Tolo scuba diving takes you from a quiet beach village into the clear, sheltered water of the Argolic Gulf, with a PADI dive centre in the village. Explore more of the mainland coast with Greece Tours.
Below are the trips on sale, the first-dive session, the boat dives, the sea life, the courses, the team, planning tips and common questions.
What is Tolo scuba diving?
Tolo scuba diving means guided dives from the beach village of Tolo into the Argolic Gulf, 20 minutes from Nafplio. A PADI dive centre in the village runs first-time dives, boat dives for certified divers, night dives and full courses.
Tolo lies in Argolis and belongs to the municipal unit of Asini. Its bay forms part of the Argolic Gulf, a gulf of the Aegean Sea about 50 km long and 30 km wide. Nafplio, the main port of the gulf, lies at its north-western end.
The village works well as a dive base. Greeka notes that the diving centres of the Nafplio area are based mainly in Tolo. They teach courses for every level, rent equipment to individual divers and run boat trips to the dive sites, including trips after dark.
The water stays calm for long stretches of the summer. The mountains around the Argolic Gulf shield it from the strong summer meltemi winds. That shelter makes Tolo scuba diving a good fit for beginners as well as for certified divers.
The bay also has history above and below the surface. Homer names Asini in the Iliad as one of the cities that sent ships to Troy. Our Tolo page covers the village, its beaches and its islets in more detail.
Which Tolo scuba diving trips can you book?
GetYourGuide sells two Tolo scuba diving trips with Dive Tolo: a Discover Scuba Diving boat trip for people with no licence, and two guided boat dives for certified divers. Both run in small groups with all scuba equipment included.
The first trip suits complete beginners. “Tolo: Discover Scuba Diving by Boat for Non-Certified Divers” lasts 3.5 hours. It takes you on a guided boat dive in calm, shallow water, with an instructor at your side. You can book it as little as 1 hour ahead, and it allows free cancellation.
The second trip is for divers who already hold a certificate. “Tolo: Two Guided Scuba Boat Dives for Certified Divers” lasts 5 hours. PADI professionals lead two dives at sites in the Argolic Gulf, where divers look for barracudas, groupers and octopuses. It must be booked at least 10 hours ahead.
Dive Tolo also sells its own programme from the shop in the village. The list covers single tank dives, double tank dives and night dives for certified divers, plus snorkelling trips on the dive boat. A refresher session and a long list of PADI courses complete the menu of Tolo scuba diving options.
How does a first Tolo scuba diving session work?
A first Tolo scuba diving session follows the PADI Discover Scuba Diving programme. It lasts about 3 hours and has three steps: a briefing, a practice session in shallow water and a guided open-water dive to a maximum depth of 6 metres.
The programme is open to beginners from the age of 10. No diving experience is needed. A certified PADI professional runs every session, so a first-timer always has an instructor close by.
Step one is the briefing. The instructor explains the basics of scuba diving, how to use the equipment and the safety rules. This is the moment to ask questions before you get wet.
Step two takes place in shallow water. You take your first breaths underwater and practise basic skills before the real dive.
Step three is the real dive. The instructor guides you through open water to no more than 6 metres deep. On the GetYourGuide version of this Tolo scuba diving trip, the dive starts from the boat in calm, shallow water.
Keep one point in mind. Discover Scuba Diving is a taste of the sport, not a diving licence. Guests who want a licence can sign up for one of the courses listed below.
What do certified divers get on Tolo scuba diving boat trips?
Certified divers join daily boat dives led by PADI professionals. The double-dive trip includes two guided dives at different sites, a full set of rental equipment, and snacks and refreshments on board. Single tank dives and night dives also run.
The boat trips cover a choice of sites across the Argolic Gulf. Dive Tolo describes the visibility as clear and the sites as home to barracudas, groupers and octopuses. Divers pick a single tank dive, a double tank dive or a dive after dark.
A rule applies to divers who have been away from the water. If you hold a certificate but have not dived for more than 12 months, you need a refresher before you join the boat. The centre calls it a Scuba Review.
The refresher is short and practical. The instructor reviews the equipment and the theory from your earlier courses. You then enter the water from the shore, practise basic skills and finish an easy dive. After that, you are ready for Tolo scuba diving from the boat.
Friends who do not dive can come along too. Snorkellers and passengers can join the boat for a day on the water, space permitting and for a small charge. The dive centre also runs its own snorkelling trips on the same boat, with an expert guide on hand.
Our Nafplio snorkeling page covers the mask-and-fins trips around the gulf, including the sunken city at Epidaurus.
What can you see on a Tolo scuba diving trip?
Tolo scuba diving shows moray eels, octopuses, groupers, barracudas and colourful Mediterranean fish. The bay also holds islets with Venetian ruins, and underwater archaeologists have mapped the remains of an ancient port at Asini, near the village.
Sea life is the main draw of Tolo scuba diving. Dive Tolo lists moray eels, octopuses, groupers and barracudas among the residents of the Argolic Gulf. The centre is honest about it: marine life is wild, so no dive can promise a sighting of any one species.
Night dives change the picture of Tolo scuba diving. As the light fades, the day fish settle down and other animals come out. Divers with a torch can watch octopuses hunt and see the glow of bioluminescence in the water.
The bay has a long naval past. In the 1680s the Venetian admiral Francesco Morosini chose the bay of Tolo as the base for his attack on Nafplio. The ruins of a fortress still stand on the islet of Daskaleio, and Romvi island keeps old walls, houses and water tanks.
A Tolo hotel describes the bay as a newer destination for divers, with dive spots, sea life, shipwrecks and caves. Ask the dive centre which of these sites suit your level before you book a Tolo scuba diving trip.
History also lies on the sea floor. An international team of underwater archaeologists has found key parts of an ancient Greek port in the water at Asini, near Tolo. Teams from the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of Greece and the Swedish Institute at Athens took part in the research.
Which diving courses run in Tolo?
Dive Tolo teaches the full PADI ladder: Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver. Specialty courses cover night diving, deep diving, dry suit diving, buoyancy, enriched air nitrox and emergency oxygen.
The Scuba Diver course is the short entry level. It covers the first three sections of the PADI manual, three training sessions in confined water and two open-water dives. It qualifies you to dive to 12 metres under the direct supervision of a PADI professional, and it can be upgraded later.
The Open Water Diver course, the standard licence for Tolo scuba diving, has three phases. You learn the theory at your own pace through PADI eLearning, then practise skills such as mask clearing in calm, shallow water. Four open-water dives in the sea at Tolo complete the licence.
Advanced Open Water has no exam. It is made of five adventure dives: one deep dive between 18 and 30 metres, one navigation dive and three specialty dives of your choice, such as Fish ID or Night Diving.
The Rescue Diver course moves the focus from yourself to others. It teaches self-rescue, signs of panic, emergency scenarios and search patterns for a missing diver. The Deep Diver specialty prepares divers for wrecks and reefs between 30 and 40 metres.
Three more courses round out the list. Dry suit training keeps you warm in cooler water and extends Tolo scuba diving through the year. Enriched air nitrox allows longer no-decompression limits, and the Emergency Oxygen Provider course needs no diving at all.
Who runs Tolo scuba diving?
Dive Tolo, the PADI dive centre in the village, runs the boat dives and courses. It was known before as Intro Dive Tolo. Its owner and daily manager is Hugo, a PADI instructor who started diving in Greece at the age of 14.
Hugo is French but grew up in Greece. His diving career has taken him to Greece, Iceland, Mexico and Antarctica, where he spends part of the winter working during the southern summer. His own passion is technical diving: deep water, caves and dives that call for discipline.
The team behind Tolo scuba diving stays small. Dive Tolo describes a dedicated crew focused on safe, personal dives, with international experience and attention to detail. Saga, a dog born in Iceland, greets guests at the shop but does not dive.
The shop sits at Sekeri 67 in Tolo. PADI lists air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and a dive boat among its facilities. For Tolo scuba diving, guests meet here before the group heads to the boat.
Greeka also lists Nafplio Diving Center, a family-run ANDI and PADI resort that trains beginners and helps professional divers raise their level of certification.
How do you plan a Tolo scuba diving day?
Base yourself in Tolo or Nafplio, which are 20 minutes apart. KTEL buses run every day from Nafplio to Tolo. Book the GetYourGuide boat dives at least 10 hours ahead, or the Discover Scuba Diving trip at least 1 hour ahead.
Getting there is simple. Tolo lies on the coast south-east of Nafplio, and regional KTEL buses run a frequent daily service between the two. Drivers can reach the dive shop in about 20 minutes from Nafplio.
Match the trip to your level. Beginners book the Discover Scuba Diving boat trip. Certified divers who have been away from the water for more than a year start with the Scuba Review, and active divers go straight to the double-dive boat trip.
Both GetYourGuide trips run in small groups and allow free cancellation. The dive centre supplies the scuba equipment, so bring only swimwear, a towel and sun protection for a day of Tolo scuba diving.
Other sea trips start from the same bay. Viator sells a kayak tour from Tolo and a private half-day sail from Tolo, which suit a rest day between dives.
Pair Tolo scuba diving with time on land. The Venetian fortress on Palamidi, the old town of Nafplio and the theatre of Epidaurus are all within an easy drive. Our Nafplio page covers the sights of the region.
What do travellers ask about Tolo scuba diving?
Do you need a licence for Tolo scuba diving?
No. Beginners from the age of 10 can join the Discover Scuba Diving programme, which needs no licence and goes no deeper than 6 metres.
How long does a Tolo scuba diving trip last?
The beginner boat trip on GetYourGuide lasts 3.5 hours. The two guided boat dives for certified divers last 5 hours.
Is equipment included in Tolo scuba diving?
Yes. Both GetYourGuide trips include all scuba equipment, and the double-dive boat trip includes a full set of rental gear.
Can you dive at night in Tolo?
Yes. Dive Tolo runs night dives for certified divers and teaches a Night Diver specialty course.
What if you have not dived for a year?
Certified divers who have been out of the water for more than 12 months complete a short Scuba Review before they join the boat.