Costa Reefing
Registered
Hi everyone I just wanted to share a few pics ive managed to take on the Pacific side of Costa Rica over the past few months. I took these pics at Manuel Antonio, Herreadura, and the Catalina islands. Hopefully you enjoy
Costa Rica 2014
- Thread starter Costa Reefing
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landshark94
Registered
I am about to Book a trip to Guanacaste and staying at the Riu Palace for April 26 to May 3, 2014. I am reading that the only dive operation is Scuba Caribe that is close by. How is Scuba Caribe, what is the water temperature and visibility now and what is it supposed to be like at the end of April. Also are there any particular sites that you would recommend for the Local sites there.
OP
Costa Reefing
Registered
I'm actually going to the RIU this weekend but will not be diving with Scuba Caribe (I will be diving with Rocket Frog or Rich Coast instead)
Scuba Caribe seems to promote itself a lot but I couldn't find many reviews for them. I talked to them and they dont offer night diving so that was a big disappointment.
Other "close" options would be around Flamingo (45min drive) with Pacific Coast Divers, they are an excellent operator and will take you out to the Catalina Islands or the other options would be around Cocos beach (10min boat ride or 30min by car). The more popular dive shops would be Rich Coast Diving, Deep blue or Rocket Frog Divers in Ocotal. I haven't dove with any of them in the past but can give a review on monday once I go.
Water temp and visibility vary greatly. Many people expect the warm, calm, clear water of the Caribbean but you wont get that here, this is the mighty Pacific afterall. The temp is usually around the 70-80s along with some cooler thermoclines and visibility could be anywhere from 3ft-60ft depending on the amount of plankton in the water and on how climate has been those days.
Scuba Caribe seems to promote itself a lot but I couldn't find many reviews for them. I talked to them and they dont offer night diving so that was a big disappointment.
Other "close" options would be around Flamingo (45min drive) with Pacific Coast Divers, they are an excellent operator and will take you out to the Catalina Islands or the other options would be around Cocos beach (10min boat ride or 30min by car). The more popular dive shops would be Rich Coast Diving, Deep blue or Rocket Frog Divers in Ocotal. I haven't dove with any of them in the past but can give a review on monday once I go.
Water temp and visibility vary greatly. Many people expect the warm, calm, clear water of the Caribbean but you wont get that here, this is the mighty Pacific afterall. The temp is usually around the 70-80s along with some cooler thermoclines and visibility could be anywhere from 3ft-60ft depending on the amount of plankton in the water and on how climate has been those days.
Q1988
Registered
Landshark; I dove with Scuba Caribe, 9 dives, March 1,2,3,4,6 of 2014. I bought 10 but they cancelled one day as I was the only diver. They are a good outfit but you are mixed with divers with no equipment and as few as 3 dives over their life. Not good.
The water temperature at the surface is 82f and as you travel to 70 feet it drops to 72f with both visual density changes and areas of extreme temperature difference. My 3 mil was just enough to do the job but a long time over 40 feet and it got cold. Most wore rented 5 mils from the shop. I do not like to pack on more than 6 lbs of lead with my 3 mil. The over 15 to 18 lbs of lead by the less experienced caused buoyancy issues and they were usually floating 10-15 feet above us. Current was an issue for some so, along with thermals, current and poor buoyancy control the dive master was busy.
Vis was poor to terrible. This makes sense when you see the photos from Costa Reefing above as they are all close ups of very small creatures. I did see all sting, eagle, skates, manta, and devil rays but photos were not good. Lots of porcupine fish, eels, small fish schools, white tip, turtle, clown shrimp, newdibrancs(sp). There is very little coral only rock. This makes sense due to the low light penetration. All big creatures were at a distance.
Although told we would, I never did get to Catalina Island even though we had 4 divers one day, enough for the cat boat we did not venture that far.
The 9th dive vis was 6 feet so after 20 minutes of eel sighting I had had enough and me and the master called it a day.
the earlier dive had a technical component to it as both me and the master tagged anchors to lift and relocate. They eventually got permission from management to take only one diver out.
Oh well back to the Caribbean
The water temperature at the surface is 82f and as you travel to 70 feet it drops to 72f with both visual density changes and areas of extreme temperature difference. My 3 mil was just enough to do the job but a long time over 40 feet and it got cold. Most wore rented 5 mils from the shop. I do not like to pack on more than 6 lbs of lead with my 3 mil. The over 15 to 18 lbs of lead by the less experienced caused buoyancy issues and they were usually floating 10-15 feet above us. Current was an issue for some so, along with thermals, current and poor buoyancy control the dive master was busy.
Vis was poor to terrible. This makes sense when you see the photos from Costa Reefing above as they are all close ups of very small creatures. I did see all sting, eagle, skates, manta, and devil rays but photos were not good. Lots of porcupine fish, eels, small fish schools, white tip, turtle, clown shrimp, newdibrancs(sp). There is very little coral only rock. This makes sense due to the low light penetration. All big creatures were at a distance.
Although told we would, I never did get to Catalina Island even though we had 4 divers one day, enough for the cat boat we did not venture that far.
The 9th dive vis was 6 feet so after 20 minutes of eel sighting I had had enough and me and the master called it a day.
the earlier dive had a technical component to it as both me and the master tagged anchors to lift and relocate. They eventually got permission from management to take only one diver out.
Oh well back to the Caribbean
cbl
Registered
I recently stayed at the Riu Palace and booked with Rocket Frog diving. They picked me up with their boat right on the beach every morning and too me home after. Absolutely the way to go. Great boat and crew. If you are able, make the trip to Bat Islands. Contact them by e-mail, and Michael will get right back to you. Don't even think of going with scuba caribe.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
OP
Costa Reefing
Registered
I ended up diving with rocket frog divers which turned out to be a very good choice. As cbl said, great boat and crew! The water temp was about 80 at the surface and in the low 70s at about 50ft, visibility was 20ft at best and sometimes 5ft
I went to the Catalinas from Guanacaste with Rich Coast- they were great and the boat is very nice. We even saw some sea turles mating and the captain cut the motors for a few minutes (a little voyeuristic, maybe? 
Great Photos, OP - I want to invest in an underwater camera - what do you have? Your colours are fantastic.
Aggie
(Caribe Sur, CR...)
Great Photos, OP - I want to invest in an underwater camera - what do you have? Your colours are fantastic.
Aggie
(Caribe Sur, CR...)
OP
Costa Reefing
Registered
I went to the Catalinas from Guanacaste with Rich Coast- they were great and the boat is very nice. We even saw some sea turles mating and the captain cut the motors for a few minutes (a little voyeuristic, maybe?
Great Photos, OP - I want to invest in an underwater camera - what do you have? Your colours are fantastic.
Aggie
(Caribe Sur, CR...)
Thank you! I dont have an external strobe yet which would make the pictures way better but one day il get one. My setup is fairly basic, its a canon s95, canon wp-dc38 housing, x2 inon ucl-165 macro lenses and the adapters to put everything together. Aslo I edit the pics a little bit with Adobe Lightroom.
---------- Post added April 21st, 2014 at 08:18 AM ----------
Some more pics from this past weekend. Instead of the usual Pacific I went to the Caribbean side of CR which was a first for me and ended up doing some lionfish hunting.
Thank you Costa Reefing the pics are great! Glad you had fun !!!
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