Diving Services
Corporate scuba diving in Turkey: a discovery dive with no certification needed; a first experience down to six metres under one-to-one instructor supervision. Swimming required, 30–40 minutes per person; Aegean and Mediterranean, 6–24 people, run in English.
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About Diving
Scuba diving is the most individual and smallest-group of the corporate experiences. One dive instructor enters the water with at most two participants at a time; it is not a "team event" but a personal first experience everyone has in turn. So this page does not sell diving as a large event — it explains where it sits as a component of small leadership groups, incentive programmes and coastal offsites, which is exactly where visiting international groups tend to use it.
What a discovery dive is
A first dive under instructor supervision with no certification required (commonly "discover scuba"). The participant takes 30 minutes of theory on the shore or boat, learns to breathe with the equipment and the basic hand signals in shallow water, then makes a 20–30 minute dive to six metres one-to-one with the instructor. All equipment (wetsuit, tank, regulator, BCD, mask, fins) is supplied by us. No certificate is issued; the experience itself is the output. Instruction is in English as standard at the centres we work with.
The swimming requirement
Unlike the other water sports, diving requires the ability to swim, and this is stated clearly in the invitation. There is no buoyancy aid — the BCD keeps you on the surface, but a participant without confidence in the water panics with the equipment. For non-swimmers a snorkelling programme runs on the same boat on the same day; the group is not split, the experience is tiered by level.
How a group is managed
Two participants per instructor at a time, six to eight participants per instructor per day. A group of 24 needs three or four instructors and a full day; while participants dive in turn, the others snorkel, swim or wait on the boat. That makes diving inefficient for large groups and is why it works best for six to twelve people. A leadership retreat, a sales incentive (a top-performer group) and a small-team offsite are the right contexts; it is not the format for a 50-person company day.
Where
The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts: Bodrum, Kaş, Fethiye, Marmaris, Çeşme and Antalya (Kemer, Side). Kaş is known as Turkey's diving centre and has the best visibility. A shore dive (a shallow, sheltered bay) is more comfortable for a first experience than a boat dive; the boat, on the other hand, turns the day into a sea day. For residential offsites we work with the dive centre nearest the hotel beach. In Istanbul there is a pool option, but it does not replace the sea.
Health and safety
Diving is the format where the health declaration is taken most seriously. Heart and lung conditions, asthma, sinus and ear problems, epilepsy and pregnancy exclude participation; conditions needing a doctor's approval are identified beforehand with the standard diving medical form. No flying for 18–24 hours after a dive — in offsite programmes with a return flight, diving is never placed on the last day, and we plan the itinerary around that. Depth is limited to six metres; that limit is the definition of a discovery dive and is not exceeded. Season May to October; water is comfortable from June to October, and there is no diving in rough seas. For a more social, larger-group sea day, sailing and canoeing are the right alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Is a certificate needed?
No. A discovery dive is a first dive under instructor supervision with no certification: 30 minutes of theory, practice in shallow water, then 20–30 minutes to six metres one-to-one with the instructor, in English. No certificate is issued; the experience is the output.
Is swimming required?
Yes; unlike the other water sports there is no buoyancy aid in diving, and a participant without confidence in the water panics with the equipment. For non-swimmers a snorkelling programme runs on the same boat; the group is not split.
Can it be done with a large group?
Inefficiently. Two participants per instructor at a time, six to eight per day; a group of 24 needs three or four instructors and a full day. A 6–12 person leadership retreat, incentive programme or small-team offsite is the right context; for a 50-person company day, sailing or canoeing is recommended.
Where?
The Aegean and Mediterranean: Bodrum, Kaş (best visibility), Fethiye, Marmaris, Çeşme, Antalya. A shore dive is more comfortable for a first experience; a boat turns the day into a sea day. For a residential programme we work with the dive centre nearest the hotel.
What are the health restrictions?
The strictest of any format: heart and lung conditions, asthma, sinus and ear problems, epilepsy and pregnancy exclude participation; the standard diving medical form is completed beforehand. No flying for 18–24 hours after a dive — in programmes with a return flight, diving is never on the last day and we plan the itinerary around it.
Which months, and what depth?
May to October; water is comfortable from June to October, and there is no diving in rough seas. Depth is limited to six metres; that limit is the definition of a discovery dive and is not exceeded. All equipment is ours; participants need swimwear and a towel.