CW-20 - Rincon & West Coast
Diving the CW-20 gives you a shallow look at history. This aircraft, which went down in 1975, now sits flat on the sand at around 8 meters, just off the coast near Rincon. You can make out the main fuselage, largely broken up, but still clearly a plane. It’s an easy dive, often with good visibility, making it a perfect spot for newer divers or those who just want a relaxed second dive. Look closely around the scattered debris; we’ve often spotted schooling grunts and snapper taking shelter in the twisted metal, and the occasional moray eel peeking from beneath a wing section. The coral growth here is pretty sparse, but the wreck itself is fascinating to explore.
- Location
- Rincon & West Coast, Puerto Rico, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.501667, -67.158330
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 8m
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)
- Black Wall - 20-40m (wall)
- Crashboat Wall and Anchor - 13m (wall)
- 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 CW-20
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 CW-20
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