www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Anyone interested in scuba diving as well as the usual San Jose fun?

I'm thinking about getting PADI certified, which it looks like most places down there it's around 4 days and $350. They say the Carribean side is better for diving, but not as many dive shops. Not much tica action over there either. Jaco is closer to the west, but mixed reviews on the diving.

Looking to get a round trip flight mid-vacation to a coast. NatureAir to Tamarindo for example, looks like price varies from $120 to $210. Locos, Promo, Elite? Or if flying, could fly somewhere else for better diving.

Would it be better to do the diving before San Jose, or after? I don't have much of a plan yet, still flexible.

Around a 10 day trip in the fall. I've never ben to CR, this will be my first trip. I'm in my early 30's.

Here's my advice, for what it's worth.

Get certified in the States before you go, if possible. It's cool to have some exotic location on your C-card, but you may want the flexibility to do some more aggressive dives as soon as you hit the coast. It sucks having to be a slave to someone else's schedule while getting those crappy certification dives out of the way.

Research destinations. Generally speaking, the Caribbean side blows away the Pacific side throughout Central America for diving, but I don't speak from CR-specific experience. Based on the little research I've done, Puerto Viejo probably would be my starting point for CR diving research. I know there is a respectable dive shop there, and the partying is off the hook. If you're in your early thirties and reasonably good-looking, you can pimp Euro chicks at the reggae bars every night. Many are there to party and get boned by a local or an anonymous tourist. Or, you can bring a chica with you, which leads me to my next piece of advice.

Go to SJO first. That's a must. If you go to a non-mongering destination first, you will not have had purged yourself of that first nuisance nut. You'll have chicas on the brain to distract you from the reasons you're there, and you'll probably regret your strategy. On this issue, I do speak from personal experience, LOL! In SJO you can blow it out for a few days, and if you click with a particular chica you can rent her for a day or so and take her to your diving destination for pussy-on-demand. As fun as it is to chase Euro chicks, gringa touristas, and local non-pros, a bush in the hand is better than ten birds you have to chase.

That's how I would do it. Have fun!

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One-eyed and peg-legged is how I like 'em, ARRRRR!

I'd at least get my PADI classroom work done in the States and use CR to complete the open-water portion of the course.

You might want to consider Drake's Bay on the Osa Peninsula for this. I hear the diving around Cano Island is pretty good, although I don't know from personal experience. I met a couple of ladies during my February trip to the Osa who got certified there and really enjoyed it. Although I have an "advanced" certification and have dived a number of locations around the world (the Manado, Sulawesi area in Indonesia being by far the best), I have never actually dived in CR.

BTW, about 80% of the reef system on the Caribbean side is dead, mainly due to massive chemical runoff from all the banana plantations on this side of the country. Might still be some decent diving in spots, however.

good advice guys, thank you so much.

I like the idea of maybe getting classroom done in the States. I may just do it all here, and then be ready down in CR or other area.

I totally agree on going to SJO first, that is why I mentioned doing the diving mid-trip... go in and out with some bangin'

I agree about doing your classroom stuff before you go if you can.
In my opinion, diving around Jaco sucks. Punta Uva and the Puerto Viejo area on the caribbean side, though, is great. Punta Uva is good because you can walk right off of the beach and find some great diving and snorkeling with lots of fish and critters.

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Don't call 'em hookers. I tell my wife I'm here dealing with holesalers.