Okay, 8.30 tomorrow morning" we agree in the evening with an elderly local gardener who is cutting a hedge near the harbour and promises to pick us up here tomorrow to drive us to the other side of the mountain to Sakarun. And he is indeed there on time the next morning. We had told him that we needed to bring surfing equipment, but of course he hadn't expected it to be so much. After a brief frown, his facial features quickly relaxed again: "Nema problema" - no problem: "Everything in there, then just leave the tailgate open." My admiration for the gardeners on this island grows immeasurably. As does my anticipation of the long-awaited strong wind session. We are all relieved when all the stuff fits into his car and we set off for the other side of the island of Dugi Otok with the boot open. It was quite a feat for us to get here and we just wanted to get out on the water.
At this point, we had already been sailing off the coast of Croatia for a good week. A few days ago, a strong southerly wind suddenly appeared in the wind forecast, along with the question: where to go surfing? With over 1200 islands and more than 6000 kilometres of coastline, we spent a lot of time discussing, studying the nautical charts and checking the forecasts. In the end, we voted and decided not to sail any further south, but to turn round and head for Veli Rat in the north of the island of Dugi Otok. As it turned out later, this was a good decision.
Long island, short distances
Dennis comes out of the water and shouts at me: "Wow, boy! This is an absolute multispot." He is visibly euphoric, but he has every reason to be. I too have rarely surfed in such a short time, in such a small space, in such different conditions as here on Croatia's longest island, Dugi Otok. In the region around Veli Rat alone, there seems to be everything - surf, bump & jump and beautiful flat water in the sheltered lagoon. The coast is mostly rocky, there are no surf schools or shops and the region is pretty much deserted from October to April - so you have to make a few compromises here, at least in the winter months. However, for the adventurous or individual travellers who are travelling by van on the mainland, for example, a crossing to Dugi Otok is definitely worthwhile - especially if there are a few days with southerly winds in the forecast. That's when the point break at Lopata comes to life. This was also the only spot where we met other windsurfers during our trip in October. According to the locals, this is one of the best wave spots in Croatia. A circular headland allows the waves to roll in cleanly. The fact that we had the pleasure of surfing here was more luck than judgement in the end.
One day, however, when we took a lunch break in the bay of Sakarun, cars with waveboards on the roof kept driving past us and winding their way up the gravel track towards the small peninsula - which naturally aroused our curiosity. Shortly before sunset, we decided to cruise up from the onshore spot Sakarun to take a look at this previously unknown spot. We couldn't believe our eyes - we hadn't expected waves like these on this trip, and we would have missed them by a whisker.
To make sure this doesn't happen to you, we've collected all the spot information from Dogi Otok for you in the following guide - have fun!
General information:
Journey:Dugi Otok can be reached by ferry from the Croatian harbour town of Zadar. Depending on the season, there are several crossings a day with the ferry line Jadrolinija ( www.jadrolinija.hr ), these take around 1:30 hours. There is no need to pre-book, tickets can be bought directly at the counter in the ferry harbour. From the ferry harbour in Brbinj on the island of Dugi Otok, you can reach the spots in around 20 minutes.
Living & Camping:Dugi Otok is still very tranquil, if you are looking for mass tourism and party miles, you are completely wrong here. Nevertheless, there is a good selection of holiday homes and apartments on the island, which can be booked via the well-known online booking platforms. Wild camping is generally prohibited in Croatia. In the winter months, a blind eye is sometimes turned as long as you follow the rules - so don't spread out too much and take your rubbish with you. Between March and October, wild camping is punishable by fines - so it's best to use the official sites. There are three campsites on Dugi Otok that come into question:
Camp Mandarino ( www.campmandarino.com/de ): 4-star campsite right on the water, close to the spot and overgrown with a beautiful pine forest.
Camping Kargita ( www.camp-kargita.hr ): Also right on the water, not far from the surf spots and with plenty of shade.
Camp Dugi Otok Further south is this small campsite, which is only for tents - campers and buses have to stay outside.
Wind, weather & neoprene recommendations:Croatia is characterised by a subtropical climate, and its location far out in the Adriatic also ensures a mild climate on Dugi Otok in winter. Summers are hot (air 30 degrees, water 25 degrees) and often have longer periods without a gliding wind. The ideal time to visit for windsurfers is between September and November and between March and June. However, if you are hardy enough, you can also surf through here without any problems, with water temperatures still reaching twelve degrees in the depths of winter. In general, Dugi Otok is ventilated by several winds, the gliding wind rate is around 20-25 per cent in midsummer and significantly higher in the winter months (50 to 60 per cent): The bora from the east to northeast is caused by cold air over the mountains on the mainland (e.g. after thunderstorms/rain on the mainland) and is usually somewhat gusty. In summer, it brings a long-awaited cooling effect and can reach gale force at any time of year. In summer, a bora phase usually lasts one to three days, in the winter months it can sometimes blow for a week. The strongest bora is usually in the morning and evening, with a lull in the afternoon - gigantic distant views and sunshine are free on top. The thermal maestral from the west usually blows only weakly, but can easily reach 12 to 18 knots, especially in spring. On the other hand, a deterioration in the weather is heralded by the "Jugo" or "Scirocco" wind from the south to south-east. This often builds up over days, blows very constantly, brings warm Saharan air even in winter and, on top of that, official waves. A jugo phase only ends with the onset of rain or thunderstorms - which is often the starting signal for a strong bora afterwards. The bottom line is that between December and April you should have a 5-piece neo (possibly with a bonnet) with you on Dugi Otok, and a 4/3-piece neo afterwards. In midsummer, a short-sleeved wetsuit will also do.
Waves, currents & tides:The tides hardly play a role in the Adriatic. Bora and maestral bring chop or small swells at best. On the other hand, the jugo shovels solid surf onto the shore - in stormy weather, logo- to mast-high breakers are quite possible. However, you can always hide in the lagoon and surf quite safely in flat water.
Surf schools & shops:If you come to Dugi Otok, you should bring (spare) equipment - there are no surf schools or shops.
Alternative programme:Dugi Otok is not a party island. But it does have great nature, cliffs and crystal-clear sea. The Telascica Nature Park in the south of the island is definitely worth a visit, where you should not miss out on a hike along the cliffs or to the salt lake "Mir". The stalactite cave Strasna Pec is also well worth a visit, although the opening times here are very flexible. Sakarun beach is also a good place to swim with children, which is definitely worth mentioning given the rather rocky coastline in Croatia.
Good to know:Croatia is a very safe country to travel to. The only danger here comes from Slijvovica, Pelinkovac & Co - the well-known schnapps and liqueurs of the region. Drink-driving is not seen as a trivial offence in Croatia, and anyone disregarding the 0.5 per mille limit will pay upwards of 400 euros. Shoes are advisable at most spots in the area, as the ground is usually rocky and sea urchins are also common. Dugi Otok has no fresh water sources, drinking water is obtained from cisterns or brought here by boat - so using water sparingly is more than appropriate here.
Dugi Otok - the best spots for windsurfers
1 Lopata Point
On the D109 road, which runs across the island from north to south, turn right from Veli Rat just after the hilltop and follow the sign to the "Plaza Sakarun" car park on a small gravel road. Caution: potholes! Our driver touched down here a few times with his car. As soon as you see the water, keep to the right and follow the bumpy track straight ahead until you reach the headland that leads to the small peninsula. The locals have simply parked here right by the water. Once you arrive at the spot, you can rig up right next to the car and enter the water on the leeward side of the island. The entrance is rocky but harmless, there are no shore breaks or sharp rocks. Only the island's wind cover can make life difficult on the way out. Surf tip: Start as far downwind as possible. No waves break here and you have the cleanest wind. The windswell turns a good 90 degrees around the small island and breaks cleanly along the coast into the deep channel. There is no such thing as closeouts here, the jugo comes exactly sideshore on the wave. The wave is very clean, but breaks rather slowly. You have to stay very close to the breaking part in order to get enough thrust - especially after the first one or two turns when you enter the wind cover of the island. Surfers like to drop in here because they assume that the ride is over for the windsurfers.
2 Sakarun Beach
In the winter months, the turquoise-coloured bay of Sakarun is almost deserted and the popular bathing and anchoring bay is a fun onshore surf spot for jumping or freestyling between the long waves when the jugo wind blows from the south-east. Leaving the D109 road, the gravel track leads directly to a car park behind the "Srdelica" fast food stall. You can park and rig up here. A small shorebreak forms in strong, onshore jugo winds. However, the bottom is very flat and constant and you can judge the waves well, as they break relatively far out and then roll moderately over the flat, sandy bottom onto the beach. Sakarun is definitely also a spot for surf beginners. The bay is only around 350 metres wide in the surf zone - that's narrow, but enough to build up enough speed for jumping. A slight windward jam can make it a little more difficult to get upwind. Just don't sail too close to the edges, as it gets a bit rocky there. There is also a chain of buoys just behind the surf zone, which separates the bathing zone in summer and prevents yachts from anchoring too close to land. Windsurfing is not prohibited here, but caution is advised as soon as swimmers are in the water.
3 Veli Rat harbour
The Veli Rat lagoon is located exactly on the opposite side of the mountain. Access to the open water here is so narrow that the southernmost part of the lagoon, behind the marina, forms a kind of lake. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to get out on the water ourselves, but according to the local gardener, you can see windsurfers here from time to time in summer. We also saw old surfboards lying in front of the houses and on the jetties. We imagine the small lake to be relatively gusty, but beginners should get their money's worth on the perfectly sheltered "lake". Unfortunately, there is no sandy entrance, so beginners should definitely wear shoes here. Along the paved shore on the west side of the lake, you can easily find a suitable jetty or steps to get into the water. The road leads directly along the shore. There is a car park near the bus stop.
4 Veli Rat Lagoon
The south-easterly wind (Jugo) sweeps right through the aisle that forms the small lake and accelerates again to the north-west of the harbour. Experienced surfers can let off steam here. The further you descend towards the "Natural Bridge", the bigger the chop and the more constant the wind. Those who are confident with the water start and can run upwind have unlimited possibilities here. The D109 can be followed north-westwards after Veli Rat. This becomes a narrower but still tarmac road and leads directly to the bay where we anchored. If you don't want to cross back to Veli Rat harbour at Jugo, simply park at the side of the road and head out onto the water from the bay. The wind is slightly overcast for the first few hundred metres and it is also relatively rocky here. But once you're out on the water, you can go for it without being disturbed. Even with a bora - which we unfortunately didn't get to experience - the lagoon should be good for surfing, especially in the north-western part.
5 Soline Lagoon
If you're adventurous and preferably in pairs on the water, you can heat across to the larger Soline lagoon, which is a good kilometre away, in jugo winds. Here, due to the long, narrow shape of the lagoon, you can expect a really fat chop, comparable to the conditions in strong Peler on the lake in Malcesine - but without a net and double bottom, because the next piece of land to leeward is the uninhabited rocky island of Tramerka.
6 Natural Bridge
This spot is best reached from the anchorage bay, alternatively you can follow the D109 towards "Natural Bridge". However, we were unable to explore the entrance there - so this recommendation is subject to change. The small headland to the south-east of the Natural Bridge forms a short but fine shallow water slope of around 300 metres at Bora. Be careful not to drive too close to land, as it quickly becomes shallow. You also have to cross quite a bit here and you are generally a long way from the entry point. So only for experienced surfers and even if it is difficult to drift off here in the western part of the lagoon, it is best not to explore this spot alone.
