For many diving is just a hobby – for some a fervent mission. Murat Draman operates his business Dragoman in the MPA of Kaş-Kevova, Turkey, away from the places most visited by tourists, to teach people who want to discover its underwater natural treasures how to respect and protect them. [Read more…] about WWF interviews Dragoman owner Murat Draman
Go Sidemount with Dragoman
The PADI Sidemount Diver Specialty Course teaches you how to configure and use one or two cylinders mounted at your sides instead of on your back. Experience a different way to streamline in the water, reduce lower back strain and take advantage of the increased gas supply for longer dives.
Sidemount diving is configuring the diver’s cylinders under the diver’s arms, rather than on the back. This configuration is well suited to a lot of different environments and implies excellent advantages for divers with limited mobility that prefer sidemount over wearing back mounted cylinders. Sidemount is also popular for cave diving and single cylinders are easier to haul when divers must carry gear through rough terrain to the water’s edge.
The benefits of sidemount diving include:
Adjustability: enhance your streamlining and body position while better controlling environmental contact.
Access: easy access to the regulator first stage(s) and tank valve(s) which are positioned in front of you instead of behind you.
Back relief: by mounting cylinder(s) on their sides.
Maximize time: a comfortable option to increase air supply and maximize bottom time; especially when using enriched air (nitrox).
Redundant gas supply and delivery system: handle a low or out-of-gas problem by switching to the second cylinder; handle a regulator failure by switching to the second regulator.
Here at Dragoman we conduct our PADI Sidemount Courses with Apeks Sidemount Regulator Systems and Apeks WSX-25 Sidemound Harness Systems.
This course includes a practical application session, one confined water dive and three open water dives.
Lycian Plateau Birdwatching Tour
After our delicious bird-watching tour last month we wanted to repeat it! This time we will go up to the Kaş Plateau, and watch birds at Avlan and Girdev Lakes. We will pass cedar forests and breathe the fresh air of the plateau. We will also visit Elmalı’s Ottoman heritage houses and hamams. Of course, we will also try Elmalı meatballs on a skewer. Doing all this, we will have the opportunity to observe many different birds in their own habitat.
With the guidance of the experienced Bird Watcher and Ornithologist Cem Orkun Kıraç,
27-28 May 2017
(2 days, 1 night)
399 TL
%10 discount for children and LİKKUŞ members!
Guidance services + transfers + 2 lunch + suppers + accommodation and snacks
Number of participants
Min: 10 persons Max: 17 persons
No experience or foreknowledge is necessary to take part in the tour.
For reservations and more detailed information please contact Dragoman office at 0242 836 36 14. Facebook registrations will be ignored and registrations done at the office will be valid. Registrations will close at 18:00 on 24th of May 2017.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1
05:00 Meeting at the office and leaving for Lake Avlan.
07:00 Arriving at Avlan and briefing about bird-watching
07:30 Lake Avlan bird-watching
12:00 Resting and picnic time
13:00 Leaving for Elmalı and visiting of the historical sites
17:00 Arriving at the hotel and free time
19:00 Supper time
20:00 Bird Dia Presentation – Birds in Equatorial Africa, Cem Orkun Kıraç
Day 2
06:00 Leaving for Lake Girdev
07:00 Arriving at Lake Girdev and bird-watching
12:00 Leaving for Gömbe
13:00 Lunch in Gömbe and going back to Kaş
16:00 Presentation to recognize birds and skills to differentiate species and handing in Dragoman LİKKUŞ Bird-Watcher Certificates
17:00 Free time
Please click to see the list of birds available to watch during this season.
Murat Draman at the WWF newsletter
Kaş Kekova protected marine area was the subject of the WWF newsletter and Dragoman Outdoor founder Murat Draman was quoted at the article with the headline “Making tourims work for nature”.
“Of course the richness of the ocean, of the Mediterranean Sea, is a plus for the existence of our business. But the same resource is used by the fishermen, the tour boats, by others who have businesses in Kaş, like restaurants and hotels. All of us interact with this environment,” says Draman.
By limiting development along the coast and protecting key habitats, the goal is to maintain the town’s unique appeal, attract tourists who are interested in enjoying nature and culture, and rebuild fish stocks for the long term.
