Italy 2025 – Marina di Gioiosa Monica – Megale Hellas Diving Center

I had heard of Megale Hellas Diving Center for the first time in 2015. It was my diving instructor,  from Milan, that told me: « There is an outstanding diving center close to your place in Calabria ».

The perfect occasion to combine diving and time with my old parents. I could spend more time with them without reducing my time underwater.

So, I went to check their website to gather some information. It is run by a couple, Roberta Eliodoro and Francesco Tedesco. Both amazing instructors and DM. ( I am writing a separate post about it).

The first information I bump into about their underwater archaeology specialty dive course.

I keep on staring at their website.

« I want to do it ». I feel my inner fire burning inside.

At that time I’m still a baby diver, merely Open Water and I’m trying to finalize my Advanced license commuting from Switzerland to Italy for the week-ends.

I’m not an archaeologist, but I always wanted to be one, when I was a kid.  I have studied 5 years Ancient Greek and Latin, visited all the most important archaeological sites in Italy and Greece, and later also Angkor in Cambodia, Luxor, Kings Valley, Pyramids and Sphynx in Egypt and Hegra in Saudi Arabia.

I grew up with the Greek and Egyptian myths. Hadn’t I studied Foreign Languages and Literatures, I would have studied Humanities with archaeological specialty.

It is love at first sight.

However, as in all the love stories, there was some hurdles. The course was planned systematically the second half of July. I.e. the busiest part of the year for me work-wise, when I have to travel for two weeks. There was no way I could dump my job in the middle of the most important event to go and learn how you keep your buoyancy underwater while trying to pull out of sand ancient stuff without destroying it.

I bade a farewell to my wish. Looks like I’ll get a lot of other cool dives, but no underwater Indiana Jones or Lara Croft training. Sigh and sob, sob and sigh.

And then the unimaginable happened.

Covid-19, in 2020.

The world stopped because of the pandemics and all the major events were cancelled or postponed. Between the first and the second wave of Covid-19, while Italy was shyly opening and tourism struggling to survive, my boss gave me holiday for three weeks.

I called the DM in Calabria, Roberta Eliodoro, and ask her if they intend to carry out the course also this summer.

She said yes.

« Then sign me in. I’m coming! »

https://www.megalehellas.net/en/underwater-archaeology/