A camping site and dive centre rolled into one

People who enjoy camping are usually enjoy all kinds of sporting activity. The two go hand in hand. However, you don’t always put the idea of going camping together with going diving.



At Camp marina in Croatia, however, there’s a place that’s perfect for doing the two activities in one place. Located right by the sea in the Bay of Kvarner, Camping Marina is ideally situated for diving enthusiasts.

You can choose to rent mobile homes that include a special storage space for all your diving gear, or you can pitch your tent there instead. All the sanitation blocks have facilities to clean and wash down diving equipment.

As well as being a beautiful camping location, Camping Marina has an award-winning diving centre. For three years in a row (2006-8), the Scuba Centre was named best diving centre in the Mediterranean. It has everything you’ll need for diving, including equipment hire and dive lessons, and boats to take you out to the best diving spots. You can also get your tanks filled there and organise scuba diving permits.

Of special interest to divers, Camp Marina is within easy reach of two underwater walls and an underwater tunnel that goes down to a depth of 40m. There’s also the chance to explore the Italian shipwreck the ‘Lina’ which has been lying underwater in the Bay of Kvarner since it sank in 1915. The stern is at 55m depth, and the bow at 28m. The ship is 9m by 70m. The hull has been well preserved and you can see the cargo holds clearly. As the ship is located at quite a depth, it’s recommended that only experienced divers explore the ship itself, although beginner divers will be able to see it from the limit of their dive depth.

What to pack

Depending on how far you’re travelling from, you may not want to bring all your diving equipment with you, but if you have camping equipment, it’s easier to bring your own stuff, unless you plan to rent one of the mobile homes. Don’t forget that you can often feel cold immediately after a dive, so it’s a good idea to have things like mens fleece jackets to hand so that you can warm up quickly. They will also come in handy for wearing in the evening.