What Does Scuba Diving in Side Actually Cost?
We get this question every day at our office, so here is the plain answer. Our Side Scuba Diving & Underwater Museum Tour is currently priced at €45 per adult, €27 per child, and infants join free. The adult rate applies from age 12. That is the whole price list: one rate, valid across the season, no "from" tricks that double at checkout.
Because we are the operator — our boat, our instructors, our crew — there is no reseller margin stacked on top. What you see is what you pay, and you pay it on the day of the tour, not online in advance.
What the €45 Includes
This is a full 7-hour day at sea, not a quick dip. The price covers everything you need to dive:
- Two guided scuba dives: a gentle morning dive to 5–8 metres, then an afternoon dive to 12–13 metres through the famous Side Underwater Museum
- All professional diving equipment and wetsuits, mask, fins, regulator, tank, the lot; bring nothing but your swimsuit
- Comprehensive safety training and your instructor's fee: you dive in small groups of three to four per certified dive master
- Full passenger and diving insurance
- A freshly prepared lunch on board
- The full-day boat cruise itself, with deck time and snorkeling between dives
- Two-way transfer from and to your hotel in Side
What Is Not Included (So Nothing Surprises You)
Honesty means telling you what costs extra too. Four things are not in the base price:
- Beverages on the boat, drinks are sold separately, so bring a little cash
- Professional underwater photos and videos, optional; our team films the dives and you decide afterwards whether you want the footage
- CMAS certification course fees: the tour includes logbook signing and stamping, and beginners can start toward international CMAS certification from our boat, but the formal course is a separate fee available on request
- Personal expenses
That is the complete list. No harbour fee appears at the gangway, no "equipment surcharge" appears when you suit up.
The Visitor Rate: For the Half of the Family That Stays Dry
Not everyone in a group wants to breathe underwater, and that is fine. Guests who do not wish to dive can book as visitors at a reduced rate: they enjoy the boat trip, the lunch, and snorkeling from the deck while the divers are below. Tell us who is diving and who is watching when you book and we will price it accordingly. This is one of the most family-friendly setups on the coast; you can read more in our first-timer and family diving guide.
Why You Pay on the Tour Day
Our reservation system is deliberately old-fashioned in the best way: booking is free, and you pay on the day of the tour. No prepayment, no card details held hostage. If your plans change, cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the tour. We would rather earn your trust than lock in your money: that is how a local operator survives for years on the same coast.
One practical note that follows from diving itself, not from pricing: it is strictly recommended not to fly within 24 hours after your last dive, so book the tour with at least a day's buffer before your flight home.
Is €45 Good Value?
Judge it by the parts: two guided dives with a professional instructor, complete equipment hire, insurance, lunch, a seven-hour boat day, and hotel transfers, each of those has a market price on its own. Bundled by the operator who owns the boat, €45 is what makes this the most booked first-dive experience we run. And the afternoon dive is not a generic reef: it is the Side Underwater Museum, gliding past sunken statues and exhibits you will not see anywhere else on this coast.
Ready to look at dates? The full itinerary and booking form are on the tour page. Wondering what to pack? Our what-to-bring guide keeps it to one small bag. Timing is the other half of the decision, and our guide to the diving season compares the months on water temperature and visibility. And if you are still comparing all the ways to spend a day out of Side, our complete Side excursions guide lays out every option side by side.