Trip Report Turkey: Bodrum

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kumimonster

Contributor
Messages
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Location
San Francisco Bay Area
# of dives
500 - 999
This is a little late, but seeing how it's not too busy in this forum, I figured I'd make a post and share some photos. Before traveling, I tried using SB for research to find dive operators and I wrote to 3 initially. But I got no response.
While bouncing around social media (instagram) I found a local diver who suggested Erman Diving Center near Bodrum.

I was there in October. It was explained to me by some that the season was just about over. And of course, due to Covid, operators weren't really taking bookings. When I got there though, I found that was not actually the case. In fact, 2 of the operators showed up at a dive site fully loaded with a LOT of divers.
So then, Erman Dive Center was also recommended to me by the Neyzen Yacht company. So I got in touch. To help out, the captain of the gulet was also in direct communication with Erman to facilitate things.


I spent one week on a gulet boat touring around Gokova Bay. The first day we left the marina and headed over to the Sea Garden Resort (where Erman's shop is located). He met me at the cove and then we golf carted to the shop to get me fitted for equipment. (I pretty much left my kit at home except for my mask, computer/transmitter, lavacore hooded vest, snap bolts for dangling hoses, and camera housing). They use Mares products and the suits were pretty new. I was pleased I brought my vest though. The little extra helped keep me comfortable. The rest of the rental equipment was in good condition. No complaints.

The following day, the dive boat met up with my gulet boat and I was off to check out the first dive site (Small Reef). Gorgeous sponges, nudies & flatworms, a variety of fish. We did another dive nearby. Basically, it could be considered the same dive site. The dive boat held the captain, the DM, and myself. That was it.

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After this dive, I was returned to the boat and the next following days we toured around - visited Cleopatra's Island, Karacasogut, English Harbor, Balli Su, Oren, Cokertme.
 
Dive day 2.
Near Cokertme, the dive boat met up with the gulet once more and we set off. This time there was another diver with me and we had a lovely dive at the Pinar 1 wreck. I really enjoyed this one. Great dive full of macro models! I didn't realize Turkey had so many nudies! I loved it! My DM held onto my gopro and was able to get a shot of me. I never get photos of me, I'm usually trying to take them. It was a nice change and glad I got a souvenir of me actually underwater.

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Day 2, dive 2.
The next dive site was Kara Ada Dalış Noktası. It wasn't a particularly deep site, but there were plenty of worms and cucumbers. Really enjoyed this one. It was a wall and you swam along it, then turned around and swam back - not too difficult to navigate at all.

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It was at the previous Pinar 1 wreck site that I saw the boats of the other operators I contacted. I was really pleased at that point because they were large 2 storied boats full of divers. And snorkelers too. Erman only takes divers. Anyway, we were getting out of the water as the 2 boats were preparing to go in.
If I were in the area, I'd definitely book with them again. I really enjoyed the quality service and going above and beyond by meeting me at the yacht (I did pay additional for this service and the super private diving).
 

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What are they charging per dive? What depths? Can you post a link for the dive centre?

The dive center has a website with a price list.
Erman Dive Center | Bodrum Turkiye

My dives were pricier. They came in around 140 Euro for 2 dives. But I also rented gear (regs, fins, bc) and their boat was meeting up with my boat. And they were private. Which was probably a good thing considering it was October and that covid thing was happening. (I need to edit my post about since I did pay more).

Depths for these sites were on average around 50-80 feet - 15-24m, maybe 27 meters at a couple of spots but that depth wasn't necessary to see cool stuff.

Small reef went to about 50 ft - 26m.
The Pinar 1 wreck is about 20 - 36 m at the bottom. (boat is not flat)
Kara... Black Island actually has multiple spots and I can't recall which specific site it was around the island.
I think that was probably around 50-60. It wasn't terribly deep.
 
the dive boat met up with my gulet boat

What does this mean? How many boats does it take to go diving there?
 
What does this mean? How many boats does it take to go diving there?

haha! No!!!
I was on a week long cruise of Gokova Bay on a gulet boat - the Nikita. It was my home for a week.
That's why the dive center had to be in communication with the captain. The boat I was on was touring around so the little dive boat would come and pick me up.

tumblr_241504d6b1111bc02ca92647bdde58cb_08591094_2048.jpg tumblr_b72370e7a144c71047271972bc91a829_981fd5b9_2048.jpg (the nikita)
tumblr_6442a03d248ade0fedeb7ab65e41b875_d315081c_2048.jpg (erman's dive boat)

Bodrum is on the top left. Gokova Bay is the big body of water (big compared to the city). This was not our exact itinerary but it was similar. All of the diving happened near the beginning/end of the cruising because the dive shop was closer to Bodrum and it didn't make sense for it to be chasing me all over the bay. Kara Ada on the map, south of Bodrum, is Black Island and where a few dive sites are located :-D
itinerariers1.jpg
 
haha! No!!!
I was on a week long cruise of Gokova Bay on a gulet boat - the Nikita. It was my home for a week.
That's why the dive center had to be in communication with the captain. The boat I was on was touring around so the little dive boat would come and pick me up.

View attachment 660283 View attachment 660284 (the nikita)
View attachment 660287 (erman's dive boat)

Bodrum is on the top left. Gokova Bay is the big body of water (big compared to the city). This was not our exact itinerary but it was similar. All of the diving happened near the beginning/end of the cruising because the dive shop was closer to Bodrum and it didn't make sense for it to be chasing me all over the bay. Kara Ada on the map, south of Bodrum, is Black Island and where a few dive sites are located :-D
View attachment 660285

OK, so you were on a non-diving cruise and called in the dive boat to pick you up to go diving. Got it :)
 
What was the water temperature that time of the year? Did you see lots of fish or were the fish absent from the scene?

oh there was fish. I just didn't take a lot of photos. Lionfish, the frogfish I posted above at the wreck, blennies, Red fish, blue fish, and yellow fish and more fish... I really suck at fish ID. I'm much better with flatworms and nudies.
There weren't GIANT bait balls of fish though.
Water temps were around mid to lower -70s F - around 21-23 C. At depth I got a little chilly after a while. I wore a 5mm full with a hooded vest.
My regular diving is cold water 50F/10C. I was glad to have the vest. (The suit was a little bit loose on me).
 

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