Tobago diving
Tobago boasts some of the best diving and the healthiest coral reefs in the Caribbean. With year-round diving on sites suitable for both novice and experienced divers, Tobago diving offers sheltered conditions perfect for developing your skills as well as more advanced currents and drift conditions that Tobago is renowned for. Water temperatures range between 25°C and 28°C throughout the year and visibility is typically anywhere between 10-35m. The more charismatic species seen in Tobago’s waters include hammerhead sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, turtles, tarpon, barracuda, seahorses, frogfish and cryptic invertebrates.
Castara Retreats is delighted to have formed a partnership with a small dive operation run by the Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville (www.eric-tobago.org). This is a not-for-profit station promoting sustainability for North East Tobago’s unique forest ridges, villages and ocean. Their dive centre operates alongside the research station and offers high quality personalised diving, with all proceeds returning to the pursuit of its mission.
Every dive with ERIC has a marine biologist, Reef Check EcoDiver Trainer and PADI Professional in attendance, whether you’re on a course or enjoying a recreational dive. They offer a truly unique opportunity to develop dive skills, knowledge and experience alongside a team of committed, working environmental ecologists who are passionate, experienced and well informed with regards to both diving and the marine environment.
The dive centre is based in Charlotteville, which is a 50 minute drive from Castara along the Caribbean coast of the island. Charlotteville provides excellent access to all of northeast Tobago’s best dive sites, including Sister’s Rocks, St. Giles, and Speyside. ERIC also visits a number of sites on the coastline between Castara and Charlotteville with the benefit of alternative pickup points on the beach in Castara or the jetty in Parlatuvier.
The best way is to make contact directly with ERIC. They can then discuss with you dive sites, equipment requirements, prices and so on. If you are making arrangements in advance of your stay on Tobago then please email ERIC at ericexpeditions@eric-tobago.org. If you are already in Tobago then call to discuss your requirements directly with Dive Operations Manager and PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Neil Cook (+1-868-706-2116).
In order to better understand the approach and operations of the ERIC Dive Centre, Steve (Castara Retreats Owner) undertook the PADI Open Water Diver programme. He was highly impressed with the professionalism and the safety procedures, as well the marine knowledge, and the enthusiastic approach of the ERIC team. Since then, guests who have dived with ERIC have given very positive feedback on their experience.
Castara Retreats facilitates the link with ERIC and are pleased to recommend them as a dive centre and are delighted that profits from the dive centre are invested in their environmental research in North East Tobago. Castara Retreats does not seek or receive any commissions from this activity and we take no responsibility for the safety of guests choosing any aspect of the Tobago diving service from ERIC.