Nikos Maitos

Discover the underwater world of Naxos

Nima Dive Center is a 5 star scuba diving center on Agia Anna beach whose mission is to teach people of all ages diving techniques and introduce them to the exploration of marine life. Nikos Maitos, founder and lead instructor at Nima Dive Center, runs the school based on the philosophy that water is life and that the sea should be enjoyed by all and of course preserved for future generations. As he explains the underwater world of Naxos is particularly rich. Reefs, shipwrecks and cave formations create a unique scenery, which Nima School instructors and Nikos Maitos will guide you through.

How many lessons does it take for a beginner to dive?
Our program called “Discover Scuba Dive” lasts a total of three hours, 30 minutes is a theoretical lesson in which you learn the basics of diving and the rest is for practical exercises. Even children from 10 years old and above can participate in this program. Then you will dive off the shore with our instructors down to 6 metres. If you love it, you can choose to do a second dive with us on our boat down to 12 metres. In this case the dive can be made on the shipwreck Marianna, a merchant ship that struck a reef and sank. Part of it has already been recovered, but its stern remains under water.

What “treasures” does the underwater world of Naxos hide?
The underwater world of Naxos can offer unique experiences. Apart from the wreck Marianna, there is a World War II Bristol Beaufighter, which is for advanced divers because it is located at a depth of 33 meters. For new divers, the dive at Frouros reef is ideal. Tunnels and caves have been formed by erosion and it is a wonderful experience. The Calypso reef is also fascinating and there you can see small parts of wrecks and pieces of broken amphorae. Finally, we can go to Panteronisi with the underwater cave which is magnificent.

Can someone combine holidays with diving lessons?
Yes, of course. Many people on holiday want to gain knowledge in diving, but also many experienced divers want to upgrade their diving qualifications. In fact, we offer the possibility for some theoretical lessons to be done by e-learning from the comfort of their home. Some of the courses that can be attended at our school are: Scuba Diver Course, Open Water Diver (OWD), Adventure Diver, Advance Open Water Diver (AOWD), Emergency First Response (EFR), Rescue Diver (RD) up to Assistant Instructor and more. In addition to recreational diving, Nima Dive Center is the only dive center on the island that can provide Technical Dive courses such as Tec40, Tec45 and Tec50.