Diving Puerto Rico
Because of the island’s size, the dive sites in Puerto Rico can be separated into discrete geographical areas. The diving environment in each area has unique characteristics, giving Puerto Rico a wide variety of diving both in terms of the underwater terrain and the diving conditions.
North and East: Because of being exposed to northerly swells, the north coast has only a few dive sites and divers staying along this coast are usually taken by road to the east coast for diving. East coast diving is easy as the sites are relatively shallow and the seas rarely rough. Fine white sand creates idyllic beaches but reduces visibility with ground swells. The diving terrain is typically gently sloping fringing reefs with both hard and soft corals, especially bushy gorgonians.
Culebra: Although east coast and San Juan based dive stores make occasional excursions to Culebra, the length of the boat ride (2 hours or more) means it is by special arrangement. It is easier to take the ferry and dive with a Culebra operator for a day.
South East and Vieques: Diving off Vieques is on relatively shallow (usually 60 feet or less), gently sloping reefs and around coral islands. Few divers mean uncrowded and undamaged sites. There is an inexpensive and efficient ferry service to Vieques, allowing you to travel across from Fajardo in the morning, make two dives and return on the afternoon ferry.
South: Puerto Rico’s wall runs parallel to the south coast, within reach by dive boat. Boat trip times vary from 5 to 20 minutes to reach the wall depending where along the coast you are diving. Well served by dive stores and resorts, the area from Guánica to La Parguera is slowly becoming recognized as a major asset to Puerto Rico’s diving.
West, Mona, and Desecheo: The jewels in the crown of this area are the offshore islands Mona and Desecheo. A trip to Mona needs careful planning and lots of advance warning and even then the weather may halt your plans. Desecheo is much more accessible but the best side to dive — the northwest — is only diveable in calm conditions. Along the west coast of the mainland there are sites a short distance from shore as well as some descent beach dives.
Best time to dive
Year-round diving is good. Tourist season is December through April and you must be watchful for possible hurricanes from June through October.
Visibility
Visibility averages 50 to 100 feet.
Water temperatures
Average water temperature is about 85 °F in the summer, and between 78 to 80 °F in winter.
Weather and climate
Puerto Rico has a tropical marine climate, with an average annual temperature of 82 °F (28 °C). Puerto Rico enjoys year-round summer temperatures. The dry season is December to March. Note that temperatures in the mountains are significantly cooler than the coast. Annual rainfall is 62 inches.
Language
Spanish. English is spoken in many places.
Passport/Visa requirements
U.S. and Canadian citizens do not require visas or passports but must have valid ID. Citizens of many western European countries, Australia, New Zealand and Japan can take advantage of a U.S. reciprocal visa waiver program if they intend to stay less than 90 days. Citizens of all other countries require a U.S. visa.
Currency
U.S. Dollar – Get exchange rates at http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Electrical current
110 volts, 60 Hz, U.S. standard
Capital
San Juan
General information
Puerto Rico is the smallest of the Big Antilles. Its size is about 100 miles long by 33 miles wide. Indians used to call it “Boriken,” which means “The land of the Proud Lord.” Now it’s called “The Enchanted Island.” To the north of the island is the Atlantic Ocean; to the south is the Caribbean Sea; to the east if the El Yunque rain forest. It’s surrounded by Vieques, Culebra, and Mona Islands, which are known as the Caribbean Galapagos. Puerto Rico landscape is diverse, with dessert land to the south, tropical forest in the north, and an extended mountain range in the center of the island.
Puerto Rico is close to the deepest submarine depression in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Puerto Rico Trench is roughly parallel to the northern coast of the island of Puerto Rico and lies about 75 miles (120 km) to the north. The Puerto Rico Trench is about 1,090 miles (1,750 km) long and 60 miles (100 km) wide. The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean, the Milwaukee Depth, lies within the Puerto Rico Trench, at a depth of 27,493 feet (8,380 meters) in the western end of the trench about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Puerto Rico.
Map
Get a map of Puerto Rico from WorldAtlas.com.