First Time Scuba Diving on Corn Islands, Nicaragua

Scuba Diving off of Corn Islands, Nicaragua is a great experience, especially for your first time diving. The islands are really popular in the diving community as there are great spots to see coral, wreckage, and plenty of tropical fish. As the islands are less touristy, the ocean is clean and there are few other divers around. Diving is definitely one of the best reasons to visit Corn Islands!

Corn Islands is an off-the-beaten-path destination and is known as one of the best places to visit in Nicaragua. With crystal clear water and white sand beaches, it’s definitely a great spot for your Caribbean travel bucket list! Whether you are an experienced diver or want to try for your first time, Corn Islands is a great spot for it.

Continue reading to explore an incredible first time experience scuba diving on Corn Islands, Nicaragua!

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First-Time Scuba Diving on Corn Islands, Nicaragua

Book a Discover Dive at One of the Dive Shops

There are dive shops that offer courses to try scuba diving on both Big and Little Corn Islands. On Big Corn Islands, you can choose between Dos Tiburones Dive Shop and Corn Island Dive Center. On Little Corn Island, there is Dolphin Dive, Derek’s Place, and a couple of other smaller dive shops to choose from.

Head to the Classroom to Learn the Basics

The first part of a discovery dive is to take a course on fundamentals. During a small session, you will learn about the equipment, terminology, safety, and receive an overview of your day. Be sure to pay attention during this session as you will be using your knowledge throughout the rest of the day!

Put on Scuba Gear and Practice in the Pool

This is definitely the most important part of the day but also the most comical. You will head to a nearby pool to practice diving. In my case, it was a large hotel pool with other guests in it. You will then suit up in full scuba gear and hop into the pool. Here, your instructor will teach you how to move around, monitor your oxygen tank levels, and go through a few safety exercises. You will learn how to keep your ears from popping, what to do if you drop your oxygen tube, how to get water out of your goggles, and many other important lessons.

Take a Boat Ride to the Dive Spot

After kicking around in a pool for a while, it’s time to head out to the real dive spot. You’ll jump in a boat that is built for diving, with oxygen tank holders built-in. The boat will be quite bumpy as you make your way through the ocean. On a try scuba diving course on Corn Islands, you will head to a spot that has a max depth of around 12 meters as you won’t be fully certified for open water diving. Trust me when I say this, it is more than deep enough for your first time!

Experience Scuba Diving for the First Time on Corn Islands, Nicaragua

When you arrive at the dive spot, you will put on your oxygen tank and goggles again. You will sit on the side of the boat and do a back roll into the water whilst holding your glasses. You will swim out to a rope that will help you make your way to the ocean floor. Don’t worry – the whole time you will be close to your instructor who will guide you and help if anything happens!

The first few minutes swimming around are quite scary. I consistently chanted “just keep swimming” and “oh gosh I’m going to die” as I kicked around trying to swim flat. You are supposed to keep your arms still to ensure you don’t accidentally damage coral, but I couldn’t help but take up doggy paddling. After a bit, you will become accustomed to swimming around and really start to enjoy yourself. It’s quite the experience swimming through the coral and seeing amazing tropical fish up close in the wild!

After what feels like hours swimming around the coral, you will follow your instructor back to the rope and pull yourself up while inflating your harness with air. Breathing normally will feel quite strange after you get back into the boat, but it will normalize after a few minutes. A word of warning – it is quite common to get sick after your first time diving due to the changes in pressure. I definitely did my first time!

If you have a GoPro or an underwater camera, be sure to bring it! My first time I was too nervous about losing it. The instructor brought one along, but it didn’t capture as great of photos as I would have liked.

Get a Diving Certification to Experience More

If you loved diving as much as I did, you can take a full course at one of the dive shops on Corn Islands. After a certain number of dives, you will received your open water certification and be able to dive at different dive shops around the world!

How to Get to Corn Islands

Corn Islands is just a quick flight (usually around $100 USD) from Managua via a local airline, La Costena. The airport on Big Corn Island is really just a shack with a small landing strip, only allowing propeller planes to land. To get to Little Corn Island, you will have to take a boat from Big Corn Island.

Book a Place to Stay on Corn Islands

Conclusion

Scuba diving on Corn Islands is a great experience for your first time. You’re bound to see amazing ocean life and colourful tropical fish. It’s quite the experience being that deep underwater, breathing with an oxygen tank. I enjoyed it so much that I try to go at least once or twice a year when travelling to tropical places!

Read More: 30 Amazing Things to Do in Nicaragua for Your Bucket List

Have you been scuba diving on Corn Islands, Nicaragua? Do you think it’s a good spot for first-timers? Let me know about your experience in the comments!

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