Scuba Diving at Catalina Island - 2 tank | 2 spots

The initial communication was good detailing pick up time and sending a picture of the van that would collect us which was helpful. The transfer to the port took place in two stages - local mini bus to a meeting point and then onwards to La Romana port from there. It’s was a long transfer, taking about two hours in total. The trip itself was a bit strange in that no one really knew what was going on - or we weren’t told what to expect, just expected to go along with being shuffled about. This is likely due to the language barrier and I accept that in a Spanish speaking country, I should have made more effort to learn basic Spanish. However the trip was advertised as catering to English speakers so we figured we would be fine. However there was very little understanding between the guests and the crew. The dive sites themselves are unknown to us - there were no pre-dive briefings and I’m not sure our diver knew what to do when signing our log books. He didn’t add his dive number or instructor number. I’m unsure how legit it was as a dive provider. As experienced divers, myself (PADI Rescue) and my partner (PADI OW) felt uncomfortable with the process and implementation. No buddy checks - we were ushered into the water very quickly and one of our group had a leak in their jacket which I felt should have been identified pre-dive. When swapping BCDs, the leaking jacket was thrown into a pile with the others and I suppose will be used again in another dive. Our guide was good under water, even more impressive that he was able to fulfil his duties with a disability. He was easily the hardest working member of the crew from what I saw and I am grateful for his support i.e. getting out of the water etc. after our two dives, which were interesting with lots of wildlife, e.g. lion fish, spotted eagle ray, trumpet fish, etc, we were shuffled onto a speed boat to be taken to Catalina island for an ok buffet lunch. Various members of our own boat left the island at different times which was confusing. I asked the staff about it but they seemed to get annoyed at the questions. I think at this point we were supposed to sail back to port but Other people in our group said they hadn’t had the chance to snorkel, so we made another stop and didn’t leave the Catalina area until 4.30pm. This was the time we expected to return to our hotels by according to the description. We had evening plans, so messaged the tour operators to confirm return time and after some back and forth they said that they would organise a private transfer back to the hotel so we could get back in good time. They sent a picture of the car and the name of the driver who would pick us up. On arrival at the port, there was no private transfer and we were shuffled onto another minibus - it was apparent no one really knew what was going on. I messaged the tour operators again and they assured us we would be dropped off first, but that wasn’t the case, doing hotel drop offs elsewhere before our own. Eventually we arrived at our hotel 2 1/2 hours after the advertised time, which scuppered our evening plans. Further contact with the tour operators to said that they would organise original transfer we had booked had to be redirected or something like that, but we didn’t find this our until the next day. Ultimately, the day was OK. The language barrier was an issue and none of the guests knew what to expect. It became a standing joke that we needed to just go along with it and jokes were shared among split passengers that they ‘hoped the other would survive’. I’d advise spending a bit more money on a qualified dive company and people who are able to communicate clearly - unless you speak Spanish coherently. I was disappointed that the resolution we were promised didn’t happen and it put a bit of a dampener on our day. A final note on the on-board toilet - DON’T do it! It was unclean and unsanitary, which meant that many passengers preferred dehydration (in 33C temps) over needing to use it!

4.5 hr to get there, multiple shuttles, 2 unnecessary gift shop stops. Missed half the day. Got to do 1 dive not 2 as promised. No apologies. Extremely rude hosts. All communication in Spanish. Was told (in English) we knew we were coming here so we should have learned Spanish. They refused to try and help us understand communication. Very overcrowded vessel. Small boat taxi to dive boat driven very recklessly. Hit waves at high speed jamming us down into the metal seats hurting our backs. Do NOT recommend!! Horrible experience. Unlike anything I’ve experienced before as a seasoned traveler.

An incredible experience! 5/5 ⭐️ The diving tour exceeded all my expectations. From the beginning, the service was impeccable: the instructors are knowledgeable, patient, and very friendly, making the activity safe and fun, even for beginners like me. In addition to the exciting diving, the tour included a visit to Catalina Island, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch with spectacular views. The combination of adventure and relaxation was perfect. It was definitely worth every penny. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking for a unique and well-organized experience! I will be back soon. Thank you for everything!