Dive from the beach
Aruba Shore Diving
Aruba shore diving lets you walk into calm, clear water from a sandy beach and dive on your own schedule. Here's where the easy entries are, how renting tanks for shore dives works and the safety rules to follow.
Why shore diving is so popular in Aruba
On many islands you need a boat to reach anything worth seeing. In Aruba, the calm leeward coast puts reefs and even a few wrecks within swimming distance of the beach. That makes shore diving one of the most relaxed ways to dive the island. You choose when to go, how long to stay down and how many dives to do in a day, without fitting around a boat schedule.
Shore diving also suits divers who like to take their time: photographers, people who want to practise their buoyancy, and buddies who just want a slow dive looking for small creatures. Boat dives are still the best way to see the deeper wrecks covered in our Aruba wreck diving guide, so many visitors mix the two.
Where to shore dive in Aruba
The best-known shore dives are on the west and south coasts. Each is described in more detail in our Aruba reef dive sites guide.
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Mangel Halto
A sandy entry through a mangrove lagoon leads to a sloping reef. The most varied shore dive on the island, and within the marine park. Plan your route before you go, because the way out to the reef isn't always obvious.
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Boca Catalina
A small, calm bay with a shallow reef close to shore. Ideal for a first dive, a check-out dive or a dive with a less experienced buddy.
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Arashi
A long sandy beach with a reef that deepens gradually, plus a small airplane wreck nearby for divers who swim a little farther out.
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Malmok
A rocky shoreline with good reef life close in. Water shoes or boots help on the entry. Snorkel boats stop here too, so stay alert at the surface.
How shore diving works on the island
Most visitors rent a car and pick up tanks from a dive centre. Many centres offer shore diving packages: you collect full tanks, drive to the beach yourself, dive with your buddy and bring the empties back. Some will also supply weights and rental gear. Ask about the procedures before your first dive, including where to park, how to return tanks and what the centre expects you to log.
If it is your first time diving in Aruba, or your first dive in a while, do your first shore dive with a guide. Local guides know where the entry is easiest, which way the current is running that day and where to find the interesting life. After that, many divers are comfortable going on their own with a buddy.
- Getting there
- A rental car makes it easy to reach the beaches
- Tanks
- Rented from a local dive centre, often by the day
- Best time
- Morning, when the sea is often calmest
- Buddy
- Always dive with one, never alone
What you'll see on a shore dive
Shore dives start in the shallows, where the light is brightest. Look in the sand and seagrass for flounders, stingrays and small crabs, and around the first coral heads for juvenile fish, damselfish guarding their patch and trumpetfish hanging head-down among the sea rods. Farther out, where the reef slopes down, you'll find larger parrotfish, schools of grunts and snappers, and moray eels peering out of holes. Sea turtles feed along several of the west-coast sites. Swim slowly, and a shore dive often turns up more small life than a boat dive.
Shore diving safety
Shore diving puts more responsibility on you than a guided boat dive. There's no boat crew watching from the surface, so plan each dive carefully.
- Check the sea before you gear up
- Agree on a route and turn-around point
- Use a dive flag or surface marker buoy
- Watch for boats when you surface
- Keep valuables out of the car
- Carry water and shade for after the dive
Watch for boat traffic. Some sites, especially near Malmok and the Antilla, have snorkel boats and other traffic. Surface slowly, look up as you ascend, and use a surface marker buoy so boats can see you.
Pack reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes for rocky entries and a surface marker buoy. The full list is in our Aruba dive gear guide.
Aruba shore diving FAQ
Can you shore dive on your own in Aruba?
Certified divers can shore dive with a buddy using tanks rented from a dive centre. If you are new to the island, do your first dive with a guide so you learn the entries and local conditions.
What is the easiest shore dive in Aruba?
Boca Catalina, a small and usually calm bay on the north-west coast with a shallow reef close to the beach.
Do I need a car for shore diving in Aruba?
A car is the easiest way to carry tanks and gear between the dive centre and the beaches. Some dive centres offer guided shore dives with transport.
Not certified yet?
Aruba's calm shore sites are a comfortable place to learn.