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TDI Instructor Trainer
IANTD Full Trimix
PADI Course Director
CCR Instructor
Malta, Mediterranean · Technical Diving

DivingThe Dream

Technical diving instruction in Malta's legendary waters. Wrecks. Walls. Trimix. The kind of diving that stays with you.

Descend
Um El Faroud 36m P29 Patrol Boat 42m MV Karwela 45m MV Xlendi 42m Bristol Beau Aircraft Carolita Barge Blue Hole, Gozo Inland Sea Reqqa Point HMS Majestic Um El Faroud 36m P29 Patrol Boat 42m MV Karwela 45m MV Xlendi 42m Bristol Beau Aircraft Carolita Barge Blue Hole, Gozo Inland Sea Reqqa Point HMS Majestic
TDI — Technical Diving International
TDI Qualified
Technical Diving International
Instructor Trainer
Advanced Trimix
CCR Instructor
Wreck Instructor
Sidemount Instructor
About Sam Norton
Sam Norton — Technical Diving Instructor, Malta
15+
Years Instructing
19
Countries Dived
1
xCCR

Living & Teaching
The Dream

Technical Instructor Trainer & Local Banter Expert

I've spent the last decade chasing rusty metal across the globe. From freezing my brass monkeys off in a wetsuit during my open water in Newquay, to driving three hours from Malaga to Gibraltar just to guide a wreck dive — I have always been obsessed with the deep stuff. Coral reefs are nice, but they're full of slimy stuff; staring into the blue or looking at a giant wall of rusted steel is what gives me a real buzz.

Today, I call Malta home. It ticks every single box: staggering walls, deep water, and iconic, world-class wrecks like the Polynesien. As a Technical Instructor Trainer, I've logged thousands of dives on open circuit and CCR — but I am far from done yet. Your dream wreck just gets added to my bucket list.

I completed the journey to TDI IT with Mark Powell in the most brutal, challenging course of my life — the kind where you go home wanting to cry every night. Because of that, and many other incredible mentors, I know exactly what it feels like to be pushed to your absolute limit. I've made plenty of daft, immature mistakes in my younger years, and those f*ck-ups shaped me.

Leave Your Ego in the Truck

I would sooner certify a diver who knows their limits and thumbs the dive than someone who blindly pushes ahead. It's okay if you don't know something — I won't ever say "you should know this." Let's talk about it.

We Are a Team

I am not the all-knowing guru. Heavily inspired by Gareth Lock's Human Factors philosophy, we focus on what went well, what didn't, and how we improve. Unfiltered, two-way communication is how we stay alive… and entertained.

Everyone's Goal is Personal

Whether you're an Open Water diver wanting to look like a badass in a wing and long hose, or a seasoned Trimix diver ready for a bucket-list dive — boxes don't get ticked; they get filled.

The Dream State

Hitting the "dream state" in diving — whether at 12m or 70m — isn't a fluke. You earned it. It's that overwhelming wave of comfort that comes from knowing you have the precise skills, total comfort in your configuration, backed by a team that can handle anything and get everyone home safely. You aren't sleeping. You made it.

When I'm not hiding in a wreck, you'll find me blasting heavy metal, cooking for my wife, and trying not to get mauled by my chihuahua, Milo.

TDI
Technical Instructor Trainer
IANTD
Full Trimix Instructor
PADI
Course Director

Where I've
Been

19Locations Worldwide
Malta & Gozo Dive Sites

The Wrecks
& Walls

Malta offers some of the clearest, warmest water in the Mediterranean — and some of its most storied wrecks. Here's where we dive. Tap any marker for the full story, or browse all 66 dive sites →

Type
Wreck
Reef / Wall / Cave
Access
Shore — Solid
Boat — Hollow
Level
Recreational
Rec & Technical
Technical Only

Signature Dives

The dives worth travelling for. Minimum certification listed for each.

Signature Dive
34m · Patrol Boat & Tugboat · Shore · Malta
P29 & Rozi
Two purpose-sunk wrecks lying side by side at Cirkewwa. The P29 patrol boat sits perfectly upright and intact. The Rozi tugboat beside her is encrusted with marine life. Two dives in one location.
WrecksShoreBoth Levels
Signature Dive
45m · Car Ferry · Shore · Gozo
MV Karwela
A former Gozo Channel car ferry sunk upright in 2000. Car decks, engine room, bridge and staircases all intact at 45 metres. One of the finest wreck dives in the Mediterranean.
WreckPenetrationGozo
Signature Dive
55m · Cave & Wall · Shore · Gozo
Inland Sea & Tunnel
A lagoon connected to the open Mediterranean by a 90-metre tunnel. Exit the tunnel and the wall drops away into deep blue. One of the most dramatic scene changes in all of Mediterranean diving.
CaveWallGozo
Level Up
Dream State
★ With Trimix + DPV: Inland Sea → Blue Hole → back in a single dive is possible.
Signature Dive
56m · Submarine · Boat · Malta
HMS Stubborn
A WWII S-class submarine scuttled in 1946. Lies intact at 57 metres — conning tower, torpedo tubes and ballast tanks all distinguishable. You want enough gas to remember it.
WreckTechnicalWWII
Get In
Signature Dive
75m · Hunt Class Destroyer · Boat · Malta
HMS Southwold
A WWII Hunt-class destroyer mined and sunk in 1942 escorting the Operation Pedestal convoy. Lies in two sections at around 75 metres — one of Malta's most historically significant deep wrecks.
WreckTechnicalWWII
Get In
Level Up
Dream State
Signature Dive
68m · Flower Class Corvette · Boat · Malta
HMS Nasturtium
A WWII Flower-class corvette that earned her stripes in the Battle of the Atlantic before ending up in Maltese waters. Lying at 68 metres, she's one of Malta's finest deep trimix wrecks — largely intact, atmospheric, and rarely dived.
WreckTechnicalWWII
Get In
Level Up
Dream State

What's
Your Dream?

Three paths. One destination. Tell me where you want to start.

Already certified? Come and dive Malta at your own pace — normally one relaxed dive a day, no rushing, and as long in the water as you like. Work on skills along the way, or just enjoy a long, quiet dive. Pick your setup below.

Want to unlock more?

A course changes what's possible. Here's what the right qualification opens up on Malta's wrecks.

TDI Adv Nitrox & Deco
↗ Um El Faroud · P29 · Karwela at depth
TDI Trimix Diver
↗ HMS Stubborn · Le Polynesien · 60m wrecks
TDI Wreck Diver
↗ Deep penetration · Engine rooms · Lower decks
TDI Technical DPV Diver
↗ Inland Sea → Blue Hole in a single dive

Technical diving is a journey, not a single course. Work through the stages in order, branch into the specialities whenever you're ready, or dive the whole path on a rebreather. Tell me where you are — I'll show you the next rung.

TDI
Core
Sidemount
Cylinders on your hips, not your back. Streamlined, flexible, and powerful — sidemount opens tighter wreck penetrations, reduces back loading and changes how you move through water entirely.
2–3 DaysEnquire
SDI
Core
Wreck Diver
Penetration techniques, guideline deployment, light protocols and emergency procedures in an overhead environment. Malta's wrecks make exceptional training grounds — you'll finish this course a different diver.
3–4 DaysEnquire
TDI
Advanced
Advanced Wreck
Deep penetration, complex multi-line navigation, low visibility protocols and gas management in confined overhead environments. Engine rooms, holds, lower decks — go further into the wreck.
3–4 DaysEnquire
SDI
Core
Solo Diver
Not a licence to be reckless — a framework for self-reliance. Redundant systems, abort criteria, self-rescue and the mental discipline that comes from knowing you can handle it alone.
2–3 DaysEnquire
TDI
Core
Technical DPV Diver
Diver Propulsion Vehicles transform what's possible on a single dive. In Malta the DPV opens up the Inland Sea to Blue Hole run — one of the most spectacular DPV dives in the Mediterranean. A quick one-day course.
1 DayEnquire
TDI
Core
Gas Blender
Theory and practical skills for blending nitrox and oxygen-enriched gases safely. Essential knowledge for any serious technical diver who wants to understand what's in their cylinders.
1 DayEnquire
TDI
Advanced
Advanced Gas Blender
Trimix blending — helium, oxygen and diluent combinations for technical diving beyond 40m. The precision required when the mix needs to be right every single time.
1–2 DaysEnquire

Ready to make diving your profession — or already teaching and want to bring it to TDI? These programmes are built around you: your timeline, your existing certifications, your goals. All bespoke. All serious.

TDI
Technical Divemaster
The first step into the professional world of technical diving. As a Technical Divemaster you'll assist TDI instructors on courses, supervise certified technical divers, and develop the leadership skills that underpin great instruction. This is where you learn what it actually means to be responsible for others underwater — gas planning, briefings, emergency management and the human factors that keep a team safe at depth.
BespokeEnquire
TDI
Technical Instructor
The qualification that lets you teach. TDI Technical Instructor certification allows you to certify students in the full TDI technical curriculum — from Intro to Tech through to Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Procedures and beyond. Training is rigorous, personal and built around real teaching scenarios in Malta's water. You'll leave knowing exactly what it takes to produce divers who are genuinely capable — not just certified.
BespokeEnquire
TDI · Crossover
All Agencies
Instructor Crossover
Already a technical instructor with another agency? Cross over to TDI and teach to your current level — your crossover ratings are matched to what you already hold. I welcome instructors from all the major agencies; get in touch if you've got questions about your specific qualifications. This is never just a paperwork exercise. Over 2–3 days we run a classroom session, a water session and go diving together — you'll see how I brief and debrief, how I use video as a teaching tool, and how I run a course as a team. It's a genuine crossover, but it's also a chance to learn my approach to teaching technical diving. You leave certified to teach TDI, and a sharper instructor for it.
2–3 Days · POAView Course

Let's Build Your
Dream Dive Trip

Tell me where you are and what you're after. I'll come back to you personally within 24 hours with a plan that fits — no template, no copy-paste, just a real conversation about your diving.

Just want to dive
Stage 1 · Foundation
Stage 2 · Going Deeper
Stage 3 · Specialise
CCR · Rebreather
Go Pro