How to prepare for a dive at Ilha da Âncora

Preparing for a dive at Ilha da Âncora starts well before boarding the boat. The island is known locally as a real sanctuary for sea turtles and is often mentioned among the most sought-after dive sites in Rio de Janeiro state — which draws both highly experienced divers and people who have never dived and want to try it once. Since it's about a 50-minute boat ride from central Búzios, a bit of preparation genuinely improves the outcome of the trip.

The first thing to sort out is health. As with any dive, you need to be fit according to the standard health conditions for diving — the medical questionnaire filled out before the activity exists specifically to flag, in advance, anything that deserves extra attention or a doctor's clearance. Leaving out information out of embarrassment or being in a rush is the worst approach: the questionnaire is there to protect you, not to disqualify you.

The second is seasickness. Because it's a longer boat ride than the average outing in Búzios, anyone prone to motion sickness or vertigo feels it more there than on trips to sites closer to shore. Unlike a car, a boat doesn't pull over halfway — the discomfort really only passes once you're back on dry land, so it's worth learning how to avoid seasickness on a boat and taking precautions before leaving the pier.

The third is emotional. It's normal to feel a mix of anxiety and excitement about exploring somewhere new and deeper than usual — even within the same group, it's common for one person to be excited and another more nervous, even though both want to dive together. It helps to remember the dive is led by professionals who make this trip regularly, at a pace suited to each participant's level; if anything worries you, telling the team before departure lets them keep a closer eye on you during the dive.

On the practical side, a few things make a real difference: sunscreen applied ahead of time (the sun reflects strongly off the water), a light layer for the ride back, and staying hydrated throughout the day. Since the dive tends to involve more open water than sheltered sites near shore, equalizing your ears calmly on the way down and keeping controlled buoyancy also make for a more comfortable experience.

It's worth stressing that Ilha da Âncora, precisely because it's more exposed to open water, is generally recommended for divers who already have some familiarity with diving — for a first-time Discover Scuba Diving experience, more sheltered sites near the coast tend to be the better fit. The operator's team is best placed to judge, on the day, which site matches each group's profile.

Once that preparation is out of the way, all that's left is to enjoy it: encounters with wild sea turtles, striking rock formations, and visibility that, on a good day, rewards every minute of the boat ride. If you're still unsure about how to prepare, the best move is to talk directly with the team before booking the trip.