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Batumi & the Adjarian Coast · Georgia · Reef · Drift

Rock Alley

Channels and passages cut through rock at the Turkish border

Rock Alley is the best-known dive at Sarpi, the village on the Georgian Black Sea coast right at the Turkish border. It is a stretch of rocky underwater formations, reached by boat, and it is where divers on the Adjarian coast go for drift dives that carry them along with the current.

Also known as Rock Alley - Sarpi.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Rock Alley: typical dive to 30 m (to 100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit30 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

41.5219° N, 41.5489° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The reef here is made of rocky formations with channels and passages carved through them, and the drift version of the dive follows the alley with the current doing the work. The deepest part of the site lies at 30 m.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Rock Alley
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimeFairFairFair

Season follows Batumi & the Adjarian Coast: Late June to September is the window; September keeps August's warmth with thinner crowds, though rain can cloud the water.

Know before you go

  • The current on the drift dives does not forgive mistakes; drift diving here takes solid skills.

Questions divers ask

What certification does Rock Alley at Sarpi need?+

Rock Alley is an intermediate site whose bottom lies at 30 m, so Advanced Open Water covers it; the drift dives along the alley also call for solid drift skills.

Sources

  1. Rock Alley - Sarpi, Georgia — DiveSight
  2. Diving in Georgia: Where to Dive in the Black Sea, Clubs — Madloba
  3. OpenStreetMap: Sarpi — OpenStreetMap

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