Diving in the Dominican Republic

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
Lived for 30 years in Florida I always had my own boat and did a lot of diving in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Keys, the Gulf and the Bahamas. Mostly dove to explore and spear fish. I moved to the DR hoping for some of the same and have been very disappointed. I really miss diving. Can anyone tell me if there is any good diving anywhere in this country. I know there is much less reef and less visibility. Diving for me is a visibility experience. From researching it seems that there may be some chances up around Monti Christi. Any DR1unners who have looked around at the reefs and waters extensively?
Not looking to set up any business, purely recreational.
 

latitude19

Active member
May 29, 2011
419
5
38
Have you seen the diving guide by I think it is a German, who details diving around the island?? I think he was head guy at one of the dominant dive shops years ago and maybe still is. I have it but cannot find it. Rosa hid it, have to see if she can locate it when she gets back. Think I bought it at North Coast Diving in Sosua.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
63
Best diving is in the underwater marine parks off Bayahibe - Catalina island, Catalinita island for those who are experienced and like sharks, and the area near the airport Las Americas. Also good cave diving on the island. Vis depends on the time of year. The best visibility is in February when the water is at its coldest and less rubbish being brought into the ocean from the rivers.

Matilda
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
Thanks Matilda. Best viz in February is about what? Sharks, ok, but caves, egads, no. Not interested in entering caves. Have done some closed space diving inside wrecks but I was younger and dumber. Would not do it again. Is there much coral? Is the area loaded with other divers?
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
63
Catalina is not loaded with other divers. Good viz would be 20-30 metres. The two dives there are the wall - a vertical wall which goes down to 60 metres, top of reef at 5, full of lovely corals and plenty of fish. Second dive is Aquarium at 12 metres, scorpion fish, stingrays, snapper, excellent corals.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
Not much. I mostly swam off the beach everywhere I could. Considered buying a small boat 23-25 foot but Sosua has no dock facilities and I did not want to leave a boat out on the hook. My wife and I are thinking about Venezuela and Margarita Island in particular but the country is dangerous with a lot of theft and gun violence - scary stuff- offset a little by gasoline being twenty five cents a gallon. Down there you could run twin big horsepower outboards and the gas would be nothing.
Plus the diving and spear fishing are world class. We plan on going down and take a look see.
 

Sohrab

New member
Oct 1, 2010
108
0
0
Not much.

I did some research, and found out DR is not a boat friendly island! I did not find any boat lifts in the island. In Luperon, there is a boat ramp and you can put your boat on a trailer. They call it “haul out”.
Again, I hope I am wrong and there are boating facilities that I am not aware of. I love DR and its people. the above statements are not to put down anyone or anything, just my limited results of research.
 

Sohrab

New member
Oct 1, 2010
108
0
0
Tamborista;1075037 [url=http://dominicanrepublic-guide.info/getting.there/sailing.and.yachting/ said:
Dominican Republic Sailing and Yachting | dominicanrepublic-guide.info[/url]

I had visited your lovely website before. Thanks for confirming my research result. A country with three boat lifts!
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
Those boat lift yards are really expensive. I like a big trailer boat. Parked at home there is no theft, no carrying all the equipment. There is a trailer ramp and small boat yard just past Puerto Plata. Sosua has fixed their ramp although its still pretty steep but the right rig will have no problem. Unfortunately the DR has never caught on to the benefits of a healthy marine industry. They even make it hard to bring in a boat. With a truck and a good trailer you can pull up to a 25 to 28 by 8 or 10 foot wide boat no problem. Ocean World in PP has in-out and storage but their prices are set up to victimize visitors with large boats and big bank accounts who do not need to ask the price. In Sosua area that is all I have found.