Full-Day Scuba Diving Catalina Island Tour from Bavaro

We were staying at a Punta Cana hotel and the bus was 1/2 hour late. During the drive, we made three stops and transferred vehicles. We made the 120km trip to Catalina in 2 and a half hours. When we arrived we were bustled onto a very nice boat with a group of snorkellers, the scuba equipment appeared to be good quality, (I have my own so didn't use any) and the crew prepared it for their clients. They also prepped my personal gear, but I had to assist anyway because they weren't familiar with the elaborate self-contained BCD. Once in the water, I found the visibility and the flora and fauna to be much superior to that of the Punta Cana area which is pretty much dead. However, I was rather disappointed with my fellow divers' disregard for the environment. Being a certified divemaster I prefer to take up the tail end of the group so I can keep an eye out for trouble with other divers and be ready to assist. Our group of 5 other divers was quite inexperienced and I repeatedly had to pull one guy off the coral that he was standing on to pose for pictures, another time he was going much too deep and putting himself at risk. Eventually, my patience wore thin and I decided that if he's going to end up killing himself, so be it. Then, there was a couple who held hands the entire duration of the dive. She had a death grip on her husband's hand because she was so scared. That's all well and good, I applaud her courage to overcome her fears, but by the end of the dive, they had lost contact with the rest of the group. The dive guide and three others had already surfaced, but this couple was still on the bottom, completely lost. When I came to realise their predicament I checked their pressure which was well below 500 psi, so I indicated we should surface. The meal on the beach was decent. A buffet-style meal with rice, chicken, pork, veggies, alcoholic drinks or fish for your meal was an additional charge. We returned to the boat, docked, and rode the mini-van bus 2 hours back to our hotel. In essence, the ride was long but tolerable, the equipment was good quality, the boat was very nice, the meal was delicious and the underwater sights were typical for the Caribbean. The point of this is that the dive guide was completely oblivious to the skill levels of his charges. He did not ensure that they remained safe, followed the dive briefing, or were even accounted for before he surfaced. Everything else might have been great, but the most important safety aspect, the dive master, was essentially useless.

Very knowledgeable, fun, and entertaining. The diving was amazing and the dive master was able to point out amazing fish and rays. Drinks provided were excellent and the beach and food was too. Overall 10/10 would recommend.