USEFUL ADVICE AND INFORMATION BEFORE YOUR JOURNEYA click on this button will open advice based on the experience of our many guests who have encountered some unexpected inconveniences, despite carefully planning their journey. Please note that the advice is initially aimed at our foreign guests, although anyone planning a diving trip will find it useful. 1. DIVING Those who have booked a beginner's diving course, have already received instructions with their confirmation referring to the mandatory medical examination performed by a diving medical specialist. If your departure date is near, and you still haven't taken the med exam, just contact us and we will organize it for you. Such a medical examination is 300 – 400 kn (40-60 €) in Croatia, and the medical certificate is equally valid in your country as the one issued by your local physician. All who are planning to dive and have already completed a diving course at some scuba association, but somehow have not been informed that it is advisable to take such a medical examination at the start of their diving carrer, are requested to contact an available diving medical specialist (a general practitioner's certificate is not sufficient). Branko has preprared a list of qualified doctors under Contact – Our partners. Your log book and internationally acknowledged diving license are also compulsory. We hope you have recorded the details of your dives, and that you do this on a regular basis, regardless of your experience, as we will surely check your log book. In addition to this, please make sure to check your diving equipment (annual servicing), and most importantly, check yourself (your knowledge and diving techniques). Refresh your buoyancy skills in confined or open waters and go through scuba diving exercises and drills, practise equalising the ear pressure (even your ear muscles need training, the pain in your ears when descending is similar to a diver's muscul fibera), and find a good old dive table. All this can take up too much of your precious holiday time if not done beforehand. Without prior refreshment of your diving skills and knowledge you might experience problems with your ears, equipment, etc. You don't want to have bad memories of a disastrous and expensive holiday. If it's been a long time since your last dive, don't opt for a package. Bear in mind that packages are combined programmes designed for divers who are in good physical condition. If you're not ready for boat dives, wreck dives or night dives, then it isn't worth the expense. For a distinctively lower price, you can reserve a check-up course. A diving instructor speaking your language will take personal care of you and get you back in shape in a responsible, slowly paced and individually adjusted, fun way. You should never be ashamed of learning – on the contrary, irresponsible diving and bringing your buddies in danger is shameful. Unfortunately, our statistics show a rise in incorrect diving practices. Therefore, regardless of your course certificate and achieved level in diving, in Correct Diving you are obliged to do a check-up dive with our instructor (even if you are an instructor yourself – it's a matter of principle). It's a usual dive on a house reef with a diving instructor who will lead you through a number of scuba exercises before descending to the wall. This will help you check your knowledge and diving skills and make sure you have everything under control. Appeal to all divers (free divers and scuba divers alike) : Removal of any living forms or artifacts from the sea is contrary to our environmental policy and concern for nature, and is therefore strictly forbidden. We are also strongly opposed to underwater and harpoon fishing, even though they are classified as sports in Croatia. All these activities are strictly prohibited at dive sites where we are held responsible for our guest divers. 2. ACCOMMODATION You might notice a substantial difference in price from room to room, and from apartment to apartment. This is because of services which may or may not be included in the price, such as breakfast and taxes. There is also a difference between an apartment and a studio. Apartments have a living room, while a studio is somewhat smaller and just has a kitchen, room(s) and a bathroom. Many guests who book a studio or an apartment are later suprised to hear that breakfast is not provided. Apartments in Croatia are generally designed for self-catering guests and breakfast is normally not served. If you want accommodation with breakfast provided, request this when booking. If you want to try Croatian food when on holiday, then booking an apartment is a waste of money. Better opt for a room, with or without breakfast included. 3. TAXI SERVICE / RENT-A-CAR If you take a taxi, make sure the taxi meter is activated and avoid a suggested fixed price for a ride. If you're planning a longer stay and regular sightseeing, bear in mind that not all places on the island have bus connections. In that case, it is more cost-effective to rent a car. This will also give you more freedom and flexibility to make the best of your holiday. 4. EXCURSIONS Working in tourism, as well as my own holiday experience has led me to believe that it isn't a good idea to pre-book everything with a big tour-operator. You are definitely aware of this, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this advice. If you really want to get to know the place, people, customs and feel the true atmosphere of your chosen destination, you should disregard all those bright and luring posters, shop windows, souvenirs and avoid the crowds and mass excursions. Tailor your holiday to your needs and interests and make enquiries, because the very best things to see or do are not always advertised. This is the opinion of many guests who had spent a lot of money on excursions and concluded that they didn't get good value for money. On the other hand, they found kayaking and wine-tasting fun and enjoyable. That is why you should make enquiries and get informed – that's the only way to make sure you'll be satisfied. You can contact me for help, just write for Marijana in the subject line of your email. We'll adjust our time to your needs, depending on the time of year and our engagements – at the worst, we'll always be able to provide ideas, maps, useful addresses and make a little adventure out of it. 5. PAYMENT Number one on the list of unexpected inconveniences is definitely the payment issue. I know from personal experience that many guests are not aware of the fact that Croatia is not a member of the EU and therefore, payment cannot be made in euros, but in kunas, which is our official currency. Accepting the euro is a criminal offence and we strongly advise you not to attempt to pay in euros. You should change your money (which can be any foreign currency) at a bank or authorised exchange office – just check the exchange rate and commission to get the best deal. Another thing you should keep in mind is that there is a daily cash withdrawal limit at ATMs, which might differ from the limit in your country and hometown. This practically means, that if you want to withdraw a sufficient amount of cash on the last day of your stay to pay for accommodation, excursions, rent-a-car and other services,you might be caught short of cash and will have to extend your stay. That is why we advise you to withdraw smaller amounts more frequently and to check with your bank what the maximum amount of cash is that you can withdraw per day in Croatia. As for our Diving Centre, you can pay in cash in kunas at our centre, according to the valid price list. The price lists in euros on our web site are informative and not relevant when paying. We do not accept credit cards, debit cards, traveller's or euro cheques. Your dive packages can be paid in advance by bank draft, according to the invoice we will issue after receiving your deposit. All the necessary information for advance payment is on the invoice or just click the Contact button. All the good and bad brought to you by Marijana |