mbs
Contributor
Just back from a week on San Salvador. We stayed and dove with ClubMed. We have been there many times before, but this time was a bit different as my buddy/wife had hip replacement 3 months ago and was not allowed to dive yet. So this trip was more about relaxing than diving. However I did manage to do 6 dives 
First about the resort. Its gorgeous, the beach is spectacular, the food is over the top. We did not attend some of the evening shows so can't speak to that. For us it was all about the beach, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking and we got our fill for sure!
I dove Monday, Weds and Friday mornings. You can do either buddy diving or join a group. I wanted to buddy dive, but there was not always someone to hook up with. Even though the dive op - Seafari is no longer owned by ClubMed they still "enforce" the old restrictions. Which means the dives are supposed to be 45 mins!
If you are buddy diving and drop in first and come up last you can extend that time and they generally don't make an issue of it. BUT the groups are a different story. Those can be quite short. On one drift dive in particular we started up at like 30-35 mins! Depths were not an issue as I was limited by nitrox and not their rules. Swim throughs can take you out around 100' or 140 in some cases. And of course the walls! There were sharks on every dive. Turtles, rays, grouper and the other usual suspects. And on one dive a hammerhead! The boats are very large cats. One day there was enough for 2 boats and they used one for buddy divers and the other for groups which was very nice. On the days when both are on the same boat the buddy divers set up on the outside near the ladders and groups in the center. So when the pool is open the buddies splash first. The first dive is always about a 40-45 ride to the southern tip of the island and the 2nd is back north closer to the resort. One surprise I learned about just today is that they have whale sharks visiting!! Of course not when I was there, but here is a video from yesterday! So I would recommend San Salvador for a dive trip. I have never stayed or dove with Riding Rock so I can't comment on them. But if diving with ClubMed I would strongly recommend buddy diving and not follow the group which by the way costs more than buddy diving. Otherwise dive time can be a bit restrictive. Happy to answer any questions.
First about the resort. Its gorgeous, the beach is spectacular, the food is over the top. We did not attend some of the evening shows so can't speak to that. For us it was all about the beach, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking and we got our fill for sure!
I dove Monday, Weds and Friday mornings. You can do either buddy diving or join a group. I wanted to buddy dive, but there was not always someone to hook up with. Even though the dive op - Seafari is no longer owned by ClubMed they still "enforce" the old restrictions. Which means the dives are supposed to be 45 mins!
If you are buddy diving and drop in first and come up last you can extend that time and they generally don't make an issue of it. BUT the groups are a different story. Those can be quite short. On one drift dive in particular we started up at like 30-35 mins! Depths were not an issue as I was limited by nitrox and not their rules. Swim throughs can take you out around 100' or 140 in some cases. And of course the walls! There were sharks on every dive. Turtles, rays, grouper and the other usual suspects. And on one dive a hammerhead! The boats are very large cats. One day there was enough for 2 boats and they used one for buddy divers and the other for groups which was very nice. On the days when both are on the same boat the buddy divers set up on the outside near the ladders and groups in the center. So when the pool is open the buddies splash first. The first dive is always about a 40-45 ride to the southern tip of the island and the 2nd is back north closer to the resort. One surprise I learned about just today is that they have whale sharks visiting!! Of course not when I was there, but here is a video from yesterday! So I would recommend San Salvador for a dive trip. I have never stayed or dove with Riding Rock so I can't comment on them. But if diving with ClubMed I would strongly recommend buddy diving and not follow the group which by the way costs more than buddy diving. Otherwise dive time can be a bit restrictive. Happy to answer any questions.
