Where is the best diving in PR and how does it compare?

[VDCFitz]

I've lived and dived in PR for over 7 years. My 2 cents.

1. La Parguerra - Island Scuba Scuba Diving School & Dive Trips in Puerto Rico - Island Scuba
2. Desecheo - Taino Divers www.tainodivers.com (but they don't always make the trip to desecheo)
3. Vieques - Vieques Dive Company Vieques Dive Company-Scuba Diving Puerto Rico-PADI Certifications
Culebra - welcome

diving in VQS and Culebra are about the same. Culebra may have an advantage in winter months because they have less runoff from rainy season. But Vieques has a shore dive called mosquito pier with LOTS of turtles, rays, octopi, eels etc.

Check this out: | Scuba Diving Magazine

We have not been to Mona. When we go, we will go by liveaboard. No way I would make that trip for two or three dives. I have read many accounts that the diving compares to Galapagos...but that is all second hand. Be on the lookout for DR refugees!

Fitz
Vieques Dive Company
www.viequesdivers.com

 

[danvolker]

I am sure for an advanced diver, there is no contest...the Mona Passage dive area will be far more spectacular than Cayman or the other options discussed...

The real issue here is what is best for who....

There is no real appreciation in the general diving universe, for what is actually ADVANCED DIVING. By this I don't mean technical, I mean challenging conditions, typically with big currents, huge marine life, and many factors a diver MUST be able to deal with that they do not deal with in "baby diving" locations like Cayman.

The first mistake is to imagine that an AOW cert means anything at all related to being an advanced diver.....If you get the cert, and only have 25 or 50 dives, you are are not advanced, and you need baby dive locations....the whole concept of Best becomes meaningless when we throw in the best dive sites in the world, and real challenges come into play, in water less than 100 feet deep.

---------- Post added May 15th, 2012 at 08:15 AM ----------

What is BEST is NOT going to be a "still water" anchoring destination in this hemisphere. These will be novice sites, they will not have the adventure potential of the challenging sites, and the really big aggregations of marine life will be hanging out in large current areas by structures, on the lee side.
If you want to dive "BEST" areas, start by learning how to drift dive, shun the anchor diving options until you get very comfortable in the medium current areas, and the drift proceedures and being able to use the structures around you to your advantage, becomes second nature.

In the print magazines, "Best" will typically be the places the have the biggest advertising dollars, that have extremely still water that any rank novice can be comfortable in, and where the "mediocrity" of the masses can be exploited. This won't be "BEST", it will be nice, un-challenging, and will not have the huge schools of fish that you see on National Geographic Specials.

If you are a "normal" diver, and you want to get to places that really are "BEST", then you need to start stretching now...start getting into more high current areas, start getting instruction on peak performance bouyancy and trim and propulsion, so you can become streamlined in the water, and able to move easily in 3 mph currents....and this really can be EASY. Think of it like being a skiier on the Bunny Slopes, and having a desire to get to the back bowls and the real wilds of the big Mountain....You can't just go ...You have to develop yourself, if you want to experience the "Best"....This is the big problem in diving....everyone wants to think that instant gratification is fine, and that the normal AOW cert or Rescue cert actually means something about being advanced or competent for REAL CHALLENGES ... They do NOT.

If you do have a real Desire to be able to enjoy the Best, there are good ways to get there. Lets see how many really want this ...

 

[Quetzal]

Anyone have experience in the Manati area?

 

[Bhtmec2]

Manati for me is not a good area. I have been there and it is booring. No good reef to see. I do not like any where along the north shore. I just did a great dive on Sunday just south of Mayaguez and it was great. You have to have a boat but it is out of the way and very few dive there. All kinds of fish, healthy shallow reef, turtles, etc etc etc..........

 

[Quetzal]

The reason I asked about Manati is that I saw a youtube video with lots of live coral right at the shore. Where do live in PR?

 

[Bhtmec2]

Catano part of the greater San Juan area........
Will be on the west coast this weekend again......
Deep dives "Trimix" on Saturday and some single tank dives sunday.

 

[Pellin]

The real paradise Guanica Wall in the southwest. Lot of marine life and veru healthy reef. The boat ride is only 12 minute boat ride and Island Scuba have daily dive Trips with non-minimun diver.

Scuba Diving School & Dive Trips in Puerto Rico - Island Scuba

 

[Bhtmec2]

The real paradise Guanica Wall in the southwest. Lot of marine life and veru healthy reef. The boat ride is only 12 minute boat ride and Island Scuba have daily dive Trips with non-minimun diver.

Scuba Diving School & Dive Trips in Puerto Rico - Island Scuba

Island scuba is great. I have nothing but good things to say about them.

 

[ginovega]

Mona is quite a ways offshore, so best done with a liveaboard. We have dove it from the Nekton boats (since gone out of business) and the Spree services it every year in the spring. La Parquero is great on the southwest corner of the island but boat dives are needed, as the wall is a few miles offshore. In the northwest there is some nice shore diving off Aguadilla and the diver operator of choice there is Puerto Rico Technical Divers. Have fun!

In Aguadilla you can also choose, Aquatica Dive and Surf. Check out their site and their trip advisor reviews.. Home Aquatica Dive & Surf - Aguadilla - Reviews of Aquatica Dive & Surf - TripAdvisor

---------- Post added January 30th, 2013 at 07:36 PM ----------

Manati for me is not a good area. I have been there and it is booring. No good reef to see. I do not like any where along the north shore. I just did a great dive on Sunday just south of Mayaguez and it was great. You have to have a boat but it is out of the way and very few dive there. All kinds of fish, healthy shallow reef, turtles, etc etc etc..........

Bhtmec2:

Where in Mayaguez did you dive and what Operator did you use?

Thanks!

Gino

 

[JonathanA]

I live in PR and work with a buddy that owns a dive shop here. If anybody has any questions or is looking to set up a trip let me know. I did some diving in Mayaguez last Sunday, it was really nice. We dove Gatas and La Cruz, they were both really nice. We swam with about 7 nurse sharks at Gatas, saw large lobsters, octopus, and many fish. La Cruz was also really nice, there was about a 50' wall with some big caves on the side. Saw a big nurse shark, a tiger shark, and many large snapper, cubera, and Mutton. Also saw a huge Spotted eagle ray.