Jamaica Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

Rick's Cafe Cruise Online Reservations Snorkel pristine coral reefs and sip Jamaican rum as you sail the beautiful Caribbean waters off Negril. Rick's Cafe Cruise has not only a long history in Jamaica, its also a wonderful excursion for the whole family. Departing Negril you'll cruise to spectacular reefs in Negril Marine Park, where you have the opportunity to hit the water for some snorkeling. Back on the boat you'll cruise along the coastline all the way to the West End. Arriving at Negril's famous Rick's Cafe you'll get to watch the cliff jumping, and if you bring your courage with you - join in! Continue on to Pirate's Cave, where you again have the chance to jump in the warm waters of the Caribbean. Cruising back to Negril as the sunsets, enjoy the open bar which include fruit punch, Jamaican rum and soda.

Car Rentals in Jamaica

Departure Time: 12:30pm

Introductory Scuba Dive in Negril
Online Reservations

Why not take the opportunity to go scuba diving during your stay in Negril? The PADI Discover Scuba Diving course is a great introduction to this popular water sport.

Nothing compares to the weightless freedom of diving, and the calm Jamaican waters off Negril provide the perfect environment for your first dive. With expert instructors on hand, no previous experience is necessary.

Certified PADI instructors will teach you the basics of scuba diving, including pool training and theory. Once you have mastered the basics, it's off to a popular local dive spot for your first open-water dive.

Supervised by your instructors, your small group dive takes you to a maximum depth of 40 feet (12 meters), subject to favorable conditions. The crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean are home to beautiful coral reefs and schools of tropical fish, ideal for scuba diving.

As an added bonus, you'll receive a second open-water dive for free and you'll soon be taking to the water like a fish.

Please note: This diving course includes components that stretch throughout the duration of the day.

Departure Points: RIU Tropical Bay Hotel or RIU Negril Club

Departure Time: 8:30 am

PADI Certified Scuba Diver Course in Negril
Online Reservations

Slap on some fins, strap on a mask and take the first step towards International Diving Certification. Suitable for all beginners, what better place to learn to scuba dive than in the beautiful Caribbean waters off the coast of Negril.

The PADI Certified Scuba Diver Course is your first step towards International Diving Certification. This short course is great fun during which you will learn the fundamentals of diving. On completion of the course you will be certified to scuba dive anywhere in the world, when accompanied by an instructor or divemaster.

The course includes use of all required scuba equipment, theory lessons and confined water training (pool training). Once you have mastered the basics, it's off to a popular local dive spot for your first open-water dive. A second open water dives will follow, both under the guidance of your PADI trained expert instructor.

Departure Point: RIU Tropical Bay Hotel or RIU Negril Club Hotel

Departure Time: 8:30 am

PADI Open Water Diver Course in Negril
Online Reservations

Become a certified open water diver in paradise! What better place to gain certification than the beautiful Caribbean Sea in the waters off Negril. Let a PADI professional instructor teach you how to dive in a short time while on holidays in sunny Jamaica.

Your Open Water Diver Course will teach you all you need to know to dive with confidence and safety. Suitable for all beginners, the course covers the theory of safe diving as well as confined water training. Once you have mastered the basics, it's off to a popular local dive spot for your first open-water dive (maximum 45 minutes). A further three open water dives will follow, all under the guidance of your PADI trained expert instructor.

With the most recognized certification in hand, you'll have all the skills and knowledge to independently dive on your next vacation.

Departure Points: RIU Tropical Bay Hotel or RIU Negril Club Hotel

Departure Time: 8:30 am

Negril Scuba Center Dive Sites

The Arches
Depth: 33 feet
Description: Many overhangs and ledges; Shallow Plane dive often combined with this dive.
Marine Life: Nurse sharks, large sting rays, fairy basslets.
Locals' Tip: Swim through the arches and watch the purple and yellow fairy basslets hang upside down on the ceilings of the arches and caverns.

Ballard's Reef
Depth: 90 feet
Description: Hard to find outer reef, relatively untouched.
Marine Life: Large kingfish and occasional jew fish.

Booby Cay Island
The island has been almost surrounded with mooring buoys installed by the Negril Coral Reef Preservation Society, with the help of Reef Relief from Florida, Sandals Negril and more. Weather conditions dictate which side of the island is used. The northwest side (where the least snorkeling occurs) has some healthy elk horn coral near the surface and a lot of very large Bloody Bay coral heads as you proceed outward.

Blood Bay (Inner)
Depth: 30 feet
Description: One of the dive sites used for the Resort Course; coral heads rise up to 20 feet from the bottom of Bloody Bay.
Marine Life: Large spiny puffers, occasional seahorses.

Deep Plane (Bloody Bay Outer)
Depth: 90 feet
Description: Small, single-engine plane at 90 feet.
Marine Life: Spade fish, barracuda, exotic coral, barrel sponges, gorgonians.

Gallery
Depth: 30 feet
Description: Interesting overhangs and ledges, many places to explore.
Marine Life: Large crabs, turtles, nurse sharks, sting rays, morays, black coral, occasional sea horses.

King Fish Point
Depth- 70 feet
Description: Begins with spectacular coral formations to a depth of 90 feet and reef drops to sand flats at 130 feet.
Marine Life: Turtles, nurse sharks, enormous barrel sponges, large gorgonians.

Middle Shoal Reef
Depth: 30 feet
Description: One of the most common dives used in the Resort Course; coral reef to sand bed at 30 feet.
Marine Life: Clusters of French grunts at cleaning stations on coral heads, squirrel fish gather at other cleaning sites, turtles, many blue chromis, Creole Wrans, parrot fish,

Shallow Plane
Depth: 35 feet
Description: Plane at 55 feet, located on the south of the edge of the reef, which is full of overhangs, ledges, caverns, sponges, seafans and coral.
Marine Life: Soldier fish at the plane, sting rays at the reef.
Locals' Tip: Look for the long snout butterfly fish that has made his home in the back seat of the plane.

Throne Room
Depth: 38 feet
Description: This dive should not be missed. Start on top of the reef. Descend through the chimney into the Throne Room, a large room open on the west side with a sand floor at 70 feet. Exit the Throne Room up the chimney.
Marine Life: Spotted drum fish, banded shrimp, fairy basslets, lobster.
Locals' Tip: Follow the same reef edge south, and you'll find another, smaller throne room, complete with a chimney in the rear.

Blue Castle Shipwreck
Depth- 40 feet
Description: Unidentified bare metal hull close to the west end cliffs; broken remains of the Caribbean Queen, a wooden-hulled ship that burned while under tow lies to the east.
Marine Life: Lobsters, groupers, occasional nurse sharks.

Bond Wreck
Depth: 45 feet
Description: Wreckage of Tears of Allah lies near coral reefs, largely broken up due to rough seas.

The Caves
Depth: 30 feet - 50 feet
Description: Two connecting caves (24 feet wide and 12 feet wide) with an old anchor nearby and a chain that ends at 50 feet. There is also a cannon on the bottom in about 10 feet of water.

40 Million Year Old Caves
Depth: 60 feet
Description: Series of caves.
Marine Life: Morays, lobster.

Frenchman Hole
Depth: 60 feet
Description: Deep dive, located directly offshore from Orange River, with many ledges and a cave very similar to the Throne Room.
Marine Life: Nurse sharks, morays, groupers, occasional hammerhead.

Porpoise Pens Wall
Depth: Starts at 40 feet and continues down.
Description: Area abounds with soft and hard coral.
Locals' Tip: Keep your eyes open for the solitary shark that occasionally cruises just off the wall.

Sands Club Reef
Depth: 38 feet
Description: Many overhangs and ledges; spectacular view at the drop off at more than 150 feet.
Marine Life: Turtles, puffers, occasional nurse sharks.

Sharks Reef
Depth: 38 feet
Description: Follow reef down to a sandy bottom sloping seaward at 75 feet.
Marine: Nurse sharks, large sting rays.

Snapper Drop
Depth: 38 feet
Description- Large, encrusted anchor is hooked under a coral head on the south edge of the sand.
Marine Life: Nurse sharks, morays.
Locals' Tip: Look for the nurse sharks and morays, resting in the eaves.

Spadefish Reef
Depth: 90 feet
Description: Deep dive with spectacular coral formations.
Marine Life: Usually a school of spadefish, turtles, lobsters, large gorgonians.

Scuba Jamaica Dive Sites

Canyon

The Canyon is made up of two steep vertical walls that eventually become less than 20ft apart. The top of the walls are at 35ft and drop down to over 130ft. Watch for schooling Bermuda Chubb. Best for divers doing Deep Diver Speciality and Enriched Air Nitrox (90ft for 40min on 36% o2).

Planes

As the story goes, these were originally two airplanes used to transport marijuana in the 1970's. They sit in a sand bed at 75ft next to a wall that drops to over 150ft. Look out for turtles and barracuda. Preferred site for Advanced Wreck dive.

Groupers Drop

This dives begins at 70ft along a wall that drops to over 120ft. Look for lots of creole wrasse and barracuda. Best for Drift dive as a quick current can usually be found along this portion of the wall.

Nursery

A shallow 30ft dive just in front of Hedonism 3. An excellent site for divers preferring to stay shallow and as a second dive. Lot of marine life, with hard and soft corals. Great site for doing Night, Video and Photography Specialties.

Pockets Reef

A must see wall dive beginning at 80ft and dropping to over 150ft. This dive is sometimes done in conjunction with the Reggae Queen shipwreck. Schools of Creole Wrasse and Rainbow Runners are always present. Large trees of deep water Gorgonia and black coral are in abundance on the wall.

Reggae Queen

The Reggae Queen lies between two coral beds and provides a home to various marine life. Look for spotted drum, moray and barracuda and turtles too.

Spanish Anchor

An ancient anchor rests at 50ft on top of a beautiful wall. The anchor chain still hangs over the wall and goes down past 150ft. This site has lots of sponges

Sun Divers Dive Sites

The following dive sites are a sample of the mysteries that our waters have to offer. Our 24ft Maco, powered by an outboard 200HP Yamaha, will take you to the reef and back in no time.

Fish Pond - 30+ft/10+m
This site provides many opportunities for beginners and advanced divers to take a look around. If you're looking for seahorses, this is a good spot to start. This reef is speckled with Lettuce Sea Slugs, and many other small marine life, bringing in some good size Mackeral and Jacks for feedings.

Fanta-Sea - 30ft/10m
Stay on top of the reef and check out all of the little nooks and crannies where you can find all sorts of interesting little creatures. You can also drop down off the edge to a sandy bottom and look for eels, and crabs hiding in the reef.

The Hunt - 45ft/14m
Drop down onto this patchy reef dancing across the sand. Check in all of the holes and hiding places in search of Nurse Sharks, Turtles, and Snapper. This is a good site to see Spanish Mackerel darting to the surface for prey.

Arches - 45ft/14m
Located about 6 minutes from shore, this breath taking reef is named after a set of natural arches and caverns. Look in the sand for yellow headed jawfish and garden eels, while Morays and lobsters frequent the swim-throughs.

Shallow Plane - 55ft/17m
A Cessna 152 Airplane resting next to a beautifully overhanging reef. Look for Queen Angelfish, Spotted Drum Fish, and the occasional dolphin at this site.

Golden Gates - 60ft/18m
This reef is brilliant although rarely visited due to its vicinity to a fresh water shed. This reef rises up from the sand to provide many areas for creatures to hide out. Crabs, Octopus, Green Moray, Eagle Rays, amongst others have been seen here. Visibility is poor at this site during the rainy season, due to river run off.

Shark's Reef - 60ft/18m
This magestic reef provides large overhangs, making holes where you find nurse sharks hanging out during the day. Brilliantly colored, the coral juts up from the sand, looming over divers, providing opportunities for some amazing memories.

Throne Room - 65ft/19m
Descend through a crack in the reef to enter this magnificent cave. Brightly colored Tube Sponges spackle the walls where Banded Coral shrimp seek refuge. Turtles frequent the area, along with the seasonally curious Dolphin.

King Fish Point - 70+ft/21+m
Beginning around 70ft/21m this site quickly drops off to 130+ft/40+m. If you like it big, don't let this site get past you. Large Snapper and Parrot Fish frequent the area, and the gorgonians and sponges are worth checking out as well.

Deep Plane - 90ft/27m
This is where our Divemasters love to hang. Frequented by turtles, Barracuda, Spade Fish, and the territorial Ocean Trigger Fish. Drift along the outer edge before the Caribbean drops off to the deep.

Tug Boat - 90ft/27m
This wreck was sunk in 1993 to provide the sea life with an artificial reef. Settled on a sandy patch, the reef in this area is worth checking out as well. Look for Barracuda, Scrawled File Fish, and the occasional Eagle Ray passing through the area.