All activities / Scuba Diving / Easter Island
Scuba Diving in Easter IslandCL
Rapa Nui, the most isolated inhabited island on earth: moai on the cliffs, and beneath them some of the clearest ocean water on the planet, with visibility to 60 meters.
Why here
The most isolated inhabited waters on earth are also among the clearest: visibility off Hanga Roa reaches 60 meters, water holds 20 to 27 C year-round, and the volcanic topography of drop-offs, arches, and caverns comes with about 140 species found nowhere else. The island's first dive center opened in 1980, founded by Henri and Michel Garcia of Cousteau expedition lineage, and remains a Cousteau Divers conservation member. The signature photograph, a sunken moai replica resting on the sand off Hanga Roa, belongs on any diver's list, and no other destination pairs a dive week with the archaeology of Rapa Nui above the waterline.
Best months
Diveable year-round; November through March brings summer calm and the prime conditions, and wind can force site flexibility any month. Boats reach the Motu islets off Rano Kau when the swell allows.
Getting there & around
Fly LATAM Santiago (SCL) to Mataveri (IPC), about 5.5 hours, near daily. The dive centers sit at Caleta Hanga Roa Otai, walkable from town; book dives one to two weeks ahead, further out around the February festival.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Mike Rapu Dive Center
SchoolA PADI 5-Star centre at Caleta Hanga Roa, one of the island's longest-running shops, with courses, daily boat dives, and freediving equipment.
Orca Diving Center
SchoolThe island's first dive center, founded 1980 by Cousteau-expedition divers Henri and Michel Garcia, running three boats and a Cousteau Divers conservation program.