Garúa I - Mar del Plata

The Garúa I isn’t about huge pelagics or technicolor reefs. It’s an honest, gritty dive that tells a story, and we love it for that. This old fishing trawler, sunk deliberately after a storm in the 90s, rests in just 6 metres of water, making it incredibly accessible. You’ll fin down into the green murk – remember, this is Mar del Plata, not the Caribbean – and suddenly the silhouette of the wreck emerges, surprisingly intact. We’d suggest going at high tide for the best visibility, which, let’s be real, often means 3 to 5 metres. But that low vis just adds to the atmosphere, wrapping the stern and the pilot house in a kind of eerie silence. Schools of silversides constantly shimmer around the mast, and we’ve often spotted conger eels peeking from beneath plates of rusted steel. Look for the small, colourful nudibranchs that cling to the corroding hull; they’re a delight. It's a fantastic site for anyone who appreciates wreck diving history and is comfortable in colder, greener water, rather than chasing megafauna. It's also our pick for photographers looking to play with light and shadow on a unique, man-made structure.

Location
Mar del Plata, Argentina, South America
Coordinates
-34.302900, -58.510582
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
6m

Best Time to Dive in Mar del Plata

The warmest water temperatures in Mar del Plata occur in January, averaging 26.7°C. The coolest conditions are in July at 11.0°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 26.7°C
  • February: 25.8°C
  • March: 24.1°C
  • April: 20.3°C
  • May: 16.3°C
  • June: 13.0°C
  • July: 11.0°C
  • August: 12.2°C
  • September: 14.8°C
  • October: 18.2°C
  • November: 22.3°C
  • December: 24.8°C

Nearby Dive Sites in Mar del Plata

Nearest Dive Centres to Garúa I

Marine Life in Mar del Plata

Home to 33 recorded species including 19 reef fish, 7 sharks & rays, 3 whales & dolphins, 2 other, 1 crabs & lobsters, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for Garúa I

Based on average water temperature of 19.1°C, currents 3 cm/s.

  • Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 19°C water
  • 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