Destination Jamaica - Diving...Fun topside adventures matched by exploring beneath the waves!


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	NEGRIL Sands Club Reef 40'-75' Shark's Reef 40'-70' The Throne Room 40'-65' MONTEGO BAY Basket Reef 50'-150' Doctor's Cave Reef 30'-40' Widowmaker's Cave 40'-120' OCHO RIOS Canyon 40'-110' The Ganja Planes 65'-130' Kathryn 50' Devil's Reef 85' PORT ANTONIO Alligator Head/Alligator Long 50'-160' Alligator West 60'-160' KINGSTON Sandra's Buoy 30'-40' Texas Wreck 100'

Faraway exotic places are just fine for “hardcore” divers with loads of cash and free time. But if you are looking for a closer and affordable destination with plenty to see and have fun both topside and beneath the waves, look no further than Jamaica.

In the warm waters off Negril, a diver comes upon a Hawksbill Turtle. Photo courtesy of Dr. Charles Eyles

Jamaica is the Caribbean’s premier vacation retreat, less than two hours south of the US, right at the edge of the Cayman Trench. In this part of the world, no destination offers so much
diversity for so little.

Other dive destinations may get more hype - places where divers surely marvel at the underwater world, but after a day of diving, there is little to do. That’s not the case on this island.

For a “refresher course” on diving start with a warm tropical climate, delightful breezes, friendly people and a host of marvelous resorts. Mix in great food, starlit nights, and the pulsating rhythm of reggae. Finish by noting the endless variety of attractions and things to do for both diver and non-diver.

Banded coral shrimp. Photo courtesy of SunDivers

Spotted drum fish. Photo courtesy of SunDivers

A clustered tube sponge. Photo courtesy of SunDivers

Now, concentrate on “certifying the open waters.” Remember that divers enjoy balmy year-round weather and warm clear waters averaging 78 to 85 degrees. Few days are lost to inclement weather. Excellent visibility ranges up to 100 feet, providing wonderful photo opportunities.

Many of the approximately 150,000 divers annually discover the underwater world to be a kaleidoscope of living color rimmed with coral reefs, etched with canyons, grottos, sheer vertical walls, and a variety of sponges. Divers marvel at seeing a wide diversity of marine life, including nurse, black tip and tiger sharks, bottlenose dolphins, hawksbill turtles and, of course, a rainbow of tropical reef fish.

Let’s not forget about the advantages of using comfortable dive boats manned by licensed operators with easy access to dive sites. In most cases the boat ride to the sites, whether reef, wreck, or wall diving, doesn’t take more than 10 to 15 minutes. Professional and beginning divers seeking a great affordable vacation couldn’t choose a better place.

An artificial reef was created by sinking the Kathryn, a WWII Canadian minesweeper near a reef in Ocho Rios. Photo courtesy of Dr. Charles Eyles

The best reason to dive in Jamaica perhaps can be found on dry land. The people are ingenuous and friendly. The diversity of natural attractions and topography is second to none. Imagine diving early in the day, then climbing up a waterfall or tanning on the beach in the afternoon. From mile-high mountains to undersea canyons, both divers and non-divers alike can check out the diversity found nowhere else in this part of the world.

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