Diving in Dominican Republic

[AngloFish]

Having just gotten back from a week there and diving all the site you posted I couldn't agree more. Bayahibe has some really good diving and the St. George is a nice wreck. Some very nice caves as well if that's your thing.

The best diving is on the south coast near the village of Bayahibe. There are some excellent reefs, a beautiful wall dive (off Catalina Island) and a really cool shipwreck (an old Russian freighter...The St. George). I strongly recommend you contact ScubaFun to arrange your dives. I have used them 3 times now and have always been impressed with their boats and staff. The owner, John, is a great guy completely focused on customer service. Message me if you need any more information.

Bob (Toronto)

 

[DRsharky]

Not too many people traveling to Dominican republic realize that not all the waters are the Caribbean sea. Punta Cana on the east and Puerto Plata on the north are all surrounded by the Atlantic ocean, therefore not as calm as the Caribbean sea in Bayahibe area on the south.

 

[ekretchmer]

I was at Dreams La Romana and I dove with Gri Gri. The diving was awesome as I saw Sea Horses, an Octipus, Moray Eel, tons of fish and beautiful coral. Gri Gri was a great PADI Dive shop right at the Dreams La Romana property. I had an overall wonderful experience!

 

[BeijaFlor]

Thanks. Good to know. I was just wondering because Punta Cana is a popular resort town. I wonder what it would be like staying in Bayahibe.

Also, Puerto Plata is a popular resort town. Does anybody know anything about dive operations around there?

I've had several trips to the Puerto Plata area over the past few years, and all of the diving I saw was out of the town of Sosua, which is east of POP Airport and about 30 minutes' drive from the city. Sosua Bay isn't great diving, but it's a darn sight better than cold-water quarry diving in Pennsylvania. (And let's just say that I had ulterior motives for staying in Sosua ... )

I'm aware of three dive operators in Sosua: Northern Coast Diving, Aqua Adventures, and Merlin Dive Center. Merlin, I think, caters more to the European market; they are quite conservative about their dive trips, doing one morning dive than taking a long surface-interval (and lunch break) before doing their afternoon dive. I dove with them, my last couple of trips, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. I've also dove with another operator whose office is in Puerto Plata proper, Diwa Dominica; they're a good choice if you're staying in the Playa Dorada resort complex, because they'll pick you up there and drive you back. (Two morning dives with them, and a short SIT on the boat.) There are interesting dives within 15 minutes of Sosua Beach, including one reef-reclamation site where a large assortment of concrete reef-balls were sunk in the sand to get things started ...

My only visit to the South Coast was to Boca Chica, earlier this month. I dove with Tropical Sea Divers, and I won't hesitate to recommend them; they're CMAS/PADI/IANTD affiliated, the owner is Swiss, and he has two instructors from France and Germany. Plenty of good reefs within a 20-minute (or so) ride from the shop, including a sunken tugboat (the Catuan) that has its deck cut open for swim-throughs. They were a five-minute walk from the Hotel Garant, which is where I stayed.

Hope this helps ...

 

[UserNameBella]

If you are truly going there to just dive, hit up Jonathan at Scuba Fun in Bayahibe and stay in Bayahibe or La Romana. It is a great area just off of La Romana ( a beautiful little city ) The diving is great. Jonathan is an amazing DM and a great guy. I adore him. If you are wanting sun and sand and a little diving, stay in Bavaro Punta Cana area and hit up Happy Dive center (google it, they are on the beach). The owner is Canadian and the DM is Dominican. They are awesome as well. They do the tours of Bayahibe at an awesome price and pick you up at your hotel as well as local dives in the Bavaro area. I have personally dove with all these companies so I can attest to their awesomeness.

The diving in the DR is okay, although I wish the government took the reef preservation more seriously, even in the marine parks of Catalina Island. I wish I had done the St. George, but there is an awesome wreck on the beanch in Bavaro that we did that was great as well, and totally amazing although a bit shallower. ( I didn't have my advanced cert to do the deeper St. George)

Plus you get the charm of the Dominican people while on land.

Either way...if you are going to the DR hit Jonathan at Scuba Fun or Debbie and Harry at Happy Dive up. You will not be disappointed with their customer service.