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Boulders and a flat rocky shelf under clear green water at La Perla, with the Mar del Plata skyline faint on the horizon

Mar del Plata · Argentina · Sand slope

Banco del Medio

An offshore sand bank from 20 to 28 m

Area photo: FarSouthNavy · CC BY 4.0

Banco del Medio has a sand bottom from 20 to 28 m and average visibility of about 8 m, and boats from Mar del Plata dive it as one of the offshore banks. Its depth range sits between the shallower Banco de Afuera and the deeper Banco Patria.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Banco del Medio: typical dive 20–28 m (66–92 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit20 m28 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

No published position for this site — the map shows Mar del Plata and its other sites; operators know the mooring.

The dive

The sand bottom starts at 20 m and drops to 28 m, so the depth of the dive depends on where on the bank it is made. Average visibility is about 8 m. Banco del Medio lies to the south, and its range sits between the shallower Banco de Afuera and the deeper Banco Patria.

Marine life and season

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

Month-by-month season rating for Banco del Medio
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimeGood

Season follows Mar del Plata: The best months are September to November and March to May. Water falls to 8–16 °C from May to September, though club boats still go out in July.

Dive videos

Banco del Medio 09 Julio de 2013. · Pedro Bagnati on YouTube

Sources

  1. Buceo en Mar del Plata — Oceanica Buceo

More dive sites in Mar del Plata

Sand slope

Banco de Afuera

The clubs' usual offshore bank, with the city's richest fauna

17–20 mintermediate

Sand slope

Banco Patria

An offshore sand bank from 24 to 42 m

24–42 madvanced

Wreck

Cristo Rey

The 1981 wooden hull that started the city's wreck park

to 22 m · max 30 mintermediate

Wreck

Khronometer

An 82 m Soviet fishing vessel at 25 m

to 25 mintermediate

Artificial reef

Kyokko

The first ship sunk on Banco de Afuera, in 28 m

to 28 mintermediate

Wreck

Simbad

A 51 m steel fishing vessel scuttled in 2022

to 25 mintermediate

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Sand slope

Muelle de Los Órganos

Máncora & Los Órganos · Peru

Sea turtles that feed around the pilings of a working fishing pier

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Sand slope

Abu Sawatyr

El Quseir · Egypt

Sandy bay sloping to 40 m between coral gardens that reach 30 m

to 30 m · max 40 mintermediate

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Blue House

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Metal and concrete structures set on a seagrass flat

to 25 mbeginner

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Carrick Castle

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to 30 m · max 32 mintermediate