Back to results

Dom João de Castro Bank, Portugal

No town nearby. No bookable town within 60 km: the nearest, Praia da Vitória (Santa Cruz), is 68 km away. Nearest airport: TER (TER), 73 km.

About Dom João de Castro Bank

A pinnacle dive. It goes down to 60 m. You get in from a boat. It suits experienced divers only, as a dive guide states it. No dive centre within 50 km on the map: book a liveaboard or a boat from further off. The sea is about 16°C in March, its coldest month (7 mm wetsuit and hood), and 24°C in August, its warmest (5 mm wetsuit). For experienced divers the best months are usually July and August, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No bookable town within 60 km: the nearest, Praia da Vitória (Santa Cruz), is 68 km away. Nearest airport: TER (TER), 73 km.

  • What it is Pinnacle.
  • How deep Down to 60 m: technical diving, past the 40 m recreational limit.
  • Getting in From a boat.
  • Who it suits Suits experienced divers only, as a dive guide states it.
  • Dive centres No dive centre within 50 km on the map: book a liveaboard or a boat from further off.

Facts: verified.

Dive centres nearby

No dive centre mapped within 50 km.

Dive centres: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits

Water about 22°C: 5 mm wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Visibility about 30 m. Typical for the time of year, estimated from ten years of NASA satellite water clarity, not a forecast. Clearest in Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct (about 30 m).

This week's visibility, the current and the life no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 16 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to PDL, changing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

    See flights ORD → PDL · Skyscanner from about £335 returnAd
  2. Getting there. 2 h from the airport to Dom João de Castro Bank.

  3. Accommodation.

    No town nearby

    No bookable town within 60 km: the nearest, Praia da Vitória (Santa Cruz), is 68 km away. Nearest airport: TER (TER), 73 km.

  4. Hire and lessons.

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Dive site

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Best on Thu 22: Sea 1.5 m. Wind 7 kn gusting 11.

The score for experienced divers, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor

Sea and wind forecast and score for each day at Dom João de Castro Bank
DayScoreSeaWindGusts
Sun 18Oct79, good1.4 m7 kn9kn
Mon 19Oct55, good2.0 m13 kn17kn
Tue 20Oct69, good1.7 m13 kn17kn
Wed 21Oct61, good1.8 m6 kn11kn
Thu 22Oct80, good1.5 m7 kn11kn
Fri 23Oct80, good1.3 m4 kn6kn
Sat 24Oct80, good1.3 m7 kn11kn
Sun 25Oct80, good1.0 m14 kn19kn
Mon 26Oct79, good1.4 m15 kn22kn
Tue 27Oct71, good1.7 m12 kn17kn

Day scores are the conditions out of 80, from the two best daylight readings: a morning and an afternoon dive. Sea is the open water's waves near the site, in metres. Wind and gusts are in knots (10 kn is about 19 km/h); "boats in" marks gusts that keep dive boats in. This week's visibility, the current and the life no free forecast gives.

The season

Good diving days in a typical week, each month, for experienced divers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

  1. Jan2of 7
  2. Feb2of 7
  3. Mar2of 7
  4. Apr3of 7
  5. May5of 7
  6. Jun6of 7
  7. Jul7of 7
  8. Aug7of 7
  9. Sep5of 7
  10. Oct3of 7
  11. Nov2of 7
  12. Dec2of 7

Typical, not a forecast: the sea and the mean wind of each day, with no gusts or rain in the history.

Rough cost

About £595–£1,175 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing. A guide from typical prices, not a quote. No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Dives are not priced yet: we have no sourced price for a guided dive, so they are not in it.

  • Flights £335–£700
  • To the UK airport £35–£65
  • Hire car £75–£130
  • Food £150–£280

Book the trip

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.