Rio (Brazil)

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Hello:

Can anyone tell me what the diving scene is like in Brazil? I would like to come to Rio for Jiu jitsu and was wondering what kind of diving would I be able to do? Thanks.

 

[danilocesar]

Any kind of dive, basically
You need to be more specific =)

There are some nice places in the state of Rio de Janeiro, like Arraial do Cabo, Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande. Good sea life but not great visibility (around 10m)
It's a matter of opinion here, but I believe Arraial should be a better option for a quick dive trip from Rio.

However, If you intend to spend more time in Brazil, I recommend going to the Northeast (Recife) and visit some wrecks there (25~30 meters deep).
And if you can spend a bit more $$, you should definitly visit Fernando de Noronha, which is amazing.

 

[Nirvana]

As Danilo said, most of the diving done around the city of Rio de Janeiro is done in the towns of Cabo Frio, Arraial do Cabo and Angra dos Reis. In all of the three the diving is similar. It consists mainly of boat diving to reefs at nearby islands. They are all fairly shallow, mostly less than 10m (30ft).

The water conditions can vary substantially. Most of the dives I've done there had water temperatures slightly less than 20°C (68°F) and visibility at 8m (26ft), but it has been as good as 23°C (72°F) and 15m (50ft) to as bad as 15°C (59°F) and 2m (6ft). In regards to current, I've always found it negligible.

These town are about 150km (93mi) away from the city of Rio.

You can also try diving in the city of Rio de Janeiro itself. It also done from boat at some islands. I've never tried it, though. Additionally, if you have technical dive training, you may consider diving the wreck of the CT Paraíba, which sits at around 55m (180ft) and can be reached by boat from Rio.

In any event, as Danilo said, the best diving in Brazil can be had in the northeast. I have been to Recife and Maceió and they both offer wrecks at varying depths, some big others small and all with an incredible amount of fish life and crystal clear, warm water that rivals that of the Caribbean.


Edit:

Only after submitting my post did I notice the date on the OP. I hope you were planning well in advance.

 

[Doppler]

Hello:

Can anyone tell me what the diving scene is like in Brazil? I would like to come to Rio for Jiu jitsu and was wondering what kind of diving would I be able to do? Thanks.

What was it like?

I have only dived caves in Brazil but have been invited to get down there to dive the wrecks off the northern coast.

 

[Nirvana]

What was it like?

I have only dived caves in Brazil but have been invited to get down there to dive the wrecks off the northern coast.

Nowadays, the only cave open to sports divers is the deactivated mine of Mina da Passagem, in Mariana, Minas Gerais. It is a nice spot, but so far I've not been able to explore much of it, as I'm certified to intro to cave only. There are many other cave systems in Brazil, but it is very difficult to obtain authorization to dive them. The only people I know of that regularly dive Brazilian caves outside of Mariana are divers working in a project of fossil identification for the Museu Nacional.

Have you dived caves other than Mina da Passagem in Brazil?

As to your invitation to dive the northern coast (northeastern coast, I suppose), I would definetely recommend you accept it. I don't think the wrecks would be much of a challenge to someone of your experience, but they offer a truly amazing dive opportunity. Personally, I've found the dives there quite more enjoyable (and filled with life) than those of Bonaire.

 

[Doppler]

Have you dived caves other than Mina da Passagem in Brazil?

As to your invitation to dive the northern coast (northeastern coast, I suppose), I would definetely recommend you accept it. I don't think the wrecks would be much of a challenge to someone of your experience, but they offer a truly amazing dive opportunity. Personally, I've found the dives there quite more enjoyable (and filled with life) than those of Bonaire.

Thanks for the update... Yes, I was part of a government sanctioned dive group in 2000 coinciding with the 500th anniversary of the "discovery" of the country by Cabral. We visited Mato Grosso do Sul and dived in several caves in that region... all on private land I believe. Beautiful, inspiring and worth the effort. We had a truly remarkable time and I made several friends who shared my passions for diving, football and Formula One!

Thanks again. I am going to have to save more pennies.