What about the water?

Tobago's position in the extreme lower, southeastern corner of the Caribbean, below the semi-curved island chain of the Lesser Antilles, is responsible for its profusion of marine life making Tobago Scuba Diving some of the best diving there is. Along with its larger sister island, Trinidad, to the south, Tobago is part of the South American continental shelf, 70 miles off the eastern coast of Venezuela. The island sits in the pathway of the North Equatorial Current (the prelude to the Gulf Stream, which begins in the lower Caribbean) from the open Atlantic and the Guyana Current, which follows the contours of South America's eastern coast. The latter current brings with it some of the nutrient rich waters of the Orinoco River. As these bodies of waters collide and intermingle, they generate a rich ecosystem for the vigorous sponge, coral and fish communities.

Currents are common here, ranging anywhere from a leisurely one-quarter knot to swifter two to three knots. This has a profound effect on some of its sponge colonies; Giant Barrel Sponges in particular are sculpted into bizarre, convoluted shapes. 

Viz & Tobago Scuba Diving Seasons

Tobago offers scuba diving year-round. Water temperatures generally average in the low 80s (°F) with visibility customarily from 70 to 90 feet. The only time of concern is when the Orinoco River in Venezuela reaches its height during the rainy season (July through September), pushing the fringing edge of this mighty tributary all the way up to Tobagos southern coast. When this occurs, expect visibilities of 30 to 40 feet, primarily in the top 40 feet of water.

The Pirogue

For Tobago scuba diving, the boat most favored by Tobago dive operations is the pirogue, an elongated rowboat typically 28 to 36 feet in length, with a high, sharp entry at the bow, a deep rounded bottom and low freeboard midship. When it comes to comfortable handling over large oceanic swells and choppy seas, this French Creole longboat is one of the best for the job.

Tobago Drift Diving Tips & Techniques!

• Perfect your backroll entry. Streamline all your gear and tuck in all gauges and hoses that might get snagged. Put your feet together and make sure your fins have room to clear all obstacles. Remember to put one hand on your mask and the other on the weight belt buckle to keep them from popping off when you hit the water.
• Sink like a stone. You'll face fast surface currents when scuba diving in Tobago and due to the need to stay together with the group, you can't afford to spend a lot of time at the surface. Make sure you can equalize safely and rapidly. If you have trouble clearing your ears, practice equalizing on your way to the dive site to help open air passages. Another tip for sinking fast: vent as much air from your BC as possible before entering the water.
• Slim down. A streamlined profile in the water will help you navigate in currents. Too much dangling gear can act like sails, pushing you ahead of the group.
• Play the float. Pinpoint buoyancy is important when scuba diving Tobago. You must be comfortable descending, ascending and performing safety stops without a mooring or anchor line to hold onto. You can ascend the drift marker line as a reference, but you can't use it to offset negative or positive buoyancy.
• Have an exit strategy. Follow your divemaster's instructions, though in most cases you'll hand your weight belt to the crew, then your BC and fins.
  

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