Dive Review of ORCA dive center/Manutara Hotel in
Chile/Easter Island

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ORCA dive center/Manutara Hotel, Jan, 2007, by Lamont Sage, CA, usa . Report 3192.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Have always wanted to dive Easter Island- we hauled our dive gear from the US knowing we would only be diving for 2 days. Boats were basic pangas. Orca dive shop is well equipped with brand new equipment and a clean operation. Warm showers provided after diving and rinse tanks also. $45.00 dive includes all your equipment, from BCD to wetsuit, regulator, etc. Free lockers provided for your valuables. All of the equipment was top of the line. It is a shame they use beat up old pangas instead of investing in a nice dive boat with tank racks. All of the gear is thrown into the center of the panga and the divemaster/boatsman help you gear up. This is not the easiest for those of us who have been diving for a long time and are no longer in our 20's! The operator is set up for inexperienced divers wanting to do 1 or 2 dives. Their regimented operation and very limited selection of dive sites appears to be set up to accommodate the general low level of experienced diver that they encounter. I was using a cane, having recovered from leg surgery. I had just been diving in November 06 in Curacao and Dominica (since the surgery) and knew I had no problem once in the water. I overheard the divemaster tell the boatsman in Spanish that he did not think I would be able to swim or complete the dive. Once in the water I found the air had been put into my BCD without my knowledge; this delayed my descent. While attempting to descend I had an ear-block and was at 20 feet trying to clear. The rest of the group was waiting for me at 60 feet on the bottom. Carlo, the divemaster, got in my face and started hassling me- are you immediately descending or what?? I signalled an ear problem and that I wanted to swim above the group at 25 ft and work my way down as my ears cleared- he would not allow this and I had to abort the dive and return to the surface. Needless to say this aggravated me. The water was calm, we were right off shore, viz was good, there were only 4 divers. On the second dive I desended on the anchor line(after taking some sudafed) and had no problem clearing. We were kept in a very tight group. My advice- don't go to Easter Island to dive. If you are there, dive by all means but expect to be treated like a beginner. I understand that there is no chamber on the island and nobody wants an accident. But considering the conditions around the island (pretty rough, no protected coves to speak of, 74 degree water in the summer) and the poor quality of the boats used you will not find a great dive experience here.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	have logged over 1000 dives worldwide, Palau, Red Sea, Phillipines, PNG, Solomons, multiple caribbean islands, 20+ liveaboards
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy, noCurrents
Water Temp	74-75°F / 23-24°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	40-50 Ft/ 12-15 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Treated like first time divers with no experience-meet at bottom, dive in a conga line with follow the leader, come up at 40 min regardless of air remaining
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of ORCA dive center/Manutara Hotel in Chile/Easter Island

ORCA dive center/Manutara Hotel, Jan, 2007,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of ORCA dive center/Manutara Hotel in
Chile/Easter Island