Dugi Otok and the islands off Zadar give two kinds of Adriatic diving. Close to the centre at Zaglav sit a house bay for shore dives and a string of sites within 5 nautical miles, with the Ledenik wreck further out to the north; the island's open-sea side holds the underwater cave at Brbinjšćica, Golubinka Cave and the islet of Mežanj. Telašćica Nature Park adds the caves of Veli Garmenjak, while boats from the mainland work Iž, Pašman and Sit. Walls and reefs covered with sponges and gorgonians are the common thread.
About diving in Zadar & Dugi Otok
Diving here runs from two directions. On Dugi Otok, boats leave the centre at Zaglav for sites within 5 nautical miles, for longer runs past that mark and for day trips into Telašćica Nature Park and Kornati National Park, which carry a daily park entrance fee. The open-sea side is worked by a separate boat: divers transfer by car to the bay at Brbišćica and make two single dives with a break on the beach. From the mainland, half-day trips of two dives cover Iž, Pašman, Dugi Otok, Žut and Sit, with wind, waves and current deciding the day's sites.
Walls set the character. They drop past 60 m and are cut with cracks, caverns and caves, and the stretches shaded from direct sun are rich in colour and marine life. Red and yellow fan gorgonians appear around 25 m, and red coral, now rare, survives at a few sites kept for advanced divers. On the reefs, schools of fish are everywhere, with more gorgonians at slightly greater depths.
Divers of every level are catered for, because the site is matched to the group: newer divers are taken to easy, clear sites, while experienced ones get the deeper walls, the corals and more freedom under a guide. The mainland trips run in small groups with several guides, and less experienced divers get an adjusted pace and dive profile. The house bay at Zaglav adds shore dives and night dives from the shore.
Best time to dive Zadar & Dugi Otok
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
The sea off Zadar is coldest in February, averaging 13 °C, and from October through April the bura can arrive suddenly, often overnight, blowing hardest between the mainland and Dugi Otok. Mid-May through September is the best stretch for sailing around the island, and from June through September a faster passenger catamaran links Zadar with Sali and Božava. The water is warmest in August, at an average of 25 °C.
Dive types & marine life
Octopus, moray eels, groupers, scorpionfish, seahorses and nudibranchs are the animals to look for on the walls and reefs, and none of them is tied to a particular month.
- Wall
- Reef
- Cave & cavern
- Wreck
- Night
- Groupers
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Reef fish swarms
Best dive sites in Zadar & Dugi Otok
- 1
Brbinjšćica
Underwater cave on the island's open-sea side.
- 2
Veli Garmenjak
Telašćica Nature Park site known for its caves.
- 3
Mežanj
Islet on the open-sea side, reached by the boat that works the island's outer coast.
- 4
Ledenik Wreck
Wreck north of the island, more than 5 nautical miles out, dived on a two-dive wreck tour.
Site guides
Cave & cavern
A limestone pool joined to the sea by an underwater tunnel
Cave & cavern
Sunlight streaming into a sea cave in Brbinjšćica cove
Wreck
A refrigerated fish carrier resting off the island of Sestrunj
Cave & cavern
A cave chamber left through an opening in its ceiling
Wall
A funnel canyon with caves at 23 m and 42 m
How to get to Zadar & Dugi Otok
Zadar Airport (ZAD) lies 12 km east of Zadar. Car ferries from the Gazenica port in Zadar cross to Brbinj, in the middle of Dugi Otok, about 20 km by road from Zaglav; foot passengers take the ferry from Zadar's Liburnska Obala passenger port to Zaglav. The mainland trips leave from Bibinje, about 10 km from Zadar's old town.
Photos from Zadar & Dugi Otok
julien · CC BY 2.0
Questions divers ask
Is there a park fee for diving in Telašćica?+
Yes. Day trips into Telašćica Nature Park or Kornati National Park carry a daily entrance fee on top of the trip price.
Can beginners dive around Dugi Otok?+
Yes. Sites are matched to experience, so newer divers get easy, clear sites while advanced divers go to the deeper walls and the corals.
Is there shore diving on Dugi Otok?+
Yes. The house bay at the Zaglav centre takes shore dives by day and by night, and other sites can be dived from shore too; the open-sea side is reached by boat.
Sources
- Diving Spots | Kornati Diving Center — Kornati Diving Center
- Kornati Diving Center — Kornati Diving Center
- Prices | Kornati Diving Center — Kornati Diving Center
- How To Get There | Kornati Diving Center — Kornati Diving Center
- Diving Trips | Zlatna Luka — Diving Center Zlatna Luka
- About us | Zlatna Luka — Diving Center Zlatna Luka
- Diving Locations | Zlatna Luka — Diving Center Zlatna Luka
- Scuba Diving | Dugi otok — Dugi Otok Tourist Board
- Zadar average sea temperature — seatemperature.org
- Zadar – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Dugi Otok sailing guide — Splendid Yachting
- Diving in Croatia in Dugi otok — Gorgonia
Photo credits
- Pale limestone cliffs topped with green pine scrub drop straight into a calm blue sea, with low hills behind by julien, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embed
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