Brazilian diving... Luiz, Marcelo, anyone?

Hi all,

I just learned that I am going to Brazil for a month and a half for work. Rio nonetheless! I know what a terrible, terrible thing... But since I am very short on time before I go (this Sunday), I would like some input from our members (brazilian and non) on what the best dives in Noronha are? (that's if I actually can get enough $ to go there ) What other good diving places exist near Rio de Janeiro? And of course any other suggestion of nice non-diving places to visit around Rio. I can't go all the way down to Pantanal due to time constraints, but maybe somewhere in the surroundings from Rio?

Muito Obrigado,

David.

Hi David,

There are nice places around Rio to dive (Arraial do Cabo, Angra dos Reis, Parati), and several good dive shops, I can't be very specific because I've never lived there. To tell you the truth, I've only been to Rio once, and spent only a week (with no diving). Be prepared to get in some cold water (well, at least for me). Due to upwelling in the region, the water is around 19-21 degrees C, sometimes colder, and it is greenish, the visibility is not always great. If you have time, try to go to Santos and visit Laje de Santos, it is a great dive site and it is not rare to see manta rays there.

To me, the best diving in Brazil is in the northeast. The water is blue and warm, there are several shipwrecks along the coast, and Fernando de Noronha island is beautiful (both above and below the water). Too bad it is far from Rio (4 hours flight).

Best of luck,

Luiz

David,

I was born and raised in Sao Paulo. I did some diving in Parati (close to Rio). Although the topside scenery along the southeast coastline - which includes Rio and SP - of Brazil is spectacular, the diving is so so. Locals call the waters around Parati "pea soup." I dove in Parati some 13 years ago and I wouldn't bother - cold, dirty water and unremarkable marinelife.

Your best bet is to go to Fernando de Noronha, where I hear is pretty nice - might go there myself in August.

By the way, be extremely careful in Rio. Don't wear/take anything you don't consider disposable. Petty and violent crime are serious problems. Just giving you a heads up. On the flip side, the girls and food are the best in the world.

Have fun.

mpo

www.mpostock.com

www.batfishbooks.com

By the way, be extremely careful in Rio.  Don't wear/take anything you don't consider disposable.  Petty and violent crime are serious problems.  Just giving you a heads up.  On the flip side, the girls and food are the best in the world.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I completely agree here, Rio is one of the most violent cities in Brazil, I wouldn't go for a walk in Ipanema with my digital camera around my neck.

Thanks Luiz and Michael. It's good to know that water around Rio would be cold and with not good visibility... I might just save my diving for Noronha then. I will have one full free week at the end of my stay, so I might also be able to go to Santos. I have looked at some websites and it seems very enticing!! I love those mantas.

Michael, IF I do go to Noronha, I will go from August 9 to 14 or so. If you will be there then, we should definitively try to see each other.

Also, thanks for the crime warning guys, I am from Mexico city (pretty big and rough city too), so I was not planning on parading around Rio with my camera. But I am planning to take my SLR camera to Noronha and maybe to some weekend trips outside of Rio. Should I not be doing so?

Thanks again,

David.

Hi David, anywhere outside Rio is going to be safer than Mexico City, don't worry. Fernando de Noronha is very small (less than 2,000 inhabitants) and very safe, I have no problems carrying any camera around there, and that's what you should do if you go, the beaches there are very nice.

Luiz