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Scuba Diving
A first breath underwater at Cantera El Terrible, a flooded quarry near Salto Grande. Discover Scuba Diving is an introductory dive for people with no certification, and no previous experience is needed. After a short briefing you gear up and take a guided underwater walk with a PADI professional, fully supervised from start to finish.
Photograph: Intendencia de Salto
What's Included
- Full scuba gear & wetsuit
- Certified PADI dive instructor
- Intro briefing: hand signals, ear equalisation & breathing
- Souvenir photo of your dive
How It Works
Good to Know
No certification or previous experience is required; the dive is personalised and supervised by an instructor from start to finish. Wetsuits are provided year-round due to cooler quarry temperatures. Payment on the day to the operator, in Uruguayan pesos at the equivalent of the dollar price, in cash or by bank transfer. Free cancellation up to 24h before your visit.
Going further: the PADI course
If the discovery dive leaves you wanting more, the local dive team also runs the PADI Open Water Diver course, the first level of certification, recognised worldwide. Theory is completed online at your own pace, with a knowledge review after each chapter, followed by practical sessions where you learn the required skills with professional instructors, and a final theory and practical exam. The course costs US$550, including study materials, full equipment and your certification, which lets you dive, according to your level, anywhere in the world. It can be arranged when you book.
Questions
Do I need a certificate to dive at El Terrible?
No. The discovery dive is for people with no certification and no experience: a briefing on the shore, then a guided dive with a PADI instructor at your side from start to finish, about 45 minutes in all, US$60 with the gear included. If you are already certified, say so when you write and I ask the team for a dive at your level. The PADI Open Water course, the first certificate, is run here too: US$550, with the theory online.
How deep is it, and how far can you see?
Two pits. The small one is about 6 m deep, full of plants and life, and works as the training pool. The big one covers 6 ha, with its floor 12 to 15 m down and the sheer walls the excavators left; on a good day visibility is 5 to 7 m, which the brown Uruguay River never gives you.
How cold is the water?
About 25 °C in summer and 15 °C in winter. Wetsuits are standard all year and come with the equipment.
What is down there?
Rock walls cut by the quarry machines 50 years ago, wolf fish hanging in the shadows, armoured catfish, freshwater turtles, sábalos and bogas in the shallows, and, on the floor, a statue of Donald Duck.
Where is it, and how do I get there?
At Salto Grande, about 15 km north of Salto, in the quarry that supplied the rock for the dam. The meeting point and time come with my confirmation, and I can arrange a taxi from the city.
No payment online · I confirm within 12 hours, Monday to Friday · The operator is paid on the day, in Uruguayan pesos at the equivalent of the US$ price, cash or bank transfer · Free cancellation up to 24h before
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