Some excursions are an activity squeezed into a holiday. A daily diving trip with Side Diving · Atalay Hoba is the opposite: a whole day shaped around the sea — the boat ride out, two guided dives, a fresh lunch at anchor, sun on the deck and salt in your hair on the ride home.
We run these full-day trips from five bases along the Turkish Riviera — Side, Kumköy, Kemer, Antalya and Alanya — with the same standard everywhere: free two-way hotel transfer, all professional equipment, freshly prepared lunch on board and full passenger and diving insurance included. Beginners dive with an instructor from their very first breath; certified divers get their logbooks signed and stamped.
How Your Diving Day Flows
Every trip follows the same relaxed rhythm, refined over years of running dive boats on this coast:
- Morning pickup from your hotel. Our driver collects you and brings you to the harbour — no taxis to arrange, no meeting points to find. The transfer is free, both ways.
- Boarding and briefing. As the boat heads out, your instructor runs the full safety briefing: breathing from the regulator, underwater hand signs, and a personal fitting of your tank, regulator, wetsuit, mask and fins.
- First dive. A gentle guided dive at 5–8 metres, lasting 15–25 minutes — perfectly pitched for first-timers finding their fins and a pleasant warm-up for experienced divers.
- Lunch at anchor. The crew serves a freshly prepared lunch on board while you dry off on deck. This unhurried break is part of the plan — you digest, relax, and get ready for round two.
- Second dive. In the afternoon you descend deeper, to 12–13 metres, where reefs, rocks and marine life are at their best and your morning confidence pays off.
- The ride home. The boat returns to harbour and our transfer takes you back to your hotel, pleasantly tired and full of stories.
Depending on your base, the full experience runs six to eight hours door to door. If this will be your very first dive, our discover scuba diving page explains exactly how we look after beginners.
Five Bases, One Standard
The Riviera's coastline changes character every few dozen kilometres — which is exactly why we dive it from five different bases:
- Side Underwater Museum — €45, 7 hours. The flagship. Dive over the sunken sculpture exhibits of the famous Side Underwater Museum, hand-feed exotic fish, and enjoy groups of just 3–4 divers per instructor.
- Kumköy — €43, 6 hours. The compact classic — both dives, lunch and transfer in the shortest day, perfect if you want your evening free.
- Kemer — €43, 8 hours. PADI-certified instructors lead you among reef fish, octopus and striking rock formations.
- Antalya — €50, 8 hours. Reefs, caves and shoals, with roomy sun decks for the hours between dives.
- Alanya — €43, 8 hours. Caves and rocky reefs in the waters off Cleopatra Beach, with Alanya Castle watching over the bay.
Whichever you choose, the day's structure — two dives, lunch, transfer, insurance — never changes. See our locations to find the base nearest your hotel, or compare everything on the tours overview.
What Is Included on Every Single Trip
We price our trips the way we would want to be priced as guests: one number, no surprises on the boat.
- Two guided dives — the gentle morning dive at 5–8 metres (15–25 minutes) and the deeper afternoon dive at 12–13 metres.
- All professional equipment — tank, regulator, wetsuit, mask and fins, fitted to you on board.
- Free two-way hotel transfer — morning pickup from your hotel, evening drop-off back.
- Freshly prepared lunch on board — cooked on the boat, served at anchor.
- Full passenger and diving insurance — every guest, every trip.
- Complete safety briefing — breathing, underwater signs and equipment fitting before anyone enters the water.
Not included: beverages, optional underwater photos and videos, and personal expenses — so bring a little cash for drinks or a souvenir video of your dive. Non-diving companions and non-swimmers are welcome as boat visitors at a reduced rate, with snorkelling, sun deck and lunch. Full details are on the prices page.
Planning Your Day: the Practical Bits
A few practical notes will make your diving day completely smooth.
- What to bring: swimsuit, towel, sunscreen and sunglasses. Certified divers should add their logbook — we sign and stamp it officially after your dives.
- Booking: reserve your place free online, then pay on the day of the tour in cash or by card. No prepayment, no deposit.
- Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before the trip. Holiday plans change; we get it.
- Health: diving is not suitable during pregnancy or with severe asthma, heart or respiratory conditions. If in doubt, ask us first.
- Flights: do not fly within 24 hours after your last dive — book your diving day for early or mid-holiday, not departure eve.
One more tip from experience: beginners often book a single trip and end up returning for a second base later in the week — the Side museum sculptures and the Alanya caves are completely different days. If diving wins you over, ask on the boat about our other four bases, or about starting a CMAS certification course with us on request.
