Dive Sites and Tour Operators near Ocho Rios
A great island in the Caribbean for scuba diving, Jamaica offers over a hundred dive sites around the island. The island features a narrow fringing coral shelf close to shore along most of the north coast. There are close to two dozen dive sites off the shores of Ocho Rios, featuring plenty of nearby reefs and walls, with a diversity of marine life, as well as a large shipwreck in shallow waters to explore.
Local Dive Boat/Tour Operators are listed below…
The best Jamaica diving sites near Ocho Rios include (from west to east):
Dunn / Dunn’s Deep
- This dive site, near the famous Dunn’s river, is recommended for advanced divers. With a max dive depth of over 100 feet (30m), this dive features sponges, gorgonians and sea-fans.
Harbour Reef
- This shallow dive site has a max depth of 60 feet (18m) and features a wall along with partial remains of a shipwreck on the sandy bottom
Jacks Hall
- This shallow sandy dive site has a max depth of 50 feet (15m) and features a wide variety of coral and sponges, along with fish and sharks. A good location for drift diving.
Daxhall Deep
- This dive site has a max depth of 65 feet (20m) and features a flat reef with corals, sponges and sea-fans, and is visited by turtles and schools of fish
Coral Garden Reef
- This diverse dive site has a max depth of 60 feet (18m) and features caverns and swim-throughs with a large variety of sponges and sea-fans – Great for underwater photography
Rockside Reef
- This shallow dive site has a max depth of 50 feet (15m) and features a wide variety of tropical fish along with sponges and sea-fans
Willow Tree Reef
- This dive site has a max depth of 65 feet (20m) and features a flat reef with a decent amount of sea life
L-reef
- This dive site has a max depth of 65 feet (20m) and features a wall that is home to schools of fish along with rays
Devil’s Reef
- This dive site, for advanced divers, is close to shore and has a max depth of 130 feet (40m). This dive features a large ridge / wall with plenty of crevices and is covered in coral, sponges, gorgonians and sea-fans. This dive also features schools of fish, turtles, eels and sharks, as well as crabs
Barracuda Reef
- This dive site has a max depth of over 100 feet (30m) and besides barracuda, you may see sponges and sea-fans along with fish, eels and sharks as well as lobsters and crabs
Jamaica Wall
- This popular dive site, for advanced divers, has a max depth of over 100 feet (30m) and features a reef / wall with sponges, gorgonians and sea-fans along with a variety of tropical fish, turtles and sharks
Dickies Reef
- This dive site, recommended for advanced divers, has a max depth of 70 feet (21m) and features a variety of marine life, including coral, sponges and sea-fans along with tropical fish, rays, lobsters and crabs. A good location for night diving.
Old Forte Reef
- This dive site has a max depth of 65 feet (20m) and features a wall with a variety of corals, sponges and other marine life. A good location for drift diving.
Sand Channel
- This dive site has a max depth of 65 feet (20m) and features a wall and plenty of juvenile fish and other sea life
Katherine Shipwreck
- This popular dive site has a max depth of 50 feet (15m) and features a large sunken vessel which in a previous life had been a WWII minesweeper in the Canadian Navy. The wreck is covered in corals, sponges and sea-fans and parts of the interior of the ship can be explored by advanced divers. You should see plenty of tropical fish, along with rays, eels, lobsters, scallops
The mountains / Top of the Mountain
- This interesting dive site, recommended for advanced divers, has a max depth of over 100 feet (30m) and features three underwater mountains with walls to explore. This dive features corals, sponges, gorgonians and sea-fans along with a variety of tropical fish.
Ocho Rios Slopes / Wall
- This popular dive site, recommended for advanced divers, has a max depth of over 70 feet (21m) and features a great wall covered in corals, sponges, gorgonians and sea-fans – Home to a large variety of marine life, including schools of fish as well as turtles, rays and eels
Maffessanti Reef
- This shallow dive site has a max depth of 40 feet (12m) and is a good location for beginner divers
Fish Reef
- This dive site has a max depth of 60 feet (18m) and features sponges and sea-fans along with tropical fish, rays and eels
Middle East / Reef
- This shallow dive site has a max depth of 40 feet (12m) and features a flat coral reef with sponges and sea-fans along with fish, rays, starfish and lobster
For Jamaica Scuba Diving in the Ocho Rios area, these local Boat / Tour Operators will take good care of you (Click on a Tour Operator name below for more details):
- Single Local Dive
- A variety of PADI Certified Courses
- Scuba Diving Rental Equipment Available
- Scuba Dive (One Tank) – Wreck, Wall, Mountain or Double Reef
- Special Dive – Ship Wreck or Devils Reef (One tank)
- 2 Tank, 4 Tank, and 10 Tank Dive Packages
- Scuba Dive Lesson and dive
- PADI and ACUC Scuba Certification Courses
- A variety of PADI Certified Courses
- Certified Dive Excursions, to dive sites in the Montego Bay, Runaway Bay and Ocho Rios Area
- One Tank, Two Tank or 4 Tank Dives / Three Daily Dives Scheduled
- Certified Night Dives in the Montego Bay, Runaway Bay and Ocho Rios Area
- Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Rental Equipment Available
Also check out Jamaica Snorkeling
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