Romania – Black Sea coast
Romania's 245 km Black Sea coast is not a reef destination: the water is green and plankton-rich in summer, and the bottom is mostly sand and low rock. What draws divers are the wrecks. Next to the north breakwater of Constanța port lie the training wrecks Sadu, Paris and You Xiu; off Costinești the beached Evangelia has been a landmark since 1968; further out are technical wrecks such as the Soviet flotilla leader Moskva, sunk in the June 1941 raid on Constanța, and the bulk carrier Maria Bacolitsa off Mangalia. Several war wrecks are war graves. The south coast between Mangalia and Vama Veche is protected (Natura 2000 sites and the 2 Mai – Vama Veche marine reserve), where diving is restricted or needs the custodian's consent. Dive centres work out of Constanța and Eforie Sud; the season runs mainly from May to October, but local centres also dive in winter, when visibility is best.
Facts
- Water temperature and visibility: A Constanța dive centre gives these monthly figures: January–March 7–10 °C at the surface and 10–20 m visibility (the year's best); April–May 12–16 °C, 8–15 m; June 18–22 °C at the surface but 12–14 °C at 20 m, 6–12 m; July–August 24–28 °C at the surface, 14–18 °C at 20 m, 4–10 m (plankton peak); September 20–24 °C and October 16–20 °C, 8–15 m; November–December 10–15 °C, 10–18 m. At 25 m it stays around 12–14 °C year-round. (source: dive-center.ro)
- Natura 2000 sites: diving needs the custodian's consent: The regulation of ROSCI0094 'Submarine sulphur springs of Mangalia' bans diving of any kind except as stipulated, and allows it only with the custodian's written consent: authorised companies or non-profits may take up to 25 divers a day, boats may be at most 12 m long, anchoring is allowed only during the dive, and operators must keep a register of every dive (date, place, participants, guides). Spearfishing and trawling are banned. (source: mmediu.ro)
- 2 Mai – Vama Veche marine reserve: The reserve regulation bans diving of any kind except where explicitly allowed, and bans hunting including underwater hunting; everything not explicitly allowed is banned in zones A and B. Zone A allows only lifeguard service, research and monitoring; zone B also allows traditional fishing and swimming within the developed beaches of Vama Veche and 2 Mai. (source: radioconstanta.ro)
- War graves and ordnance: The Soviet submarine Shch-213 sank with its whole crew and is to be treated as a war grave; the destroyer Moskva is described as a sensitive military site. Do not enter or remove anything. (source: cursuriscufundari.ro)
- Recompression: The Romanian Navy's diving centre in Constanța operates a deep-diving simulator with decompression chambers that also serves diving-accident medical assistance; whether it treats civilian recreational divers is not confirmed. In an emergency call 112; DAN members should also call their DAN hotline. (source: drass.tech)
Season
- Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct
- Acceptable: Apr, Jul, Aug, Nov
- Poor: Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
- Water temperature: 7–28 °C
Diving is possible year-round, but winter needs a drysuit or 7 mm suit (7–10 C). Visibility is best in winter and spring (10–20 m) and drops to 4–10 m in summer plankton. For wrecks and photography May–June and September–October are recommended. In summer it is 14–18 C below 20 m.
Dive sites (14)
Mangalia – Vama Veche
- 2 Mai – Vama Veche tengeri rezervátum (TILOS / no diving) – beginner
- Akra Aktion – beginner
- Mangaliai tenger alatti kénforrások (ROSCI0094) – intermediate
- Maria Bacolitsa – 45 m, advanced
- Multi Trader – 36 m, advanced
Constanța & port
- Constanța – Cazino (parti merülés) – beginner
- Paris – 22 m, intermediate
- Sadu – 21 m, intermediate
- Shch-213 tengeralattjáró – 30 m, advanced
- You Xiu – intermediate
Eforie – Tuzla – Costinești
- Evangelia – 0–5 m, beginner
- Mitera Zafira – intermediate
- Moskva (Moszkva vezérromboló) – 45 m, advanced
- Sophia – 47 m, advanced
Operators (4)
- Black Sea Diving School – dive centre, Eforie Sud, Digul Capul Turcului nr. 1 (nyáron); Bukarest
- ALPHAMARIN Dive Center (dive-center.ro) – dive centre, Bdul. Elisabeta nr. 5, Constanța
- BDOds Diving School (CursuriScuba.ro) – dive centre, Voluntari (Bukarest mellett)
- Romanian Adventure (RoAdventure) – dive centre, Románia (nincs állandó búvárbázis)
Routes (1)
Most wreck positions here are approximate: the main source, Black Sea Diving School's wreck atlas, marks them as orientative and not for navigation. Several wrecks lie in or near port and shipping areas, and military wrecks are war graves that may still carry ammunition. Dive them only with a local operator, check the protected-area rules and current conditions before you go.