Since I had little reliable information on this area prior to my trip, I thought I'd post this for future travelers that want to dive in the DR. I can't comment on comparison to other parts of the country but I understand that the best diving is out of Bayahibe so I stayed there.
The shop:
I was referred to Scuba Fun in Bayahibe by a work associate. I could not have been happier with the choice. There are several operators there, some even closer to the dock. Scuba Fun is a terrific full service PADI shop about 100ft from the boats. The owner, John, is gracious and helpful. They offer a discount for multiple dives, sent me on a boat chartered just for me, gave me a hotel discount,and also helped with non-diving trips. He has several boats that go out every day so there are always dive site choices.
The dives:
The best dive there is probably St George, the wreck. I dove it twice. It can be deep, over 130 feet, ad you can penetrate. The guides are all careful with time and your skill. I did go pretty far in and under on the second trip. I did the two excursions: one to Catalina Island, and the other to Saona. They are both super, include drinks and food after diving. Both are set on the beach. The food was better on Saona but the diving was better imo at Catalina. The local dives are cool too. The fish density is not great as you'd expect these days from a caribbean island. There were a lot of life at Catalina and Saona so they are a must see. There are several dives, like Viva shallow, that offer a marine museum. These are cannons, cannonballs, arms, and various pieces of shipwrecks that sunk near there. They offer homes to some great little creatures as well. There were morays on every dive, including many free-swimming ones. No turtles but lots of snappers, small reef fish, some barracuda.
Non-diving activities:
I did visit the local cave which was pretty cool. Dining is reasonably priced, mostly seafood but there are some fine dining experiences.
In short, I was really pleased diving there but mostly because of the shop. The DM's including Gulash and Nick were super helpful and always entertaining. The sites were nice and relaxing. Depths mostly under 50 feet so no issues with time. They have nitrox available but I chose not to use it.
The shop:
I was referred to Scuba Fun in Bayahibe by a work associate. I could not have been happier with the choice. There are several operators there, some even closer to the dock. Scuba Fun is a terrific full service PADI shop about 100ft from the boats. The owner, John, is gracious and helpful. They offer a discount for multiple dives, sent me on a boat chartered just for me, gave me a hotel discount,and also helped with non-diving trips. He has several boats that go out every day so there are always dive site choices.
The dives:
The best dive there is probably St George, the wreck. I dove it twice. It can be deep, over 130 feet, ad you can penetrate. The guides are all careful with time and your skill. I did go pretty far in and under on the second trip. I did the two excursions: one to Catalina Island, and the other to Saona. They are both super, include drinks and food after diving. Both are set on the beach. The food was better on Saona but the diving was better imo at Catalina. The local dives are cool too. The fish density is not great as you'd expect these days from a caribbean island. There were a lot of life at Catalina and Saona so they are a must see. There are several dives, like Viva shallow, that offer a marine museum. These are cannons, cannonballs, arms, and various pieces of shipwrecks that sunk near there. They offer homes to some great little creatures as well. There were morays on every dive, including many free-swimming ones. No turtles but lots of snappers, small reef fish, some barracuda.
Non-diving activities:
I did visit the local cave which was pretty cool. Dining is reasonably priced, mostly seafood but there are some fine dining experiences.
In short, I was really pleased diving there but mostly because of the shop. The DM's including Gulash and Nick were super helpful and always entertaining. The sites were nice and relaxing. Depths mostly under 50 feet so no issues with time. They have nitrox available but I chose not to use it.
