Elba & the Tuscan Archipelago · Italy · Pinnacle · Reef
Ripalti
Solitary boulders from 12 m to 40 m in strong current, for experienced divers
Area photo: CTHOE · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ripalti is a boulder site on Elba's south-east coast. The diveable shallow starts at 12 m and breaks into several solitary boulders, with a recommended diving depth of 20 to 40 m, and it is dived by experienced divers only because of the strong current. Moray eels, schooling fish, barracuda, bream and octopus live around the rocks, and red gorgonians appear at the deeper end.
Where it is and how deep
42.7071° N, 10.4198° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The diveable ground at Ripalti begins at 12 m, where the shallow rock develops into several solitary boulders standing apart on the bottom. Drop onto the top of the shallow and work down between the boulders; the recommended diving depth is 20 to 40 m, so the plan is a descent to your chosen level and a tour of the rocks at that depth rather than a wall profile.
The current is the defining feature. The source is explicit that the site suits experienced divers partly because of the strong current, so this is planned as a dive on the rock, not a drift. Stay close to the boulders, use them as shelter, and keep the group tight so nobody is carried off the rock; if the flow is too strong to hold position at the shallow, the dive is called off rather than pushed.
Moray eels hold in the boulders, and schooling fish, barracuda, bream and octopus are around them. At the deeper end of the range, red gorgonians appear on the rock. Turn on gas or time, come back up through the boulders to the 12 m shallow, and ascend with the rock as a reference.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Elba & the Tuscan Archipelago: The season runs May–September with a warm October; the sea bottoms out near 14 °C in February–March, spring and autumn winds push boats to sheltered sites, and Pianosa's buoys open April–November.
Know before you go
- Strong current: the source restricts the site to experienced divers for this reason. Stay in the lee of the boulders and abort if the flow is too strong to hold position.
- Recommended depth 20–40 m: plan no-decompression time for the deep end, where the red gorgonians are.
Questions divers ask
Is Ripalti a difficult dive?+
Yes. The site is recommended for experienced divers because of the strong current and a recommended depth of 20 to 40 m, so it is not a dive for newly certified divers.
Sources
- Ripalti — Scubago
More dive sites in Elba & the Tuscan Archipelago
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Reef
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Wall
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Wall
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A 62 m freighter on her side in 2–12 m, swum to from Pomonte beach
A plaque of Christ at 39 m on a red-gorgonian wall in a 1971 no-fishing zone
A fish-rich rockfall from the surface to 40 m in a 1971 no-fishing zone
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