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Kayak and Climbing Expedition

Conor OHora

Water Sports Activity Holiday in Croatia

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Expedition Outline:

Dubrovnik Riviera offers blue and warm Adriatic sea, green coastline off

the beautiful islands of Lokrum and Kolocep, hidden bays and beaches, so

many things to discover and ways to combine activities and leisure.

This tour is about sea activities: sea kayaking, snorkeling, and swimming.

There are many ways to discover an area, but it is always more different

and interesting when you admire it from the sea, paddling in kayak, from

the boat or behind the glass of snorkeling mask. There is old saying in

Croatia: if you put your finger in the sea you are connected with the entire

world. Through our trip you won't see all the world but you will see and

enjoy this small part known as Dubrovnik Riviera.

By the sounds of it the Dubrovnik Riviera is an amazing place, that is why

I would like to go here. I wouldnt think this expedition would involve too

much training either.

Goals:

Kayak around the Riviera

Snorkel to find out the beauty of the sea life

Swim for excercise and enjoyment in the warm sea

Training:

For the Kayaking we should be fine as most students travelling will have

level 2 Kayak Skills. For those who only got to level 1, they should

complete level 2 in the Irish Canoe Union in the Strawberry Beds.

The snorkelling training would involve a few sessions in the school

swimming pool with Polly Dolan. Maybe 5 or 6 pool sessions wouldsuffice.

Everyone who goes on the trip will already be able to swim as they would

have done kayaking previously, which requires you to swim.

Travel Arrangements and Itinerary:

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Flights are 150 return from Dublin to Dubrovnik with Aer Lingus.

6:50am May 15th and return at 5:55pm 19th

May.

All transfers, accommodation, activities, food are included in the 450

price. The 150 euro cost of flights is extra.

Day

1:

Arrival. Meeting at the airport, transfer to the accommodation,

welcome dinner.

Day

2:

Sea-kayaking to Lokrum. We get of to a flying start with a

transfer to the Old Town, where we will meet our kayaking

instructor. Here we'll have a safety briefing, be fitted with safety

equipment and have a run through the basics of sea-kayaking /

how to handle the craft before setting off from the city port. A

highlight next as we sea kayake in the very shadow of the ancient

walls for which the city is famous as we head to Lokrum. Onarrival there is time to discover the island's beaches and bays, and

to enjoy plenty of swimming. Later we depart back to Dubrovnik

and our accommodation. Accommodation: Pansion. Included

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day

3:

Dubrovnik sightseeing and walking tour. We visit and explore

the old town of Dubrovnik. Our Dubrovnik exploring starts after

breakfast with a short walking tour from our Dubrovnik

accommodation to the old centre. There we meet our guide whowill take us through Dubrovniks streets and introduce us to it's

rich history. Tour length is 2 hours combining cultural sightseeing

and easy walking. Accommodation: Pansion. Included Meals:

Breakfast

Day

4:

Snorkeling, swimming. Transfer from accommodation to place

Mlini on Dubrovnik Riviera. Boarding on the boat, cruising to the

archipelago between Cavtat and Dubrovnik, relaxing day;

swimming, snorkeling, lunch included. Whole day trip. Arrival to

Mlini and bus transfer to accommodation. Accommodation:Pansion. Included Meals: Breakfast and lunch.

Day

5:

Transfer to the airport and departure.

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Route Card:

On Day 2 We will Kayak along the Old City Walls of Dubrovnik to the

island of Lokrum. The distance is about 2kms. The route is basic and

straight-forward.

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Other than this route all other routes we take are by road and we will be

driven there by bus by a driver.

Equipment:

Essential KayakEquipment

y Kayak: Whitewater kayaks are completely different from Sea orTouring kayaks. The type of kayak you choose depends completelyon what type of paddling you wish to do and what level of paddler

you are.

y Paddle: Each type of kayaking uses a different type of paddle. Thestore where you buy your equipment can help you figure out which

paddle goes with the kayak you decide to buy.

y PFD: PFD stands for Personal Flotation Device and is essentially alife jacket or life preserver for kayakers.

y Sprayskirt: Sprayskirts help keep the water out of the kayak. Theyare necessary for Whitewater and Sea Kayaking. Recreational

kayaking can do without them. You must be sure that the skirt fits

both you and the kayak.

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y Helmet: Helmets are a requirement for Whitewater Kayaking. Theyare not a requirement for Sea Kayaking.

Non-essential Kayaking Equipment

y Dry Top, Drysuit, Wetsuit, Paddle Jacket: This is totally a matterof preference and water temperature. Some people always use a dry

top. Others paddle without any of these items all summer long.

y Booties: Make sure they are comfortable and that you fit into thekayak while wearing them.

y Gloves: This is also a matter of preference as some people hate topaddle with gloves. In addition to keeping your hands warm, gloves

also protect your knuckles from scrapes and gashes.

y Rope Bag: It could help you save the life of a friend. I stronglyrecommend all paddlers to carry a rescue throw bag.

y Knife: This is one of those items you will probably never use. In theevent you get tangled in a rope or stuck under a raft, you'll be glad

that you had one.

y Float Bags: These bags that fit in the stern of the kayak will keep itfrom sinking should you get separated from your boat.

y Dry Bag: This will keep your snacks and camera dry. Just makesure it is attached inside of the boat.

Equipment needed for snorkelling:

y Snorkel mask.y Semi-dry snorkel tube.

y Fins (to turn your feet into powerful flippers).y Flotation vest

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Food:

Breakfast and Lunch each day will be provided in the accommodation.

However when we are out for the day for example when we go to Lokrum

we would need to bring a packed lunch. In Old Dubrovnik they really

suggest buying home produce. This could include foods that are high in

carbohydrates and fruit.

For dinner we could easily head out to some of the local restaurants that

provide fresh, delicious food at low prices.

The breakfast and lunch are included in the total price but in regards to the

extra food i.e dinner and snacks, 50 per person would definitely suffice.

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Safety:

First Aid Kit: the first aid kit will be provided by the kayaking instructor.

In the kit we should have bandages, antiseptic cream, safety ropes,

additional emergency buoyancy aids.

In case of emergency we should call 112 and add:

Police92

Fire Department93

Ambulance94

Traffic police tel: 443 666

District police tel: 443 333

Coast Guard tel: 443 555

Public Emergency Center985

Roadside Assistance987

Location Details: Dubrovnik

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Air temperature average annual

16.4 C (61.5 F)

average of coldest period = January9 C (48 F)

average of warmest period = August24.9 C (76.8 F)

Sea temperature average MaySeptember

17.923.8 C (6475 F)

Salinity*approximately 38 (parts per thousand)

Precipitationaverage annual 1,020.8 mm

average annual rain days 109.2 Sunshine

average annual 2629 h average daily hours 7.2 h

Geography:

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Dubrovnik riviera map

Dubrovnikand its area cover the territory of the southern part of the

Republic of Croatia and its province ofDalmatia. Its borders run

fromNeum in the west to Sutorina and Ponta Ostrain the east. This area

lies between Bosnia and Herzegovina in the north and the Montenegro in

the east.

This spread-out, comparatively narrow piece of coastline, lying below the

rocky mountain range of the Dinara and some smaller mountains,

becomes wider in its eastern part and develops into the small rocky

Konavosko Polje, including here the mountain Snijeznica, with its

mountainous part, where the coast seems as if to enter the land.

The border-line of this area goes along the mountain tops on the side

ofHerzegovina and partly on the side of Montenegro. In some places the

area along the coast is not more than a hundred meters wide - like in

Duboka Ljuta.

The geographical position ofDubrovnikand the area of the southern partof the eastern Adriatic coast is extremely favourable, being situated at the

end of the Adriatic archipelago and at the foot of the comparatively small

mountains that can be explored on toot. These mountains have offered a

favourable territory for the caravaning trade travelling on the whole of the

Balkan territory.

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Dubrovnik old city

At the same time the mountain range represents anatural shield defending

the area from the cold currents of the continental climate; this is one of the

geographical factors that have this exceptionally mild, the

realMediterranean climate of the Dubrovnik area as its consequence.

According to the Greenwich measurements Dubrovnik is situated at 42028

of the northern latitude, like Rome and Barcelona, and at 1807 eastern

longitude, like Stockholm. These are the advantages of the geographical

position that cause the subtropical climate and the rich vegetation.

History:

Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south

of Dalmatia, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It

is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic,

a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its population was

43,770 in 2001 down from 49,728 in 1991. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik

joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

The prosperity of the city of Dubrovnik has always been based onmaritime trade. In the Middle Ages, as the Republic of Ragusa, also

known as the fifth Maritime Republic (together

with Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa and Venice), it became the only eastern

Adriatic city-state to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and

skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a remarkable level of development,

particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries. Although demilitarized in

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1970s with a purpose to prevent it from war devastation forever, in 1991

after the breakup of Yugoslavia it was besieged by Serb-Montenegrin

forces for 7 months and heavily damaged by bombing.