There’s something about diving “a wall” (an underwater cliff face) that enthralls divers. The feeling of insignificance you get when next to a seemingly endless vertical reef dropping off into ‘the great depths’ probably has something to with it.
So does a wall dive’s challenging nature. Gauging depth without a seabed for a visual indicator and swimming in the kind of strong upward or downward currents you get on the periphery of a reef all adds to the thrill.
Seasoned divers with the will (and proper certification) should check out the famous La Parguera Wall in Puerto Rico. Situated several miles off shore (a half hour boat ride) where the continental shelf drops off, it offers some of the best diving in the entire Caribbean.
The wall begins at 55-65 feet below the surface and drops vertically to roughly 200 feet. Beneath there must be at least another thousand feet to the ocean floor!
As with others around the world, the La Parguera Wall teems with brightly colored life. There are several different corals (including Elkhorn Coral, deep water, gorgonians and black coral), schools of brilliant tropical fish and even the odd sea turtle.
Here the azure waters are warm, have great visibility and, importantly, have comparatively slight currents. Our tip is to dive when the weather is clear, that way the colors of the reef really stand out.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Image: Scubaben)
