Mediterranean · Montenegro
Budva & Jaz
A steamer wreck lying in two halves on the sand at 32 m
Budva lies on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast, and every dive here starts from a boat out of town. The famous Oreste, a steamer lying in two parts on a sandy bottom, is the main wreck, with the Fisherman Boat nearby. Reef dives include Jaz Reef and Galiola, an underwater pyramid near St. Nikola Island; the island also has a pair of tunnels, and Sweet Cave holds a mix of fresh water and salt water. All of these except the Oreste are open on an Open Water card.
About diving in Budva & Jaz
Every site here is dived from a boat out of Budva. Certified divers meet in the morning for two guided dives with a surface interval between them, chosen from the Oreste wreck and the reefs, tunnels and cave along the coast. Most rides take 15 to 20 minutes, and Sweet Cave is the longest run. Which sites a diver joins depends on the card they hold, since the Oreste is reserved for Advanced Open Water. The centres in town also run beginner courses and guided snorkelling.
The Oreste rests on a sandy bottom in two parts, with abundant marine life around the hull. Galiola is an underwater pyramid that divers swim through by way of two chimneys, where octopus and grouper live. Near St. Nikola Island two fairly broad underwater tunnels lie at shallow depth, and many first-time divers start there. Sweet Cave is unusual for the fresh water that mixes with the sea inside it.
Newly certified divers have most of the coast open to them: every listed site except the Oreste takes an Open Water card, and Sweet Cave needs no cave diving certification, only an Open Water card and logged dives. Advanced divers add the Oreste at 32 m to the same morning trips. The tunnels at St. Nikola Island are open to every level, from beginners without a certificate, who dive with one instructor each, to experienced licensed divers.
Best time to dive Budva & Jaz
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
The dive season opens in April, and the boats keep running through May. June, July and August are the best months, with warm water, excellent visibility and the sea close to 26 °C by July. September and October stay in the season, and the water holds its summer warmth into September. From November the sea cools, and from January to March it sits near 14 °C.
Dive types & marine life
Octopus and grouper live in the two chimneys of the Galiola pyramid, and the broken hull of the Oreste carries abundant marine life on a sandy bottom.
- Wreck
- Reef
- Cave & cavern
- Groupers
- Octopus & cuttlefish
Best dive sites in Budva & Jaz
- 1
Oreste
Steamer wreck resting at 32 m, the deepest site on the boat list; Advanced Open Water only.
- 2
Galiola
Underwater pyramid near St. Nikola Island, open to Open Water divers.
- 3
Sweet Cave
Cave with a stalactite-filled gallery, continuing along a ridge to 30 m.
- 4
Tunnels at St. Nikola Island
Two tunnels at 5 and 9 m, about 15 and 30 m long.
- 5
Fisherman Boat
Boat sunk in a storm, lying well preserved at 21 m close to the Oreste.
- 6
Jaz Reef
Reef dive to 30 m, open to Open Water divers.
Site guides
Wreck
A storm-sunk boat lying well preserved near the Oreste
Two chimneys to swim through inside an underwater pyramid
Wreck
A steamer broken into two halves on the sand
Cave & cavern
A stalactite gallery where fresh water meets the sea
How to get to Budva & Jaz
Tivat Airport is 20 km from Budva, and Dubrovnik airport in Croatia, 80 km away, is the alternative with flights from many European cities throughout the year. The dive centres are based in Budva.
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive the Oreste wreck?+
Advanced Open Water. At 32 m it is the deepest site on the boat list; the other sites take an Open Water card.
Is there a wreck for Open Water divers at Budva?+
Yes. The Fisherman Boat, close to the Oreste, takes divers with an Open Water certificate.
Can someone without a certificate dive at Budva?+
Yes. A first dive runs from the boat with one instructor per diver, lasts about 20 minutes and goes no deeper than 10 m.
Sources
- Diving Montenegro — Diving Montenegro
- Diving Spots - Montenegro diving — Diving Montenegro
- Budva Diving Center - Scuba Diving & PADI Courses in Montenegro — Budva Diving Center
- Budva Average Sea Temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
- Budva - Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Diving in Montenegro — Rove.me
Embed
Run a dive centre, club or blog? Embed this map of 5 dive sites near Budva & Jaz on your own page.
Similar destinations
Mediterranean
Herceg Novi & the Luštica Blue Cave
Montenegro
Military wrecks, Yugoslav submarine tunnels and the Luštica Blue Cave
Four thousand Classical amphorae still stacked on the seabed at 25 m
A 40 m wall under the monastery filmed in The Big Blue
Reserve reef diving at Cerbère-Banyuls, France's first marine reserve