Drive and dive Puerto Rico?

[sidwise]

Been toying with the notion of bopping around Puerto Rico by car to check out the diving in various locations. You know, spend the night in one town, dive there in the morning, drive to the next dive destination, and do it again. Basically explore the island and compare dive sites and operators. So far, I've read old threads on SB to get a sense of which operators to use and which to avoid; thanks, folks, for posting those.

For those of you who know PR diving, a few more (big) questions:

- Is there any shore diving available? Basically sites where I can park a rented car (without worry that the contents will disappear during my bottom time), strap on a scuba unit, and wade in for a great dive? If so, where are these places? And where can I rent tanks and lead for those each of those sites?

- Though I'm a reasonably experienced diver (900 dives, PADI MSDT, tech and cave diver), I'll be traveling and diving alone. Will that cause hassles anywhere?

- My Spanish is near non-existent. Barely qualifies as un poquito. Can I get by in English outside San Juan?

- If you put together your dream itinerary in PR, what would it be and how long would it take? Circle the island clockwise or CCW? Stop and dive in which towns? Would it include side-trips to Culebra and/or Vieques?

- Do I need to book ahead with operators, or can I walk in most places and be assured of diving, weather permitting.

- Should I be concerned about drinking the water outside of SJ? Or eating at local hole-in-the-wall places? Should I be concerned about crime or my personal safety topside?

- Has anyone else done a PR drive-and-dive trip like this?

I know this is asking a lot, SBers. If I do this trip, I'll repay your generosity by posting a trip report.

 

[Quetzal]

I would like to know the answers to these questions also. My wifes folks are from PR and I would like to do just what you are talking about, after we visit with the family.
I don't know if this is typical but my father-in-law, 57 yrs old who lived in PR till he was 16 and who visits every year just went to Ponce for the first time last year.

 

[herman]

Hi Sid.
Can't help with PR, just saw your name and wanted to say Hi. Welcome to my topside dive hangout.

 

[sidwise]

Has anyone dove different areas of Puerto Rico (e.g., east vs southwest) who can offer some ideas on what to expect in the various locations?

 

[WaterWayne]

First, here's a comprehensive, very detailed, overview of the island by region. It's been updated since I used it for my own trip in 2002, but I can tell you that it was 100% on target for that time. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see all the PR options.

http://www.iit.edu/~PR/prcul.html

Now, here are my highly subjective opinions in red; YMMV, etc.

- Is there any shore diving available?

Not outside of San Juan that I saw, and that particular shore dive is apparently not great, in my similar trip in 2002. Personally, I was a bit disappointed in the overall island diving -- but see below for the exceptions, Culebra and Rincon (Desecheo Island).

- Though I'm a reasonably experienced diver (900 dives, PADI MSDT, tech and cave diver), I'll be traveling and diving alone. Will that cause hassles anywhere?

Didn't present a problem for me, and I had much less experience than you. However, I wouldn't drive much at night on the high-speed roads. PR drivers don't have much lane discipline...

- My Spanish is near non-existent. Barely qualifies as un poquito. Can I get by in English outside San Juan?

Absolutely. In fact, ironically, I'm lifelong, native-fluent in Spanish, and I was surprised that it didn't prove more valuable on either of my two PR trips.

- If you put together your dream itinerary in PR, what would it be and how long would it take? Circle the island clockwise or CCW? Stop and dive in which towns? Would it include side-trips to Culebra and/or Vieques?

On my first trip, I went clockwise from San Juan, starting with the northeast, near Culebra. There is shore diving off San Juan, good for an equipment check, but not much more. In fact, I dived on the west coast with newbie divers from San Juan residents, taking their check dives other than San Juan. Culebra would definitely be worth a couple of days, at least. I wish I had budgeted more time there. Vieques is still making up its mind what it wants to be, after the Navy base closure. They're not quite tourist-ready yet, as of a 2nd-hand report from 2004.

Beaches along the south are OK. Beaches in the southwest were over-rated, IMHO. The best ones I found were in the northwest, and they were outstanding (about 11 o'clock in the clock model.)

Now the good news: Rincon, about 8 o'clock on the west coast, is a jewel of a place. That's the departure point for day boat trips to Desecheo Island. That was listed by Carlson Wagonlit Travel as one of the Top Ten Caribbean dive destinations, but Rincon is not overrun. Quite the contrary! I think Taino Divers are still the only dive op (although they didn't act like it); Rincon didn't have any chain establishments; and no cruise ships. In season, (other than winter), Taino Divers also put on three-day diving trips to Mona Island, including camping with fresh-caught-and-cooked meals. They also do whale-watching tours in season, and can take you fishing, offer surf lessons, and more. (No, they don't pay me a dime, but I've dived with them twice now.)

- Do I need to book ahead with operators, or can I walk in most places and be assured of diving, weather permitting.

I would always book ahead, especially in high season; I went in the "shoulder" season (just before high season in October), and the dive boats were half-full or more.

- Should I be concerned about drinking the water outside of SJ? Or eating at local hole-in-the-wall places? Should I be concerned about crime or my personal safety topside?

Water is fine, although I almost always get bottled water anyway. Eating is fine unless you have a delicate stomach and are upset by unfamiliar food in general. Still, carry immodium. Stay out of dark alleys in San Juan, and you'll be safe. But you knew that.

- Has anyone else done a PR drive-and-dive trip like this?

Yes, in 2002. When I went back in 2003, I drove straight from San Juan to Rincon.

I know this is asking a lot, SBers. If I do this trip, I'll repay your generosity by posting a trip report.

Please do! HTH, Wayne

 

[WaterWayne]

But wait, there's more...mainly because I was bored and need a daydream escape, I looked up this thread which touts La Parguera, on the southwest coast. On my trip through there, I was told it was murky vis right then, and diving wasn't recommended. In any case, here's the thread:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=18171&highlight=puerto+rico

 

[sidwise]

Thanks, WaterWayne, for the details. This was exactly what I was looking for when I posted this thread. I will put this in my planning hopper. Thanks, too, for the other thread. It's one of those I had read earlier when researching PR on SB.

 

[LindaBluedolphin]

Can I go too?

 

[rockwaterx]

Shore dives aren't great in PR but here they are: Crashboat in Aguadilla, Steps Beach in Rincon, Shacks Beach near Ramey Air Base (be careful here, only dive when conditions are calm) Best boat diving is: The Wall on the South Coast & Desecheo Island on the West coast w/ Taino Divers in Rincon.

 

[K-Rae]

Hey Sid,

I'll be heading there in April and was going to submit my own thread until I saw yours. Maybe I'll bump into you.