Scuba diving — Punta Cana
5 options from $129 per person. Duration 2h 30min – 9h. Rated 4.9/5 from 1,264 reviews. What's included, departure times, guest reviews.
Two dives from Punta Cana start at $129 per person with Scuba and Chill: a local outing off Bávaro with a hard cap of four divers per PADI guide and free transfer from Bávaro.
The short version
What it costs
Grand Bay of the Sea charges $135 per diver from Cabeza de Toro, with instructors who work in English, Spanish and French. The dives that cost more go further or deeper: Grand Bay’s open-water shark dive at $190, and Ultra Marine’s Saona day at $199 per diver.
From $129 to $199, in order of price:
- $129 per person — Scuba and Chill, two guided dives off Bávaro with four divers per guide at most, free transfer from Bávaro; the operator’s Bayahibe day is $175.
- $135 per diver — Grand Bay of the Sea, two tanks for certified divers from Cabeza de Toro; transfer included for the main Bávaro area, Discover Scuba from $100.
- $169 per person — Dominican Divers, a first dive from a boat with the instructor beside you, private hotel transfer and a full XDEEP ZEOS set included, from age 10.
- $190 per person — Grand Bay of the Sea, a two-tank shark dive in open water with no cage; Advanced, or Open Water with 20 logged dives.
- $199 per diver — Ultra Marine Divers, a Saona day with the shallow Atlantic Princess wreck, the Peñón reef and lunch on the island; nitrox $12 a tank, a snorkelling companion $95.
Options 5
Two-Tank Dive for Certified Divers, Punta Cana
Two boat dives off Cabeza de Toro with a PADI centre that works in English, Spanish and French. $135 per diver, transfer from the main Bávaro hotels included.
Local Dive at Bávaro, Four Divers per Guide
Two guided dives off Bávaro in a group of no more than four per PADI guide, with free transfer from Bávaro. $129 per person.
Shark Dive at Shark Point, No Cage
Two tanks over two and a half hours on a natural reef, in open water without a cage. Advanced Open Water, or Open Water with at least 20 logged dives. $190 per person.
First Dive from a Boat, One Instructor Beside You
A first time underwater with the instructor alongside: two dives from a boat on the reefs of Bayahibe, not a hotel pool. Private hotel transfer and full XDEEP ZEOS kit included, from age 10. US$169 per person.
Saona Dive Day: Shallow Wreck, Reef and Beach
Two dives — the shallow Atlantic Princess wreck and the Peñón reef — then lunch and beach time on Saona, with Piscina Natural on the way back. $199 per diver including transfer from Punta Cana.
What's included
- Two tanks with a PADI guide
- Dive equipment and weights
- Boat and crew
- Transfer from the main Bávaro hotel area
- Two guided dives
- A PADI guide for no more than four divers
- Equipment, tanks and weights
- Free transfer from Bávaro
- Two tanks with a guide
- Full equipment from the centre
Not included
- Transfer supplement for Uvero Alto, Cap Cana and Punta Cana Resort
- Tips
- The Bayahibe day, which is priced separately at $175 per person
- Sidemount or twinset, US$25 for two dives
- Nitrox, $12 a tank on request
Good to know
- Certified divers who want two tanks rather than one.
- Open Water or higher; the guide adjusts the sites to the group.
- Certification card, logbook, swimwear, a towel and cash for the balance.
- Divers who would rather pay for a small group than a big boat.
- No certification required, the centre says; the guide sets the sites to the group’s level.
- Certification card and logbook if you have them, swimwear and a towel.
- The dive centre on the Carretera Cabeza de Toro, or hotel pick-up in the main Bávaro area.
- Pick-up at your hotel in Bávaro; the operator confirms the time the evening before.
- Hotel pick-up from Punta Cana and Bávaro; the dive centre is on the Carretera Cabeza de Toro.
- Private pick-up at your hotel in Punta Cana and the drive to the boat in Bayahibe; the time is agreed when you book.
Scuba diving prices in Punta Cana
| Tour | Duration | Group | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Tank Dive for Certified Divers, Punta Cana | 4h | — | $135 per person |
| Local Dive at Bávaro, Four Divers per Guide | 4h | up to 4 guests | $129 per person |
| Shark Dive at Shark Point, No Cage | 2h 30min | — | $190 per person |
| First Dive from a Boat, One Instructor Beside You | 4h | — | $169 per person |
| Saona Dive Day: Shallow Wreck, Reef and Beach | 9h | — | $199 per person |
Operators: Grand Bay of the Sea , Dive Center · Scuba and Chill - Punta cana, Dominican Republic · Dominican Divers · Ultra Marine Divers
FAQ
How much do two dives cost in Punta Cana?
Can I dive with sharks here?
Is there a dive for someone who has never dived?
Is the hotel transfer included?
Can I dive a wreck without an Advanced card?
Which languages do the instructors work in?
Should I dive Bayahibe instead?
A dive day from Punta Cana costs $129 to $199 per person, and what moves the price is how far out you go: the reefs off Bávaro and Cabeza de Toro, the Saona wreck day, or the shark dive with its own experience bar.
Checked against the operators’ own sites on 2 October 2026
- $129two guided dives per person at Scuba and Chill
- 4divers per PADI guide at most at Scuba and Chill
- 20logged dives Grand Bay asks of Open Water divers for the shark dive
- 10the minimum age for Dominican Divers’ first dive
| What you book | Dives | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local dive off Bávaro, four per guideScuba and Chill | 2 | 4 h | $129 per person |
| Two tanks, certified diversGrand Bay of the Sea | 2 | 4 h | $135 per diver |
| Saona day: wreck, reef and lunchUltra Marine Divers | 2 | 9 h | $199 per diver |
| First dive with an instructorDominican Divers | 2 | 4 h | $169 per person |
| Shark dive, open water, no cageGrand Bay of the Sea | 2 | 2.5 h | $190 per person |
Local reefs, the islands, or the sharks?#
The cheap end stays close to the hotel strip: Scuba and Chill dives off Bávaro at $129 per person and Grand Bay off Cabeza de Toro at $135 per diver. The island day goes a long way — Ultra Marine runs Saona with the shallow Atlantic Princess wreck and the Peñón reef for $199 per diver and is back around 17:00 to 18:30. Grand Bay’s shark dive is the one with a real entry requirement: Advanced Open Water, or Open Water with at least 20 logged dives.
- Atlantic Princess
- a small cruise boat sunk near Saona, lying shallow enough for Open Water divers.
- Cabeza de Toro
- the stretch between Bávaro and the Punta Cana marina, where several dive centres sit.
- Discover Scuba Diving
- PADI’s supervised first dive for people with no certificate.
- Nitrox
- a breathing mix with more oxygen than air; Ultra Marine charges $12 a tank.
Does the transfer reach my hotel?#
This is where the quoted prices move. Scuba and Chill transfers free from Bávaro. Grand Bay includes the main Bávaro area but charges a supplement for Uvero Alto, Cap Cana and Punta Cana Resort. Dominican Divers puts a private hotel transfer inside its $169. If you are staying at either end of the coast, ask for your figure before you compare.
Diving without a certificate#
Dominican Divers takes complete beginners from a boat at $169 per person, from age 10, with the cost credited towards a Scuba Diver or Open Water course booked during the same holiday. Grand Bay sells Discover Scuba Diving from $100 per person, so a mixed group can share one boat.
- How many divers per guide: Scuba and Chill caps it at four.
- How the balance is paid: Grand Bay books on a deposit and takes the rest on the day; Ultra Marine’s deposit is $40 per diver.
- Whether a non-diver can come: on Ultra Marine’s Saona day a snorkelling companion pays $95.
Important
Grand Bay’s shark-dive page gives the depth three times and differently — 30 m / 100 ft, approximately 26 m / 80 ft and up to 25 m. Ask the centre to confirm the planned maximum before you book.
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