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Map of Steps / Tres Palmas Marine Reserve
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Shore entry

Steps / Tres Palmas Marine Reserve

Puerto Rico - Rincón, United States
Open Water suggested1–10 m depthShore entryRash guard or 2mm shorty typical

Steps / Tres Palmas Marine Reserve at a glance

Steps / Tres Palmas Marine Reserve is a shore dive site in Puerto Rico - Rincón, United States with depths of 1–10 m (3–33 ft). Typically most favorable May · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see elkhorn coral, lobsters, and nurse sharks. Recent reports put the water around 29°C (84°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 4h ago
0.7 mwaves — under a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 29°C · seasonal avg 29°C

Site hazards: Sharp reef, urchins, surge, winter swell, fragile elkhorn coral, shallow-water buoyancy control, and reserve rules/no collecting.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Thu
Sun7:00–20:00
Mon7:00–20:00
Tue7:00–20:00
Wed7:00–20:00
Thu7:00–20:00
Fri7:00–20:00
Sat7:00–20:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:41 · Sunrise 6:05 · Sunset 19:06

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 7.0 km from site · graded 4h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: elkhorn coral, reef fish
Best time: Best during calm summer or flat-swell windows; avoid large winter surf and strong wind chop.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. Jan20%27°C1.9 m
  2. Feb15%27°C1.9 m
  3. Mar25%27°C1.8 m
  4. Apr39%27°C1.7 m
  5. May80%29°C1.2 m
  6. Jun61%29°C1.3 m
  7. Jul39%29°C1.4 m
  8. Aug45%30°C1.5 m
  9. Sep63%30°C1.4 m
  10. Oct52%30°C1.7 m
  11. Nov31%29°C1.8 m
  12. Dec20%28°C2.0 m

May hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

  • elkhorn coralCommonly seen
  • lobstersOccasionally seen
  • nurse sharksRarely seen
  • reef fishCommonly seen
  • sea turtlesOccasionally seen

Fills & rentals nearby

Facts from OpenStreetMap, corrected by the community — listed by distance only. Details change; confirm with the shop.

Shop facts come from OpenStreetMap and community corrections, shown nearest first. PickADive lists facts and contacts only — no listing is sponsored or ranked.

Site details

Shallow shore reef at the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, known for elkhorn coral and easy reef life when the sea is flat. It can work for beginner scuba, snorkeling, and freediving, but conditions change quickly with Atlantic/northwest swell. Treat it as a no-take reef-reserve dive with careful buoyancy and no coral contact.

reefshore

Sharp reef, urchins, surge, winter swell, fragile elkhorn coral, shallow-water buoyancy control, and reserve rules/no collecting.

Reviews

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