Dalmatian Coast Holidays - Snorkelling & scuba diving in Croatia’s Adriatic sea.
Apartments, Houses & Villas to rent plus B&B and Yacht Charter in Dalmatia, Istria & Kvarner:

A few holiday faq
in brief
1. A license is required for diving in Croatia. It coasts 100 kuna, about 15€.
2. There are diving centres in practically every coastal town which organise trips to wrecks, caves, etc.
3. It is an offence to take archaeological items from the sea. Finds have to be reported to the relevant authorities.

Scuba Diving
in Croatia

Croatia’s Adriatic Sea is not only an attractive nautical destination, but it also draws many lovers of the underwater world. The clarity of its turquoise waters, the beauty of its depths, the variety of marine life and the fascinating shipwrecks hidden at the bottom of the sea, are all part of its appeal.

There are numerous diving centres and clubs along the coast of Croatia. They cater for the inexperienced diver as much as for the experienced and offer courses which are both accessible and affordable. They also hire equipment and offer excursions that are within easy reach. Check out our latest offer of Adriatic scuba diving cruises in Croatia in the cruiser BELUGA, for cave & wreck diving, plus courses.

For your safety and for the reputation of the industry, diving centres are strictly controlled by the Ministry for Maritime Affairs (please see below the general regulations for diving). With a sea so beautiful as the Adriatic, it’s no surprise that a lot of the diving clubs have been around for decades and so are very knowledgeable of their areas, knowing the best and most interesting places to dive - and the safest.

Shipwrecks are relatively common on the Adriatic seabed and most, like the German U boat off the Istrian coast in the picture, date from the Second World War. Wrecks from antiquity are known but their whereabouts are usually kept secret and to discover new ones is quite rare - but you never know!

The Greek amphora shown in the picture were discovered recently at Jakirusa on the Makarska Riviera. It is important to report finds like this to the authorities (like the police) straight away so they can protect the site from pillagers. It is actually a criminal offence to remove objects of antiquity from the sea. If you can’t take the objects you find how nice it would be though to be the discoverer of them.

Owing to the unusual geology of the area, called karst, underwater caves are very common and some actually have rivers coming out of them. Some clubs include cave dives in their excursions although the deepest caves, some going down over 100 m, are reserved for only the very experienced divers. Diving in Croatia need not be so adventurous, nearly everywhere on the coast provides excellent diving with a minimum of risk.

Scuba diving cruises in the luxury cruiser BELUGA
- for experienced divers and debutants alike!

The cruise ship Beluga is the first 40 meter long ship made expressly for diving cruises on the Adriatic Sea, but it can be enjoyed by all guests - diver or non-diver - who want to enjoy the beauties of the Croatian archipelago far away from crowded beaches. We offer comfortable accommodation, a first class service and culinary delights prepared using ancient authentic recipes. In addition to our main offer there is also a possibility of attending various scuba diving courses from international schools such as SSI, PADI, React Right or DAN. For more details, please go to our page Adriatic Scuba Diving in BELUGA.

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Diving Regulations issued by the Ministry for Maritime Affairs

In order to dive in the areas which are not off limits, each diver must have a diving license issued by the Croatian divers’ association which can be purchased through diving clubs and centres as well as authorised tourist agencies along the entire Adriatic coast.

The diving license is valid for one year. The price is 100 kunas, and is issued only to those persons, which have the appropriate diving qualifications from one of the internationally recognised diving schools.

Diving is permitted in prohibited zones only if the diver is accompanied by a diving centre that has a concession license of the Ministry of Culture or national park for that zone for the year 2004.

Diving may be organised or individual.
1. Organised diving is diving performed exclusively in the company of a guide or a diving instructor verified by the Ministry of Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, and organised by a diving centre or a diving club registered in the Republic of Croatia.
2. Individual diving is performed on the basis of Permits for individual diving. Permits are issued by the Port Authorities. Permits are issued to persons with a valid diver’s card of the Croatian Diving Federation for the period of one year from the date of issue. The cost of issuing the Permit is 2400.00 KN. The central diving organisation is the Croatian diving association which through its programs carries out diving training, but along with other projects is also an active participant in the protection and preservation of the submarine world.

At the Croatian chamber of economy is the group of diving tourism, which is a professional diving association.
Information about diving in Croatia: www.diving.hr & www.diving-hrs.hr

Featured Diving Centres

Diving Dolphin

The diving centre "Diving Dolphin" offers complete programs for all divers and for all who want to become one. It's important to say, that we have very professional team of instructors with years of experience and knowledge offering you complete diving services. "Diving Dolphin" has over 20 beautiful diving locations, steep walls, reefs, wrecks, beautiful caves, wonderful fish and other underwater life that will fascinate everyone who dives here. Our diving centre in Bol offers different kinds of diving courses - from complete beginners to professional diving instructors levels, from the world's best diving associations - PADI, SSI, UDI, CMAS. Visit http://www.diving-dolphin.com for more information. E-mail: matej.lisicar@vip.hr Tel: +385 912508033 Fax: +385 21740136.

Marine Sport
This Dive Centre is based in Istria and has a fascinating wreck dive on a large merchant ship that sank in 1917 carrying mahogany near the island of Cres. You can take scuba diving courses from beginner to advanced. Click here for more information.

Bougainville
This Dive Centre, based in Biograd, is located 28 km south of Zadar and is the gateway to the Kornati archipelago. More than 20 diverse locations are within easy reach by boat. They offer introductory lessons and you can follow that up with the course for an international open-water diver's licence. Click here for more information.

The Orebeach Club
Situated in Orebic close to Korcula and Dubrovnik. Shipwrecks and training courses.
"The most desirable dive location on the Adriatic - shipwrecks from B.C. till now, surrounded with beautiful flora and fauna." Click here for more information.

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Dalmatian Coast Holidays - Snorkelling & scuba diving in Croatia’s Adriatic sea.Apartments, Houses & Villas to rent plus B&B and Yacht Charter in Dalmatia, Istria & Kvarner:

Dalmatian Coast Holidays - Snorkelling & scuba diving in Croatia’s Adriatic sea.
Apartments, Houses & Villas to rent plus B&B and Yacht Charter in Dalmatia, Istria & Kvarner: