Bayahibe DR: best resorts for shore diving?

[mbelvadi]

I'm trying to plan my first trip to Bayahibe, Dominican Republic, and I am hoping to stay at a place that will rent tanks where I can just walk out and do my own shore diving directly from the resort (no car, I have all my own equipment).
Can anyone first tell me if Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach's dive shop/resort is appropriate for this?
Then also are there any others in Bayahibe that would also be suitable for this purpose?
I also hope to do some dives with ScubaFun, but want to do a few on my own directly from shore too.
Any advice relating to this would be appreciated.
Also I plan to go in late July/early August so any comments regarding that timing would also be welcome.
Thank you!

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I returned from Bayahibe last week. I only did boat dives with Scuba Fun. The best reef dive I did that week was called Viva Shallow. It was in front of the Iberostar and Viva resorts. If I remember right it would be quite a swim out. I would contact the on site dive shop to see if shore diving is even possible but cause of boat traffic as the Bayahibe harbor is close by.

 

[drrich2]

I don't recall reading of shore diving in any of the Dominican Republic dive report threads, so I'm curious to see whether anybody offers some up. Always happy to have another shore diving option!

Did you see 500 PSI's report, Bayahibe Dominican Republic Diving Report from Feb. 2017? He dove with Scuba Fun. Judging from threads on diving in the D.R., if I were you I'd shoot a message to @Dhboner and ask if he knows of substantial shore diving in the region.

Richard.

P.S.: Stumbled across another; Qnape's Bayahibe 2015 Trip Report. Discussion in these threads may help you get an idea what you're facing, and your options.

Richard.

 

[Damselfish]

I've also not heard of shore diving there, and shorediving.com doesn't mention it. Not that that proves anything - DR has pretty much been off the radar for diving until recently. So maybe someone will come back with some info on shore diving around there, but keep in mind shoreline does not always equal diving for lots of reasons, even in popular dive destinations. One reason is that what you see above water often continues underwater. So if a place is known for long sandy beaches, which is where they tend to build (non-dive) resorts, that beach may very well continue on like that underwater, a gentle slope of sand with quite a swim until there is much depth or anything to see. Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman is an example of that - while Cayman is known for diving, the diving off SMB is mostly too far to swim to. There is shore diving there, but as a general rule it's NOT off the beaches.

 

[Damselfish]

I just looked at the website for the dive shop at the place you mention, and it actually says "Reef Oasis Viva Dominicus offers daily diving from shore and boats", and the price list talks about shore dives. Same price - I'm guessing they are talking about guided shore dives. What the shore diving is like, hard to say if you can't find someone who's been there. It appears they also offer helmet diving - hopefully not at the same spot they shore dive.

Dive Center Dominican Republic | Bayahibe | Reef Oasis Viva Dominicus

 

[CathyE]

I have not seen anyone shore diving while I was staying in Bayahibe resorts, but I was out boat diving almost every morning.