Dive· Ocho Rios· Other Caribbean
Ocho Rios Dive Sites (Devil's Reef, Dickie's Reef, Ochi Wall & Katherine Wreck)
18° 25.1′ N · 77° 5.6′ W · approximate
More than two dozen dive sites lie on the reef shelf off Ocho Rios, all a few minutes by boat from shore. They range from shallow inshore reef to a drop-off on the north side, and include Devil's Reef, Dickie's Reef (a good night dive), Ochi Wall, Coral Garden Wall, The Mountains and the wreck of the Katherine, a former WWII Canadian minesweeper.
Practical
Coordinate approximate (seaward edge of Conservation Zone A, from NEPA's boundary coordinates); no public mooring positions are published, so dive with a licensed Ocho Rios operator. Depths about 30-130+ ft (PADI). The Katherine is about 120 ft long, sunk in the 1980s, and lies in about 50 ft with her highest point about 20 ft down, beside caverns in the reef (PADI blog). Devil's Reef is about 3 minutes by boat from Sandals Ochi. Water 80-86 F year-round; December-April is the dry season with the best visibility, and rain reduces it July-October. Marine park rules: no anchoring on reef, and keep 30-50 m clear of dive flags. Jamaica's only recompression chamber is at the UWI Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory (see that entry).
Best for
Wall, reef and wreck diving from an Ocho Rios base
Season
Dec–Apr best visibility
Nearby
- Ocho Rios Reefs: Conservation Zone A (Carib Trenches & Ocho Rios Reef)0.3 NM away
- Ocho Rios Marine Park Protected Area (Rules & Zones)0.4 NM away
- Ocho Rios Marina Basin & Fuel (no yacht marina)1.1 NM away
- Ocho Rios Anchorage & Port of Entry1.3 NM away
- Dunn's River & Mammee Bay Reefs (Ocho Rios Marine Park Zone B)2.5 NM away
- Dunn's River Falls2.6 NM away
- St. Ann's Bay Anchorage (Lee Reef)6.2 NM away
- St. Ann's Bay Hospital6.8 NM away