DIVING IN CROATIA 2002

by Allan Guy

On the plane home from our third trip to Malta last September, Mike, my regular dive buddy said, "Do you fancy somewhere different next year?" and as a throw away remark I said "how about Croatia?" and things snowballed.
At the Oct NEC Dive Show a stand stood out, Dive Croatia. It was there we met Steve and Jan Collett from the Dupin Dive Centre sited on the Isle of Korcula approx three hours by bus and ferry from Dubrovnik airport.

It was only April this year that we decided to give it a go and booked the trip. We booked a package with Balkan Holidays to the Hotel Bon Repos.
The hotel is ideal because the Dive Centre is attached to it. We booked for the first week in September 2002 and proved to be ideal because it was not to busy but still warm.
We arrived at Dubrovnik around 10pm local time (they are one hour in front of UK time), in the middle of a huge spectacular thunderstorm with rain the like Manchester has never seen. The storm followed our transfer and at times we had to stop because the rain was so heavy. "What have we come to?"
On arrival at the hotel we were shown to a DOUBLE bedroom with a view of a bush. A quick room swap the next morning and two happy divers one floor up, twin beds, and the same bush.

After being fed with a very basic breakfast and coffee that tasted like mud (tea lovers take your own bags), we set out to locate Steve and Jan.
I'd e-mailed Steve when we booked to let them know we were coming and had been asked by the BSAC Travel club to write a report. We were greeted by Steve with I think a little trepidation as maybe we were spies from HQ. (Dupin Diving Centre is a BSAC school).

Both Mike and myself are BSAC Advanced Divers and Advanced Instructors and have qualification record books overflowing with SDC instructor certs and Steve took a while to scan them. "We aren't spies honest" I said tongue in cheek just to keep him on his toes.
We booked ten dives starting the next day.

The dive centre is adjacent to the jetty where he keeps the centre rib, a nice 6.7mtr Gommorizzo with a 135 hp Mercury outboard, GPS, ECHO, Radio and room for eight divers and two attendants. They have a small compressor and enough equipment to cope very well. All the equipment was\looked fairly new with regulators set up with octopus valves, new Beaver and Scubapro BCs and newish looking wetsuits, (no holes). O2 is also available. The Croatian authorities limit diving to 40mtrs and have a strict look, don't touch, don't take policy. To dive in Croatia a licence is required which costs 100Kuna (Aprox £10.00p).

The diving started the next day at 9.00am prompt with six divers attended by Steve and Barry his able assistant. This was to be the routine for the week apart from when Jan joined us when she wasn't doing Try Dives.
The diving is split morning and afternoon, 9.00am and 1.30pm so you can be back and finished by 3.30ish with time for sightseeing. Night dives can also be arranged.
The diving we did was typical for the area with visibility around 20+ Metres and a water temp of 24° C.
Fish life on all dives was typical Mediterranean, lots of Stone Fish (watch your hands), Nudibranchs, Conger, Small Shrimp, Crayfish, One Grouper (apparently the make good soup) lots of colourful Sponge and small Coral & lots of very Spiny Urchins.

Day 1, Dive 1
Sea like a millpond we headed out to KNEZA for a wall dive. As with all the dives, Steve anchors in around 6-10mtrs so on return you can defiz comfortably. No deco diving is the rule. Kneza is a wall\rock dive down to 30mtrs with Amphora to spy.

Dive 2.
BANJA, Very rocky with lots of holes to poke about in.

Day 2 Dive 3
The GARDA is a flat wreck and worth a good rummage and at 23 metres will remind you what British wrecks normally look like but with very good vis you can see it all.

Dive 4
SESTRICA, Lighthouse rock. A try at a new site with rocks within 2mtrs of the surface in the middle of a channel we thought maybe we would find something, afraid not, but lots of life.

Day 3 Dive 5
MAJSAN, a swim down to 30mtrs to look at an anchor dumping ground including a thirteenth century anchor, three metres tall stood upright on the bottom. Pretty impressive.

Dive 6
The BOCA, in 10mtrs a total awe-inspiring 28yr old huge wreck which stands proud of the surface. It is very intact with all parts assessable including the engine room, machine shop with lathe, cargo, spare prop, main prop and portholes. (Don't touch). The story is that the skipper was drunk and didn't see the shore, bang. You can see the hulls concertina shape as the bow stopped and the stern didn't. You must visit this site.

Day 4 Dive 7
MAJSAN again and the anchors.


Dive 8 DUBA East, Octopus reef, 25mtrs Octopus and Conger.

Day 5 Dive 9
DUBA West, A rocky wall dive with Amphora wedged in the rocks.

Last Dive 10
Back to the wreck of the BOCA. Saw the Grouper again.

Total dive time 7hrs 50mins, a brilliant weeks diving.
All the dives are led by Steve and trailed by either Barry or Jan so you are looked after. The weather typically this time of year was sunny and warm 25°C with occasional cloud in the afternoon when a breeze comes and a water temp of 24°C. It can get a little chilly below 20mtrs because of the geology. The sandstone hills percolate cold fresh water into the sea and can give interesting thermoclines, sometimes vertically.

As the week progressed we all started to relax and the team have a good sense of humour but it doesn't detract from the serious side i.e. diving. The diving was like being in a huge lake because you are surrounded by islands no horizon is visible and no currents to speak of.

The Dupin Dive Centre, Steve, Jan and Barry are a most capable and professional team and although this is only their second year have the makings and enthusiasm to give a good year -ound service. It would make a superb site to hold combined events. The diving typically costs 280 Kuna for the first dive and 180 Kuna for the second on the day with all equipment with discounts for ten dives.

Croatia Airlines do not offer any extra baggage allowance so be careful. The hotel although comfortable and clean has very basic food but you can book self-catering. The language is Croat with little English spoken. Eating out seems to be Italian orientated with pizza and fish. It was well cooked and a typical cost for a meal with beer was around £4.00p. (Beer £1.20p a pint). The area is very picturesque and a walk from the hotel to the Town of Korcula take around thirty mins or you can take the water taxi for 60p.
Marco Polo was born in Korcula for you history buffs.

At the moment Steve's wreck diving is limited as the government will only grant licenses to Croatian nationals but as he establishes himself this should change.
The nearest recompression chambers are at Pula in the north and at Split. Additional info can be found at www.diving-hrs.hr
A book called, Dive in Croatia by Ivana Ostic published by Blue Bubble lists 85 sites around the country. www.bubbledive.com

The Dupin Dive Centre is well run and has around twenty regular sites suitable for all grades. Steve and Jan are very capable and likable people. We enjoyed our week with the immensely and will be back but not as spies! I wish them well for the future and feel privileged to have met such nice people.

A Visa is not required for British nationals. The currency is the Kuna (approx 11Kuna to £1). Sterling, both cash and Travellers cheques can be exchanged in hotels, banks and official offices. The Euro is not widely accepted. Any unused Kuna must be exchanged before leaving the country. (at the airport.) Goods in duty free are priced in Euros!!!
If holidaying early or late season the evenings can be chilly because of the mountains along the coast. Jelly sandals are recommended for swimming because of the spiny urchins.
Telephone the Croatian embassy in London for info 02073871144.
We booked with Balkan Holidays through Travelcare.
Dupin Dive Centre - Steve & Jan Collet.
E-mail, croatia_diving@hotmail.com
Tel. +385 20716247 Mob +385 98812496

Other holiday companies offering trips are Holiday Options and Transun.

Submitted by Allan Guy BSAC Adv Inst. The trip was 6 to 13 Sept 2002.
E-mail, allanguy7@hotmail.com