Reputable dive shop in Puerto Rico?

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Mr. Dooley

Contributor
Messages
161
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Location
Chicago
# of dives
200 - 499
Hello!

I'm looking at taking an extended trip to Puerto Rico later this year. I'll likely be based in or near San Juan. Just curious if there are any recommendations for a solid dive shop? I own all my own gear so basically I just need a place I can trust in case I need my gear serviced or something, and that offers reasonable prices for tours, follows best practices, etc.
 
You are unfortunately going to the worst diving in a wonderful diving area. I don't have any recommendations for good shops or diving in San Juan. If you can get to Guanica, or Rincon, or even Culebra, I can make some suggestions.
 
You are unfortunately going to the worst diving in a wonderful diving area. I don't have any recommendations for good shops or diving in San Juan. If you can get to Guanica, or Rincon, or even Culebra, I can make some suggestions.

I was going to respond the same way.
 
I live on the island. PR Dive in Bayamon is great, Santiago and his son run a friendly LDS. Bought a regulator setup and odds and ends over the years and I am always happy.
 
Hello!

I'm looking at taking an extended trip to Puerto Rico later this year. I'll likely be based in or near San Juan. Just curious if there are any recommendations for a solid dive shop? I own all my own gear so basically I just need a place I can trust in case I need my gear serviced or something, and that offers reasonable prices for tours, follows best practices, etc.

San Juan (where I live) is not fantastic for diving, anyone talking about Escambron or "the hole" is kidding you. About an hour east of SJ is Fajardo and several small islands just off the main body. A doable and solid option. AquaAdventures does a great trip to Culebra to Carlos Rosario (dive site) and Sand Dollar. Both are excellent I think. The wall in Guanaco is a top spot too, but less accessible from SJ. Pure Adventures does a boat to Vieques with a very professional crew.
 
I live in San Juan and second Call Me Lucky's recommendation for PR Dive -- very nice shop. I have also had good luck with Casa del Buzo on Roosevelt but you will do best with them if you speak Spanish. They don't advertise their dives much, you just have to ask, but they have some nice ones out to St. Thomas and St. John in the USVI. About half of their dives are Advanced and above.
 
3rd vote for PR Dive, Santos and his son Cris were amazing. My wife and I spent this past Feb in San Juan (Condado area) and PR Dive was the 3rd shop we tried -- the other two I will not mention, they were horrible and didn't even know what DIN was or how pro-valves work. Santos has been all over the place, and really knows his stuff as far as service goes, he gave me some great tips on caring for my L&W compressor that I bought a couple years ago, and he services pretty much all of the compressors (and probably all kinds of stuff) around the island. Pretty sure he used to own a dive boat/tour company also, just saying, the guy has experienced pretty much everything and knows his stuff.

3 of 4 shops on the west side were friendly, but they seem more like what I would expect from a lot of small dive shops -- they are out diving a lot, so can be hit or miss if they are around/open. The one I talked to a little didn't know that you could remove the insert on a pro-valve to use DIN, which wasn't a huge red flag for just a guy that works at a dive shop, but I wouldn't want that guy working on my gear, so if they service gear, hopefully they have someone else. Most everyone on the island had about that level of knowledge I would say, but maybe I just didn't talk to the tech/repair guys, but Santos at PR Dive was the one exception, he really knew everything I asked about, and way more.
 
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