neither should you. You never know what can happen while traveling so it’s best to be prepared. HeyMondo provides excellent short-term and long-term travel insurance plans. 


Waterproof Speaker

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Rainbow Sandals

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Want to fit in in Greece? Get yourself some Rainbow brand sandals, seriously everyone around you will be wearing them – and for a good reason. They are uber comfortable once you break them in and last forever!


Beach Tote!

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Travel Towel

Most hotels will provide you with a towel, but they often aren’t suitable or allowed on the beaches. I like to travel with a microfiber towel because they are light and fold up small, and they also don’t cling on to sand our dirt. Here are a few of our favorite travel towels.


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About Natasha Alden

Natasha is the co-founder of The World Pursuit. She is an expert in travel, budgeting, and finding unique experiences. She loves to be outside, hiking in the mountains, playing in the snow on her snowboard, and biking. She has been traveling for over 10 years, across 7 continents, experiencing unique cultures, new food, and meeting fantastic people. She strives to make travel planning and traveling easier for all. Her advice about international travel, outdoor sports, and African safari has been featured on Lonely Planet, Business Insider, and Reader’s Digest.

Learn more about Natasha Alden on The World Pursuit About Us Page.

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