Yankee_Dive
Registered
My daughter and I -- relatively new divers -- recently did a day trip to Culebra (out of Fajardo) on one of Casa del Mars 46ft dive boats, Day Off, and had a great experience. The two of us only had one day to dive during our family trip to Puerto Rico, we knew we wanted to dive Culebra, and we didnt want to deal with the logistics of taking the ferry. So I called Casa del Mar a few days in advance and reserved space on their Friday trip (March 20).
We arrived at the dock at about 8:30 AM, did our paperwork, met the other guests, and set up our gear. There were a total 10 of us (a group of 4 had apparently canceled the prior evening). We had seven divers and three snorkelers. The crew was helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. The boat is very comfortable and well set up for diving. Day Off has a sea-kindly motion, and in a modest swell we had an easy 60-minute trip across to Culebra. We split into two groups of divers, each with a DM and did two dives in the Luis Pena Channel Nature Reserve. First dive was 45 minutes to about 60 feet along a nice coral wall, followed by a 60-minute surface interval to move the boat and have some beverages and snacks. Second dive was 45 minutes to 45 feet, and equally interesting. Both spots had great coral and sponges as well as a nice assortment of fish including parrotfish, blue tangs, hamlets, wrasses, angels, jacks, lobsters, and even a stingray. Pre-dive briefings were clear, helpful and complete. Water temperature was 79 degrees at depth, visibility 40 feet or so. Most of us were in 3mm wetsuits and very comfortable; one diver in a shorty mentioned that he was cold toward the end of the dives. The snorkelers were left to do their own thing, but reported that they saw a lot and had fun.
Afterwards, we anchored off of Flamenco Beach for lunch. Beautiful beach, and a tasty, plentiful hot lunch. There was time for an excursion onto the beach for those who wanted to. Then an easy trip back to Fajardo, arriving just after 4:30 PM. Equipment rinsed off and on our way by 5.
One note: If youre not staying at El Conquistador, it can be a little tricky to find your way to the shop via the Marina but the staff was very helpful in making sure that we had the right directions and GPS coordinates.
We arrived at the dock at about 8:30 AM, did our paperwork, met the other guests, and set up our gear. There were a total 10 of us (a group of 4 had apparently canceled the prior evening). We had seven divers and three snorkelers. The crew was helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. The boat is very comfortable and well set up for diving. Day Off has a sea-kindly motion, and in a modest swell we had an easy 60-minute trip across to Culebra. We split into two groups of divers, each with a DM and did two dives in the Luis Pena Channel Nature Reserve. First dive was 45 minutes to about 60 feet along a nice coral wall, followed by a 60-minute surface interval to move the boat and have some beverages and snacks. Second dive was 45 minutes to 45 feet, and equally interesting. Both spots had great coral and sponges as well as a nice assortment of fish including parrotfish, blue tangs, hamlets, wrasses, angels, jacks, lobsters, and even a stingray. Pre-dive briefings were clear, helpful and complete. Water temperature was 79 degrees at depth, visibility 40 feet or so. Most of us were in 3mm wetsuits and very comfortable; one diver in a shorty mentioned that he was cold toward the end of the dives. The snorkelers were left to do their own thing, but reported that they saw a lot and had fun.
Afterwards, we anchored off of Flamenco Beach for lunch. Beautiful beach, and a tasty, plentiful hot lunch. There was time for an excursion onto the beach for those who wanted to. Then an easy trip back to Fajardo, arriving just after 4:30 PM. Equipment rinsed off and on our way by 5.
One note: If youre not staying at El Conquistador, it can be a little tricky to find your way to the shop via the Marina but the staff was very helpful in making sure that we had the right directions and GPS coordinates.
