Kemer and Tekirova

May to June and September to October are the best-balanced choices for warm-season boat diving and a mixed land-and-sea holiday. July and August offer warmer regional water but stronger sun and more busy excursion boats. PADI lists Tekirova Diving as open May through November, although a listing cannot guarantee each date. November can work only with a confirmed boat, suitable forecast and equipment for cooler water. Historic Antalya climate and Mediterranean sea temperatures support the seasonal framework, not daily visibility or sea-state promises.

Yes, in principle, provided a currently authorized instructor selects a shallow, suitable site and completes the required briefing, health screening and supervision. PADI describes both beginner sectors and much deeper walls, wrecks and caves at Uc Adalar. These are not interchangeable. Tell the operator you are doing a first supervised dive, ask for the exact planned sector and maximum depth, and confirm what equipment and emergency supplies are aboard. A beginner should not enter caves or wrecks and should not assume that every boat marketed as Three Islands visits a training-friendly mooring.

It should be treated as an advanced and site-specific wreck objective, not a standard beginner excursion. PADI lists Paris II at a maximum depth around 33 m and recommends advanced, deep and wreck training; a provincial tourism account gives differing figures in its description. Ask the current operator about local legal depth limits, permissions, conditions and an exterior-only route appropriate to your certification. No untrained overhead or wreck penetration should be offered as ordinary recreational sightseeing. Underwater cultural material is protected and must not be collected.

Shore snorkeling is possible where swimming is permitted and conditions allow. The Antalya provincial tourism authority identifies Moonlight Beach near Kemer, Phaselis bays and Tekirova shoreline as swimming destinations. The Tekirova nature-park listing also documents a day-use beach setting. Choose supervised or designated swim areas, enter carefully over rocks or pebbles, and avoid active boat routes. Heritage-site shorelines may require admission and have protected zones. Water clarity, lifeguard staffing and access to individual resort beaches must be checked on the day.

There is direct operator evidence for snorkeling on a Three Islands dive boat: Tekirova Diving advertises a non-scuba snorkeling option. The PADI center listing also includes snorkeling among the center activities. This does not establish that every boat departure has a supervised surface-swimming program, or that every offshore wall is safe to snorkel. Before planning around it, ask about a dedicated snorkel stop, swim supervision, flotation, non-diver pricing and whether children or weak swimmers can safely participate or simply stay on board.

The evidence is not strong enough to promise a standing course. PADI lists a freediving activity at Tekirova Diving, but the directory currently shows no published dated schedule for that activity. Contact the center and verify the named qualified instructor, rescue buddy, line, boat access, insurance, seasonal dates and required prerequisites. If they cannot confirm all of those, treat dedicated freedive training as unavailable rather than substituting unsupervised deep breath-hold dives. A snorkel boat tour is a separate activity and does not prove a depth-training program exists.

No universal dive visitor tag or fixed Three Islands marine-park entry fee could be verified from current primary sources. This is not evidence that all sites are unrestricted. Turkish diving regulations provide for authorization and permissions, while heritage law can restrict culturally sensitive areas. A September 2026 Antalya government announcement confirms a fishing prohibition associated with new conservation work at Three Islands. Ask the current licensed dive center which exact sites are open, what approvals it handles and whether any current site-specific charge applies.

Fly into Antalya Airport (AYT), then continue by prearranged hotel or dive-center transfer, licensed airport taxi, or rental car. The Turkish airports authority places Kemer around 57 km by road from the airport, while Tekirova lies farther along the Kemer coast. The airport operator documents taxi ranks, rental cars and city transport, not a guaranteed direct airport bus to either dive base. For a lower-cost connection, check current Antalya city and regional bus legs, timings and luggage arrangements. Agree on a pickup location and actual arrival terminal before travel.

Yes. Phaselis combines an ancient harbor city with wooded coastal scenery, and the official Kemer beach guide identifies Moonlight Bay for a town-based swim. The Tekirova Nature Park is a documented day-use coastal landscape. For a mountain day, the Tahtali cable car reaches a summit around 2.4 km, subject to its weather-dependent schedule. If you are also scuba diving, do the high-altitude trip before your dive days or after an appropriately conservative surface interval.

The Turkish Meteorological Service publishes regional Mediterranean long-term averages of approximately 16°C in February, 21°C in May, 28°C in August and 25°C in October. These figures cover a Mediterranean observation region, not a live measurement at a specific Kemer reef. Actual water at depth can be cooler than the surface, and exposure varies with duration and weather. A winter dive is therefore an individually confirmed cold-water plan, not a typical resort boat entitlement.

Use Turkey's national 112 emergency system first for any suspected diving injury, serious illness or maritime incident. Kemer State Hospital is the local hospital, but its listing is not evidence of a recompression chamber. The Turkish Underwater Sports Federation lists hyperbaric facilities in Antalya; access, specialist availability and evacuation times must be confirmed through emergency clinicians rather than assumed. DAN offers a 24-hour diver emergency hotline for consultation after activating local emergency services. Keep oxygen, evacuation and contact arrangements in the operator's site-specific plan.

The DAN guidance suggests at least 12 hours after one no-decompression dive and at least 18 hours after multiple dives or multiple diving days, with longer intervals reducing risk. Diving with required decompression calls for a substantially more cautious plan, and any concerning symptoms require medical evaluation before travel. This matters not only for flights from Antalya Airport but also for the Tahtali cable car, which climbs to about 2.4 km. Plan mountain sightseeing before the dive trip or after suitable professional advice and a conservative surface interval.

Occasional wildlife encounters are possible but never guaranteed. PADI Three Islands lists turtles and other marine life reported by a local center, and the PADI Antalya overview mentions the Mediterranean monk seal as rare. A historic provincial tourism description mentions marine mammals and late-summer pelagic fish but should not be used as a reliable current encounter calendar. Do not feed, chase, touch or surround wildlife, and do not book a dive around an expected seal, dolphin or turtle appearance. Follow any current conservation instructions and the Three Islands fishing prohibition.