Under the Med: My First “Try Dive” at Mare Monte Beach
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to leave gravity behind, step into a completely different world, and take your very first breath underwater?
If you find yourself in the beautiful Girne region of North Cyprus, there is a golden-sand haven at Alsancak called Mare Monte Beach. Known for its calm, crystal-clear shallow waters, it’s a favorite spot
for sunbathers and families. But if you look just past the shoreline where the turquoise waters turn into a deep Mediterranean blue, you’ll find the gateway to an incredible underwater adventure: the Try Dive (or Discover Scuba
Diving) experience.
Here is what it’s like to swap your flip-flops for fins and experience Mare Monte from beneath the surface.
What is a “Try Dive”?
If you’re not a certified scuba diver, a Try Dive is designed exactly for you. You don’t need prior experience, and you don’t need to commit to a multi-day certification course. It is a highly
supervised, one-off introductory session where a certified instructor holds your hand
(sometimes literally!) and introduces you to the magic of breathing underwater.
The Journey Begins: Briefing and Gear-
Up
The adventure starts at the local dive center, DP Diving right by Mare Monte. The vibe is instantly reassuring—instructors are incredibly laid-back but hyper-focused on safety.
Before you even touch the water, you sit down for a cuppa and a quick briefing:
The Gear: Learning how the regulator works (the mouthpiece you breathe through) and
how to clear your mask.
The Hand Signals: Since you can’t talk underwater, you learn the basics: OK, Up, Down,
Something is wrong, and the
universal favorite, Look at that fish!
The Science: A simple explanation of how to equalize your ears as you go deeper (just like pinching your nose on an airplane).
Once the theory is out of the way, it’s time to suit up. Slipping into a wetsuit, strapping on the BCD (the buoyancy vest), and buckling up the weight belt suddenly makes you feel less like a beach tourist and more like an ocean explorer.
First Breaths in the Shallows
The best part about diving at Mare Monte is the beach itself. Instead of jumping off a boat into deep, intimidating water, you simply walk in from the shore.
We waded out until the water reached chest height. the instructor had us put our regulators in and submerge just
our faces.
The Verdict: The first few breaths are a psychological battle. Your brain is screaming,
“Hey, we are underwater, we shouldn’t be inhaling!” But once you take three or four slow,
deep breaths and realize the equipment works perfectly, an incredible sense of calm washes
over you.
After practicing a couple of times at surface level, our
instructor gave us the “thumbs down” signal. It was time to dive.
Exploring the Mare Monte Underworld
As we glided down, Mare Monte’s shallow, sandy slopes gave way to rocky areas and vibrant beds of seagrass. The visibility in Cyprus is legendary
—often exceeding 25 meters—meaning everything was cast in a brilliant, cinematic technicolor blue. Floating just inches above the seabed feels exactly like flying. We drifted along, observing the local Mediterranean marine life: Schools of silver bream shimmering in the sunlight.
Tiny, colorful damselfish darting in and out of rocky crevices.
The intricate, undulating patterns of the seagrass meadows.
If you keep your eyes peeled, these waters are also home to octopuses hiding in rocky holes
and the occasional, majestic rays lying on the flat sand.
Our dive lasted about 40 minutes, reaching a maximum depth of around 6 to 7 meters.
Honestly, time loses all meaning down there.
When the instructor finally signaled that it was time to ascend, I couldn’t believe an hour had already flown by.
The Afterglow: Back on Dry Land Walking back onto Mare Monte beach, the dive gear suddenly felt twice as heavy, but my head
felt entirely light. There is a specific kind of peaceful exhaustion that comes from scuba diving.
We unsuited, the DP diving team washed down the gear, and we sat at the bench, drinking tea, swapping stories about the fish we saw and how strange—yet exhilarating—it felt to breathe
beneath the waves.
Thinking of Trying It? Here are a Few
Quick Tips:
What to bring: Just your swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, and a sense of adventure. The
dive center provides all the heavy-duty gear.
Don’t worry about swimming perfectly: You need basic swimming comfort, but the BCD
jacket floats easily, and your fins do all the work.
Book ahead: Mare Monte is a cozy spot, and dive slots fill up quickly, especially during the
peak summer months.
If you’re visiting Girne and want to add a dash of adventure to your sunbathing holiday, a Try Dive with DP Diving at Mare Monte is an absolute must. It might just be the start of a lifelong obsession with the
deep blue sea.
