marmaris turkey

[Paulus]

I've done quite a bit of diving in marmaris. I was there in September and I'm going again in June.

I did some diving with European diving centre in 2005. They have now changed identity (I think) having first split from the main company, the Icmeler opperation now has a different name.

Any way, when I used them the boat was full of try dive families and I was the only qualified diver on board. I got to do some ok dives but I prefer more restfull surface intervals!!

I went along the harbour in Marmaris and came accross "Deep Diving School" run by an ex navy seal Servet Karnap. Small boat and never crowded. He has a website but I can't remeber the URL.

I've dived with him quite a few times now. Off season he is very quiet because I don't think that his relatively small boat attracts the wannabe's. He usually has an English DM or Instructor on board. He is a Padi instructor himself. He will sail with 4 or 5 guests on board which is quite common when I go (june or september). He was charging me £25 for two dives (own kit) inc. a sandwich lunch.

Expect extremely quiet surface intervals. Laping waves and snoring are all that is allowed!!!
On my last diving day of my last trip there Servet was not sailing because I was the only punter (now into October). I walked along the dock to "Marmaris Diving Centre" , a bit more like your average Red Sea day boat. Again I was the only qualified diver on board. The other 10 or12 passengers were completeing OW or doing try dives. No peacefull interval.

There are limited dive sites arround Marmaris Bay but I never get bored with them. Yellow Mehmet is popular and boasts an impressive canyon in one direction and a very nice wall dive to 36m in the other. Some big groupers there like to see what you're doing but keep their distance. Plenty of octopussies also.

The season in Turkey ends abruptly in mid/late October when the weather takes a dive. Your best bet will be to walk along the harbour in the evening and talk to the boat owners. They stay on their boats until very late and often sleep there also. They will invite you aboard and show you their wares.

Water temp end Sept/Begining Oct is about 23/24 deg.

Paul

[Paul Oliver]

Originally Posted by Paulus

Your best bet will be to walk along the harbour in the evening and talk to the boat owners. They stay on their boats until very late and often sleep there also. They will invite you aboard and show you their wares.

This is exactly what i would do in the unlikely event i went back there.

All the hassling in Marmaris has put me off of Turkey for life i think

Try Croatia much cheaper and no hassle

[Steve S]

We had 2 weeks in Icmeler in 2003 and dived with the European dive centre there, I was so happy with them that I entrusted my kids to them for a discover scuba.

We went to Marmaris for the day and found the 'hassle' oppressive, in Icmeler it was less so and very good natured.

The people were the friendliest on any holiday we have ever been on though and toward the end even the banter of the hassle was a laugh.

Safe diving,
Steve

[Woz]

We found that the further west you went by water taxi, the less touristy and nicer the villages became. We hired a water taxi for the day for less than £20. It was brilliant.

You get used to the hassle fairly quickly. Try to get a tan before you go as the browner you get, the less hassle you receive!

We went for a proper walk along the coast and I was wearing socks and walking shoes. As I walked back through Marmaris a hassler came up to me and started speaking German. Oh dear.

Turkey's great and I'd go back there. It's just the touristy bits (Marmaris etc) that are annoying. Things to do while you're there:

• Ephasus and Pamukalle. Roman city and a big white natural cliffy thingy. Great.
• Saklikent gorge. Eat trout sat on a cushion having your toes nibbled by your dinner.
• Ulu Deniz. Pretty beach, paragliding off the cliffs.
• Can't remember the beach but it's where the turtles nest. Where St Nicholas was born and you drive through roman ruins randomly left next to the sea. Completely unspoilt.
• Mud baths at Dalaman. Great fun, especially with kids.

[Steve S]

Originally Posted by Woz

We went for a proper walk along the coast and I was wearing socks and walking shoes. As I walked back through Marmaris a hassler came up to me and started speaking German. Oh dear.

To be fair though, you do have a Teutonic air about you, and the Lederhosen you were wearing wouldn't help

Safe diving,
Steve

[Ding Dang Doo]

I've stayed just outside Fethyie on many occasions... diving is good by Turkish standards, and Fethyie itself is a pretty little town, great place to go and eaat out at night, and the locals have been 'told' by the police not to hassle, so they don't.

Just up the road from Ulu Deniz.

I'll go back, for sure.

I've also been to Antalya. Didn't go much on it. Very flat, full of Russians (very rude Russians). Had to be bussed and 2 hours to get some dives in (when they remembered to pick me up, but that's another tale.)

Pete

[Paulus]

Marmaris has become much quieter in the last two years. There has been a major crack down on hassle. Restaurants get shut down for three days if they are seen doing it. Some have been shut down for good.

Vendors can'teven say hello to regular customers as they pass in case they are seen by the police and shut down.

Even in the resorts, the Turks are much, much nicer people than most Egyptians you'l meet on hotel based holidays.

Give me marmaris over Naama Bay any day!!!

[justme]

the hotel we are stayin at is 6km from the center off marmaris so hopefully wont be to bad
thanks for all your help,
best email some dive schools as my other half wants to do her ow while we are out there

[sarahb]

I did my advanced open water in Marmaris with European Dive Centre. if you look up their website you can contact them prior to going to find out exactly what you can do they are a good company but i would say mainly to do courses. They pick you up and take you to their dive centre which is about 50 mins away as they are not based in Marmaris itself. The have a dive resort cant remember the name of the place but the team are really friendly. If you email them it will probably be Pam who responds to you she is lovely. They do all the courses there and if you are going with a non diver they have other water activities there too or just the mandatory sunbed for them to R&R on.

Another company is Deep Blue Dive they are actually based in Hisaronu (not the Hisaronu up by Fethiye) They are a good company too and they take you to some good dive sites that not alot of other companies take you to they have a website too.

Hope this helps

[Paulus]

The European Diving Centre that was based in Icmeler is now called "european Sea Sports" European Sea Sports: Scuba Diving Holidays with Snorkeling and Kayaking, scuba diving Turkey, diving in marmaris, diving in icmeler, PADI diving courses,. They have (had?) a nice little centre at the back of the resort. They have (had?) a boat which opperates from a jetty on the edge of the resort, but they bus you there and back.

It is 10-15 minutes to Icmeler by Dolmus from Marmaris. If they pick you up from your hotel you can be there in minutes!!

There is still a company operating as European Diving Centre in Fethiye, but it's a bit of a treck!!!

Paulus