Reefwander
A hawksbill turtle swims over a coral reef in the Cousteau Reserve off Guadeloupe.

Guadeloupe · Guadeloupe · Reef

La Chaise

Two platforms, 15 m and 30 m, on one rope

Area photo: Antoine Cupial · CC BY-SA 4.0

An open-water site south of Malendure, dived by descending a mooring rope. The ground begins to take shape around 12 m and extends to 30 m across two platforms: one in the 15 m zone that suits Open Water divers, the other running down to 30 m for deep-specialty holders. The site is too extensive to cover in a single dive.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of La Chaise: typical dive 12–30 m (40–100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit12 m30 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

16.1511° N, 61.7808° WPublished position for this site.

The dive

The site sits in open water with no landmark above it, so the dive begins by following the mooring rope down. The ground starts to draw at around 12 m and runs out to 30 m, and what you get depends on which of the two platforms the guide takes you to; they are separated by about 30 metres, so it is one or the other rather than both.

The shallower platform sits in the 15 m zone and is the one for Open Water divers; the deeper one goes to 30 m and is for divers holding a Deep Diving specialty or wanting to pass it. Between and beyond them the bottom is a succession of rocky patates, and the site extends far enough to the south and west that it cannot be done in one go.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for La Chaise
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodFairFairFairGoodPrime

Season follows Guadeloupe: Dec–May is the dry season with the calmest water; Aug–Oct brings hurricane risk and the heaviest rain.

Questions divers ask

What certification do you need for La Chaise?+

The shallower platform, in the 15 m zone, is fine for Open Water divers. The second platform drops to 30 m and is intended for divers holding a Deep Diving specialty, or working towards one.

Sources

  1. LA CHAISE — Scubago — Scubago

More dive sites in Guadeloupe

Barracuda and wahoo along the drop-off at Grand Îlet's tip

to 20 m · max 50 mbeginner

Green turtles gather here after dark

4–18 mbeginner

A circular bottom feature at 20 to 25 m

20–25 mintermediate

Reef

Seahorses in the seagrass at the end of the dive

4–12 mbeginner

Seamount

Three pinnacles at 17 m over a mountain falling past 300 m

20–40 madvanced

Plateau in a few metres, drop-offs to 40 m

to 40 mintermediate

Similar dives elsewhere

Reef

Angelfish Reef

RMS Rhone & Salt Island · British Virgin Islands

Sheltered canyons and ridges off the tip of Norman Island

to 25 mbeginner

Reef

Alice in Wonderland

Bonaire · Caribbean Netherlands

A shore dive across Bonaire's double reef system

10–30 mintermediate

Reef

Five Finger Rock

Dominica · Dominica

A fallen boulder shaped like a hand, its top breaking the surface

4.5–27 mintermediate

Reef

Alligator Long

Port Antonio · Jamaica

A narrow coral ridge lined with azure vase sponges and sea fans

24–27 m · max 30 madvanced