Halkidiki — Sithonia, the area around Azapiko Nets

Halkidiki · Greece · Reef

Azapiko Nets

Old fishing nets turned into a reef, with congers and groupers underneath

Area photo: id.nfero · CC BY-SA 3.0

A reef 300 m from the coast shaped by the abandoned fishing nets that settled over it, dived as two distinct spots: an inner section to 20 m and an outer section to 33 m. The nets are now habitat, sheltering groupers, European congers, hermit crabs, sea slugs and sponges, which is why the operator pitches the site at photographers.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Azapiko Nets: typical dive 2–33 m (7–108 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit2 m33 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

40.0203° N, 23.8341° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

Azapiko Nets is a reef 300 m from the coast that owes its shape to what fishermen left behind: abandoned nets settled over the rock and the reef grew through them. The dive starts at about 2 m, running parallel to the shore, and the site splits into two distinct spots, so that a single visit is really a choice between two dives with different maximum depths.

The inner section descends to 20 m and is the shallower, simpler option. The outer section reaches down to 33 m and is the one for a diver with the certification to use it. On either, the nets are the habitat: groupers hold under the mesh, European congers sit in the holes, and the surfaces carry hermit crabs, sea slugs and a range of sponges, which is why the operator pitches the site at underwater photographers as much as at fish-watchers. You finish back over the shallow top of the reef.

Marine life and season

  • Groupers
  • Nudibranchs
  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Azapiko Nets
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodOff-seasonOff-season

Season follows Halkidiki: Boat trips and Try Scuba run April to October; courses are sold year-round, but the sea sits around 14 °C from January to March.

Know before you go

  • Abandoned fishing nets are draped over the reef; keep fins, gauges and hoses clear of the mesh, carry a cutter, and never pull on a net to steady yourself.

Questions divers ask

How deep is Azapiko Nets?+

The dive starts at about 2 m. The inner section descends to 20 m and the outer section to a maximum of 33 m, so the site works as two separate dives depending on certification.

Sources

  1. Azapiko Nets - Scubago — Scubago

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