Puerto Rico Dive Suggestions

[ednedfred]

I'll be traveling to Puerto Rico on 10/11/02 for several days and have never dove in this country. I'm staying at the Hyatt Cerromar and would like to have some suggestions of good dive operators close to my hotel. Thanks

[Scuba Barbie]

My research for our trip in June showed that the southwest side of the island has the best diving. There is not much diving on the north side near your hotel.
We were staying in San Juan and did not want to make the drive everyday, so we dove out of Fajardo, which is on the east side of the island. One the week-end we dove with http://www.scubacentro.com/ right off of St. Thomas.

If you do a search on "Puerto Rico" in the Carribean section of this forum, you will find a couple of trip reports that might prove useful.

Have fun!

[scuba-punk]

This post is a little late for you trip, but it might still be helpful... I still have family that lives in P.R., so I try to go once a year. I take my dive gear every chance I get. I've had the opportunity to dive twice from the Fajardo (East) area and once from the Guanica area (Southwest). Guanica has much better vis (100 feet), some nice walls and good reefs in general. We dove with Dive Copamarina. The Fajardo area doesn't have quite as nice vis (50 to 60) close to shore, but there's a good reason. That's where the runoff from the rainforest (El Yunque) ends up. BUT, there is alot more big fish. I've seen sharks and rays on every trip. I also managed to find lobster with a carapace the diameter of a softball! My next trip will be to Desecheo (West). If anyone has dove from there or Mona Island, I'd love to hear about it...

-Frank

[Angry Turtle]

Scubapunk...

I am also an expatriate, and just like you, whenever I go back, along goes my gear.

Last April, we dove Desecheo....definitely a MUST dive.

Great life diversity, and just infinite visibility.

Next time you go, try to hook up with Oceanns Unlimited, I recommend them to everybody that asks, they are great people and treated us fenomenally.

www.oceans-unlimited.com is their website.

BoricuaMojao

[DocVikingo]

..... future reference as ednedfred let for their trip on 10-11-02, here's my 2 cents:

If you are an experienced diver & have the time, you will want to go to the west coast & dive Mona, Monita & Desecheo Islands. Be prepared for rough water. Can be accessed from Parguera, Lajas, Rincon, Mayaguez, etc. All are small hamlets with only basic lodgings & services, although the Copamarina in Mayaguez is pretty nice. I recommend Parguera. Stay at Posada Parlomar or Posada Por La Mar (1-800-6-GETWet) & dive with Parguera Divers (http://netdial.caribe.net/~divepr; fax: 787-899-5558). Tell my friend Capt. Efra that DocVikingo sent you -- he'll hook you up. This area is about a 3+ hour drive from San Juan, or fly into Ponce & make it a 45 minute drive.

If you are not experienced, or confined to the northeast or east side, dive Culebra Island - lots of turtles. Check with Sea Ventures http://www.divepuertorico.com/sv_about_us.htm and ask for John from Germany--tell him I sent you. Can also dive Vieques Island, which has a splendid phosphorescent bay night dive off the NW coast. Check with Coral Head Divers (coralheaddivers@worldnet.att.net) in Humacao. You can probably work both of these from the Dorado area.

Forget diving around San Juan - it is trash. Speaking of San Juan, watch yourself around town.

Best regards.

DocVikingo