There is a moment every diver remembers for the rest of their life: the first calm breath taken under the surface, the sudden quiet, the Mediterranean light rippling somewhere above. On the Turkish Riviera, that moment is much closer than you think — and you need no licence, no experience and no equipment of your own to reach it.
Side Diving · Atalay Hoba runs full-day discover scuba trips from five coastal bases — Side, Kumköy, Kemer, Antalya and Alanya. Every trip includes two guided dives, all professional equipment, a freshly prepared lunch on board, free two-way hotel transfer and full passenger and diving insurance. You show up with a swimsuit and a towel; we handle everything else.
Here is exactly what your first dive day looks like, how we keep it safe, who can join, and how to pick the right starting point for your holiday.
What Your First Dive Day Looks Like
Your day begins with a morning pickup from your hotel — our driver brings you straight to the harbour, where your dive boat is waiting. Once we cast off, your instructor gathers the group for a thorough safety briefing: how to breathe from the regulator, the underwater hand signs you will use to communicate, and a careful fitting of your equipment — tank, regulator, wetsuit, mask and fins are all included and adjusted to you personally.
Then comes the part you came for. Your first dive is deliberately gentle: a guided descent to 5–8 metres lasting 15–25 minutes, with your instructor beside you the entire time. That is deep enough to be surrounded by fish and genuinely underwater, and shallow enough that you can relax, look around and actually enjoy it rather than manage nerves.
Back on board, the crew serves a freshly prepared lunch while the boat rests at anchor. You dry off in the sun, swap first impressions, and let the excitement settle. In the afternoon comes dive number two — now that you know what to expect, you descend a little deeper, to 12–13 metres, where the scenery opens up and your confidence does too. By late afternoon the boat turns home, and our transfer returns you to your hotel.
Depending on your base, the whole trip lasts six to eight hours. For a fuller picture of how the day is structured, see our daily diving trips page.
Safety Is the Whole Design
A first dive should feel like an adventure, never like a risk. Everything about our trips is built around that principle.
- Real briefing, not a formality. Before anyone enters the water, your instructor walks you through breathing, equalising, underwater signs and your equipment — and answers every question until you feel ready.
- Professional equipment, fitted to you. Tank, regulator, wetsuit, mask and fins are provided on every trip and checked before every dive.
- Small groups. On our flagship Side Underwater Museum tour, instructors dive with groups of just 3–4 divers, so nobody is ever out of sight or out of reach. Our Kemer trips are led by PADI-certified instructors.
- Full insurance included. Every guest is covered by passenger and diving insurance for the whole trip — it is part of the price, not an extra.
We are equally honest about who should not dive. Scuba diving is not suitable during pregnancy, or for guests with severe asthma, heart or respiratory conditions. And one rule every diver must respect: do not fly within 24 hours of your last dive, so plan your trip at least a day before your flight home. If you are unsure about a medical question, ask us before you book — we would rather give you a straight answer than a surprise on the boat.
Who Can Join — and Who Can Simply Enjoy the Boat
Discover scuba diving is exactly what the name promises: an introduction for people who have never dived before. You do not need a licence, previous experience or any particular fitness level — just reasonable comfort in the water and a sense of curiosity. Try-dives are generally suitable from age 10 upwards, which makes this a genuine family day out rather than an adults-only activity.
And if someone in your group would rather stay dry? They are welcome too. Non-swimmers and non-diving companions can join as boat visitors at a reduced rate: they get the same boat, the same sun deck, the same freshly prepared lunch, and can snorkel over the dive site while you explore below it. Nobody has to wait at the hotel.
Packing is simple. Bring your swimsuit, a towel, sunscreen and sunglasses — everything technical is already on board. Beverages, optional underwater photos and videos, and personal expenses are the only things not included in the price, so a little cash for the day is a good idea. You can compare all trip prices on our prices page.
Choose Your Starting Point
We run discover scuba trips from five bases along the Turkish Riviera, so wherever you are staying, there is a dive boat nearby:
- Side Underwater Museum — €45, 7 hours. Our flagship: dive over the sunken sculpture exhibits of the famous Side Underwater Museum and hand-feed exotic fish, in groups of 3–4 divers per instructor.
- Kumköy — €43, 6 hours. The most compact day — ideal if you want the full two-dive experience with a slightly earlier return.
- Kemer — €43, 8 hours. PADI-certified instructors, reef fish, octopus and dramatic rock formations against the Taurus mountain backdrop.
- Antalya — €50, 8 hours. Reefs, caves and shoals, on boats with generous sun decks.
- Alanya — €43, 8 hours. Caves and rocky reefs in the waters off Cleopatra Beach, with views of Alanya Castle from the deck.
Booking is deliberately simple: reserve your place free online, then pay on the day of the tour in cash or by card. If your plans change, cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the trip. Browse all diving tours or see our five locations to find the base closest to your hotel.
