Hang-Loose-Diving®
Krčka ul. 34, 51521, Punat, Croácia, Punat, Općina Punat, PRT
About the Center
Hang-Loose-Diving® is a dive center located in Punat, on the island of Krk, Croatia, offering immersive diving experiences in the Kvarner Bay since 2013. Staffed by a young and experienced team of international dive instructors and guides, who speak German, the center provides a wide array of courses certified by SSI and CMAS/FFESSM. Offerings range from introductory Discover Scuba Diving experiences to foundational Open Water Diver certifications and advanced training through the Advanced Open Water Diver course.
For those aspiring to professional levels, Hang-Loose-Diving® also conducts the Instructor Development Course. Additionally, individuals can hone their skills in specialized areas such as Freediving or opt for dedicated Boat Diving courses, designed to explore the unique dive sites around Krk island. These programs cater to diverse interests and skill levels within the diving community.
The dive facility is equipped with amenities to enhance the diver's experience. Guests can enjoy a bar for relaxation, on-site accommodation, comprehensive equipment rental services, and air fills, including nitrox. Boat diving excursions are a core feature, providing access to a variety of dive spots and ensuring efficient exploration of the underwater landscape.
Hang-Loose-Diving® prides itself on being a vibrant and dynamic dive school, catering to both beginners and experienced divers. Its commitment to quality instruction, diverse course offerings, and excellent facilities solidifies its reputation as a prime diving destination in Croatia for exploring the underwater world of Krk.
Available Courses
6 cursosCurso Open Water Diver
The OWD course at Hang-Loose runs over 3–4 days in Punat and certifies under SSI, I.A.C., or CMAS — your choice. The certification is internationally valid regardless of which agency you pick. Groups are capped at 4 participants, which keeps the instructor close during the confined-water and open-water sessions. Theory can be done in advance digitally or in book form during your stay — the centre gives you both options. The course price of 479 € covers equipment, online study materials, the theory and practical sessions, a logbook, and both a digital and physical certification card. The open-water dives (minimum 4) take place in the Kvarner Bay around Krk. The shallow dive sites near Punat provide a calm, clear-water environment for the first real dives with full equipment. The minimum age is 10 years (Junior Open Water Diver). For anyone who's already done the intro dive at Hang-Loose, that experience in the water counts toward the overall picture — the instructors know how you've handled the equipment before day one of the course.
Curso Advanced Open Water
The IAC Advanced Open Water course at Hang-Loose runs over 3 days and includes 6 dives. Two modules are fixed — Navigation and Deep Diving — and you choose one further specialty to round out the programme. That flexibility is useful here because the dive sites around Krk give real options: walls on the outer islands, the Peltastis wreck at up to 32 m, and current-exposed passages where navigation practice is anything but theoretical. The 449 € price includes online study materials, certification (digital and physical), and all 6 dives. Rental gear for the course duration is an additional 99 € if you don't bring your own. Minimum age is 15. You need to hold an OWD or equivalent brevet. The deep diving module takes you beyond the 18 m recreational limit, and the Navigation module at these sites — outer islands, multiple anchor points — gives it practical weight rather than just pool exercises. Completing the AOWD brings you one step closer to the I.A.C. Master Diver pathway, which Hang-Loose also offers.
Schnuppertauchen für Anfänger
The intro dive at Hang-Loose runs from the shore or the boat in the waters around Punat. Before you get in, there's a short theory session covering how the equipment works and what to pay attention to underwater — nothing complicated, just enough to make your first breath at depth feel normal. The dive itself is guided one-on-one. You go in with an instructor, stay close, and follow the Mediterranean flora and fauna at whatever depth you're comfortable with. The Kvarner Bay around Krk is sheltered enough that conditions are usually calm for a first-timer. The single-dive option costs 89 € and gives you one guided dive. If you want a second look, the two-dive option is 139 €. Neither requires any prior experience or certification — just a signed medical self-declaration. If the experience grabs you, the instructors at Hang-Loose can walk you straight into an OWD course from there, having already seen how you handle yourself in the water.
Dive Leader
The IAC Dive Leader is the highest recreational diver level and the bridge to the instructor pathway. At Hang-Loose, the course runs 5–7 days and costs 749 €, including certification. Study materials and HLW/O²/AED training are excluded from the price. The prerequisites are demanding: Master Diver or CMAS** brevet, minimum 18 years old, 65 logged dives with at least 10 between 30 and 40 metres, completed specialties in Deep Diving, Stress & Rescue, Night Diving, First Aid, Navigation, and Dive Group Management, plus your own equipment at instructor standard. The practical component covers everything from guiding beginners to timed ascents without fins, setting and relocating a buoy, and running a full emergency plan for the dive site. The apnoea requirements — 60 seconds static, 45 metres distance, 60 minutes snorkel endurance — are tested separately. With the Dive Leader qualification, you're authorised to dive with beginners — a meaningful step that Hang-Loose prepares candidates for directly in the waters around Krk.
Stress & Rescue
The Stress & Rescue course runs over 3 days and is offered under both IAC and SSI standards at Hang-Loose. It's the course that shifts attention away from your own dive and toward your buddy — recognising early stress signals, managing a panicked diver underwater, and getting an exhausted diver back to the boat at the surface. The 379 € includes digital certification and study materials. Rental gear is an additional 99 €. First aid and CPR training (HLW/O²/AED) is not included in the price and must be documented separately — no older than 2 years at the time of certification. Minimum age is 12 years. You need at least a (Junior) Open Water Diver certification. The course counts as a prerequisite for the Master Diver level at both IAC and SSI. Around Krk, where some of the boat dives push to the outer islands and conditions can change with the Bora wind, having this kind of training under your belt makes a real difference to how the dive team operates together.
Master Diver (IAC)
The IAC Master Diver is the highest recreational level in the IAC pathway and runs over 3 days at Hang-Loose. The 599 € includes 6 dives, online materials, and both digital and physical certification. Rental gear for the duration is an additional 99 €. To qualify, you need an IAC AOWD or equivalent, completion of the Stress & Rescue, Deep Diving, and Navigation specialties, and at least 20 logged dives. Minimum age is 15. The course adds at least two further specialties of your choice on top of the prerequisites already completed, deepening skills and experience rather than just adding another card. Around Krk, options like wreck diving on the Peltastis or night diving, cavern work, or current diving give the specialty dives real substance. Master Diver is also the entry point for the IAC Dive Leader (Divemaster-level) pathway if you want to continue toward professional certification — which Hang-Loose also offers in full.
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Frequently asked
What people ask before booking
We certify through SSI, I.A.C. (International Aquanautic Club), and CMAS. All three issue internationally recognised cards, and you can choose which organisation you want to certify with when you book your course.
10 years for Junior Open Water Diver courses. Some advanced and professional programmes have higher age requirements — 12, 15, 18, or 21 depending on the level.
Yes. You need either a valid medical certificate confirming fitness to dive, or you can complete a medical self-declaration form. If you don't have dive insurance, you can also take one out with us directly.
The boat leaves the Punat pier at 09:00 heading to the outer islands. Two dives with a surface interval and lunch break in between. Return is around 15:30, or 16:30 for the longer trips to Prvic and Grgur.
No. The Jakljan sits at 42–50 metres and always requires a decompression stop. You need at minimum an Advanced Nitrox certification and solid experience at depth. The Peltastis wreck (7–32 m) and the Lina are more accessible for certified recreational divers.
We stock a full range of Mares rental gear in all sizes. Rental for the duration of an OWD course is included in the course price; for other courses it's an additional 99 €.
Yes — all courses are available in German and English.
Open Water Diver courses run with a maximum of 4 participants. The site does not specify group sizes for other courses.