San Salvador Diving
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Our Legacy
The Riding Rock Resort and Marina has a long tradition of dive excellence which began in the early 1970's, when divers first "discovered" our island. With shallow reefs rich with tame and friendly marine life, stunning water clarity and more than 20 miles of dramatic vertical walls beginning in as little as 40 feet, San Salvador offers a wealth of attractions to the visiting diver.
To service the special needs of divers, the Riding Rock Resort and Marina features two custom dive boats, complete with deep V-hulls, walk-thru transoms, dive platform with extended ladders, camera rinse and protection from the sun. A full service SSI and PADI dive center is located in the marina complex, complete with air compressors, guest gear storage, training facilities and conference room.
Diving Operation Information
Boats leave the marina at 9:00 am each morning for a two tank trip. They return to the dock around 12:30 pm. The dive boats leave for a one tank wall dive each afternoon around 2:30 pm. Night dives are scheduled for Tuesday evening. All dive equipment except for wetsuits, remains on the boats for the duration of your trip, the crew gives everything a fresh water rinse daily. Wetsuits and skins are hung up to dry in an outdoor area. Tanks are 80 cu ft aluminum compact 80's. These cylinders are 4 pounds heavier in the water than a standard 80 and allow you to wear less weight on your body.
Divers leave gear outside their door the morning after arrival for staff pickup at 8:30 am. Check in time for diving is 8:30 am the first day of diving -- you will register with your certification cards at the dive shop.
Visibility
Visibility is typically between 100 and 150 feet and sea conditions are usually calm. Most dive sites are in the lee and rough seas are rare. The dive sites are almost all walls so the possibility of going deep is always available, however you need not dive deeper than 40 feet if you are keeping a shallow profile. Generally the first dive of the day has interesting things to see as deep as the 130 foot sport diving limit. Second dives are more toward the top of the wall. On afternoon dives we try not to exceed the maximum depth of the first dive to keep a conservative profile. Dive computers are required for every diver as a standard safety practice. We rent Aqualung Geckos for the convenience of those who do not have their own.
Dive Staff
One
of our Dive staff, all of whom are instructors, accompanies
each dive. You can take a guided tour of the hot spots of the dive site
or explore the wall with your buddy. Navigation is easy with great visibility
and a vertical cliff to follow. We usually have no current and diving
is relaxing. Check the water temperature chart for exposure protection.
Some of the major attractions are friendly groupers, passing hammerheads
and big cave and tunnel formations.
Dive Boats
We operate two boats: Guanahani I, Guanahani II
- All boats are V-hulled with twin 3208 Caterpillar Diesel Engines
- Sun Deck
- Camera fresh water rinse
- Large swim platforms with ladder
- Seated tank rack
- Drinking water and ice chest
- Safety gear includes: first aid kit, oxygen and VHF radio
Compressors
- 1 Mako KA15E3 - 16 cfm
- 1 Dressor Rand 4R15Mx - 15 cfm
- 28,000 cf of air storage - State of the art Pneumatic fill station
Specialty Dive Courses (available upon request)
- Deep Diver
- Underwater Naturalist
- Search & Salvage
- Multi-level diver
Certifying Agencies for Dive Instruction
- SSI Dive Center and PADI Dive Resort
Water Temperatures
Average Monthly Water Temperatures in Fahrenheit and Celsius
| Month | °F | °C | Month | °F | °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 74 | 23.3 | July | 84 | 28.8 |
| February | 73 | 22.7 | August | 85 | 29.4 |
| March | 74 | 23.3 | September | 85 | 29.4 |
| April | 76 | 24.4 | October | 84 | 28.8 |
| May | 77 | 25 | November | 82 | 27.7 |
| June | 80 | 26.6 | December | 80 | 26.6 |