Prices:

Shore dives require a minimum of 2 people; boat dives a minimum of 3.

If the minimum is not met you can pay a surcharge of $75 per person to go on a boat with just two. Off the shore pay for two to go  by yourself.

We also offer private tours (ask for a quote).

• 2 tank shore dive starting in the morning $90
• 2 tank boat dive starting in the morning $150, extra tank PM $75
• 1 tank shore dive starting in the afternoon $65
• 1 tank boat dive starting in the afternoon $100
• 1 tank shore dive after dark $90
• 1 tank shore dive after dark with fluo lights $120
• 1 tank shore dive starting before sunrise $120

additional tank off the shore $40

EQUIPMENT

• full set without computer* single day $40
• full set of equipment including computer* single day $50
• BC or reg $15 per day
• BC & reg $30 per day
• BC, reg & wetsuit $35 per day
• Fins, mask and wetsuit single day $25 |2 days or more  $15 per day
• Fins & mask single day $20 |2 days or more  $15 per day
• dive computer* single day $15 |2 days or more  $10 per day
• set of dive lights for night dives  $10 per day
• camera including 8GB micro SD card $40 per day

*A dive watch or computer is required for boat dives

We train divers. We do not sell certifications. During your dive training with us you will spend more time in the water, repeat skills more often and receive more personal attention in smaller groups over more days than is typical. We strictly adhere to PADI standards, even extending time spent with students where we feel it necessary. This means that you will conclude your training as a confident, capable diver–able to actually use your certification for the independent diving it entitles you to.

We’ve got you covered! When you attend one of our PADI Open Water classes, as a U.S. resident (excluding Puerto Rico & USVI) you are covered by DAN at no additional cost for the duration of your class. If you are joining us on an advanced class or scuba tour and do not have dive insurance yet, you can join DAN and purchase insurance through them for just $65 a year. We highly recommend this as most medical insurances do not cover dive accidents.

We have the best equipment. One of our owners is a certified technician for Oceanic, Atomic, Hollis, Mares and SpareAir scuba equipment. That means we don’t only purchase the best, most dependable gear; we also know how to keep it that way  so you will be safe and comfortable on every dive with us.

We care for our environment. We think of ourselves–and all divers–as ambassadors for the oceans and thereby the planet.

We pay close attention to the ecological viability of all products we use and the practices we adhere to. Good environmental practice is also an integral part of our dive education and community outreach programs.

We are socially responsible. We feel it is important to give back to the community that has welcomed us as operators and keeps welcoming tourists. We therefore use as many local resources as possible, from the sourcing of dive snacks to the hiring of support staff. So the dollars you spend with us will benefit the people of the island you will love (If you don’t already).

We provide an authentic experience. Our boat captains are locals who know these waters like the backs of their hands. They bring us to dive sites that no other outfit has access to. And they know when to go where to make the most of daily conditions from decades of experience on Vieques. Oh, and by the way, our divemasters carry a Nautilus GPS submersible marine VHF, so in the unlikely event that the boat lost track of the divers, they can call and transmit their position! (Not that we have ever had to make use of this, but it’s nice to know, no?)

Isla Nena Scuba is a small owner-operated business. We focus on customer service and serious dive education. We pride ourselves on our social and environmental practices and superior services.

Arnaud Erhart has been diving since he was 11 years old. He started out in the Mediterranean and along the coast of Brittany in his native France.

But over the years, while pursuing a career  of sommelier, restaurant manager and  owner of acclaimed Brooklyn restaurant 360, whenever he found time to travel, he explored many more dive destinations worldwide. Some of his travel favorites are Sodwana Bay in South Africa, Musandam in Oman and the Surin Islands in Thailand. On his wish list for future dive travel he includes Antarctica and Isla de Guadalupe in Mexico.

After 20 years in the restaurant business, he decided to change careers and started pursuing PADI professional certifications and has recently arrived at Staff Instructor. He has worked in and managed several dive businesses and has relished this experience. Now he is excited  to  follow his own vision for scuba diving from the island he has come to love as his home . He owns Isla Nena Scuba together with his wife, Tania.

Tania Puell has dabbled in many careers. She has worked as a blacksmith, a math teacher, a designer, and a Web developer.

She started diving when Arnaud suggested to try it on their honeymoon in Akumal. Her dive instructor Alexandra said she was a fish, and she loved it immediately. She has since been on dives all over the world. Her favorite dive destination so far is Guanaja–one of Honduras’ Bay Islands. She loves doing productive things under water, such as introducing people to scuba, cleaning aquarium windows or collecting trash. Most recently she is excited about learning how to cultivate and repopulate corals.

She is a Master Scuba Diver Trainer, but is thinking about becoming a course director. She also creates all marketing materials for Isla Nena Scuba and keeps this Web site spiffy and up to date.

Alexis Ventura has been our boat captain from the very beginning. His day job is lobster fisherman and as such he also supports fishermen on scuba, so he has lots of experience following those bubbles! He is also great fun to be around and uncommonly helpful on and off the boat. He does not eat fruit or drink water, but I swear one day I will wear him down.

Laura Barber Stygles was bitten by the scuba bug just after moving to Vieques. She was derailed from her trajectory towards Divemaster for a bit by hurricane Maria, but now she’s fully certified as such, enjoys leading dives and loves doing Refreshers. I can see a successful instructor development course in her future. We are so lucky to have her!

Vieques is an island off the east coast of  Puerto Rico, which as a U.S. Commonwealth, American citizens can visit without a passport. Its original inhabitants, the Taïno people named it Bieke, which means Little Piece of Land. In Puerto Rican Spanish that sounds the same as Vieques, so this spelling or variations between the two are also in use. Bieke’s nickname is Isla Nena (Little Girl Island), hence our name!

We enjoy a warm, tropical to sub-tropical climate with temperatures varying little throughout the year, from 82 °F (28 °C) in January to 87 °F (31 °C) in July. The months of September–November bring the most rain. Prevailing winds are easterlies. Vieques is at risk from hurricanes from June to November. Although major devastation is rare, hurricane Maria in 2017 hit Vieques and all of Puerto Rico very hard. We will still be recovering for years to come.

The island is about 3.5 miles wide and 17 miles long. There aren’t any permanent rivers or streams. Its highest elevation, Monte Pirata, part of a central east-west ridge, is just 13 feet short of officially being a mountain. Its surrounding lush green hills are dotted with houses only in the center of the island. There are two major towns: Isabel Segunda on the North coast, and Esperanza in the South.

The entire eastern and western ends of Vieques are unpopulated. Most of the land is a natural reserve administered by the Federal Agency of Fish and Wildlife, to which it was turned over by the Navy after they left in 2003. They had the island as a military station and bombing range for half a century. The cleanup effort that started after their departure continues to this day and will likely never be complete. Ironically, Vieques’ battered history has left it largely undeveloped–giving it a unique place in the Caribbean with healthy mangrove swamps, beautiful lagoons and miles and miles of untouched beaches for the enjoyment of tourists and locals alike.

It is often said that the Vieques south shore is in the Caribbean sea, whereas its north shore lies in the Atlantic. That’s not technically correct, since the Caribbean as a suboceanic basin is really part of the Western Atlantic and includes all of Vieques and indeed all of Puerto Rico. However, conditions do differ greatly from the North to the South shore, the Southern side typically being calmer and warmer except during hurricane season. Since we dive on both sides, we can always pick the sunny side!

If you are coming from the U.S. or Europe, San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marin international airport will be your first destination. Many airlines fly there from major cities in the continental U.S. and some in Europe (Iberia from Madrid, Condor from Frankfurt).From San Juan you can fly CAPE AIR  or Vieques Air Link to get to Vieques. Both accept online reservations. Vieques Airlink also flies from San Juan’s smaller airport, Isla Grande, which is usually cheaper; the 15 minute cab ride from one airport to the other will be about $15.

It is possible to go over land by rental car. AVIS, Enterprise and THRIFTY have offices close to the ferry in Ceiba, where you will have to drop off the car, because the agencies do not permit taking the car to Vieques.

From Ceiba you can fly to Vieques for $40 with VAL. Or take the ferry for $2/person. Check THE SCHEDULE to plan your trip in advance.

Once in Vieques, your hotel or guesthouse will often provide transportation from the airport or ferry dock. Or you can take a publico (a communal taxi). Most people on the island speak at least some English, so you won’t have any problems getting to where you’re going.

We recommend you rent a car once you are on the island, because many of our most beautiful beaches and interesting vistas are hard to reach without one.