Dive Palancar Dive Shop?
- Thread starter Shader
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
bnajdrovsky
Contributor
Shader:
I've used them on two previous occasions when I was staying at the Allegro, and will be using them again this weekend, even though I'll be staying at the Iberostar resort, which has its own (overpriced) diveshop. They're a very good operator, and the prices are quite reasonable. They allow the divers to select which site the boat will go to (i.e. no fixed schedule), and the dive masters have always been very friendly, and safety conscious. They also let you stay down until you hit 750 psi, so you don't have to abort your dive just because someone in your group burned through their air way too quickly. Overall, I'd recommend them.
klolson26
Guest
bnajdrovsky:
We'll be staying there at the end of May, so I too, had this question. Are they full service? I am a certified diver, but my boyfriend will be doing his OW checkout dives while we're there, so I want to make sure he has a good experience with a knowledgable instructor. Thanks!
bnajdrovsky
Contributor
element
Contributor
As I am staying at the Grande in June I checked out the Dive Planacar web site and it does not include prices. I sent a email and got a reply same day with the price list (Cool). Not bad prices but still more expensive than Boat Diving up here in New England (I can do a 2 tank wreck dive for 60 bucks and even grab a lobster dinner while down there 
). Glad to hear service from Dive Planacar is reported as being good. Can't wait.
). Glad to hear service from Dive Planacar is reported as being good. Can't wait.
bnajdrovsky
Contributor
element:. Not bad prices but still more expensive than Boat Diving up here in New England (I can do a 2 tank wreck dive for 60 bucks and even grab a lobster dinner while down there
Dive Palancar has (or at least had the last time I was there) a 10 dive package for $250, which they let me split with my buddy in the past, so $25/tank seems pretty reasonable to me. The night dive was somewhat more expensive... $33 bucks if I remember correctly.
- Messages
- 5,721
- Reaction score
- 472
In my experience, Dive Palancar is professional & orderly with nice, well-equipped boats and a pleasant & well-trained staff. As the Occidental Grande/Allegro are situated well south & close to many of the best dives, rides are short & you usually return to shore for SI.
However, it is a high volume op & does serve a mixed crowd, including lots of newbies, and tightly scheduled, regimented, "lowest common denominator" diving indeed can & does occur on occasion.
Also, it is not quite accurate that they allow divers to select which site the boat will go to (i.e., no fixed schedule). Unless special arrangements are made in advance, they will not take you to the far northern (e.g., Barracuda, San Juan), far southern (e.g., Maracaibo Deep) or eastern (e.g., El Islote) sites. Even among the closer sites, they will not take you to places like Garganta del Diablo unless the divers on the boat clearly have the skills for it. Outside of this, yes, the group vote will give you access to the customary sites provided that site conditons & crew mood also are copacetic.
In short, I recommend Dive Palancar to the new to intermediate level diver or the a first timer to Coz, but not to the advanced diver seeking the island's most challenging sites and/or extreme diver freedom.
Have fun.
DocVikingo
However, it is a high volume op & does serve a mixed crowd, including lots of newbies, and tightly scheduled, regimented, "lowest common denominator" diving indeed can & does occur on occasion.
Also, it is not quite accurate that they allow divers to select which site the boat will go to (i.e., no fixed schedule). Unless special arrangements are made in advance, they will not take you to the far northern (e.g., Barracuda, San Juan), far southern (e.g., Maracaibo Deep) or eastern (e.g., El Islote) sites. Even among the closer sites, they will not take you to places like Garganta del Diablo unless the divers on the boat clearly have the skills for it. Outside of this, yes, the group vote will give you access to the customary sites provided that site conditons & crew mood also are copacetic.
In short, I recommend Dive Palancar to the new to intermediate level diver or the a first timer to Coz, but not to the advanced diver seeking the island's most challenging sites and/or extreme diver freedom.
Have fun.
DocVikingo
Canucklehead
Contributor
I had sent this earlier as part of a response to a private message, but it's probably appropriate here. I will attest to Doc's overall opinion, as you'll see:
All in all, they were good. I liked most of the dive masters (especially Ismael) - they were very skilled and attentive, especially with my son, who was 14 at the time and doing his first warm water diving.
It is a resort dive op, so you can expect to get a wide range of expertise amongst the divers. They did have one "cattle" type boat (I think it was the "Ondina") which holds a lot of divers and has no cover. However, I tipped the guy behind the counter (over at the Allegro - that's where we stayed) that takes your money and schedules the dives $5 every other day or so, and he seemed to try and get me on the "better" boats (like ProDive II and III). These are smaller and have a roof.
There were a number of repetitive dives. We were there for 12 days, and I did 20 dives with them, including 2 night dives. For example, looking back at my log book, I see that I did 5 dives at El Cedral. However, I'm not really vocal about where I want to dive, I just like diving anywhere. I'm sure that if you have a specific place you want to go, you should be able to steer them that way, though I seem to remember that they knew where they were going before the boat left the dock.
All in all, they were good. I liked most of the dive masters (especially Ismael) - they were very skilled and attentive, especially with my son, who was 14 at the time and doing his first warm water diving.
It is a resort dive op, so you can expect to get a wide range of expertise amongst the divers. They did have one "cattle" type boat (I think it was the "Ondina") which holds a lot of divers and has no cover. However, I tipped the guy behind the counter (over at the Allegro - that's where we stayed) that takes your money and schedules the dives $5 every other day or so, and he seemed to try and get me on the "better" boats (like ProDive II and III). These are smaller and have a roof.
There were a number of repetitive dives. We were there for 12 days, and I did 20 dives with them, including 2 night dives. For example, looking back at my log book, I see that I did 5 dives at El Cedral. However, I'm not really vocal about where I want to dive, I just like diving anywhere. I'm sure that if you have a specific place you want to go, you should be able to steer them that way, though I seem to remember that they knew where they were going before the boat left the dock.
- Messages
- 5,721
- Reaction score
- 472
(nt)
Similar threads
Question
Nachi-Cocom Beach Club
