Is Scuba Diving At Kicker Rock Worth It? My Experience

Scuba diving in the Galápagos is a dream adventure for many certified divers, and Kicker Rock (AKA Leon Dormido) is one of the most sought-after dive sites there. During my two-week land-based trip to the Galapagos, I finally checked this dive off my bucket list but left with mixed feelings.

In this post, I provide all the details about scuba diving in Kicker Rock, along with pictures from my experience and anecdotes that explain why I don’t plan on scuba diving there again!

Kicker Rock Diving General Information
🦭 Wildlife highlights: Hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, sea lions, and more!
💸 Price: USD 200 (including gear rental & photography)
🔻 Diving depth: Mostly stays between 10m and 15m (32′ and 50′)
🕑 Tour Duration: 6-8 hours
✅ Best dive operators: Wreck Bay Diving

How To Dive in Kicker Rock in The Galapagos?

There are two ways to go scuba diving at Kicker Rock:

1. Via Day trip from San Cristobal Island

Multiple dive shops on the Island of San Cristobal offer diving day trips to Kicker Rock for about $200. These day tours typically include two boat dives, starting at 7:30 AM and finishing before 4 PM.

This is by far the most budget-friendly way to scuba dive at Kicker Rock, as it’s done through a land-based Galapagos itinerary instead of a cruise or liveaboard.

2. Via Galapagos Liveaboards

Kicker Rock is a common stop for Galapagos Scuba Diving Liveaboards, which typically last 3 to 10 days and cost upwards of USD 3K. Also, these boats typically have a minimum dive requirement of 40 dives.

How much is a scuba diving day trip to Kicker Rock?

A 2-dive package at Kicker Rock + beach stop goes for USD 200 if booked in person in the Galapagos. This price also includes underwater pictures that the divemaster takes throughout the tour.

Pro tip: Though pictures are included, they’re usually not great or abundant. I highly recommend bringing your own underwater camera.- I use the DJI Osmo Action 4 during my dives and love it!

Non-scuba divers can also join the Kicker Rock diving tour for USD 135 and snorkel during the dives.

While it’s possible to snorkel at Kicker Rock during a diving trip, a much better option for snorkeling in this site is through the incredible San Cristóbal 360° tour—a highlight tour in the Galápagos.

Do I need to book a tour to Kicker Rock in advance?

Yes, tours to Kicker Rock often sell out! Book your dive or snorkeling trip to Kicker Rock at least one week in advance.

You may find the best prices by booking in person on any tourist shop in the Galapagos islands. You can also directly contact one of Santa Cruz’s dive shops, like Wreck Bay Diving Center, via WhatsApp to book your day trip to Kicker Rock.

When to dive at Kicker Rock?

The best time to dive at Kicker Rock is between December and May (23°-25° C or 73°-77° F), when waters are warmer.

However, the colder waters found in June to November (18°-22° C or 64°-72° F) attract bigger animals such as the famous hammerhead sharks.

What can you see at Kicker Rock?

Sightings of marine wildlife vary a lot depending on what time of the year you visit as well as the underwater conditions on the day you visit. Common wildlife encounters include:

• Hammerhead sharks (from August to November)
• Sea lions
• Turtles
• Marine iguanas
• Reef sharks
• Rays
• Octopus
• A variety of fish

Is there a minimum dive requirement for scuba diving at Kicker Rock?

For Kicker Rock, you must be at least Open Water certified. The minimum dive requirement depends on the dive shop and range anywhere from 0 to 40.

Although some shops will allow new divers to join the trip, I highly recommend against it!

Even with a PADI Advanced Open Water certification, the rough conditions at Kicker Rock can still be challenging!

For instance, a woman with an Advanced Open Water certification panicked during my first dive at Kicker Rock, forcing us to surface less than halfway through the dive.

My Experience Diving At Kicker Rock

I went scuba diving at Kicker Rock in November of 2024 and got back to my hotel with mixed feelings!

Booking a Land-Based Kicker Rock Scuba Diving Tour

I messaged Wreck Bay Diving Center on WhatsApp about one week prior to the tour to book my spot. At the time of booking, they did not require any sort of prepayment!

The night before the tour I headed to their shop to get fitted on the equipment, which included a 7mm thick wetsuit.

Starting the Kicker Rock Tour

Early in the morning, I met the crew and the other tourists in the Wreck Bay Diving Center shop to board the boat.

On the boat, there were 3 scuba divers (including me) and about 10 snorkelers. I found it odd that so many snorkelers joined this tour instead of the San Cristóbal 360° tour, which also includes snorkeling at Kicker Rock.

At the start of the tour, the weather was cloudy, which local guides told me is common in November.

Beach Stop And Practice Dive

The first stop of our tour was Cerro Brujo Beach, where we got a mini tour to a salt lake in the island right after landing.

Afterwards, it was time to enjoy the blue ocean! Luckly, the weather became increasingly sunny during our stay at the beach, which got us even more excited.

The beach was filled with sea lions, including many pups, and the ocean was perfect for swimming!

The cherry on top of this beach stop was the stunning view of kicker rock in the horizon!

During the last 15 minutes at the beach, we had a quick scuba diving practice session to make sure that everything worked and that our skills were aligned with our certification.

The practice dive is in a shallow section of the beach which was less than 2 meters (6.5 feet) deep. In this mini dive, we use the same air cylinder that will be used on for the first dive at Kicker Rock.

First Dive at Kicker Rock

I was excited to get closer to the iconic Kicker Rock as our guide pointed out the formation that supposedly resembles a “Sleeping Lion”—though, to be honest, I couldn’t see it at all.

The guide also gave us the dive brief and we got ready to dive!

Immediatelly after jumping in the water I knew that this was going to be a challenging dive!

Current was strong and we had to move by holding onto rocks.

Ahough I saw an octopus and a flutemouth, the wildlife environment at kicker rock is not nearly as lively as I expected. The landscape was mostly rocky, with almost no corals. Very different from the reef dives I got used to in the Philippines!

The good thing is that I didn’t head to Kicker Rock for small fish, I went there for hammerhead sharks, which I definitely saw!

There were many different schools, and we just held onto rocks in one particular spot to watch the hammerhead schools come and go.

Holding onto those rocks was incredibly had at times, and in one instance the current managed to pull me away. Luckly, the divemaster was able to grab me by the leg and pull me back to the rocks.

The sharp rocks left my hands quite hurt, and the cold water made me incredibly uncomfortable. It was a shame that I was so distressed by the conditions that I couldn’t fully relax and enjoy the encounter with the schools of hammerhead sharks.

I was not the only one being pulled by current! I saw a sea turtle riding the strong currents in what seemed to be a scene of finding nemo.

I initially thought that the mini practice was a waste, as we were using up air that could be spent diving at Kicker Rock. However, during this first dive at Kicker Rock, one of the divers in the group panicked and we had to surface early…

At that moment, I wished the practice dive had been even more thorough so we wouldn’t have wasted half of a $100 dive.

Second Dive at Kicker Rock

After warming up and having a snack during the surface interval, it was time to get back to the incredibly cold water!

The diver who panicked in the first dive was not allowed to join us on the second one, although she said she felt more confident.

This time, we dove on the other side of Kicker Rock, but the views and wildlife were the same! Again, I encountered schools of hammerhead sharks and the occasional turtle or sea lion.

The lack of diversity in between the dives made me kind of regret getting into the cold water once again. Though the underwater world was amazing, I just couldn’t feel comfortable enough to enjoy the dive.

Instead, I wish I had just joined the snorkeling group for this second bit! It would allow me to see the hammerhead sharks from a different angle (though much further away) to not be so distressed by the strong current and low water temperature.

What Are The Scuba Diving Conditions At Kicker Rock?

Kicker Rock was the most challenging dive I’ve done to date due to the conditions! Water was so cold that the 7mm wetsuit was not enough to keep me warm, so I was constantly uncomfortable.

Visibility was about 10 meters (33 feet). The lower visibility at Kicker Rock is due to the abundance of minerals in the water, which attracts large marine life, including the famous hammerhead sharks.

The currents there can be very strong, and in the day I went diving the current was particularly challenging. It got to the point that we could no longer swim, and had to move by crawling and holding onto rocks.

The rocks were often sharp and pointy, which made it hard to strongly hold onto them without diving gloves or a hook, which are not provided with the equipment rental. Oftentimes, the current would set us apart from the rocks… I found the experience quite terrifying.

I left the dive extremely cold and with cuts in my hands – things I never experienced before as most of my previous dives were on clear, calm, and tropical waters!

Is Diving at Kicker Rock Worth It?

Although I saw many hammerhead sharks very upclose diving at Kicker Rock was not worth it for me!

For avid divers who don’t mind harsh conditions, this might be a fun dive, but for me, it was a bit too stressful.

Diving is therapeutic to me, and holding onto sharp rocks while genuinely fearing for my life is far from the kind of calming underwater experience I seek.

Kicker Rock is an amazing site, but next time I will be definetely exploring it with the snorkelers!

3 Reasons Why I’d Not Scuba Dive at Kicker Rock Again

1. Price

$200 for scuba diving at Kicker Rock is a lot when compared to the $140 pricetag of the legendary San Cristobal 360 Tour – which includes snorkeling at kicker rock on top of many other incredible sites!

2. Ocean conditions

Rough, rough, rough! Though I experienced much rougher conditions than usual, it really made me wonder if I even want to dive anywhere with conditions other than ideal.

3. Dive trip itinerary

Two dives at Kicker Rock felt like overkill since I saw nearly the same things both times – I’d rather have spent the time of the second dive, and the stationary surface inteval, exploring another amazing site in San Cristobal!

Don’t get me wrong—scuba diving at Kicker Rock is incredible, and like me, you might encounter plenty of fascinating marine life! Now, I just look at this dive site the same way I look at skydiving or cave diving – many people love it, but I feel uneasy and scared.

Want to explore the underwater world of the Galapagos?

Though diving or snorkeling at Kicker Rock is incredible, you can also encounter incredible marine wildlife in other top snorkeling tours in the Galapagos, such as: