Scuba Diving-Near Manuel Antonio

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  • #167925
    bogino
    Participant

    I’m trying to help a client plan his vacation in CR next month. One item he asked about was scuba diving opportunities. He will be spending time in the Manuel Antonio area so wondering whether anybody has any ideas/recommendations for scuba diving in that area. I’ve heard about Cano Island but that seems far from Manuel Antonio (maybe not?) but other than Cano I don’t know what other options might be available. Thx.

    #167926

    My first confession is that I’m not a scuba diver. That being said, I like to snorkel. While the Pacific Ocean is beautiful during the Green Season, the influx of rain water adds a cloud to the visability. So you almost have to get on a dive boat and out to deep waters to find clear water. I tried a lot of places all along the coast, but if you’re expecting Belize, you’ll probably be disappointed. Maybe someone could confirm how the various islands (Cano,Catalina,and others) hold to their promises of great diving. If you hike down the beaches, about your only hope is to find a tidal pool at low tide. There’s no waves crashing you into the lava crags, and the visability is great. Santa Elena has a few pools and I’ve heard Montezuma does also. I’m willing to try again if anyone’s got personal experience with snorkel or scuba sites.
    By the way, skip the “sail & snorkel” out of Quepos. Visibility is poor and your dive is about 30 minutes. Your boat ride is about 4 hours. The crew was very personable, lunch was nice–unless you add “motion sickness” to the mix!

    #167927
    rturner
    Member

    Cano is a fun trip but is murky too. Just the way it is in the Pacific. Lot of sand sharks but they don’t bother you.

    Ballena is decent for snorkeling.

    RT

    [quote=”puravidatexan”]My first confession is that I’m not a scuba diver. That being said, I like to snorkel. While the Pacific Ocean is beautiful during the Green Season, the influx of rain water adds a cloud to the visability. So you almost have to get on a dive boat and out to deep waters to find clear water. I tried a lot of places all along the coast, but if you’re expecting Belize, you’ll probably be disappointed. Maybe someone could confirm how the various islands (Cano,Catalina,and others) hold to their promises of great diving. If you hike down the beaches, about your only hope is to find a tidal pool at low tide. There’s no waves crashing you into the lava crags, and the visability is great. Santa Elena has a few pools and I’ve heard Montezuma does also. I’m willing to try again if anyone’s got personal experience with snorkel or scuba sites.
    By the way, skip the “sail & snorkel” out of Quepos. Visibility is poor and your dive is about 30 minutes. Your boat ride is about 4 hours. The crew was very personable, lunch was nice–unless you add “motion sickness” to the mix![/quote]

    #167928
    VictoriaLST
    Member

    I am a diver and I would stay away from the Pacific at any time of the year due to silting and just currents stirring the bottom. How about a nice trip to the Carrib?

    #167929
    *Lotus
    Member

    Diving the Pacific was disappointing for my wife, who is a diver. As others have pointed out, very poor visibility.

    #167930
    bogino
    Participant

    Seems to be a consensus building that diving on Pacific is not all that great. Anyone able to comment from experience on the Caribbean side?

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