Kas and Kalkan

Site and Legal Checks

• Use a currently authorized guide/operator for foreign sport diving, carry certification, check depth limits, buddy and surface support, oxygen availability and abort rules. The captain may change sites for weather. Turkish ministry regulations; Kas operator FAQ.
• Ask whether the specific reef, artificial wreck or archaeological display is inside a restriction or requires an additional approval. Do not equate an artificial C-47 reef or replica archaeology exhibit with free access to authentic Ottoman, military or ancient remains. The ministry has issued narrow designated-zone exceptions, not a general lifting of bans. Museum authority notice.
• No cave, cavern or wreck penetration without an appropriate overhead qualification, tailored equipment, local authorization and a verified guide. Deep Flying Fish bomber profiles and current-affected reefs are not ordinary recreational dive plans. Nautilus site descriptions.

Dive Health

• Follow a conservative no-fly plan. DAN recommends at least 12 hours after a single no-stop dive, at least 18 hours after multiple dives, and longer after decompression obligations; these reduce but do not eliminate risk. Driving to significant elevation also merits advice. DAN guidance.
• For apnea training, use dedicated competent safety coverage, no solo breath holds, appropriate rescue equipment and recovery procedures. Never treat a deep line visible from shore as a personal target. For any suspected decompression illness or serious injury, activate 112 first; do not fly for treatment without medical advice. Emergency services.

Kas State Hospital is on the Antalya-Kalkan road in Gokseki and lists telephone +90 242 836 1185. It provides a local medical contact, but availability of a specialist diver-physician or recompression therapy cannot be assumed. TSSF announced a new hyperbaric chamber for Kas in November 2025 with expected future service, but no independent operational commissioning was verified by this research date. An older TSSF list of hyperbaric services explicitly reflects June 2021 and is not a real-time roster. Before diving, operators should verify current ambulance coordination, chamber acceptance and transport contingency; emergency 112 directs urgent care. DAN Europe and DAN international can offer dive-medicine consultation. Sources: Hospital; TSSF proposal; TSSF chamber directory; DAN contacts.

Protect Posidonia/seagrass, groupers, protected wildlife and historic material. Do not touch, feed, pursue or crowd turtles or monk seals, and do not remove amphora fragments, timber or other underwater artifacts. Maintain buoyancy above fragile cave walls or replicas and follow local protected-area and restricted-zone rules. Patara is a special environmental protection and loggerhead nesting area; GoTurkiye and 2026 reporting describe public nighttime beach closure around 20:00 to 08:00 in the breeding season, with nest markers and bans on disturbance. Follow current signage rather than assume those dates apply unchanged in a future year. Sources: Protected area authority; Turtle restrictions; 2026 seasonal restrictions; Underwater heritage restrictions.