Diving in Poland has long more then 50 years tradition and many admirers. The organization which has been administrating and managing scuba diving in Poland is KDP PTTK Poland - Commission of Underwater Activity PTTK. KDP Poland joined CMAS (World Underwater Federation) at the founded assembly of this international diving organization in Monaco in 1959. Since then, world standards in training and safety procedures have been present in the practice of diving in Polish clubs. Today KDP associates more than 250 diving clubs, schools and centres with about 22 000 divers trained and 430 diving instructors. For further details about diving in Poland contact the KDP Poland or clubs (addresses are listed on here).

Diving Conditions

Poland offers a wide range of possibilities for divers: sea- and wreck-diving in the Northern part, ice and night -diving in lakes throughout the whole country and stone-pits diving in the South. Poland's dive sites are suitable for different levels of diving skills and various needs of divers. Beginners and those who want to combine their diving with other outdoors activities, such as biking, walking, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking or fishing, can enjoy the unspoiled nature of beautiful, picturesque landscapes and the underwater world of Northern part of Poland - West Pomerian Lake District, Kaszuby and the Mazurian Lake District. The depths of these lakes usually vary from 10 to 70 meters. Many sites have also additional attractions prepared especially for divers: underwater constructions, sank boats and diving bells or stylish diving taverns to meet after a dive and camp fire/grill places to warm divers after unforgettable night dives. Poland's natural conditions allow for ice-diving usually from late December till March. Once again, Northern Poland is recommended, especially the Northern-East Pojezierze Suwalskie- the coldest area of Poland - with lakes such as Hańcza, Szelment Wielki, Białe, Białe Filipowskie and many others. Wreck diving is the main attraction for sea-diving in Poland.

Diving boats take divers to diving sites in Zatoka Gdańska and in the area of Władysławowo, where there majority of the accessible for exploration wrecks lies. The wrecks are situated on average between 20 and 30 meters of depth. However, one may also find easily penetrable ships laying at the depth of 4 to 10 meters and more demanding, advanced-diver wracks in the range of 40-70 meters. Some of the most interesting wrecks are Swanhild, Month Vernon, Arngast, Kujawiak, Groźny, Gryf, Wicher, Abille, U 345. To guarantee the best visibility sea- and wreck diving is recommended in early Spring and early Autumn. In Silesia and the area of Kraków divers can find all year round interesting and exciting opportunities of unique dives in flooded stone-pits and excavations. The attraction of one such a place is Jaworzno-Szczakowa near Katowice where 2 big excavators and some other mining machinery are situated at the depth up to 20 meters. This unusual sight and clear visibility particularly encourage to taking underwater photos. More advanced divers may perform deep-dives in the deepest lake of Poland - Hańcza (108 meters), in the Northern-East. The conditions of this lake offer not only challenging dives but also a picturesque sight of Hańcza's underwater "wall". Divers who want to dive on mixed gases can easy find specialist courses in Poland or fill their tanks with nitrox or trimix stations.

Special Remarks and Warning

• Visibility A underwater visibility is variable - from 0.5 m to 15 m and depend on a dive-site and season, - usually is better in the sea than in lakes. It can be often changed drastically during this same dive at a different depth. Usually the best visibility is under ice in lakes during the winter season and below the thermocline in the summer. A carrying of the u/w lamp during each middle and deep water dive is quite necessary.
• Water temperature In Poland all dives should be always consider as cold water dives around all year . From May to November temperature usually riches 16 deg. C - 22 deg. C above a thermocline and after drops rapidly to 8 deg. C - 6 deg. C at the bottom. Water temperature in lakes or the sea has 0 deg. C to 4deg. C in winter.
• Fishermen nets Be careful on deep water unmarked fisherman nets in Polish lakes and sea. It is a real great danger for every diver, - particulary at low visibility conditions in the inland water or when wind current be appeared in the sea.
• Wind currents and wives. Be careful on surface and deep water (up to 40 meters) wind currents in the Baltic Sea. It can be suddenly appear during the dive. Also the sea surface can be rough very fast.

Permissions and licences

Divers who want to dive in Poland have to posses a valid certificate of CMAS or other international organizations .No further permissions or fees are required. Foreign diving instructors can train students on the territory of Poland only citizens of their own country.

Diving Courses in Poland

Polish diving clubs, schools and centres affiliated to the KDP Poland organize courses both for Polish and foreign divers. All courses are held according to CMAS base programmes and they conform to CMAS safety standards. After graduating a course, both theoretical and practical, the diver receive an international identity card/certificate KDP/CMAS, recognized all over the world, and Diver's Log Book. The following courses for divers are organized in Poland (Polish abbreviations given in brackets):

• Diver * (P1)
• Diver ** (P2)
• Diver *** (P3)
• Wreck Diver (WM1)
• Dry-Suit Diver * (SS1)
• Ice Diver * (PL1)
• Cave Diver (PJ1)
• Underwater Photographer * (PF1)
• Underwater Photographer ** (PF2)
• Nitrox Diver * (PN1)
• Advanced Nitrox Diver ** (PN2)
• Trimix diver (PT)
• Rebreather Diver (PR)
• Courses for Handicapped People
• Courses for Children (from 10 to 13 years old)
• Cross-overs from non-CMAS organizations (e.g. PADI, SSI)

Some of the diving schools may offer training in English or German if required but detailed arrangements should be done directly with the club or school . Prices for courses in Poland are from 150 to 300 EUR, depending on the level and type of course. The price for one wreck dive is 30 - 60 EUR, depend on a kind of diving equipment rented, gases , a boat travel distance and instructor/guide assistance.

Source: http://www.kdp-pttk.org.pl/