Facebook
Twitter
We stayed at the newly opened Dreams Palm Beach (there are three Dreams resorts on the Dominican Republic) which is just north of Punta Cana. The beach is fine with lots of trees and cabanas to hide under and a huge pool with a beach grill to grab burgers and dogs. We are on the Eastern edge of the island where the water is generally rougher. Bayahibe is supposed to be garden spot for the DR, but we did not make it down there.
I did some research over the internet and after checking out several places finally contracted with Ferry Sneekes of the Pelicanosport Caribbean Dive College of the Dominican Republic www.divecollegedr.com to complete my 11 year old's OW dives. Pelicanosport dives out of many other resorts but not Dreams so Ferry was kind enough to be our taxi service as well. Once at Pelicano, we set up our gear and then it was hands-off after that, including rinsing and hanging up our gear (except for the students ). It was nice that they carried the tanks back and forth to the skiffs and set the standard for our other dive operator.
In the DR you are diving off of skiffs unless you are going out to the deeper sites, so its back rolls into the water and then taking off your weights and gear (handing up to the captain) and finning over the side of the boat. My sons loved it. I would have liked a ladder!
If you are looking to complete your OW or more advanced certifications (including cave diving and tech diving), I would highly recommend Ferry or the other instructors at the Dive College. Between myself and my two sons we did 10 dives with Ferry and really enjoyed the experience and his flexibilty. His approach to the craft is excellent, and he is laid back and fun to be with.
Since the water was kinda rough when we were there we did not do the deeper dives, but we did dive Park Reef, La Nina, Paradise Reef and the Aquarium while we were there. Definitely fare for photographers and newbies. Frankly after a year of diving in a quarry, we were happy to just be in warm water with fish! The reefs seem to have a layer of silt on them so everything takes on a somewhat monochromatic feel, not to say everything is white (see the pictures).
We saw lots of sea fans swaying in the current. And loads of yellow tail snapper (who seem to look for the boats to arrive so you enter the water surrounded by snappers) and Sergeant Majors as well as Blue Chomis, Damselfish, Ocean Surgeonfish, Four Eye Butterfly fish and Squirrelfish under the ledges (if you look for them). We also seemed to find Smooth Trunkfish on most of our dives.
I would not recommend the dive operation at Dreams. Fine for snorkeling but not diving. It is called Sea Pro Divers and my older son and I had a bad experience on our dive with them. Other than we had to schlep our gear from the dive shack to and from the skiff (Pelicano did that for us) the DM's briefing was unacceptably brief (and he did not tell us the boat was leaving) and we ended up with what appeared to be a valve failure and an emergency ascent which the DM was completely unconcerned about. He did not pull the tank aside after the dive to get it checked out.
I would not go to the DR specifically for the diving again unless I would stay on the southern side of the island and dive Bayahibe, but if you are on the island no sense in not bringing your gear and getting wet. Prices were much better to the DR than the other Caribbean islands, but you get what you pay for as well (the diving was good, but not spectacular).
