Discover Scuba or Certified 2 Tank Dive

Puerto Rico, especially the east side of the island where we are located, enjoys great water conditions year round. Because of our geographic location, we have many cays which protect our dive sites from rough waters. Water visibility can vary dramatically depending on wind and rain. Average visibility is about 40 to 50 ft (12 to 15 m) and can go up to 100 ft (30.5 m).

The water temperature changes seasonally. Our seasons are just the same as they are in the United States, with the winter months being colder than summer. A rough breakdown of water temperatures would be as follows:

• January-March: 74 – 76 degree, 3mm suit
• April-May: 75 – 78 degrees, 3mm suit
• June-August: 80 – 85 degrees, no wetsuit required
• September-October: 78 – 80 degrees, 1mm-3mm suit
• November: 78 – 74 degrees, 3mm suit
• December: 74 – 78 degrees, 3mm suit

As always, you should base your thermal protection needs on your sensitivity, the number of dives you are going to perform each day, and the number of repetitive diving days you plan to participate in.

Once you have boarded your boat and before leaving the dock, your crew discusses several desired dive sites. If you have suggestions on particular sites or types of dives you want to do this trip, be sure to speak up. Based on your suggestions, our crew can recommend specific sites to visit during this trip.

Typically our first dive is a deep dive following a 70 ft (21 m) dive for 40 minutes. Most likely, this will be to one of our sites along the Cordillera. Once everyone is back on board, we move the boat to your second site. After an appropriate surface interval, our staff briefs the second dive.

For your second dive, the typical profile for this dive is 30 to 50 ft (9 to 15 m) for 50 minutes.

All boats with divers have a minimum of two crew members. One is an in-water Divemaster and the other crew member remains on board to assist divers. On both dives, we have a Divemaster in the water to assist other divers and to lead portions of the dive.

At Aqua Adventure, we respect the effort you put into earning your certification card and respect the qualifications you earned. As such, we expect that all divers who present themselves as certified divers are capable of executing and successfully navigating a dive as a buddy team without any assistance from an in-water Divemaster. However, for your convenience and peace of mind, we have a divemaster in the water all the time to assist you and guide and navigate your dive for you.

All of our dives start with a briefing, where our Divemaster shares with you a description of the site, local area, environment, and emergency procedures. Divers who are experienced and comfortable with their own navigation are welcome to go off on their own. During the dive briefing, a suggested profile is described along with a return time. If you perform your own navigation, all we ask is that you are back on the boat by the specified return time.

When possible, we try to separate divers by experience levels and offer two options, a more experienced boat trip and a beginner diver trip for divers who are new or have not been in the water for an extended period of time.

Flying directly after scuba diving is incredibly dangerous and could result in a life-threatening illness called the Bends/Decompression Sickness. The Divers Alert Network (DAN) guidelines for flying after diving include:

• A single no-decompression dive, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000 ft (305 m) interval of 12 hours suggested.
• Multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000ft (305m) interval of 18 hours is suggested.
• Dives requiring decompression stops are recommended to have longer than 18 hours.

Please discuss with your dive guide ahead of time what is suggested!

Any activity that brings you above 1000 ft (305 m) can trigger the Bends/Decompression Sickness. Please check your hike elevation to ensure that at no time you will be going up in elevation. If the hike does go to elevation, you must treat it like a preflight interval as listed above in the flying FAQ.

Common sunscreens contain chemicals that can harm coral reefs, as the particles are small enough to be absorbed by corals, causing toxicity and coral bleaching. Reef-friendly sunscreens are formulated without these harmful chemicals. Reef-SAFE sunscreens go a step further by using non-nano particles, which are too large for corals to ingest, helping to preserve marine ecosystems. 

Please avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, and parabens. Consider wearing sun-protective clothing, like long-sleeve rash guards, as an alternative to sunscreen. If you choose a mineral-based sunscreen, ensure it is labeled ‘non-nano.’