Top 10 Challenging Caribbean Dives

Skeptical that there are 10 challenging Caribbean dives? This otherwise calm region packs plenty of seamounts, tunnels, drifts, wrecks, deep dives and sharky spots to get your heart pounding and adrenaline flowing.

1. Chikuzen
British Virgin Islands

Unpredictable currents are the norm for the Chikuzen, so much so that mooring balls disappear regularly at this site 12 miles northwest of Virgin Gorda. “Because it’s remote, the current can be strong, but that brings in larger marine life,” says Melisande Rowe, dive director for Sail Caribbean Divers. It’s worth kicking with more oomph because the 246-foot former refrigeration ship is a veritable oasis in the underwater sand desert at 75 feet. Swim to one end, and masses of snapper and Atlantic spadefish edge out of your path only to resume formation again and again atop the wreck. Goliath grouper, eagle rays and nurse sharks chart similar courses — they just can’t stay away.

2. Pesotas
Desecheo, Puerto Rico

The name — pesotas in Spanish, nipples
 in English — suggests the dive site might be softer than it actually is. It’s named for the pinnacles poking from the surface off the southeast coast of Desecheo, a satellite island off Puerto Rico’s west coast. Sitting 12 miles into the Mona Passage, it’s raked by strong currents, which can deliver a lot of things, from nutrients to cold water. It’s a combination of both that brings in eagle rays, gangs of black durgeon, horse-eye jacks and more. Divers can seek temporary shelter inside small canyons, where nurse sharks and green turtles provide good company.

3. Devil’s Throat
Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel’s most famous site, Devil’s
 Throat — a tunnel leading divers from 90 to 130 feet — tends to make people nervous before they even see it. “If the current is moving at a good clip, it’s harder for divers to reach the throat,” says Tim Massimino, owner of Scuba Club Cozumel. Once divers thread through the passageway, the finale is a rare vantage point overlooking a precipi- tous drop-off. “It’s spectacular how much you can see,” Massimino says. “The biggest challenge for first-timers is not knowing what’s going to happen. It’s a dive that’s not for everybody.”

4. Angelita
Riviera Maya, Mexico

At Angelita, a cavern dive in Riviera Maya, decomposed matter creates a cloud of hydrogen sulfide at about 92 feet — the effect is eerie. Angel Navarro, a PADI Course Director for Pro Dive Mexico, says that for some, this plunge becomes a leap of faith. “Visibility is suddenly reduced to inches, and of course there’s the rotten-egg smell that you taste in your regulator.” The people who push through find that after just 3 feet, perfect visibility returns, but sunlight doesn’t penetrate the thick layer. Says Navarro: “It might look spooky, but everyone has said it’s an amazing experience.”

5. M/V Bianca C
Grenada

Peter Seupel likes to joke that he has 
the world’s deepest swimming pool —
135 feet beneath the surface. The owner
 of Aquanauts Grenada dive shop is talking about the lido deck of the 600-foot former passenger ship M/V Bianca C. Located about a mile from the island’s southwest tip, the wreck can be subjected to strong currents, which explains the Caribbean reef sharks and schools of passing eagle rays. Recreational divers can check out the davits, booms and various parts on the exposed areas. Of Seupel’s favorite vantage point, it’s accessible only to technical divers. He says, “Going down the anchor at 165 feet and looking back up at the bow — that’s the best thing.”

6. Diver’s Thirst
Tobago

“By the time you reach the bowl, you’re almost out of air, but you’re thirsty for more,” says Randy Davis of Diver’s Thirst,
 a site off Tobago’s southwest coast. The bowl is an amphitheater-shaped formation carved in the reef — the end point for a site where divers fight currents. “If you just drift, it’s over too quickly.” The strength of the force depends on tides, but the direction is consistent: It pushes visitors toward shore. Asked if it’s worth it, Davis explains that the site remains popular because of the fish life. Sightings of mantas, whale sharks and schools of dolphins are not uncommon. He adds, “You can expect pretty much anything at that site.”

7. Bull Shark Dive
Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Every November through March, bull sharks move in right off the beaches of Playa del Carmen. For divers, this makes for nearly guaranteed encounters. On the morning dives offered by Phocea Mexico, PADI Course Director Camille Laquerriere says the sharks are gentle, peaceful even — it’s the remoras that make you squirm. The encounter requires divers to stay almost motionless; it’s available only to those with strong buoyancy skills. “The most surprising thing about the dive is these fish that stick on you and your tank,” says Laquerriere. In this case, being prepared means covering exposed skin: Wear gloves and a hood.

8. Scuba Bowl
Grand Cayman

“They take you by surprise the first time you see them,” says Steve Broadbelt of the formations at Scuba Bowl. “Even at 100 feet, you don’t see some of this stuff — you go a bit deeper, and all these hallways become visible.” The owner of Ocean Frontiers is drawn first to the canyons slicing through the reef wall at 120 feet or so, then the pinnacles. “The silhouette of the formations against the sunlight is like nothing else.” It’s a spot regularly prowled by Caribbean reef sharks and the occasional hammerhead. Divers will also meet George, a black grouper. “He’s big in every direction.” It all adds up to an experience that Broadbelt cites as one of his favorites.

9. Mountain Top
Dominica

It’s the best of bluewater diving with the drama of a sheer reef. The seamount that is the dive site Mountain Top sits a mile southwest of Scotts Head Point — the southernmost point on the island. The reef starts in 67 feet, and drops away to reveal overhangs and crevices where sanctuary-seekers like gold-spotted eels take cover. The true highlight is what swims in: Snapper, horse-eye jacks, sharks and the odd manta ray are regulars at this watering hole.

10. SS Stavronikita
Barbados

In 127 feet of water, the SS Stavronikita lies just at the edge of recreational-diving limits. Advanced divers who aim to see the prop
 — if they’re good at stretching their nitrox fill — can plan to be down roughly 20 minutes. The structure of the 365-foot Greek freighter, purpose-sunk in 1978, starts in roughly 60 feet with the mast, and with crystal-clear visibility, newer divers can still enjoy much of the site. Plus, after 30 years of being on the bottom, the structure is drenched in colorful growth.

If you’ve got plans to dive deeper than 60 feet (and you’ll want to, we promise), this is the perfect time to complete your PADI Advanced Open Water certification. You’ll complete a deep dive, an underwater navigation dive and three adventure dives of your choice.