Bahamas Scuba Diving That’s Completely Different
Great diving is a well known throughout the Bahamas, but San Salvador diving is unique. Here’s why…
Diving with Groupers in San Salvador, Bahamas
At our bahamas dive resort we have legendary visibility and the most spectacular wall dives you could imagine. Our island attracts open water and reef species that are rare, or even unseen entirely, elsewhere in the Bahamas Commonwealth. But, that’s just part of the story. To understand what’s unique about San Salvador, it helps to explore its physical oceanography.
Best Diving in the Caribbean?
Well yes and no… San Salvador Island isn’t actually in the Caribbean, although a quick Internet search would have you believe otherwise. According to Google, The Bahamas is “a country in the Caribbean.” Sorry Google, but The Bahamas is only MOSTLY in the Caribbean. Our dive resort paradise site outside the Caribbean boundary in the Atlantic Ocean where we are exposed to the Antilles Current before it merges with the Gulf Stream.
It gets better. San Salvador Island sits on its own isolated carbonate platform, which is also unique compared to the other Bahamian Islands. When we say “wall diving”, we mean WALL DIVING! Some of our dive sites descend vertically from 40 feet or less to thousands of feet… …straight down.
This combination of vertical topography and exposure to the open ocean make San Salvador one of only a few places worldwide with the potential of an up close encounter with great hammerhead or scalloped shark.
Amazingly, most of our dive sites are less than a twenty minutes boat ride from our dock! Divers of all skills levels are spoiled by warm, calm water and dizzying visibility. San Salvador offers a truly unique Bahamas diving experience. Let us show you!
Bahamas Diving
Bahamas Shark Diving
Shark lovers will be pleased to hear that San Salvador is home to many shark species, the Scalloped Hammerheads being a favorite with visiting divers. These giants are regularly seen in our waters in the cooler winter months. Hammerheads are not aggressive sharks, but their size, crazy-shaped heads, and eye placement on either end of their heads do make your Bahamas diving adventure a bit more exciting! Caribbean Reef Sharks are also frequent visitors and our reef fish are more than abundant whilst shark diving in the Bahamas.
It isn’t unusual to dive with a dozen sharks or more. Often, sharks will cruise the reef throughout your dive. Unlike formal “shark dives” in the bahamas diving with sharks, our shark experiences are a natural part of your visit to our local reef ecosystem. We don’t draw animals in with a bait box, and we don’t kneel in a circle on any of your dives. Our “Bahamas Shark Dives” are simply dives. The sharks choose to dive with us on their own. In the bahamas diving with sharks is a thrilling experience like no other through our shark diving in the Bahamas.
Bahamas Dive Resort: Diving with Riding Rock Resort & Marina
Guanahani Divers – San Salvador, Bahamas
Our Bahamas dive vacations have a well-earned reputation for having some of the best bahamas diving & shark diving in the Bahamas. It is one of the top five wall-diving destinations in the region. Underwater visibility can easily reach 100 feet or more.
The majority of the diving takes place among the many dive sites that are located in close proximity to the marina on the islands lee side, so rough seas are rarely encountered.
Our two dive boats are docked in our marina, which is also the location of Guanahani Divers, equipment rental, and gear storage facility. Both boats are suitable for 20 divers. Sun decks, camera water rinse barrels, large swim platforms with ladder, seated tank racks, bottled drinking water, ice chest with fresh fruit, and well-maintained safety gear is available on both boats.
The dive boats depart the marina around 9:00 am for the first of the two morning-dives. The close proximity of the dive sites enables the boats to return to the marina between dives, as necessary, allowing divers to take a break off the boats during the surface interval. Should a dive group prefer to stay at sea for the surface interval, the boats need not return. The afternoon dive boats depart after lunch, generally at 2:30 pm, for a one-tank dive.
For our experienced divers, additional boat dives may be added for $50.00 per dive, provided we have a minimum of 6 divers for additional day or night dives. If you want to do the dives, our dive operators will make it happen! Our staff consists of seasoned professionals with a “can-do” attitude, dedicated to ensuring that your group has a safe and enjoyable dive vacation.
The dive sites are almost all walls so the possibility of going deep is available, though divers need not go deeper than 40 feet to reach the reef if they prefer to keep a shallow profile.
Bahamas Scuba Diving Packages
Riding Rock makes it easy for guests to budget for their trip with our bahamas scuba diving packages, which include everything in their Island Escape Package price: accommodations, 3 hearty meals daily, 3 dives daily, San Salvador Airport transfers to/from the resort, and all taxes. The only add-ons are the bar tab, any personal purchases, and dive staff gratuities. Dive into paradise with Bahamas scuba diving where adventure meets the crystal-clear depths. Laid back or lively, Riding Rock offers divers all of the excitement and adventure, or rest and relaxation they’ve been searching for.
