Frequently Asked Questions

Driving directions: We strongly advise renting a car for your vacation in Rincon! Click here for Google Maps directions.

From SJU Airport to Rincon (approx 2.5 hours drivetime)

• Stay right on the exit from the airport, follow signs to Highway 26 (San Juan). — DO NOT GO OVER MOSCOSO BRIDGE.
• Take Autopista (toll road) #22 (Bayamon).
• You will follow #22 until Arecibo and pay several tolls
• Once in Arecibo #22 turns into #2 – stay left.
• Follow #2 to Aguadilla (about 30 min.).
• In Aguadilla, you will pass a baseball stadium on the left.
• Stay on #2 until you reach #417 (there is an overhead crosswalk – so you can’t miss it!).
• Don’t take #115 off of #2 or you will probably get lost.
• Make a right on #417 and go 1.6 miles to the traffic light (the cemetery is on your right).
• At the cemetery, several roads merge.
• Take Avenida Nativo Alers (the sign is in the middle of the fork – take the left road).
• You are now on the bypass around Aguada.
• Go 1.5 miles, follow the road right, and then turn left when the road ends at #115.
• Take #115 (stay left – if you hit the beach turn around) approximately 4 miles to Rincon.
• On the right will be #413, turn here for Puntas accommodations. (Bo. Puntas – El Faro sign) or
• Continue on Rt. 115 and you will enter downtown Rincón.
• Rincon Diving is on the ocean side of Road #115 next to Dos Galegos Argentinian Steakhouse. If you are staying in one of the local hotels, we are within walking distance of most. (Villa Cofresi, Rincon of the Seas, Rincon Inn) Getting lost in Rincon is almost impossible – and exploring is lots of fun!

From Aguadilla (BQN) Airport to Rincon (approx 30 minutes drive time)

• Make a left out of airport parking and another left at the stop sign onto #107.
• By the fifth light, you need to be in the right lane and enter #2 South.
• Stay on #2 and follow the directions above making a right on #417.

From Mayaguez (MAZ) Airport to Rincon (approximately 45 minutes drive time)

• Make a right out of airport parking.
• Right at the end of the road which is #2.
• At the 2nd light (#115) make a left.
• Follow #115 (pass a PUMA station, pass a Church’s
• Chicken/Burger King and PUMA/Subway gas station.
• This is the road past ‘Mango Alley’ & Rincon’s Caribbean Coast into Downtown Rincon!
• Rincon Diving will be on your left just past the Burger King (on your right) & PUMA gas station/Subway on your left.

No. No boat is required to get to the beautiful reefs in Rincon.

We recommend using your own transportation for this event. On certain occasions, with advance notice, we may be able to arrange for a taxi pickup at one of the local hotels in Rincon. Additional charges may apply.

Due to insurance restrictions, dive guides cannot allow riders.

Check our prices on the individual tour pages.

Tours are half-day events starting at 9 AM or 1 PM. We highly recommend the 9 AM options over the 1 PM because (generally) water conditions are much better in the morning. Also, afternoon showers may shorten or cancel your tour.

You can leave your personal belongings either in your personal vehicle or in the dive center. When checking in, it’s better to leave everything in your vehicle so that you can be hands-free during check-in and equipment fitting. The dive center and guides are not responsible for personal belongings.

For the snorkeling tours and discover scuba diving tours, all instruction, equipment, and the guide are included. For the certified diver’s tour, the tour includes the guide, tanks, and weights. For night dives, the guide, tanks, weights, and light are included. Additional rentals are available at additional cost.

All participants should be comfortable in the water. Snorkelers will be provided with snorkeling equipment, flotation/life vests and, if preferred, snorkeling noodles for flotation. Guides will instruct on snorkeling techniques for beginners.

Being comfortable in the water and a basic level of swimming is required.

Our groups are typically small. For snorkeling tours, the maximum number of snorkelers per guide is usually not more than 12. If there are more than 12 in your group, additional guides will be added for safety.

Because our groups are always small to exclusive, it is important to let us know of any changes in your reservation. This is our cancelation policy:

• All cancelations should be made 48 hours prior to the day of the tour to be exempt from the cancelation charges of 50% of the total tour cost.
• There are no penalties or fees for canceling your tour before the 48-hour window.
• Cancelations for last-minute bookings: Bookings made less than 24 hours of the tour date are considered final.
• All no-shows will be charged the full tour price for the group.
• Cancelations made after 5:00 PM the day prior to the tour will be considered a no-show and incur the full tour price. This includes reduction-in-group-size cancelations.
• Cancelations need to be made directly by calling the dive center at 787-506-3483.
• Cancelations made by email, voicemail, or other means, may not be honored.

This policy reimburses guides/instructors for blocking off their schedules for you. When you book, they do not accept other work during that time. If we had no cancelation fee, they would lose the income during that period.

Rincón is about 2.5 hours from San Juan. If you are departing from any area in San Juan, allow extra time for traffic which can be very heavy depending on the time of day and year.

Arrive 5 minutes before the time on your reservation is recommended. If you arrive late, please let us know as soon as possible. Arrivals more than 20 minutes late may need to be rescheduled.

There is no minimum age for snorkeling tours. Please keep in mind that snorkelers younger than 8 years may require extra attention that, due to the size of the group, will not be possible. For younger families, we recommend reserving a private tour guide for your tour. For any scuba diving tour, the minimum age is 10 years.

A group tour may have participants who don’t know each other. If you have smaller children or need extra attention, guides may not be able to give you the best service without compromising the safety and enjoyment of other participants. Also, if you want a more personal service, hire a private guide by booking a Private Guided Snorkeling or diving tour.

Yes! You can rent a camera from us or bring your own. However, we need your undivided attention for safety and reserve the right to ask you to put it away. Furthermore, PADI training standards prohibit our guides from taking underwater pictures for you, but that doesn’t prohibit you from taking all the pictures you desire during the course.

There is adequate free parking at most of the snorkeling and dive sites. Some sites (especially during the winter months) tend to have lots of visitors and parking can be crowded.

Wear your swimsuit and bring a towel. If you need to change before leaving the dive center, you can use our bathroom facilities. If you have any dive/snorkel gear, feel free to bring it for the best personal fit. Please be sure that your sunscreen is reef-safe to protect local reefs for future ocean-tour adventurers!

There are 3 ways you can typically receive your pictures:

1. Purchase the storage card in the camera for an additional cost.
2. Upload the pictures to your own device for free.
3. We can email them to your email for free. The internet is not always reliable, so please allow a couple of days for delivery. If you do not get them within a reasonable time, give us a call or email so we can check on the status.

All of our rental tanks are aluminum 80 cu ft tanks.

Yes, we do. And thank you for your service. We give a 10% discount to the service member on any tour or dive course. Please let the desk agent checking you in know that you are on active duty or a retired service member to receive your discount. Be ready to show your military ID.

If you would like to book a tour with us, you can book online on our website or for more personal service, give the dive center a call at 787-506-3483 to book with our knowledgeable reservation staff.

If you are an experienced diver or snorkeler and want to rent equipment to do a self-guided tour, we have a complete rental locker available to suit your needs. Rentals are for a 24-hour period. Early returns are accepted before 5:00 p.m. (no after-hour returns). No refunds for early returns. You must present a dive certification to rent tanks, regulators, and BCDs.

Snorkeling tours allow you to enjoy the beauty of the underwater world from the surface. The scooter snorkel tour is very similar, only you will be propelled effortlessly through the water by holding onto a SeaDoo Scooter. The SeaDoo scooters are easy to learn and add a level of adventure to your tour. You might even like to dive down and take a closer look at the reef. I like to say that the scooter tour is a “no calories burned” tour.

Rincón has some awesome snorkeling sites, but our favorite is the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve.

We often see the majority of the fishes named on any fish ID template, including, but not limited to, parrotfish, blue tangs, hogfish, squirrelfish, butterflyfish, and angelfish. We have the occasional stingray, tarpon, and turtle swim by checking you out. Look in the crevices for eels, crabs, and lobsters.

Snorkeling is the first step in getting to know the underwater world. It is often the gateway to wanting to learn more and become a certified diver. Ask your guide about getting certified to dive.

We would recommend selecting the private tour option for a more customized experience.

No experience is necessary to enjoy a snorkeling tour. However, you should have a minimum comfort level in the water. The beautiful corals are close to the surface so you are guaranteed to get up close and personal with the marine life.

Prior to participating in any SCUBA diving experience, you will be required to complete a medical history questionnaire. Certain conditions preclude us from taking you on a scuba experience without clearance from a doctor. If you feel you have any medical condition that may prevent you from participating, give us a call and we can send you a medical form for your physician to sign before you will be able to participate in a scuba experience. For all dive and snorkel participants, please let the guide know if you have any concerns or medical conditions they should be aware of.

We sell name-brand dive and snorkel equipment. We have some of the largest selection of snorkel gear available for purchase in Puerto Rico. We use what we sell so we know the quality of what will be available to you.

We want you to be happy with your purchase. If the gear is unopened and unused, we will gladly exchange it for something that is a better fit for you

Snorkeling is done from the surface of the ocean with only a mask, snorkel, and fins. Scuba diving uses equipment that allows you to breathe underwater for an extended time. Scuba diving requires additional training beyond the snorkeler’s experience. Check out our PADI Discover Scuba course to give scuba diving a try without taking the full dive course.

Generally, snorkeling is a very safe sport. Due to the nature of the sport, snorkeling does require a certain level of fitness and may not be suitable for everyone.

The most basic equipment you will need is a mask and snorkel. The mask allows you to see beneath the surface and the snorkel allows you to breathe without raising your face from the water. Additionally, fins on your feet help you move efficiently through the water. We recommend a flotation device (e.g. a snorkel vest or life vest) for buoyancy and safety in the water.

Yes, you can. However, if water should flood your mask, it is recommended to keep your eyes closed in case your contact decides to float out of your eye.

Snorkels allow you to breathe while your face is submerged in the water. If you should desire to dive down to get a closer look, water will fill the snorkel. With this in mind, you should hold your breath as you descend until you return to the surface and blast clear the snorkel of water. Our expert snorkeling guides can teach you this technique.

Do you want to know what that fish is called? Where to find the best reef? What can you expect to see? Our snorkeling guides are PADI-certified professionals with years of experience teaching and guiding snorkeling tours around the world. Our pro tips can mean the difference between a ho-hum experience and one you will remember for a very long time.

Yes, we do. Night dives for certified divers are scheduled upon request. Guided night dives include the guide, tanks, weights, and primary light. Additional lights are available for rental or purchase. A tank light (glow stick) is required. Bring your own or one can be purchased in the dive center.

If you desire nitrox for your dive, give us a call and we can arrange to have it available. Proof of nitrox diver certification is required.

Water temperature in Puerto Rico ranges from 78 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter months (December-March) to 84 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months. Most divers get cold in the winter months and a wetsuit is recommended. At other times of the year, wetsuits are good for abrasion protection. Wetsuits are available for rental for an additional fee.

The temperate waters of Puerto Rico have many, many species of fish of all sizes. Some of the ones we see every day are parrotfish, butterflyfish, blue tangs, sergeant majors, angelfish, squirrelfish. In fact, look at a fish ID guide for the Caribbean and we see those same “characters” every day. Ahhhh….life in paradise.

The nature of the mask design does not allow you to wear your glasses. However, we do have a limited number of fixed lens masks that may suit your needs. These are available for use during your tour without charge or for an added fee for any rental. Inquire about them with a staff member.

We have snorkel vests that you can inflate and deflate. We also offer coast guard-approved life vests for tours and rentals. We stock infant to adult sizes.

We occasionally have towels available for purchase in our retail store.

If you have any of your own personal snorkel/dive gear, feel free to use it for the best personal fit.

Our professional instructors can certainly help you with that. The first step is to complete your PADI e-learning prior to arrival and then schedule your water sessions. Depending on the course, allow 1-3 days for training.

Our instructors are PADI and NAUI certified and insured dive professionals. We also accept Universal Referrals from other agencies. Check with your home instructor about using the Universal Referral Program for participation guidelines for the Universal Referral Program for other training agencies.

If you have never experienced scuba diving before, we recommend scheduling a Discover Scuba Dive which will give you a taste of what scuba diving is like. If you are ready to sign up for a scuba certifying course, the first step to becoming a certified diver is to purchase your e-learning books from PADI.

Click the link to get started right away. You can complete the e-learning on your computer before you even leave your home. Once you arrive, you will be able to start diving right away. Allow a minimum of 3 days to get a certification. Give us a call in the dive center and we can go over more details with you.

Tanks need to have current inspections prior to filling. If your tank needs to be inspected, you can drop it off in the dive center and we will have it inspected by a qualified professional.

Yes. We can fill your paintball tanks to a maximum of 3000 psi. Tanks must have a current hydrostatic inspection. For most tanks, this means that the manufacture date must not be more than 5 years from the current date.

We do rent a limited number of pole spears and even lobster snares. Acquaint yourself with the fishing laws of Puerto Rico prior to use.

Dive flags are required.

Pregnancy does not necessarily preclude you from participating in a snorkeling tour. A certain level of fitness is necessary. If you feel snorkeling during pregnancy will be a risk, please abstain. We reserve the right to refuse participation if it endangers the safety of the participants. Scuba diving while pregnant is strictly prohibited.

Wear your swimsuit. A sun-shirt will give you protection from the sun and is recommended. If you get cold, wetsuits are available for rental for additional thermal protection.

For PADI divers, we can do an online lookup with your name and date of birth. For other training agencies, we recommend bringing your card with you. We are not allowed to rent scuba equipment (tanks, BCD, or regs) without proof of open water diver certification.

All dive and snorkeling tours are dependent on water and weather conditions. The guide reserves the right to cancel or rebook any tour which in his/her opinion will endanger the safety of the participants.

There isn’t a map of the dive sites of Puerto Rico. However, feel free to stop into the dive center and we’d be happy to give you information on the sites located in our area.

No. All our entries are from the beaches of Rincon and Aguadilla. Desecheo is an island 12+ miles offshore.