Moby Dick diving

Located in Lopar on the island of Rab, Moby Dick Diving sits perfectly positioned between a pebble beach and a small fishing port. This established centre has been a fixture of the local diving community for over 25 years, offering a professional base for both recreational exploration and advanced training.

The centre operates with a strong emphasis on the local ecosystem, integrating marine conservation into its daily operations through regular seabed clean-ups. Whether you are looking to complete your first certification or are searching for deeper, more technical challenges, the facility is fully equipped to handle groups of up to 20 divers.

The centre is led by the Škapul family, bringing a unique blend of operational experience and scientific expertise to the team. Founded by Mladen Škapul, a former combat diver, the centre is now managed by his son Luka Leon Škapul, an SSI instructor and engineer specialising in the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems.

This professional background ensures a high standard of safety and environmental stewardship across all dives. The team is dedicated to education, offering a comprehensive suite of SSI courses that cater to every stage of a diver's progression.

As an SSI affiliated centre, Moby Dick Diving offers a complete educational pathway. Beginners can start with Try Scuba or work towards their Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver certifications. The curriculum extends into specialised skills with courses such as Perfect Buoyancy, Navigation, and Computer Diving.

For more advanced divers, the centre provides a significant range of technical and specialty training. This includes Enriched Air Nitrox, Deep Diving, Decompression Diving, and Dry Suit Diving. They also offer niche training in DPV Diving (underwater scooters), Search & Recovery, and Cavern & Cenote Diving, as well as professional development through the Divemaster programme.

The centre operates a 12-metre dive boat designed to take you to the best sites around Rab and the nearby islands. The vessel is well-equipped for comfort, featuring a sundeck and a dedicated dry storage area for your kit.

On board, you will find essential amenities including a freshwater shower and toilet facilities. For those looking to extend their time in the water, the boat is used for night dives and can reach diverse environments ranging from shallow reefs to deeper walls.

The shore-based facilities are designed for efficiency and air quality. The centre utilises a Bauer Verticus 5 compressor, ensuring that the air in your cylinder meets high purity standards. Nitrox is available for divers looking to extend their bottom time.

Full equipment hire is available on-site, covering everything from regulators and BCDs to wetsuits and fins. For organized training, the centre provides a dedicated briefing area and has ample storage space for both wet and dry gear, alongside freshwater showers for rinsing after a dive.

The Adriatic waters around Lopar are home to a diverse array of marine life. On the reefs and walls, you will frequently encounter large groupers, moray eels, and various species of crabs. The vertical structures are often draped in vibrant gorgonians and sponges, providing a rich backdrop for schools of fish moving through the blue.

For macro enthusiasts, the area is particularly rewarding. You can find a variety of colourful nudibranchs decorating the rocks, alongside octopus camouflaged within the crevices of the canyon and reef structures.

In certain areas, the environment is even more special, with the rare Mediterranean monk seal being a sought-after sighting. The deep slopes of sites like Prvic – Silo also host species such as blackmouth bass and various corals, making it a premier location for seeing the more specialised inhabitants of the Adriatic.

The diving in this region is characterised by the varied topography of the Adriatic coast, from shallow reef flats to dramatic vertical drops. While the sites offer a range of depths, divers should be aware of the specific requirements for cave and tunnel environments.

Navigation and buoyancy are key, especially when exploring the passages at Prvic or the chambers within the Medova Buža cave system. The centre's expertise in local topography ensures that divers are well-briefed on the specific characteristics of each site before leaving the boat.