Scuba Diving in Side and Antalya

You can go scuba diving in Side, on the Antalya coast, with no experience at all. On a beginner day you are trained on board and an instructor stays beside you on shallow dives, while certified divers join the same boat in their own group and can arrange deeper dives on the day. This guide follows Maxtoria’s Side scuba diving tour from hotel pickup to the second dive at the Side Underwater Museum site. It also covers what a first dive involves, safety, equipment and the diving options around Antalya, Kemer and Alanya.

At a glance

• Day and times: a full day at sea, 09:30–16:00 from Side Harbour, with hotel pickup before and drop-off after

• Dives: two guided dives of about 20 minutes each — the first at around five metres over a shallow rocky reef, the second at the Side Underwater Museum site

• Who can dive: no licence or previous dive needed; divers must be 14 or older on this tour

• Included: hotel transfer in the Side region, instructor, complete diving equipment and a life jacket, hot lunch on board

• Guide languages: English and Turkish

• Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before the start

What is scuba diving?

Scuba stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. You carry your own air in a tank on your back and breathe it through a regulator, which reduces the tank’s high pressure so you can breathe normally from its mouthpiece. That lets you stay below the surface at eye level with the fish instead of looking down at them from above.

Scuba diving, snorkelling and swimming are three different activities, and a diving day can include all of them:

• Scuba diving: you breathe from a tank while fully underwater. It needs an instructor for a try dive, or a certification course.

• Snorkelling: you float face down at the surface with a mask, snorkel and fins, and can only go under for as long as you can hold your breath.

• Swimming: no breathing equipment at all. On the Side tour there is time to swim from the boat after the dives.

A try dive — also called a beginner dive or first dive — is a supervised introduction, not a qualification.

Why go scuba diving in Side?

Side lies on the Mediterranean east of Antalya, in the Manavgat district, and is best known above water for its ancient harbour town: the ruins of Side Ancient City run right down to the sea. Below the surface the coast around Side is rocky reef and rock formations, with seagrass (Posidonia) meadows in places along the Antalya coast. There are no coral reefs in this part of the Mediterranean. What Side offers instead is warm, usually calm summer water, reef fish that often come close and dive sites a boat ride along the coast from Side Harbour.

The Side Underwater Museum

Opened on 31 October 2015, the Side Underwater Museum is Türkiye’s first underwater museum. It lies about 1.5 nautical miles off Side and was created on the initiative of the Antalya branch of the Chamber of Shipping (İMEAK DTO). Its more than 100 sculptures are modern works made for the site, not ancient ruins: figures from Turkish history and from myth, including soldiers of the War of Independence, whirling dervishes, a camel caravan and Poseidon.

On the Side tour the second dive takes place at the museum site, but beginners stay in its shallow part with their instructor and will not reach the deeper sculpture groups. Expect a gentle introduction to the site rather than a tour of the sculptures.

What you may see underwater

On the rocky reefs you may see schools of bream and bogue, wrasses and small damselfish, and with luck an octopus, a cuttlefish or a moray eel tucked into a crevice. Groupers, barracuda and stingrays are also recorded along the Antalya coast, and loggerhead turtles are occasionally seen by divers in summer. Nothing is guaranteed: it depends on the site, the season and the day.

Two newcomers are worth recognising. Lionfish, an invasive species with venomous spines, have reached Antalya Bay. The silver-cheeked toadfish, a large invasive pufferfish, is poisonous to eat and can bite. Look at both, and touch neither.

How the diving day from Side works

This is the current programme of Maxtoria’s Side scuba diving tour. Times are approximate, and the tour page notes that the order of the stops and the times may vary during the day.

1. Hotel pickup — the free shuttle collects you in the Side area; the time is confirmed after booking

2. Boarding at Side Harbour — the activity starts here at 09:30

3. Safety briefing and equipment — the instructors explain the kit and the dive plan

4. Sailing to the first dive site — about 45 minutes along the Side coastline

5. First dive over the reef — about 20 minutes at around five metres, with your instructor beside you

6. Surface interval — about 70 minutes of rest on deck, the break your body needs between two dives

7. Lunch on board — a hot meal with seasonal salad, included in the price

8. Sailing to the Underwater Museum — about 30 minutes

9. Second dive at the museum site — about 20 minutes; beginners stay in the shallow part

10. Swimming and free time — about 75 minutes to swim from the boat or relax on deck

11. Return to Side Harbour — about 45 minutes; the activity ends around 16:00

12. Hotel drop-off — the shuttle takes you back to your hotel

Your first dive: what beginners can expect

Scuba diving for the first time is more about staying calm than being brave. No certificate or previous dive is needed: training is given on board, and the instructor works one to one with you underwater.

Briefing and equipment on board

Before the first dive the instructors explain the kit and the dive plan. Beginners are usually also shown a few hand signals for underwater, such as OK, problem, up and ear trouble. You may be asked health questions, and in Türkiye divers sign a declaration, in Turkish and a language they understand, that they know the safety rules and accept the risks of diving. Then you are fitted with your equipment — typically a mask, fins, a buoyancy jacket and weights, usually with a wetsuit. Ask for another size if anything pinches or feels loose.

Practising the basics

Beginners usually practise a few simple skills near the surface before going further down: breathing slowly through the regulator, letting a little water out of the mask, finding and replacing the mouthpiece, and equalising the ears by pinching the nose and blowing gently. The first minute can feel strange. Then it settles.

Underwater with your instructor

Your instructor stays beside you on both dives, sets the pace and the direction, and keeps contact with you throughout. Signal if anything feels wrong — an ear that will not clear, a mask that lets in water, or simply wanting to go up.

How deep do beginners go?

The first dive on the Side tour is at around five metres over a shallow rocky reef: deep enough to feel properly underwater, shallow enough for plenty of light and colour. On the second dive, at the museum site, beginners stay in the shallower part with their instructor; the deeper sculpture levels are for certified divers.

Diving in Side as a certified diver

If you already hold a certification, you join the same boat and are grouped separately once the dive plan is set. Deeper and longer dives can be arranged with the guide on the day, so mention your level and your last dive when you book. At the museum, the sculpture groups lie at about 11, 18 and 24 metres, according to Turkish news agencies, and how many of them you visit depends on your certification and the guide’s plan.

Bring your certification card, and your logbook if you keep one; both help the guide judge your experience. If you have not dived for six months or more, training agencies such as PADI recommend a refresher, so say so before you get in.

In Türkiye, certified visitors dive under the supervision of the dive centre’s guide rather than independently, and solo diving is not allowed. Depth limits follow your training: as an agency norm, an Open Water diver is qualified to 18 metres and an Advanced Open Water diver to 30 metres (adult limits; junior certifications can be shallower).

Diving equipment explained

On the Side tour the complete diving equipment and a life jacket are included and handed out on board, so you do not need to bring any diving gear of your own.

What’s included in the Side scuba diving tour?

Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in the Side region

• Two guided dives at different sites

• A professional diving instructor throughout

• Complete diving equipment and a life jacket

• A hot lunch with seasonal salad on board

• The boat trip along the Side coastline

Not included

• Drinks on board

• Photos and videos of your dives — optional photos can be bought, so bring a little cash

• Personal expenses and tips

How long does the day take?

The activity runs from 09:30 to 16:00 at Side Harbour, about six and a half hours, plus the hotel transfer before and after. Only about 40 minutes of that is underwater, in two dives of roughly 20 minutes; the rest is the briefing, sailing, the surface interval, lunch and time to swim.

Diving safety and health

On a beginner day your instructor handles most of the rules, but these are worth knowing before you board:

• Listen to the briefing, and tell the team if any of your equipment feels wrong.

• Stay with your instructor and your group. In Türkiye nobody dives alone.

• Learn the hand signals and use them, especially for a problem or ear trouble.

• Equalise early and often on the way down. If an ear hurts, stop and signal your instructor, who will take you up a little so you can try again — never force it.

• Never hold your breath. Breathe slowly and continuously, and come up slowly as your instructor directs.

• Avoid alcohol before diving, and do not dive if you feel unwell.

• Stay within your training; a beginner dive is not a certification.

Health and medication. Tell the dive team about any medical condition or medication before you book; this is a rule on the Side tour. Dive centres use a standard diver medical questionnaire, and a “yes” to certain questions usually means you need a doctor’s approval before diving. If in doubt, ask a doctor, ideally one familiar with diving. The standard questionnaire advises against diving while pregnant, and most other tours in this category state that diving is not suitable during pregnancy.

Flying after diving. Divers Alert Network (DAN) guidance is to wait at least 12 hours after a single dive and at least 18 hours after multiple dives in a day or diving on consecutive days — and a two-dive day counts as multiple dives. Do not book your dive day just before your flight home.

Insurance. Insurance is not among the Side tour’s listed inclusions, so check that your own travel insurance covers recreational scuba diving before you travel.

Local rules. Türkiye protects its underwater heritage strictly. Touching, moving or bringing up anything from the seabed, whether historic or natural, is prohibited; sport diving is banned in designated protection zones except at approved sites; and spearfishing with scuba is illegal. If you are unsure whether something is allowed, ask your instructor.

Scuba diving around Antalya, Kemer and Alanya

The tours listed below this guide cover Side, Antalya, Kemer and Alanya, plus one in Marmaris further west. Programmes, minimum ages and swimming requirements differ between tours, and not every tour page states them all, so read the tour page before you book and ask the team if anything is unclear.

From Antalya, diving at Kemer. If you are staying around Antalya, in areas such as Belek, Lara or Konyaaltı, the Antalya-area tours collect you from your hotel and drive about an hour south-west to Kemer marina. The diving happens in the bays around Kemer, not off Antalya city. The Kemer scuba diving tour from Antalya, for example, runs from 09:30 to around 16:00 with two guided dives, lunch and insurance included, and takes divers from 14. Another Antalya tour names Aquarium Bay, a sheltered bay often used for first dives, and Cave Bay, a rocky bay with overhangs (beginners do not go into the caves).

Alanya. Further east, the Alanya tours sail from harbours on the Alanya coast, including Okurcalar, west of Alanya town, and one tour sold from Side drives guests east to dive there. You can compare them among the scuba diving tours in Alanya.

Diving responsibly in the Mediterranean

• Touch nothing: reef life is easily damaged, and some residents sting or bite.

• Take nothing: shells, stones and anything historic stay where they are.

• Keep your fins off the bottom and away from seagrass meadows, which shelter young fish.

• Do not feed fish or other wildlife unless the dive team specifically allows it; feeding changes their natural behaviour.

• Give turtles and other large animals space, and never chase or touch them.

• Keep hoses and gauges tucked in so nothing drags across the reef.

• Leave every site exactly as you found it.

How to book

Open the Side scuba diving tour page, choose a date and add your group; your pickup time is confirmed after booking. You can book up to five hours before the start, pay online by card or, if you are signed in to your account, on the day, and cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the start. Other diving tours that start in Side are listed under scuba diving tours from Side.

Travelling with someone who would rather stay dry? Ask Maxtoria support whether they can join the Side dive boat, or see our guide to boat tours in Side and Manavgat for easy days on the water.

What to bring on your diving day

Swimsuit, worn under your clothes to save time on board

• A towel and dry clothes for the ride home

• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat for the hours on deck

• A little cash for drinks and optional dive photos

• If you are a certified diver, your certification card, and your logbook if you keep one

• Any medication you normally need; tell the dive team about it when you book

All diving equipment and a life jacket are provided on board, so there is no need to pack a mask or fins. Eat a light breakfast before pickup. If you get seasick, mention it when you book and ask a doctor before taking any remedy, as some cause drowsiness.

Best time for scuba diving in Side

For a first dive, June to October is the most comfortable time: the sea is usually above 23 °C and summer seas are usually calm. Most dive boats on this coast run from about April or May to October or November. According to long-term averages from Türkiye’s State Meteorological Service (MGM), surface water is warmest in August, at around 28 °C, and coolest in February, at around 16–17 °C. It is cooler at depth, so a wetsuit is usual.

Rough seas are far more common between November and March, and dive crews may switch sites or postpone when the sea is unsafe. For winter dates, check availability on the tour page. For month-by-month weather, see the best time to visit Antalya.

Families, children and non-divers

On Maxtoria’s Side tour, divers must be 14 or older. Younger guests can spend the day on the boat with their family and swim after the dives; stay with them in the water and swim only where the crew indicates.

• Türkiye’s underwater sports federation (TSSF) sets 12 as the minimum for any scuba diving; some other tours accept divers from 12.

• Under-18s need a parent or guardian to sign the declaration.

• The Side tour page says non-swimmers can take part because the instructor works one to one underwater. Tell the team in advance if you cannot swim; being comfortable in water makes the day far more enjoyable. Some other tours require basic swimming.

• Adults who would rather not dive should ask Maxtoria support about joining the Side boat; the Kemer tour from Antalya says non-divers may join.

Can beginners go scuba diving in Side?

Yes. Maxtoria’s Side tour is open to complete beginners as well as certified divers. Training is given on the boat before the first dive, and your instructor stays beside you underwater on both dives, working one to one with you.

Do I need a diving certificate or licence?

No. You need no licence and no previous dive to join the Side tour as a beginner. A try dive is not a certification either: it is a supervised introduction that shows you whether you would like to take a course later.

How deep do beginners dive in Side?

The first dive on the Side tour is at around five metres over a shallow rocky reef, and at the museum site beginners stay in the shallow part with their instructor. As a national rule, Türkiye’s underwater sports federation (TSSF) defines an introductory dive for people without a certificate as a shallow, one-to-one supervised dive to a maximum of five metres.

Will I see the sculptures of the Side Underwater Museum on my first dive?

Not the main sculpture groups. Beginners dive at the museum site but stay in its shallow part with their instructor, while the sculptures stand at about 11, 18 and 24 metres, depths for certified divers. Think of it as a first look at the site rather than a sculpture tour.

How long does the scuba diving tour take?

The activity runs from 09:30 to 16:00 from Side Harbour, with hotel pickup before and drop-off after, so plan on most of the day. It includes two guided dives of about 20 minutes each, one over a shallow reef and one at the Side Underwater Museum site, so about 40 minutes underwater, with a long rest and lunch on deck in between.

What is included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off in the Side region, two guided dives, a professional instructor, complete diving equipment with a life jacket, a hot lunch with seasonal salad on board and the boat trip along the coast. Drinks, dive photos and videos, personal expenses and tips are extra.

Is lunch included on the Side scuba diving tour?

Yes. A hot meal with seasonal salad is served on board between the two dives and is included in the price. Drinks on board are extra, so bring a little cash if you want them.

What should I bring, and is diving equipment provided?

All diving equipment and a life jacket are handed out on board, so you only need a swimsuit, a towel, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat, plus a little cash for drinks or optional photos. Certified divers should bring their certification card, and their logbook if they keep one. If you want to use your own mask or dive computer, ask the team when you book.

What is the minimum age for scuba diving in Side?

On Maxtoria’s Side tour, divers must be 14 or older and in good health. Younger guests can spend the day on the boat with their family. Türkiye’s underwater sports federation (TSSF) sets the minimum at 12, and some other tours in this category accept divers from 12.

Do I need to be able to swim to scuba dive?

The Side tour page says non-swimmers can take part because the instructor works one to one underwater. Being comfortable in the water makes the dives far more enjoyable, so tell the team in advance if you cannot swim. Requirements differ between tours, and some require basic swimming.

What happens before the first dive?

On board, the instructors explain the kit and the dive plan and give you training before anyone goes into the water; briefings are in English and Turkish. Beginners usually also learn a few hand signals and practise breathing through the regulator and equalising their ears near the surface. Any medical condition or medication should already have been declared to the team when you booked.

Will an instructor be with me, and what if I feel nervous?

Yes, on the Side tour your instructor stays beside you on both dives and sets the pace. Feeling nervous before a first dive is normal. Tell your instructor before you get in, take your time at the surface, and signal whenever you want to stop or go up.

Can certified divers join the tour?

Yes. Certified divers join the same boat and are grouped separately once the plan is set. Deeper and longer dives can be arranged with the guide on the day, within your training. Bring your certification card, and your logbook if you keep one; in Türkiye certified visitors dive with the dive centre’s guide, not independently.

Can I get photos or videos of my dive?

Photos and videos are not included in the price, but optional photos can be bought, so bring a little cash if you want them. If you plan to take your own camera, ask your instructor first; on a first dive, keeping your hands free is usually easier.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Dive crews choose and adjust sites for the sea conditions, and they may postpone a trip when the sea is unsafe. If your plans change, you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the start, or contact Maxtoria support about another date.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off at hotels in the Side region are included. The shuttle collects you earlier than the 09:30 start, and your exact pickup time is confirmed after you book, depending on where your hotel is.

How soon can I fly after scuba diving?

Divers Alert Network (DAN) recommends waiting at least 12 hours after a single dive and at least 18 hours after multiple dives in a day or diving on consecutive days. A two-dive day counts, so do not book your dive day just before your flight home. Some tour pages, such as the Kemer tour from Antalya, advise 24 hours; where a tour’s advice is stricter, follow it.

Can I go scuba diving from Antalya?

Yes. The Antalya-area tours pick you up from hotels in areas such as Antalya, Belek, Lara and Konyaaltı and drive about an hour to Kemer marina, where the diving takes place in the bays around Kemer rather than off Antalya city. You can compare them on the scuba diving tours from Antalya page.