Bulgaria

[samdive]

I am out in Bulgaria for my work at the moment - what a beautiful country! and what amazing diving!

Is anyone freediving out here? I know its not that deep but the wrecks and sea horses and dolphins...... wow.....

Sam

[octopus]

I am soon off to Turkish side of the Black Sea. I am not sure what to expect.
If you find a minute, tell us a bit about diving conditions and marine life.
Cheers!

[trux]

In which place are you, Sam? I used to hitch-hike to Bulgaria each summer when I was student (but that's ~20 years ago). It was quite funny traveling - I did not carry almost anything else than my fins, mask, wet-suit and a weight belt (on a 2000km hitch-hike). I slept on beaches or riffs (on my wet-suit) and it was a beautiful life

I've been always moving all along the cost, usually each day on a different place, so I know practically the whole cost, though in the later years I preferred the extreme south - south of Burgas, down till Achtopol where there was the 20km forbidden buffer zone at the Turkish border. I believe it is open today. Fortunately there was quite few tourists in the south (most were around Varna, Burgas and Slnchev Briag/Nessebar) in that time, but I bet it changed a lot.

The sea was quite different to the Mediterranean, and much richer in both vegetation and fish. A lot of rays - watch for them, some can discharge quite strong electrical shocks! I never had a problem, but heard about quite a few divers who got dangerously and painfully hit. Besides dolphins, there are also many small (up to 1.5m) sharks.

Only once I managed to dive to 20m, but I had to swim about 3km from the shore. And when I got down, I realized why the sea is called Black At some 17m the light suddenly completely disappeared, although the visibility was not too bad that day (usually between 2 - 15m - depending on the wind and waves).

Since years I dream to go back once again, but am little bit afraid that I'll be disappointed finding all those known spots occupied by hoards of tourists and full of hotels, concrete, asphalt, cars, jet-ski and similar BS I know from the Med.

[trux]

Originally Posted by octopus

I am soon off to Turkish side of the Black Sea. I am not sure what to expect. If you find a minute, tell us a bit about diving conditions and marine life. Cheers!

I've been quite curious about the Turkish Black Sea too, because it seems not to be touched too much by the tourism yet. I tried to get some information from Seray Genc (a turkish girl in our club, an excellent freediver btw - second Yasemin Dalkiliç ), and she even asked her parents and friends when she went to visit them home in Ankara, but themselves did not know a lot about it. Not even Turks use to go there. All of them prefer going to the Med side. However, it looks like it is much more rough, often big waves, cold, bad visibility, no infrastructure (that's in fact the only positive info ),... The cost faces the North, so it makes a big difference too.

I watched the cost through Google Earth viewer and it does not look that bad, although only parts are well detailed.

I hope though that they are all wrong and I am looking forward to your reports!

[Sergiu]

I am relatively familiar with the Black Sea and its conditions.

Romanian by origin, lived receintly both in Turkey (2004-2005) and Bulgaria (2005) but i am back inland in Hungary

If we are talking about freediving, I was not able to find anybody else interested in Bulgaria and a similar story is in Romania, though i know a few scuba divers that do a bit of freediving now and then. Turkey is different, an amazing country and nation passionate with the sea in all respects. There are a few Turkish members here on DB, they may be able to contribute more but as far as i know, most of the freediving and scubadiving is down in the South (Med, Eagean, Marmara) and little in the Black Sea.

There are some reasons diving is not so popular in the Black Sea and they extend to Bulgaria and Romania as well (but the Turks have the luxury of owning several other seas!!!)

- water temperature - it gets quite warm in the summer, up to 25C but at depth (below 15-20m) there is normally a distinct termocline with a sudden drop in temperature (as much as 10-15C!) - that's why we tend to scuba dive even in the summer with a 5mm or even 7mm.
- viz - can be really bad at times, especially during the warm months. In addition, the termocline makes the viz even worse, less than 1-2m, below it.
- infrastructure - only in the last few years there's enough purchase power and interest in such expensive sports (yes, scuba diving is expensive, freediving can be too - it sucked in all my disposable income for the last 3 months!). You may find 2-3 dive centers, only open during summer, in Romania and a similar number in Bulgaria.
- depth - on Romanian as well as Bulgaria coast (to a lesser extent though), the water is very shallow, it will take a good ride by boat to find anything below 20-30m but then you get into other problems (see above), unless you dive in late autoum or early spring when viz is great and termocline minimal. On the Turkish coast, from what i heard (didnt dive there) it's the opposite. The water gets very deep, very fast!

But those are limitations mostly for scuba diving or deep freediving but unless you travel with your buddies, aint a good idea to do that alone and, as i said, it's unlikely you will find too many (if any!) local freedivers...

The Romanian and Bulgarian coast is however an amazing place to freedive in the shallows. There are indeed huge numbers of seahorses, flatfishes (sole, turbot, baby ones in the shallows) and lots of schooling fish. Also some very shallow shipwrecks here and there, it should keep you busy for a few days for sure.

For specific locations, i can only help for Romania and maybe Bulgaria, via some friends...so ask!

have fun

Serge

[samdive]

Thanks Guys - I am back now but you can see my photos on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samdive...7594187624881/

Unfortunately, as it was a work trip, I did not get time to dive

I visited Varna, Golden Sands, Roussalka, Sunny Beach, Sozopol, Nessebar and Bourgas

The big resorts are Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and they are... well.. big resorts.... Varna and Bourgas are pretty ugly cities. Roussalka, the coast around Kaliakra in the North, Nessebar and Sozopol were beautiful.

I only met one freediver and he said he had trouble arranging any freediving as everyone was more into spearfishing.....

Thanks for your comments.

Sam

[Dobs]

Hey Sam, I sorry I just discovered this thread
I live in Burgas and it would have been very nice to meet a DB member here in Bulgaria

[sea-wolf]

Yes... sadly... I am also just discovering this thread.

We could have very nice time.

Originally Posted by trux

Since years I dream to go back once again, but am little bit afraid that I'll be disappointed finding all those known spots occupied by hoards of tourists and full of hotels, concrete, asphalt, cars, jet-ski and similar BS I know from the Med.

Trux, you're right to have those feelings, but you'd better have a try. The best way is to have some local with you, who can show you the places not affected by modern civilization yet.

[Vankata]

I'm Bulgarian also!! I moved to Chicago 9 years ago and I'm coming back. I have a couple of questions for the Bulgarians. I am 18 and I want to know what I should buy here in Chicago. I already have a tank and scuba gear (even though I will be mostly free diving). I have grandparents in svetinikola which is 1 mile away from rosalka and about 13 kilometers from kavarna.

[Polystigma]

Originally Posted by Vankata

I'm Bulgarian also!! I moved to Chicago 9 years ago and I'm coming back. I have a couple of questions for the Bulgarians. I am 18 and I want to know what I should buy here in Chicago. I already have a tank and scuba gear (even though I will be mostly free diving). I have grandparents in svetinikola which is 1 mile away from rosalka and about 13 kilometers from kavarna.

You better be careful. At age 18 you are prime for the Bulgarian Military. If you go back right now. They will probably take you into the military.

[trux]

The Bulgarian Land Forces are scheduled to become fully professional by 1st of January 2008, bringing an end to mandatory military service. The Bulgarian Air Force and Naval Forces are already fully professional. So if you move there this year, I think there is quite little chance to get called to service.

[Vankata]

I have an American passport, so i don't think that it is possible. Since I am a dual citizen. I really don't have a Bulgarian passport either but i am hoping to get one since I was born there.

[Polystigma]

Originally Posted by Vankata

I have an American passport, so i don't think that it is possible. Since I am a dual citizen. I really don't have a Bulgarian passport either but i am hoping to get one since I was born there.

Even if you are an American citizen, they will still take you. Since you are also a citizen of Bulgaria.

[sea-wolf]

Don't worry, Vanka. The last 2300 soldiers on mandatory military service were enlisted last week. That's it.
I am not a scuba diver so I can't tell exactly what you need. Why don't you use this forum: www.spearfish.org. It's the local site for underwater sports.

[Vankata]

Originally Posted by sea-wolf

Don't worry, Vanka. The last 2300 soldiers on mandatory military service were enlisted last week. That's it.
I am not a scuba diver so I can't tell exactly what you need. Why don't you use this forum: www.spearfish.org. It's the local site for underwater sports.

My name is Ivan, my friends call me vanko or vankata. I realy dont care because I have a friend that works for the army and he told me that they would not enlist me even if every other guy in bulgaria was at war because I am an American and Bulgaria cant take me becuse if they ever go to war with the America or any other ally of America I might turn sides or someting. I can aways move to another country too.