Aqua Center/Paridisus Resort, Apr, 2009,by Steve Giles, CA, USA ( Sr. Reviewer 7 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 4763. |
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No photos available at this time | |||
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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Accommodations | Food | ||
Service and Attitude | Environmental Sensitivity | ||
Dive Operation | Shore Diving | N/A | |
Snorkeling | N/A | ||
Overall Rating |
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Value for $$ | |||
Beginners | |||
Advanced | |||
Comments |
Our trip was set up by Bill Beard's Travel who recommended both the hotel and the dive operator. This was our first trip to Coasta Rica and we will likely return. The resort was excellent: service was first-rate. There are eight separate restaurants at the Paridisus offering a variety of cusine to satisfy even the most discriminating palate. Rooms were spacious and immaculate. The hotel was all-inclusive - even alcohol was included. The mini-bar in each room was well-stocked with water, soft drinks, beer and wine. The Dive Operation was located within a ten-minute drive from the hotel. The dive operator furnished transportation both ways each day. Diving at the close-by (10-minute boat trip)Santa Catalina Islands was somewhat like Southern California diving with rocky bottom topography, but no kelp and warmer water. Water temperature on many dives varied as much as 10-degrees between surface (81-degrees) and bottom (71-degrees) temperature. The boat was clean, well-maintained, and spacious. Divers were required to remain together as a group, but group(s) were kept small with a maximum of six divers, plus divemaster, in each group. All dives were terminated at 45 minutes. Divemasters were very conscious of safety, requiring safety stops at the end of each dive. The area abounds with schools of large Jacks, sting rays, and eels of all sizes. The highlight of the diving week were two large Manta Rays seen on one dive. Of course, the reason for such quantity and variety of sea life is nutrient rich waters which tend to lessen underwater visibility. A great destination for experienced divers; beginners might have some difficulty due to dark waters and limited visibility on most dives. |
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Reporter and Travel |
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Dive Experience | Over 1000 dives | ||
Where else diving | Channel Islands, Baja CA, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Bonaire, Virgin Islands, Fiji, Palau, St. Lucia, Honduras, Hawaiian Islands | ||
Closest Airport | Getting There | ||
Dive Conditions |
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Weather | sunny, dry | Seas | calm |
Water Temp | 71-81°F / 22-27°C | Wetsuit Thickness | 3 |
Water Visibility | 10-40 Ft/ 3-12 M | ||
Dive Policy |
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Dive own profile | no | ||
Enforced diving restrictions | All dives were limited to a maximum bottom time of 45 minutes. | ||
Liveaboard? | no | Nitrox Available? | N/A |
What I Saw |
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Sharks | 1 or 2 | Mantas | 1 or 2 |
Dolphins | Schools | Whale Sharks | None |
Turtles | 1 or 2 | Whales | None |
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best): |
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Corals | N/A | Tropical Fish | |
Small Critters | Large Fish | ||
Large Pelagics | |||
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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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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