Hippocampus Diving Center
52100 Pula
HRV
Hippocampus Diving Center is located in the campsite Stoja in Pula, near the city center. If you want to explore the underwater wonders of the Istrian peninsula, Hippocampus Diving Center is the ideal starting point for diving. Join us for a diving course or dive to some of the most famous shipwrecks in the Istrian underwater, like Baron Gautsch, Vis, Submarine, Varese, Draga. If you prefer wall or tunnel diving, night diving or cave diving, then again Hippocampus is the right place for you because we have several such destinations in our offer. The center itself is surrounded by a lush pine forest and it’s close to a pebble beach, ideal for beginners who want to dive for the first time or to begin a diving course (SSI, CMAS). We know that safety and a serious approach are most important for a relaxed diving and for that reason we take special care of these matters. Above all, our priority is quality preparation before the dive, education of our guides and diving under the supervision of professionals.
You want to try scuba diving ? Don’t have time for a full course? This is perfect for you! A dive guide will take you on a nice and easy dive and show you the fascinating underwater world. Find out what it’s like to breathe underwater. Learn what wearing scuba equipment feels like and how easy it is to move around. You’ll learn some basic skills and safety rules which can carry you to the next step.
OPEN WATER DIVER This globally-recognized certification program is the best way to begin your life-long adventure as a certified scuba diver. Personalized training is combined with in-water practice sessions to ensure you have the skills and experience required to become truly comfortable underwater. You will earn the SSI Open Water Diver certification
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What We Offer
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Affiliated Divesites View on map
★★★★☆ Vis, Wreck
Built in 1956 in the Pula-based shipyard of Uljanik as part of Tito’s fleet, it was designed to function as a command ship of the Yugoslav Navy. The hull is made of steel, whilst the decks are of aluminium. It is the first deliberately sunk ship in Croatia with the max depth of 34m.
★★★★★ Baron Gautsch (Wreck)
Touring the Baron Gautsch is best started at the stern, across the upper deck towards the bow. After viewing the outside of the ship, you will get a very pleasant feeling of staying in the wreck, while going to the upper deck where the steel skeleton is left.
★★★★☆ Bumbište
This is a beautiful position with a very long and various wall which spreads over 200 meters. During the diving, which as you wish may be on depth to 20 meters or more, we are going around a few underwater capes with no end to holes and cliffs. Each of these is rich in colours and different species.
★★★★☆ Peneda
The dive begins on a shallow plateau at a depth of 5m and goes down slightly to the southwest until it reaches a wall that gently drops to 30m of depth, which we follow on its right side. The slope extends throughout the south side of the Brijuni Islands, which are decorated with numerous pinnacles.
★★★★☆ Remorker
A tugboat sunk in the 1960s was used for manoeuvring larger ships in the harbour. It’s 15m long so there is no possibility of going inside the wreck.
★★★★☆ Jerolim
This is the dive with by far the most underwater flora and fauna, accessible to all diving categories. We begin by descending to a depth of 10 m and then we dive within the same depth for the first few minutes on the southern side of the island.
★★★★☆ Wreck John Gilmore
It is believed to have been one of the first ships sunk on Istrian territory at the beginning of World War I.According to the data, the ship was built in an English shipyard and equipped with J. Gilmore engines, from which she received her name. The well-preserved interior of the vessel can be accessed.
★★★★☆ Wreck Varese
Due to the bad weather that hit the whole Adriatic at the time, the captain decided to take refuge in the port of Pula; heading towards the city, he struck a mine which destroyed the bow, sinking the ship in the place where it still stands. During the dive, one can enter the wreck which is quite wide and safe.
★★★★☆ Giuseppe Dezza
The Italian minesweeper was built in 1913 and sunk in 1944. Until 1929 she bore the name „Pilade Bronzetti“. She was sunk by a British aircraft which spotted her during a reconnaissance flight. The torpedo broke the ship in half and therefore the bow and stern are about fifty yards apart.
★★★★☆ Hans Schmidt (Wreck)
Called “ISTRA“ for years, the true identity of this wreck was only recently established as the steamship “Hans Schmidt.“
★★★★☆ Hippocampus House Reef 2
We dive along the western side of the peninsula, startiing with the reef on our left shoulder. Some mini-walls indicate the way to the sloping reef with a max. depth of around 24 to 27m.
★★★★☆ Jarbol
The vertical wall descending from 10 – 14 m to 28 m is full of holes and small caverns of various sizes that can easily be inspected without going into them. Rammed into the rock at a depth of 26 m, there is a ship´s mast with a few remains of the ship still visible.
★★★★☆ Valovine 1
By anchoring along the coast, we dive to the sandy sea bottom. We move south, following the ridge on the left while gradually descending to 18 - 20 meters deep. This location is characterized by excellent visibility and an abundance of fish such as mediterannean chromis, salemas and saddled seabreams.
★★★★☆ The Beach
Starting from the small beach in the bay, the sloping reef gets to a max. depth of around 20 to 22m. Following the reef on your right shoulder starting from the beach you find three steps from 3 to 6, from 6 to 9 and from 9 to 11 meters, which makes it a perfect location for Discovery Dives.
★★★★☆ Lighthouse
This dive site consists of a fairly short wall, 100m long, located alongside a hotel beach. Diving is mostly conducted in one direction, and the gradual slope makes it easy to select the depth you want.
Opening Hours
| Monday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Thursday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Friday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Saturday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Sunday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
Opening Hours
| Monday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Thursday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Friday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Saturday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |
| Sunday | 08:30 - 12:30 13:30 - 18:00 |