www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hey fellas!

Any PADI certified divers here?

And have any of you actually tried the Puntarenas area? I found a few dive outfits based there and am interested in any info or recommendations for scuba diving.

I'd rather not do the 6+ hour drive to more remote locations if I don't have to.

I'm considering a 2 day trip about Dec 10.

Thanks!!

CalaGuy

Patriot seems to think the waters around Puntarenas "are very clear". That runs counter to everything I've heard, but then I haven't actually gone diving there and maybe Patriot has. I have posted extensively on this subject before including this post that came up when I used the search feature here to look up info on "diving" (imagine someone actually using that approach). This post had copy of info posted elsewhere by local CR diving authoriities. In fact, the outfit I was quoting was JD Watersports, which is based in Jaco, so when they say other areas in CR are much better I tend to believe them. http://www.costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=34847&highlight=diving#34847

The Puntarenas/Jaco area is closest to SJ and has the best nightlife of any of the other dive areas so that might trump its drawbacks as having the worst diving. OTOH, 6+ hours of driving is bit of an exaggeration for other areas, even Papagayo bay. 6 Hours can get you all the way (or practically all the way) to the borders with Nicaragua or Panama. Flamingo is 6 hours by bus but you could probably cut down on that considerably in a private car. Cahuita os 4 hours by bus, same thing. And you could also always cut the time down by hopping on a plane. Even Quepos/MA would be a step up over Puntarenas for diving and it is less than an hour further away.

I took a diving class in college. 25 years ago. That is all I know about scuba diving. But, I don't think the Puntereanus area is good for scuba diving. I have heard the Carribean side of Costa Rica is better for that. Just what I have heard. But, I know Floridas Keys is the better place.

Thanks for the info.

Prolijo, I did a lot of web searching for diving info in CR and found most of the same write-ups in the thread you linked to. They help but I was just looking to see if there was anyone who had actually tried some of these places in order to check into the trade-offs of travel, diving, nightlife, etc.

I didn't search in the CRT area but will keep that in mind for the future.

I'm still looking for someone who has gone diving if possible.

Thanks!!

CalaGuy

I'll be there Dec 5th - 11th and also am looking for anywhere to dive. I am probably taking a side trip on the 7th-9th. Right now, it looks like I will head northwest from SJ and see what I can find. There isn't a great deal of info on scuba there, as it doesn't seem to really be a diving destination other than the live-aboards that head out to the islands. Let me know if you find any info.

Don't waste your time or money diving there, not good.

Carribean side. Cahuita to Boca del Toro in Panama.

Pax,
Sluthog

OK...I'm not a SCUBA diver...but the MUFF diving isnt bad in Puntarenas...at a low cost. Do a search of my past posts under "Puntarenas" and you will get some info on the food and nightlife there at least. I also HEARD there are some good dive sights in Nicoya Bay of sunken ships. Not sure if theres any gold left though:)

Good luck and happy diving...

Okay, I have gone diving in Costa Rica, (One hundred years ago ) Just kidding, but it was a couple of years ago. I only know about Guanacaste area diving. At the time El Ocatal http://www.ocotalresort.com/ and Bill Beard's were the best and about the only operations out of Tamarindo area, which admitedly is not in the area that you are looking, but is not 6 hours away either. You could probably make it in 3 hours or fly in & out of Liberia instead as they had direct flights from . The night life there is not totally lacking, but I would not exactly call it a target rich environment. You may want to consider bring your entertainment with you. I will be there in Jan 17th or so.

CG,
I've dove in the Flamingo / Playa Portrero area (just North of Tamarindo). Was not impressed at all. Visibility was not that great, and the underwater sights were average, at best.

I've also dove farther North, in the El Ocotal / Playa del Coco area. The dives were a little better up there, but still nothing to write home about.

I've never dove in the Puntarenas area, or on the Caribbean side, so I can not comment on those areas.

Since I'm in Florida, I'm only a short boat ride over to the Bahama's. I've dove extensively all over the Bahama's. After diving there, you get spoiled. IMOH, diving in the Bahama's is some of the best diving in the world. I compare it with Mexico, Hawaii and the Turks & Caicos Islands, in the Eastern Caribbean.

That being said, the diving that I've done in CR just didn't cut it. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy the diving in CR, but that's only because I love to dive. I wouldn't call it a popular "dive" destination. But if you need a fix, there are dive operations in just about all the beach tourist areas.

Regarding a 4 or 6 hour drive, I'd recommend taking an In-Country flight from SJO to any one of the outlying towns. Sansa or Nature-Air has flights out of SJO that range from $50 - $80 each way, and the flights are usually 30 - 40 minutes. If you wanna dive in Tamarindo, the airstrip is only about a 5 minute drive from the center of town. If you want to dive in Playa Ocotal or Playa del Coco, they're only about a 25 - 30 minute drive from the Liberia airport.

You might even want to look into the Jaco / Manuel Antonio or Quepos areas. They're also just a short flight from SJO.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.
Mikey-B

_________________
You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

My experience or lack of experience with one dive operation on the Caribbean side in Puerto Viejo was poor. There is a dive shop in Puerto Viejo called Reef Runners run by two guys that give the impression that they have better things to do than take people diving. I was there between Jan 17th and Jan 21st 2006 and the dive shop was closed as apparently the visiblity was poor due to the heavy rain. So the two guys closed up shop and went to Bocas del Toro to party and renew their visa. They left a note on the door that they had gone diving and would be back at 1:30 p.m. So, after waiting a couple hours in vain for these two business men to return, I left to go find other things to do. Apparently these two "businessmen" left the country and couldn't be bothered to leave a proper note. They deserve all the business they lose.

Further down the coast near the border with Panama there is another dive operation run by an Aussie and he seemed to be a pretty good guy. I stopped by one day and talked with him and he explained the situation with the visiblity and said that he would just be takingmy money if we were to go diving that day.

Anyone ever hit Ilse Del Coco? would be cool to see some of that stuff. I lived in Gitmo (Cuba) for 5 years. I havent seen water as clear as that anywhere in CR. Now the Bahamas as Mikey-b says will spoil you its is the absolute clearest water I have ever seen. It coulda just been the day but i pulled into Chub Cay I swear you could see down 100 feet at a quarter on the bottom and tell if it was on heads or tails.

Surfdog

Sorry on a side note Stay out of the water in Puntarenas. Its pretty damn polluted i have seen just about everything laying on the beach at boca Barranca and once while surfing Guacilio <(spelling) which is just south of there after surfing a few hours i walked up over the hill to look around there is/was a HUGE DUMP only a couple hundred yard from the beach. Im not sure maybe thirdworld knows better than i do if they ever cleaned that up.

Surfdog

Hey Surfdog. I've never had any desire to surf Boca Borranca for just that reason. This could be a rumor, but I've even heard of a meat plant dumping stuff up that way. As for the diving I haven't heard anything spectacular about this area. There is some good snorkeling around Punta Leona. There is a dive outfit out of Herradura that I want to check out. I just took over a tourism center/ internet cafe and am collecting as much info as I can on anything anyone might ask about. By the way, I'm going back through old posts and am getting lots of good tourist info on areas I don't know. Especially Guanacaste area. You might want to head up to Flamingo or Coco for diving. I hear more good reports from there. Or the caribe.

Aye 3rd world could be an urban lengend but i have heard that also along with storys of cow heads etc rolling along in the river. I dont like surfing anywhere you can find sryinges laying on the beach. I know on a good day you can ride a left all the way to the hospital dont know if thats where this trash is comming from though. Have you ever been to the left point guacalio? near where on the surf map it says playa valor and tavives? you park up on a cliff Its a good wave but i wont be surfing there any time soon. Im gonna look up your link again n good luck