Vipava at Renče (Christmas dive)
A weir on the Vipava at Renče slows the river and deepens it to over 6 m under the old road bridge, with a 7 m pool just upstream. In January and February, at low water, a group of giant wels catfish – some over 2 m long – overwinters in that pool, and divers sometimes meet a dozen of them. Elsewhere there are few fish apart from carp coming in from the weedy shallows, and the gravel bed holds debris including remains of old bridges and the First World War. Every December the local club DPD Soča holds a festive Christmas dive here with an underwater treasure hunt.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Lakes, Rivers & Caves
- Area: Vipava valley & Karst (Škocjan)
- Depth: 0–7 m
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: drift, channel, night
- Coordinates: 45.89144, 13.66916
- Highlights: pool up to 7 m above the old road bridge, weir, wels catfish (over 2 m, overwintering in Jan–Feb), carp, WWI remains, old bridge remains, annual Christmas dive event
- Tips: Enter from the built-up left bank in Renče (park in the wide street by the river) and swim upstream past the bridge, returning with the current; turn towards the left bank when the bed shallows and the current picks up near the weir. Dive at low water; visibility is poor and best in winter. Water is about 5 °C in December, up to 20 °C in summer, so a dry suit is needed for the catfish season. Bring a compass. For the Christmas event follow the organiser DPD Soča Nova Gorica (dpdsoca.si). The SPZ sheet dates from 2012; river gravel, banks and access roads may have changed since.