Black Wall - Rincon & West Coast
We’re big fans of wall dives, and Puerto Rico delivers with Black Wall. This site really kicks off at around 20 metres, dropping sharply into the blue, eventually reaching 40 metres and beyond. It’s covered in those deep-water black corals, which create a sort of sombre, ancient feel to the place. We’ve often found substantial groupers lurking in the overhangs, along with plenty of red hogfish and creole wrasse schooling in the current. Visibility here is usually excellent, giving you that sensation of flying along a sheer cliff face. You’ll want to be comfortable with your buoyancy and depth, as it’s easy to get absorbed in the wall and drift a little deeper than planned. Best to hit this one on a calm day, as the ride out can get choppy if there’s any significant swell. It’s a definite standout for advanced divers looking for a proper deep wall experience, where the thrill is in the scale and the elegant, dark corals.
- Location
- Rincon & West Coast, Puerto Rico, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.340000, -67.270000
- Type
- wall
- Maximum Depth
- 20-40m
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Marine Protected Area: Tres Palmas de Rincón Marine Reserve
Best Time to Dive in Rincon & West Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Rincon & West Coast occur in January, averaging 27.3°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.3°C (air: 25.6°C)
- February: 27.3°C (air: 25.3°C)
- March: 27.3°C (air: 25.3°C)
- April: 27.3°C (air: 25.9°C)
- May: 27.3°C (air: 27.0°C)
- June: 27.3°C (air: 27.8°C)
- July: 27.3°C (air: 28.0°C)
- August: 27.3°C (air: 28.2°C)
- September: 27.3°C (air: 28.3°C)
- October: 27.3°C (air: 28.1°C)
- November: 27.3°C (air: 27.1°C)
- December: 27.3°C (air: 26.3°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Rincon & West Coast
- Aguadilla - 14m
- AMBAR I - 54m (wreck)
- Ancones - 22m
- A.REGINA - 2m (wreck)
- B-29 Aircraft Wreck - 25m (wreck)
- Crashboat Wall and Anchor - 13m (wall)
- CW-20 - 8m (wreck)
- Desecheo
- Desecheo Island - 10-40m (wall)
- El natural - 5-20m (reef)
- La Cueva Submarina (cave)
- Monito
- Muelle de Azúcar - 19m
- MV Ambar (Wreck) - 25m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Black Wall
Marine Life in Rincon & West Coast
Home to 514 recorded species including 430 reef fish, 36 hard corals, 13 sharks & rays, 7 whales & dolphins, 5 seagrass & algae, 4 other.
Notable Species
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Clown Wrasse (Halichoeres maculipinna) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Black Wall
Based on average water temperature of 27.3°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories