Side Azura Dive Center

Located on the Turkish Riviera, Side Azura has been operating in the region since 2010. The centre is well-established in the local diving community, having earned several awards for service excellence and environmental commitment through the Project AWARE initiative.

As of the 2026 season, the centre operates from the Hotel Turquoise in Side. This location serves as a base for exploring the unique underwater topography of the area, which includes both natural reefs and an extensive underwater museum.

The team is composed of multilingual instructors, including Sinan, Jazz, and Nathalie, ensuring communication is smooth for English, German, Dutch, Russian, and Turkish speakers. This diversity allows for a high level of instruction tailored to the specific needs of international divers.

The centre maintains a strict focus on safety and personalised service, keeping guide-to-diver ratios low, usually between two and four divers per guide. This ensures that whether you are completing your first certification or working towards a Divemaster level, you receive dedicated attention.

Environmental stewardship is a core part of their identity, operating in a Blue Flag coastal area. They are actively involved in marine conservation, a commitment that has been recognised in various industry awards.

Side Azura offers a comprehensive range of PADI training programmes. Beginners can start with Discover Scuba Diving or the Bubble Maker programme, progressing through to Open Water Diver and Scuba Diver certifications.

For more advanced divers, the centre provides training for Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, and Divemaster levels. They also offer Scuba Review and PADI Scuba Tune-up sessions for those looking to refresh their skills or theory before heading out on a dive.

The centre operates a motorised vessel powered by a 150 HP Yamaha engine, designed to carry up to nine divers plus one guide. The boat provides efficient access to the local dive sites, with most locations reached within 3 to 15 minutes of leaving the shore.

Full rental kit is available on-site for those not travelling with their own equipment. This includes regulators, BCDs, and wetsuits, allowing you to arrive at the centre without heavy luggage.

For those looking to preserve their underwater memories, the centre provides a photo and video service. They edit every image individually to ensure high quality, and they offer a one-year digital backup service for your dive media.

The local reefs are home to a diverse range of marine life. You can expect to encounter large groups of barracuda, various species of grouper, and rays patrolling the seabed. Moray eels and octopuses are also frequently spotted among the rocks and crevices.

In the summer months, the area becomes a prime location for spotting Caretta Caretta turtles. These large sea turtles are a highlight of the House Reef and Bike Way sites during the warmer season.

Macro life and smaller inhabitants include sea hares and various colourful reef fish. The underwater museum sites and caves often host more specialised species that thrive in the sheltered, structured environments provided by the sculptures and rock formations.

The peak diving season runs from June through August and into October. During these months, the local conditions are most favourable for exploring the reefs and the museum sites.

Most dive sites are located very close to the shore, with some, like Bike Way, being directly opposite the centre. This proximity allows for efficient boat trips and easy access to the water.