Ocotal v. Rich Coast Diving?

[waterwabbit]

Has anyone had any experience with Ocotal or Rich Coast Diving? We're trying to choose between the 2 for March. Are the package deals worth it? And when they say 3 days of diving, does that include just 1 two tank dives or 2 two tank dives per day?

[marigodiva]

Choose Ocotal. Do your research and ask the company those questions until you're satisfied with the answers.

[DIVEBOOBER]

I dove with Rich coast and had a good time, very personal approach, sorry can't tell you much about ocotal, it's a resort, so usually that means bigger and more crowded.
Have a great time diving!

[Missdirected]

Do some research here on the board. There is tons of information you will find. Someone recently posted about Rich Coast you may want to check into that.

[Rich Coast Diving]

Hi Waterwabbit,

Great to know you're coming to Costa Rica, Let me tell you a little about us.
We offer dive packages with hotels. This saves you money on tthe hotel part of about 13 % The hotels are all pretty good standard, of course you can also check out higher rated hotels or backpacker places.
Our package include the hotel, breakfast and 2 tank dives.
We leave at 9 am and return between 1.30/ 2 pm.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate: dive@richcoastdiving.com

Hope to see you soon.

regards,
crew rich coast diving

[turley]

Choosing between Rich Coast and Ocotal is a no brainer! Rich Coast is a very friendly and informative dive shop. All of their employees are helpful and always friendly. Whether it is a local dive or a dive to Catalinas they are all for it. Diving with a resort like Ocotal can be a poor decision for a true diver. Divers do not want the Resort type, crowded, and not as friendly diving that Ocotal provides. At least when we dive we look for that friendly, willing and able dive shop that Brenda and Martin provided for us. We some day will return and for sure will be diving with them again!!!:) They were great to us and will be great for you!!! Rich Coast will fit you well!!

Laura

I agree with Laura. The service and attention to detail is incredible. We have never been so pleased and comfortable with a dive shop. Every employee calls us by name and the dive masters have lead us on some great trips. A photographers dream ( even though I am a crappy photographer.). Catalina.... You have to go. Today... White tips, big eels, spotted eagle rays. The southern sting rays are huge and I have some great pictures to post later. I thought sting rays were small but these were much bigger than I. I absolutely love it. Go with Rich Coast. We are having a blast.

Brian

[marigodiva]

Again, I would stay away from Rich Coast Diving. We dove with them in February and had a bad, and close to dangerous experience. I wrote a dive report about it--Costa Rica Divers BEWARE; look for it. People we talked to in Costa Rica and since we've been home said Ocotal divers are great and have nice boats, etc. Rich Coast had nice dive masters, it is the equipment (ie no radio or cell phone, broken down engine, back up engine also down) and the attitude of the owners I would be more worried about. The posts you read here, including the ones from Rich Coast diving, are from people who joined ScubaBoard in order to reply to the review I wrote about them, so be wary of that. I am not saying you couldn't have fun either way, but Rich Coast poses some safety concerns.

[kent_1848]

Saying someone joined just to rebut what you have said is strange when you yourself only have 26 posts. I could say you joined just to slam Rich Coast Diving.

I dove with them before the change in ownership. I hope that it hasn't changed as much as your post indicates. Please don't get me wrong, I appreciate your post, but I had a completely different experience. I have had boats break down at other places, and I was just glad I wasn't at work, and I was able to enjoy the ocean. Of course, that was in warmer water :)

You really need to go back and dive the Catalinas, and also, do the waterfall rapelling in the Arenal area. That was the most fun off gassing I have ever had.

[Valwood1]

Has anyone had any experience with Ocotal or Rich Coast Diving? We're trying to choose between the 2 for March.

We used Ocotal in 2004 as a part of a larger group of five, with a guy who has been there numerous times, and generally were pleased. The boss Sisenio is very helpful, as were most of the DMs. I did find one DM who was a bit on the authoritarian side (think she was from New York originally :) ), and another who really didn't know where he was around the Cats.

[marigodiva]

Your point about my lack of posts is well taken, however I did join in October 2004. I just do more reading than posting. As you can see, the others joined in March 2006 and I think in response to a dive report I wrote. Never know, I could me mistaken. I actually did not feel in danger per say while on the boat. It was not as if we were taking on water or anything. I was not even upset about the engine in and of itself. It was the lack of planning and lack of concern that we had no communication device that got to me. We were fortunate, but it could have been worse. I've never misrepresented what happened or bad-mouthed Rich Coast Diving, I just gave my report of our experience, which I felt could be useful to others looking for a dive co. in Costa Rica. And we did the waterfall rapelling in Arenal and as you said it was amazing. I would love to go back and do more diving there among other things!

[turley]

We, like you are just posting about our diving experience that leaves us very pleased with Rich Coast!!!! Every profession however has those bad days that leave customers unhappy; you can't get around those unexpected circumstances no matter where you go. Rich Coast and Octal are complete opposite dive opperations. Rich Coast being the easy going, caters to your desires, and very personal operation, is our choice while on vacation. We are not fond of the large crowded boat and agenda that you are unable to choose; They go where we want to venture. I feel you have bad mouthed Rich Coast and are misrepresenting your trip as well as yourself. We however did not join just to reply to your posts. We joined to let the other divers know what kind of dive opperation Rich Coast really has. There has not been one day we have been unpleased. Eventhough Martin and Brenda have only been owners for a short time, we feel that the past owners would be very pleased as they are continuing a wonderful dive opperation. Rich Coast spans past just the diving as they have pointed us in the right direction of numerous other activities, restruants, and even our hotel. They fixed little things at our hotel we were unpleased with, with out hesitation. Rich Coast has not only made our diving experience a great one, but made our first trip to Coasta Rica an amazing experience!!!! Thank you Rich Coast~

[marigodiva]

I have not bad-mouthed them, only told exactly what happened on our trip. I am happy that you have had wonderful experiences with them.... we didn't. So we write about our experience, and and you write about your experience, and then others get both sides and can make a more informed decision about who they dive with when they go to CR. We admitted that we made mistakes. We didn't ask as many questions as we should have about the trip. We assumed a lot of things, and we shouldn't have. Luckily, we threw our own cell phone into our bag just before leaving. Otherwise, we could have been out there longer than we were.

[hardware guy]

I was also on that boat in February and never did I feel in danger, I felt Rich Coast did an outstanding job solving the situation. When I go back to Costa Rica, It's a " NO BRAINER" Rich Coast - Martin, Brenda, Brittinna, Johanne and the rest of the staff are great. They come HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you like to dive.......

Mark Forsberg

[Rivermonkey]

Both shops are great. I like Ocotal a bit more since the boats they use are the best in the area. They get to Cats and Bats faster than anyone and are a lot more comfortable than the rest of the shops in the area. Also Sissinio and his group have tons more experience in the area. DM/Insts are great at both shops.

[Deep Blue DIving]

If you're in doubt why not try Deep Blue Diving? :-)
We offer package deals with hotels and 2 tank dives, trips to the Catalina and Bat Islands as well for a great value.
We also can book land excursions and a rental car for you.

[Diver Lori]

I spent a week diving at El Ocotal and loved it. Medium size boats, small groups....great DM's....spectacular diving. I would go again if I didn't have many other "must do" destinations on my list.

The only complaint I had was with the AI itself...the same food night after night does get old. But the cooks were amenable to trying to mix things up for me...I'm a picky eater and I ran out of choices very quickly.