Diving in Turkey - Near Istanbul

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k8mac

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Dear Diver people

We are planning a trip to Turkey in August 2012. Can you please advise if a) if this is a good time to dive in Turkey b) recommend a good and reputable dive centre in Istanbul and c) recommend some good dive sites/areas

Thanks

K8
 
August is hot but good. We recently spent a weekend at Saros Bay, which has interesting nudibranchs, octopi, sponge, etc. We chose this because its close to Istanbul, where we live, not because its the best diving in Turkey. Also, if you go during Ramazan (fasting month), which ends around 15 Aug, you will find less crowds. We used Atlantis Dive Center (search forum for my other post on them), and were happy.
 
hi everyone, I'm planning a vacation in southern Turkey and it's gonna be my first visit Turkey. any suggestions?? thanks
 
I have just posted a couple of replies to people interested in diving in Turkey and thought that some of the information may be of use to travelers who have not been here.
Istanbul has diving sites but the majority of diving is done on the Aegean coast. From Istanbul it is a very cheap below (£30) flight to Izmir. Bodrum Dalaman with either Turkish or Pegasus airlines Pegasus Airlines and certainly worth the flight if you have the time.

Ramazon this year 2013 is : 9 July - 7 August the daylight fasting, though a lot of local people on the Aegean coast only follow it for a few days, and this does not affect the tourists coming here.
Although it is hot in the summer now we are in the 1st week of May with 35c 95f going up to 40+c 104f next month, do not be surprised to feel a few days of 45c 114f then dropping off towards end of September, but the humidity is very low so you are not constantly dripping.
I can only comment on current dive locations around Kusadasi in Turkey. I am originally a BSAC UK diver and dived many places in the world. I came here for 2 week and now 5 years later am still here. The whole coast has many dive centres just make sure they offer what you are looking for and qualified.
What I can say is if you are interested in fish, no sharks, squid, cuttlefish, some turtles, Octopi, and one school of Dolphins good clear viz above all amphora and geology then where we dive is awesome there are also caves and some great reefs with the odd ancient wreck . Our sites are no more than 5-15 mins off shore by boat with 6 or 7 sites on the shore. There are many dive centres up and down the coast, and as previously said in another reply we dive all year round. I have no axe to grind as we do not work for any dive company; we just enjoy the sea especially the med as we have no (very little) currents.
How many people can dive most days when they want to and say they drive past one of the Seven Wonders of the World (Ephesus) to dive, as we dive at the mouth of the old harbour?

I hope this gives you some information about local diving here in Kusadasi we are 35 mins south of Izmir airport.
If you need information about the Aegean coast I will try and help
Hope everyone finds this helpful
Nick
 
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