DIVING IN CROATIA 2005

by Steve Lovell

Having heard some good reports about diving in Croatia, myself and my regular buddy took the plunge and booked a weeks diving holiday in Vela Luka on the island of Korcula, which is part of Croatia.

The island sits north west of Dubrovnik, surrounded by the crystal clear seas of the Adriatic.

The Journey
We flew from Gatwick to Split using Excel Airways. We went to Split as our arrival coincided with the departure of a fast catamaran ferry to Korcula. This is one thing to consider. If you mistime your arrival and don`t allow yourself enough time to get from the airport to the harbour, you could find yourself having an unscheduled overnight stay in Split !

The transfer from Split Airport to the harbour is by coach, costing about £3. The coach runs on a regular basis, they are clean and comfortable. It drops you right outside the ferry booking offices. The catamaran takes about 90 minutes, there is however, a slower car ferry which takes about twice as long. We had about three hours to kill at the harbour, so it gave us plenty of time for a beer and some food.

The return leg went without a hitch, although we had a 7 hour stop over, again in Split before the flight. We spend our time looking around the Old Town, which was very lively and picturesque.

Accomodation
Upon arriving on the island, we intended to get a taxi to the hotel/dive centre. However, if there are taxi`s in Vela Luka, we didn't see any. After a bit of a mix up about being picked up at the harbour and at which hotel we were staying, we eventually got things sorted. Our hotel, I would say was the equivalent of a 2 star over here. Having said that, despite the rooms being small (but en-suite), they were clean and we received fresh towels every day. The price included breakfast. All for, would you believe it, £10 a night, and that included a balcony with sea view ! Tremendous value.

I`ve got to say, everything else was reasonably priced. A half litre of beer costs about £1.40, a very large pizza (thin crust, not those American thick crust imitations) £3, and a really large (one metre diameter) pizza for £6. Cordon Bleu cooking is not a Croatian strong point. A lot of the food is Italian based with pizza and pasta. Locally cooked meats are very tender. There is a large variety of fish on most menus, but not being a sea food lover, I stuck to what I knew.

Vela Luka, despite having many bars and restaurants is very quiet. Apart from a visit to the local caves, or hiring a scooter, there is little else to do after diving. Korcula is the main town on the island, and is at the other end of it. The bus journey takes about an hour over the hills. Korcula town is well worth a visit. However bus departures from Vela Luka are not that frequent.
The Diving.

Croatia Divers is the only dive centre in Vela Luka and is situated next to the Hotel Poseidon. Since we were staying at the other end of the bay, it entailed a 25 minute walk each morning. Staff at the dive centre did offer to pick us up, but to be honest, the walk was very enjoyable in the early morning sun and something we looked forward to after breakfast. All divers must be in posession of a Croatian Dive Permit which costs about £10 and can be arranged through the dive centre. It lasts for 1 year and only allows you to dive with an approved diving centre. If you want to dive independantly, I think that class of permit costs in the region of £200 !

Although there is a shallow shore dive right outside of the dive centre, used mainly for training, all other diving is done from RIB`s. Croatia Divers have two such RIB`s. One being an enormous beast, being about 8 metres in length, and the other being about 5-6 metres. Whilst we were there, the weather was a little variable, and we were unable to make it to some of the better sites. However, the water was clear, if not exactly bath temperature. In June, I would recommend at least a 5mm semi-dry. I started with this, but soon graduated up to a 5mm shortie on top, with a hood which made things a lot warmer.

Underwater, the scenery consists mainly of rock and seagrass. There are some underwater caves systems. One we went into, (called the `Blue Hole` would you believe) was comparable with anything you might see, in say Malta or Gozo, and somewhere I could have dived several times. One area of interest was just outside of the bay which over the decades seem to be a dumping ground for small boats, electrical goods and anything else you couldn't dispose of without renting a truck.

Sea life consisted of shoals of small fish, octopus, conger and moray eels and the odd lobster. Nothing as spectacular as the Red Sea, but there again, if I had wanted prolific marine life, I`d have gone there.

The RIB`s left the centre at about 10 am, did two dives and returned at about 1 pm. Everything needed was carried on board, and kitting up was easy enough providing the dive party was disciplined enough.

The Croatia Divers dive centre was spacious and very well equipped. The atmosphere was very laid back, and the owners are well used to catering to the whims and inexperience of novice divers.

The Bottom Line

Like all holidays, the test is to ask yourself `would I go back`? In the case of Vela Luka and Croatia Divers , most definitely. The island is capitivating with its scenery. It is quiet and, so far unspoit. In ten or fifteen years time, it`s going to be more like Monaco than Malaga. Not a place for a couple with small kids or teenagers, more like a hassle free, relaxing break for you and your partner. I look forward to returning in the not too distant future, I hope it doesn't change.

Steve Lovell
BSAC Advanced
Bristol