Being a savvy diver and a worldly sort of person, you already know that Greece recently opened 18,000 miles of its coastline to divers. However, you might be wondering about the quality of the area's diving. Previously, we'd mentioned Crete: with great viz; thriving marine life; and plenty of floundered fishing boats and WWII-era ships in relatively shallow water, there's plenty to keep the average diver busy for a long time. But if you're looking for more details, Scuba Geek has found two great trip reports from recent dives in the area.

First, Stelios Grigoriou turned in this engaging report about diving in Athens. With water temps ranging from 51-86° F, the area immediately surrounding Athens is a bit congested due to boats. Nevertheless, most area dive sites are easily accessible by car. In fact, Grigoriou writes that Athens boasts at least "4 modern wrecks in depths permitted to recreational divers and...4 in depths reached easily by technical divers." Currents are generally not an issue, and the viz hovers in the 45-60 foot range. His only warning is that, given the number of boats in the region, it's essential that divers use dive buoys.

Second, Dimitris Kotsifakis writes about his experiences diving the island of Samothraki in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea. With mountains and waterfalls ringing the dive sites, Kotsifakis claims that the diving is amazing: crystal clear water, abundant marine life, dynamic rock walls, and a variety of reef to explore.

Generally, it sounds like Greek diving, while in its infancy, has a lot to offer. It's certainly a place to keep on your short list.