Turkey

The underwater life of the Aegean and the Mediterranean. For a diver, the Turkish coast does not replace trips abroad, but it does something they cannot: diving without a passport, a visa or a long flight, in the space of a weekend.

The season opens in May and closes in October or November. The water is around 17-18 degrees in spring and reaches 26-28 degrees in August and September; visibility varies between 15 and 30 metres depending on the area and is markedly higher on the Mediterranean side. The species diversity of the Mediterranean is low next to tropical seas — what it offers is not an abundance of fish but topography and history: sheer walls, caves, amphorae and wrecks.

The programmes in this region do three jobs. Making the first dive of the season, earning a new certification, or staying in shape between longer trips. Kaş offers a two-day escape and a network of sites open to every level; Bodrum a similar weekend format; and Marmaris combines diving with life on a gulet, which brings companions who do not dive into the programme as well.