A guest of this exact boat, framed by the reef
South east coast, Aruba
Two tanks, one morning, the quiet side of the island
The south east coast is the best side of Aruba for diving and almost nobody sees it: pristine reefs, big coral heads, a few good wrecks. Two guided boat dives, twelve divers at most, back at the dock by one.
$135per diver with gear, $100 with your own
Book your divesReserving is free. We set your morning with the crew, then the 20 percent deposit out of the dive price confirms the booking.
Two guided boat dives, tanks and weights included
Monday to Saturday, boat out 9:00 AM, back about 1:00 PM
Free pick-up on a set route, cruise passengers too
The other coast
Where the island keeps its reefs
Everyone snorkels the calm west coast. The divers go the other way. The south east coast has the reefs the island is quietly known for among people who log dives: pristine hard coral, big coral heads, and wrecks that have had years to grow a skin of sponge and growth. Turtles cross the reef without hurrying, as the crew's own photographs on this page show.
The crew reads the sea every morning and picks the two sites for the group in front of them. They listen to wishes and they never promise a site on paper, which is the honest way to run a boat. Small group, all dives guided, twelve divers at the very most.
Hour by hour
How the morning unfolds
8:30 AM
Check-in at the dive center
With a rental car you come to the dive center in Oranjestad for check-in at 8:30. Without one, the crew picks you up for free on their set route, hotels and cruise port alike; your time comes by email the day before. Complete registration and pay the remaining balance in cash or by Visa or Mastercard on arrival, before boarding. Certification cards out, gear sorted.
9:00 AM
Boat out
The crew calls the sites that morning, on the sea state and on the group in front of them. Guest wishes count, and nothing is promised on paper, which is exactly how a good dive day is run.
Dive one
A wreck or reef, chosen for the day
When a wreck is part of the morning, it is usually the first dive. The crew may move it to the second dive when needed, or choose reefs for both dives. Sites and dive order depend on the conditions and the group; no wreck or specific site is guaranteed.
Between
Surface interval on the boat
Fresh snacks and refreshments after the first dive, time for the log book, and the next site coming up on the horizon. The crew plans the two dives as a pair and adjusts the order to the conditions and the group.
Dive two
The next site, with the same guide
The second tank takes you to the next site chosen for your group. It may be a reef, or the wreck if the crew needs to dive it second. Same guide, same small group, with the order decided on the day.
About 1:00 PM
Back at the dock
Fresh snacks and refreshments are offered again after the second dive. Rinse your gear and enjoy the afternoon. If you were picked up, the same transport brings you back.
Book your dives
Count the divers, pick the day
Pick your date, count the divers with rental gear and the ones bringing their own BCD and regulator, and tell us how you are getting to the boat. We set your morning with the crew, then a secure deposit link lands in your inbox: $27 per diver with gear or $20 per diver with your own, out of the dive price. That deposit confirms the booking, and the remaining balance is paid during registration on arrival at the dive center, before boarding, in cash or by Visa or Mastercard.
The facts, checked at the source
- Price
- from $100 per personThe crew's own price, per person.
- Included
- Two guided boat dives. Tanks and weights. Rental BCD and regulator on the rental rate. Fresh snacks and refreshments after each dive.
- Not included
- Your own BCD and regulator on the lower rate. Full meals.
- Who it suits
- Up to 12 guests. Valid proof of certification, card or digital, is needed on the day. Medical clearance is asked for divers with a relevant condition and for divers aged 60 and over.
- Getting there
- Free pick up on the crew's set route for divers without a car and for cruise passengers; your time comes by email the day before. Otherwise you meet at the dive centre for a check in at 8:30 AM.
- If plans change
- Booked direct with the crew, in plain words:
- Reserving is free. Until you pay the deposit there is nothing to cancel and nothing to lose.
- Cancel 48 hours or more before your activity: full deposit back, no questions.
- The crew cancels for weather, or a departure does not reach its minimum: full deposit back, always, or we rebook you first if you prefer.
- Inside 48 hours: the deposit is not refunded, but we can move your date or transfer the booking to someone else in your group, the same options the crew offers on the beach.
- No-show, or arriving after the crew has left: the deposit stays with us, because the slot was held and other guests were turned away. Tell us as early as you can and we will try to move the date instead.
- The balance never passes through this site, so a cancellation never involves a balance refund from us. Where the balance is sent ahead to the crew, that money sits with the crew and comes back from the crew; we chase it with you.
- Deposit refunds go back to the card you used on the payment page. We send it within one business day of agreeing it. When it lands on your statement is your bank timing, not ours.
Checked with the crew on September 14, 2026.
Cancellation policy, in plain words
- Reserving is free. Until you pay the deposit there is nothing to cancel and nothing to lose.
- Cancel 48 hours or more before your activity: full deposit back, no questions.
- The crew cancels for weather, or a departure does not reach its minimum: full deposit back, always, or we rebook you first if you prefer.
- Inside 48 hours: the deposit is not refunded, but we can move your date or transfer the booking to someone else in your group, the same options the crew offers on the beach.
- No-show, or arriving after the crew has left: the deposit stays with us, because the slot was held and other guests were turned away. Tell us as early as you can and we will try to move the date instead.
- The balance never passes through this site, so a cancellation never involves a balance refund from us. Where the balance is sent ahead to the crew, that money sits with the crew and comes back from the crew; we chase it with you.
- Deposit refunds go back to the card you used on the payment page. We send it within one business day of agreeing it. When it lands on your statement is your bank timing, not ours.
The same words appear in your confirmation email. Departures need 4 divers in total; if a morning does not fill, you get every cent back or the next date you prefer. The balance is paid during registration on arrival, cash or card, so it never passes through this site and a cancellation never involves a balance refund from us. The full picture is on our refunds and cancellations page.
What you pay, and when
- Total
- $135 per diver with rental equipment, $100 per diver with own BCD and regulator
- Deposit
- $27 per diver with rental equipment, $20 per diver with own BCD and regulator, paid by the secure link in your email. The deposit is our fee, taken out of the price rather than added on top of it.
- Balance
- $108 per diver with rental equipment, $80 per diver with own BCD and regulator, during registration on arrival at the dive center, cash or card (Visa or Mastercard)
- Paid to
- The crew that runs the day. The balance never passes through this site.
- Due
- During registration on arrival at the dive center, before boarding (check-in 8:30 AM)
- Currency
- US dollars
The dive center takes the balance during registration on arrival, before boarding, in US dollars, cash or card (Visa or Mastercard).
From the crew's own archive: their guests, on this exact boat and these exact reefs.
The dives
Two, by boat, guided
Boat out
9:00 AM, Mon to Sat
Group
4 to 12 divers
Balance
Cash or card, at registration
Included in the price
- Two guided boat dives with a professional dive team
- Tanks and weights, on both price options
- BCD and regulator on the $135 option
- Fresh snacks and refreshments after each dive
- Complimentary pick-up on the set route when you have no rental car, cruise passengers included
You bring
- Valid proof of certification for every diver, card or digital
- A medical clearance if you are 60 or over, or have a condition that could affect dive safety
- Your own BCD and regulator on the $100 option
- Towel, sunscreen, water
The crew's published wording, not ours. Sites are chosen each morning on the conditions and never guaranteed for a date; that is the one line to read twice.
The honest fit
Is this your day?
We would rather lose a booking than put you on the wrong morning. Read both sides.
Book it if
- You are certified and would rather dive the reefs and wrecks than snorkel the strip
- You like a small boat and a guide who plans the two sites around the group
- You have your own BCD and regulator and want the $100 rate, or you would rather rent and travel light
- You are on a cruise and want a real dive morning inside a port day
Skip it if
- Nobody in your group is certified; this boat does not run introductory dives
- You need one specific site on one specific date; the crew calls the sites on the day
- You need a Sunday, when the boat does not go out
- You would rather not bring a medical clearance and someone in the group is 60 or over
Who takes you out
A dive team that lives on this coast
The crew runs a dive center in Oranjestad and takes the boat out six mornings a week to the south east coast, the side of Aruba they consider the best diving on the island. Every dive is by boat and guided by their professional team; the two sites are called each morning on the sea and on who is aboard.
Questions before you book, or something the form does not cover? Ask us at info@arubaplaybook.com or through the contact page.
- Professional guided boat dives, two tanks a morning
- South east coast reefs and wrecks, sites chosen on the day
- Complimentary pick-up on a set route, cruise passengers too
- Balance at registration on arrival: cash, Visa or Mastercard
How booking works
Three quiet steps, no surprises
Pick your date and count your divers
Monday to Saturday. Divers with rental gear, divers with their own BCD and regulator, how you get to the boat, the highest certification in the group. The form does the arithmetic.
The deposit confirms it
Your morning is set with the crew, then the secure deposit link arrives by email: $27 per diver with gear, $20 with your own, out of the dive price. The booking is confirmed once that deposit is paid.
Register, settle the balance, then dive
Check in at 8:30 AM or arrive with the crew's pick-up. Complete registration and pay the remaining balance at the dive center in cash or by Visa or Mastercard before boarding. Then enjoy two guided dives, with fresh snacks and refreshments after each.
Cancel 48 hours or more ahead and the deposit comes back in full. If the crew cancels for weather or the morning does not reach 4 divers, you get every cent back, always, or the next good day if you prefer. What is refundable, and who refunds it.
Good to know
Asked before every dive
How much does the two-tank boat dive cost?
The published price is $135 per diver with rental equipment, or $100 per diver with your own BCD and regulator. Tanks and weights are included in both. A 20 percent deposit by email makes your booking final ($27 or $20 per diver); the remaining balance is paid during registration on arrival at the dive center, before boarding, in cash or by Visa or Mastercard.
Which days does it run, and how long is it?
Monday to Saturday. Check-in is at 8:30 AM, the boat goes out at 9:00 AM and is back at about 1:00 PM. Departures run from 4 divers in total, with a maximum of 12 on the boat; a smaller party is confirmed as the morning fills up.
Which dive sites will we visit?
The crew chooses the sites every morning, on the weather and the group they have that day. They take guest suggestions into account but never guarantee a site on a certain date. Most days that means the south east coast, with pristine reefs and some nice wrecks. When a wreck is included, it is usually the first dive, but the crew may make it the second dive when needed. Sites and dive order depend on the conditions and the group.
Do I need to be certified?
Yes. This is a boat dive for certified divers, and every diver brings valid proof of certification on the day, a physical card or a digital version. Tell us the highest certification in your group when you book so the crew plans the sites accordingly.
Is a medical clearance required?
Divers with a medical condition that could affect their safety, and divers aged 60 and over, bring a medical clearance on the day. Tick the box in the booking form if that applies to anyone in your group, and bring the paper.
How do we get to the boat?
With a rental car you meet at the dive center in Oranjestad; the address comes with your confirmation. Without a car the crew offers a complimentary pick-up on their set route, depending on where you stay, and cruise passengers are picked up too. Pick-up times are sent by email the day before your dive.
What is included, and what do we bring?
Both dives, the boat, a professional guide, tanks and weights, plus fresh snacks and refreshments after each dive. With the $135 option the rental BCD and regulator are included; with the $100 option you bring your own. Bring your certification card, a medical clearance if it applies, a towel, sunscreen and water.
Can we book from a cruise ship?
Yes. The complimentary pick-up is available for cruise passengers, and a 9:00 to about 1:00 dive morning fits a normal port day. Book with your ship name as the place you are staying, and the crew emails your pick-up time the day before.
What happens if we cancel?
Until the deposit is paid there is nothing to cancel. After that: cancel 48 hours or more before the activity and the deposit (varies by option, shown in the booking form) comes back in full, to the card you paid it on. Inside 48 hours, and for a no-show, the deposit is not refunded, but the date can move or the booking can transfer to someone else in your group. If the crew calls it off for weather, or the departure does not reach its minimum, every cent of the deposit comes back, always, or we rebook you first if you prefer. The balance varies by option and is shown in the booking form, and it goes to the dive crew cash or card (Visa or Mastercard) at the dive center, during registration on arrival, before boarding, so it never sits with us and a cancellation never involves a balance refund from this site. All cut-off times are Aruba time (AST, UTC minus 4, the island keeps the same clock all year). The full matrix is on our refunds page.
Not certified yet, or travelling with snorkelers? Our guide to Aruba on the water covers the snorkel sails and the beaches you can swim from.
Two dives before lunch, on the coast nobody sees
A small boat, a professional guide, and the reefs and wrecks of the south east coast picked fresh each morning. Count your divers, pick your day, and the rest is arranged.
Book your dives