No PADI-certified dive shops or operators located in Kingston proper. Jamaica's main scuba diving infrastructure is concentrated in resort areas on the north coast (Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril, Runaway Bay) and elsewhere on the island, not in Kingston.
- Best season
- Between June to September
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: divingmore.com, activecaribbeantravel.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- Yardie divers is the only dive operator in Kingston, and they organize dives on Sundays depending on weather conditions.
- Kingston is also the only place where nurse sharks are seen on multiple occasions.
- You can also dive many locations as a day trip from Kingston.
- If you are based in Kingston and want to pursue scuba certification, plan for a day excursion to the north coast, or stay at a resort with dive facilities.
- Jamaica-wide, PADI Open Water Diver courses typically cost USD $400–500 including equipment.
- Multiple resort-based dive operators throughout Jamaica offer Discover Scuba, PADI Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, and Divemaster courses.
Dive Sites And Conditions
- Best Season
- Between June to September, you will find diving conditions that are clear with calm waters and good visibility. Avoid the rainy season, which is from October to May.
- Marine Life
- Over 260 types of reef fish including parrotfish, wrasse, moray eels, butterflyfish, mackerel, barracuda, and rays. Critters such as sea slugs and crabs are common, as well as turtles and even manatees and nurse sharks.
- Accessibility
- Jamaica is mostly a land based dive destination. Dives are either directly from shore or from a small boat, with boat journeys ranging from 3 minutes to no more than 20 minutes. Yardie divers is the only operator in Kingston, organizing dives on Sundays depending on weather conditions.
- Water Conditions
- Water temperature is 81-84°F (27-29°C) year-round. Visibility is up to 100ft (30m). Depth range is 32-131+ft (10-40+m).
Sites
Texas Wreck
- Type
- wreck
- Location
- Southeast of Port Royal
- Depth Feet
- 100
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Depth Meters
- 30
- Description
- The Texas wreck sits southeast of Port Royal. The HMS Texas was a Royal Navy ship built in Canada which sunk in 1944 after a collision. An American naval ship that was sunk in 1944, now situated among an abundance of black coral. Dives have to be early in the morning due to the windy conditions with tend to come up by midday.
Cayman Trader
- Type
- wreck
- Location
- Kingston area
- Depth Feet
- 50
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Depth Meters
- 15
- Description
- The Cayman Trader wreck is a nice, shallow wreck with easy conditions for beginners. It was built in Norway and registered in the Cayman Islands, and was sunk in 1977 after the cargo ship caught fire and sunk.
Don Quarry Pillars
- Type
- reef
- Location
- Port Royal Cays
- Depth Feet
- 100
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Depth Meters
- 30
- Description
- This dive site has a max depth of 100 feet (30m) and features tall pillars that are home to coral, sponges, fish and lobster.
Kingston Cay
- Type
- reef
- Location
- Kingston area
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Description
- Divers and snorkelers discover shallows around beautiful Kingston Cay, marveling at the natural world of uninhabited mangroves.
Port Royal Cays
- Type
- reef/wreck
- Location
- South of Kingston Harbour
- Difficulty
- mixed
- Description
- Nearby is the Port Royal cays which has lured many ships to the shallow depths. The cays is great for reef diving and wreck diving.
Two Stones
- Type
- reef
- Location
- Kingston area
- Difficulty
- mixed
- Description
- Other popular dive sites in the area include Finger, Two Stones and Maiden Cay NW.
Finger
- Type
- reef
- Location
- Kingston area
- Difficulty
- mixed
- Description
- Other popular dive sites in the area include Finger, Two Stones and Maiden Cay NW.
Maiden Cay NW
- Type
- reef
- Location
- Kingston area
- Difficulty
- mixed
- Description
- Other popular dive sites in the area include Finger, Two Stones and Maiden Cay NW.
Courses And Operators
- Why Not
- PADI's official Kingston directory confirms no dive shops operate in Kingston at the time of research. Jamaica's dive infrastructure is resort-based and clustered on the north coast, not in Kingston.
- What Exists Instead
- Kingston has access to fishing and water taxis to offshore locations, but no local dive shop infrastructure or certification courses within the city
Nearest Real Option
- Name
- Montego Bay / North Coast resort dive operators (e.g. ScubaCaribe at RIU Hotels, Sandals Resorts, Couples Resorts)
- Why It Does Not Count
- Requires overnight stay or most of a day trip; beyond day-trip reach from Kingston proper
- Travel Time Or Distance
- Roughly 1.5–3 hours by car/ferry from Kingston to north coast
AI-generated estimateData refreshed September 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this scuba diving research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Kingston
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.