Discover Croatia
One of the best-kept diving secrets in the Med
27 August – 3 September 2011
(including August Bank Holiday Monday)
This Central European country is the former Yugoslav republic that occupies a generous swath of the Adriatic sea, where more than 1,000 islands draw visitors from around the world with dramatic landscapes and towns that have persisted since the Greek Empire.
The Dalmatian Island of Korcula sits at Croatia’s diving epicentre and provides easy access to local dive sites and nearby satellite islands. Situated on the western side of the island in a large bay dotted with many tiny islets and surrounded by tranquil inlets, the town of Vela Luka is an oasis of Dalmatia and Mediterranean influences. From here, you can take your pick from more than 35 dive sites – the majority within the recreational diving range. These include caves and shallow slopping reefs loaded with micro life, alongside walls and pinnacles bursting with soft-coral growth and sponges. Croatia’s signature yellow, orange and red gorgonians blanket the surface of the dramatic underwater formations, nestled among clusters of yellow anemones and populated by delicate schools of anthias.
Marine Life - The rich and varied marine life in Vela Luka includes octopus, barracuda, moray eels, large grouper, tuna, giant loggerhead turtles, crayfish, langoustine, white bream, bluefish, dolphin, greater amberjacks, parrotfish and a multitude of other colourful reef fish.
The Dive Centre - Croatia Divers is a PADI 5* Instructor Development Dive Resort and PADI IDC College located on the sea front in Vela Luka. With English & Dutch management (Bobby & Marjolein) and a team of professional multi-lingual staff - they offer the very best in quality and safety and will help us plan and co-ordinate each days diving to ensure we have an unforgettable week. All dives will be supervised and include a briefing about the dive site we are diving next, key points of the site, marine life, and general safety rules on the boat and in the water.
With more than 35 local dive sites to explore, including wall dives, drift dives, cave dives, some wreck dives, night dives and deep dives, variety is something Croatia Divers offer. The underwater world in Vela Luka is one of the most interesting and complex marine environments in the whole of the Mediterranean, Aegean and Adriatic.
After the days diving, you can relax in the large outdoor recreational area named 'the Deco-Stop', under palm trees with views over the bay of Vela Luka. There are wooden chairs and hammocks where you can chill out, read a dive magazine, chat and surf the internet using the free wireless connection - complimentary coffee and tea is available here.
15L cylinders, air-fills, weights and weight belts are included in the dive package price. Larger 18L cylinders and Nitrox fills in 12L cylinders are also available at extra cost. As with UK day boats, the hard boats here stay out for two dives, ‘ropes off’ usually around 08.30 and the boat comes back at lunchtime, between 12.30 & 13.00. It is therefore possible to do more dives in the afternoon and/or evening at extra cost.
Sea Conditions - Croatia's seas are noted for their crystal clear visibility which ranges from 20-40 meters, offering ideal conditions for videography and photography, as well as very pleasant recreational diving. During the main diving season between May and November, the surface water temp in this part of the Adriatic can hit the mid-70s, so bring your wetsuit!
Diver Qualification – PADI Advanced Open Water, the ability to deploy a DSMB, and some previous boat diving experience would be useful. Having PADI Deep and Nitrox Specialities will help you get the most out of this trip, as will ensuring you’re well ‘dived-up’ beforehand.
The Hotel – The 3*Hotel Posejdon is basic, but comfortable and clean and conveniently situated right next door to Croatia Divers. The hotel was completely renovated in 2008 and boasts a fantastic view across the bay of Vela Luka, which you can enjoy while relaxing with a drink and listening to live music in the evenings. Hotel facilities include: a private pebble beach, sun beds, a beach bar and lounge. All the rooms have air-conditioning, satellite TV, direct-dial phones and bathrooms with showers. The hotel restaurant is also air-conditioned and offers buffet style meals, serving local dishes. There are some local shops, bars and restaurants near the hotel and the centre of town is a 1.2km scenic walk around the bay. Alternatively, you can take the water taxi for a short boat ride across the bay where you will find numerous restaurants and cafe bars.
Getting there – EasyJet fly direct to Split from both Gatwick & Stansted airports - Standsted is economic and has convenient flight times. In addition to the cost of your flights, you can pay for a hold luggage bag and buy a weight allowance for sports equipment, for full details of luggage charges, please refer to: http://www.easyjet.com/en/planning/baggage.html
On arrival at Split, there will be a Croatia Airlines bus waiting to take you straight to the ferry port. The cost is 5 euros and you can buy your bus ticket after you take your seat. We will have some time before the catamaran leaves for Vela Luka at 15.00, so you can store your luggage at the ferry port for a small fee - don’t worry, it’s safe as this service is run by the government. Purchase your catamaran ticket from the ticket office at the ferry port. Split has a huge market just 2 minutes from the ferry port so you can shop around, get a sun-tan on one of the benches with sea-views on the Riva (promenade), visit the market or have a drink in one of the many terraces on the seafront. The sailing to Vela Luka costs just 4 euros and takes 2hrs, 45 minutes - arriving at 17.45. From the port, share a taxi around the bay or water taxi across to the Hotel Posejdon.
Outbound journey to Vela Luka - 27 Aug 2011
Stansted to Spilt > EasyJet flight 3321 > dep 06.10 arr 09.40
Split to Vela Luka > Jadrolinija catamaran > dep 15.00 arr 17.45
Return journey to Stansted - 3 Sept 2011
Vela Luka to Spilt > Jadrolinija catamaran > dep 05.30 arr 07.30
Split to Stansted > EasyJet flight 3322 > dep 10.10 arr 11.40
This package price includes - 7 nights accommodation in a twin-room or double-room with a sea view on half-board service, either breakfast & lunch or breakfast & dinner, staying at the Hotel Posejdon, plus 10 dives over 5 days, (two dives per day) starting Sunday 27, Aug through to Thursday, 1 Sept, including a 15L cylinder, air-fills, weights, belt, and a guide.
Hotel & dive package price £450 to club members and £475 to non members
EasyJet flights circa £125 (offer based on six divers, flights subject to price variation & availability at time of booking)
Other costs* and optional extras:
1. Croatian Diving permit - £12* (available from dive centre & valid for 1 year throughout Croatia)
2. Airport bus & ferry transfers - £16* (approx. £8 each way)
3. EasyJet 20kg of hold luggage - £40 (£20 each way)
4. EasyJet 12kg weight allowance for sporting goods - £37 (£18.50 each way)
5. Single room supplement option - £70 for the week
6. Supplement for all-inclusive option - £86 for the week (inc. alcoholic drinks)
7. 12L Nitrox-fills EANx 32% - £3.50 (per cylinder)
8. Additinal day dives - £18pp (in the afternoon)
9. First night dive - £30pp, thereafter - £22pp per night dive (special offer)
10. 15L cylinders inc. air-fills cost - £3.50 (per dive)
It may be possible to dive on Friday morning as well - subject to a safe surface interval prior to flying home on Saturday morning or maybe you’d like to do some sightseeing instead!
How to sign-up for this trip - you need to buy your own flights as soon as possible from www.easyjet.com The cost will increase and availability may become an issue the closer we get to the departure date. When you sign-up, you will need pay a £200 deposit to secure your place and the balance is due eight weeks before the travel date - that’s 30 June 2011. If you have to cancel for any reason, you will get a full refund (minus £10 bank admin fee), provided you give 30 days notice of cancellation.
A selection of popular dive sites around Vela Luka:
- Blue Hole - cavern dive with entrance at 6 meters and 16 meters
- Poseidon’s cave - very interesting deep dive in a massive cave
- Emmentale - reef dive with lots of small caves, often a drift
- Pirates bay - wall dive with many lobsters 0 to 40 meters
- Velo Dance – wall dive with red Gorgonian forest most interesting below 24 metres
- Vertical Limit – deep wall dive
- Wreck Graveyard - 10 - 15 wrecks from 10 to 40 meter depth range
- Featherworm City - 4 wrecks inc. Italian munitions vessel suck in 1942
- Rockies Island - drift dive under reef wall in the middle of the sea
- Canyon - wall dive into a canyon and a small cave
- Osjak Island - 3 reefs in one location
- Shark Point - observatory for blue sharks migration
- Cathedral - deep cave dive
- Camina Island - unique rock structure, 40 meters to shallow, unique freak of nature
- Poplat Bay - beautiful wall dive
- Tower 4 - large pinnacle starting at 40 meters to just below surface.
To reserve a place, speak to Roger at Dive Wimbledon
Any questions, call ken powell on 07989 387792 email kennygt3@yahoo.co.uk
Please note: Recreational sport diving exposes you to known and unknown risks. Agreeing to come on this trip confirms you accept full responsibility for your own safety and you have adequate medical, travel and equipment insurance, the relevant diver training and open water experience. Prices quoted in GBP, rates of exchange based on 1.15 Euros to the £. Flights subject to availability and cost variation at time of booking. Other meals, drinks and holiday spending money are all extra.