Barbados: Diving Spots and Tips

Beautiful Barbados is a wonderful diving location with 20 miles of reefs, abundant marine life and a wealth of wrecks that add interest. The reef is on the west side of the island and all the dive companies are based down this coast. Operators range from large multi boat set ups to experienced individual professionals. There’s a main recompression chamber serving the region and operators are regulated by the local dive association (PADO).

Barbados diving waters are fine for novice and experienced divers and some of the operators also run lessons. The size of dive party varies greatly amongst the operators from very small with near individual attention to very large, often with fairly short timed dives. There are also operators who specialise in dives with the best photographic opportunities.

There are some real sites around the reef, and the main wrecks have been cleared of potential traps to minimise risks for divers. The premier dive site is wreck of the SS Stavronikita. Other wrecks include the Pamir and a broken up one amidst the reef at Friars Craig. Carlisle Bay is one of the more popular Barbados diving locations and Brightledge Reef offers some great marine life. Barbados is a busy stop for Caribbean cruise ships and during high season the dive sites can become very crowded.

Climate considerations

Although the averages temperatures don’t vary greatly throughout the year being roughly around 80°, Barbados does have a wet and dry season and divers should consider local weather conditions. Rainfall is heaviest in May/June and October/November. Barbados diving weather can also be impacted by cold fronts coming down from the USA which bring cooler temperatures and rough water. Hurricane season is also a consideration of Barbados diving. Although, they can develop indiscriminately throughout the year, they are most frequent between July and November.

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