The boats may be open to the sun, so pack a hat and sunscreen. The better resorts are beginning to install gear storage areas, but in some cases you may have to schlepp your dive gear back to your room each night, so pack a light mesh bag to facilitate ease of rinse and transport. Not every boat will be photo-friendly either, and you may have to request fresh water for a camera rinse. Most dive shops will have an Igloo cooler that they will fill with fresh water to accommodate your cameras, but they may not think to bring it along unless you ask. Most of the dive sites are short boat rides, five to 15 minutes, but special sites may be 30 minutes to an hour from the beach.
Most resorts load their divers from the beach.
There are a few docks to accommodate larger boats, but typically the divers wade into shallow mid-calf water and step aboard. This is a limiting factor to the kinds of dive boats in service. Boca Chica is one of the traditional vacation getaways for Dominicans. Just an hour away from Santo Domingo, Boca Chica offers lovely beaches, shops, restaurants and bars within easy walking distance from the resort hotels. This is also the area offering easiest access to the wrecks in the La Caleta Underwater National Park.