I wanted to share a nice experience with Scuba Board. I like to try to dive when possible on business trips and I was recently in San (Sao) Jose Dos Campos Brazil calling on Embraer for some business discussions and knew I would be staying over the weekend. Not wanting to stay in Sao Jose, I brought my scuba equipment w me, planning to dive.
I emailed several places in the UBATUBA area of the coast and only one place responded to me. They were very friendly and they spoke good English.
OMNIMARE has a nice little dive shop in the downtown area of Ubatuba, only a couple blocks from the beach and about a mile from the dock where they keep their two boats. Omnimare also operates, right next to the dive shop, a real pleasant little Pousada called Pousada Omnimare which is basically a little hotel, or bed and breakfast. This was a very pleasant surprise. It was a beautiful little room with new tile floors and a very nice modern shower and bathroom area. There was a small flatscreen tv on the wall and nice air conditioner that kept the room icy cold.
They also have a nice pool and they can do some training in it. I was 4 or 5 folks in it one morning...
They serve a nice little breakfast...very clean...good bread and meat and cheese and fruit and coffee... it was fine.
POUSADA OMNIMARE
Rua Guaicurus, 30
Ubatuba, Brazil
55(12)3832 2005
I dove March 19th on Ilha Vitoria with their "fast" boat. Picture attached. Its fine and is much more roomy than I suspected at first. We had probably 20 people and the only time it seemed crowded was when we loaded everyone on board.
I am used to diving California and Florida, with occassional trips to exotic places like the Turks, Thailand, or (this summer) Cozumel. It had just rained for a week prior and the water visibility wasn't too great...normally its 40 or 50 feet but was probably 15-20 feet during my dives. I didnt mind it. Water temp was about 68 degrees. I had on 5 mil one piece w 3 mil hood and I was great. No problem. It was a heck of a lot warmer then California. And in the summer the water is MUCH warmer here...I got here in Brazil's Fall...and water temps were way down.
I saw a crazy looking sea snake but I can't identify it. It was about 25 feet down. About 2M long. If someone can identify it I would appreciate it. I attached it.
I also saw a HUGE Queen angel and two of the biggest French Angels I have ever seen. Unfortunately the fish there were quite easily agitated and I could not get them to stay still for a pic. I have never seen such skittish fish. But wow they were big. I also swam over a large sting ray and startled it before I could get a pic...and I never saw a Ray move so fast...ever. So in general, the fish were very easily startled and very fast there compared with my normal dive experiences.
To summarize, I really liked Omnimare. I loved the Pousada. Also, you could walk out the front door and two blocks away you were walking down mainstreet and could enter any of 25 restaurants... I loved it.
But the vis wasn't too hot due to recent rains. However, I will definately do this again. It was a great experience. The drive from Sao Jose was about 90 minutes max. It was interesting as you decend the mountain into Ubatuba. BE VERY CAREFUL, as some of the turns are true HAIRPIN turns and you need to be at a near dead stop to make them. Don't be caught off guard by the turns.
The drive was fun and very beautiful...
I include some pics of the harbor area fishing boats. It was so picturesque and beautiful...
-Gary
I emailed several places in the UBATUBA area of the coast and only one place responded to me. They were very friendly and they spoke good English.
OMNIMARE has a nice little dive shop in the downtown area of Ubatuba, only a couple blocks from the beach and about a mile from the dock where they keep their two boats. Omnimare also operates, right next to the dive shop, a real pleasant little Pousada called Pousada Omnimare which is basically a little hotel, or bed and breakfast. This was a very pleasant surprise. It was a beautiful little room with new tile floors and a very nice modern shower and bathroom area. There was a small flatscreen tv on the wall and nice air conditioner that kept the room icy cold.
They also have a nice pool and they can do some training in it. I was 4 or 5 folks in it one morning...
They serve a nice little breakfast...very clean...good bread and meat and cheese and fruit and coffee... it was fine.
POUSADA OMNIMARE
Rua Guaicurus, 30
Ubatuba, Brazil
55(12)3832 2005
I dove March 19th on Ilha Vitoria with their "fast" boat. Picture attached. Its fine and is much more roomy than I suspected at first. We had probably 20 people and the only time it seemed crowded was when we loaded everyone on board.
I am used to diving California and Florida, with occassional trips to exotic places like the Turks, Thailand, or (this summer) Cozumel. It had just rained for a week prior and the water visibility wasn't too great...normally its 40 or 50 feet but was probably 15-20 feet during my dives. I didnt mind it. Water temp was about 68 degrees. I had on 5 mil one piece w 3 mil hood and I was great. No problem. It was a heck of a lot warmer then California. And in the summer the water is MUCH warmer here...I got here in Brazil's Fall...and water temps were way down.
I saw a crazy looking sea snake but I can't identify it. It was about 25 feet down. About 2M long. If someone can identify it I would appreciate it. I attached it.
I also saw a HUGE Queen angel and two of the biggest French Angels I have ever seen. Unfortunately the fish there were quite easily agitated and I could not get them to stay still for a pic. I have never seen such skittish fish. But wow they were big. I also swam over a large sting ray and startled it before I could get a pic...and I never saw a Ray move so fast...ever. So in general, the fish were very easily startled and very fast there compared with my normal dive experiences.
To summarize, I really liked Omnimare. I loved the Pousada. Also, you could walk out the front door and two blocks away you were walking down mainstreet and could enter any of 25 restaurants... I loved it.
But the vis wasn't too hot due to recent rains. However, I will definately do this again. It was a great experience. The drive from Sao Jose was about 90 minutes max. It was interesting as you decend the mountain into Ubatuba. BE VERY CAREFUL, as some of the turns are true HAIRPIN turns and you need to be at a near dead stop to make them. Don't be caught off guard by the turns.
The drive was fun and very beautiful...
I include some pics of the harbor area fishing boats. It was so picturesque and beautiful...
-Gary
