Vis, the area around Gaće

Vis · Croatia · Wall · Cave & cavern

Gaće

A cavern shaped like a three-aisled building

Area photo: dronepicr · CC BY 2.0

A slope off Vis that turns into a wall at 10 metres and carries on down to 20 or 25. A handful of caverns are cut into it at different depths, and one of them is shaped like a three-aisled building, which is the reason divers ask for this site by name rather than for the wall next door.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Gaće: typical dive 10–25 m (33–82 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit10 m25 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

43.0069° N, 16.0989° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

The dive starts on the slope and follows it down until the rock stands up into a wall at about 10 metres. From there it runs to 20 or 25, which keeps the whole profile inside comfortable recreational limits and leaves time to spend on the features instead of watching a computer count the minutes down. It is an easy site to navigate: the wall does the work.

Those features are the caverns, set into the wall at several depths so you can take them in turn as you work along it. The one the site is known for is shaped like a three-aisled building, the rock dividing the space the way a nave and its side aisles do. Take a light for it: the shape only reads properly when you can pick out the far walls rather than guess at them.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Gaće
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodOff-seasonOff-season

Season follows Vis: Dive season runs mid-April to mid-October; Jun–Sep gives the warmest water, near 24°C, and calmest conditions for the wreck sites.

Know before you go

  • The caverns are overhead spaces at up to 25 m; without cavern training and a light, stay where the entrance is still in sight.

Sources

  1. Gaće - Scubago — Scubago

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