Dive Review of Scubacaribe/Riu Palace in
Jamaica/Negril area

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Scubacaribe/Riu Palace: "pleasant if unexciting", Dec, 2015, by George Lynch, MA, US ( Reviewer 6 reports with 6 Helpful votes). Report 8778 has 2 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Not primarily a dive destination and severely fished out, but dive sites easily accessible, and water was warm, very calm when I was there - didn't need a wetsuit, and visibility was very good, so diving was pleasant if unexciting. Operator evidently used to very inexperienced divers: a bit officious and self-important, excessive paperwork, perhaps more interested in potential liability than customer satisfaction, don't seem to be able to identify fish (few as they are), insist on a follow-the-leader style of guided diving, even to the point of ascending at 35 minutes one dive, though only one other diver beside myself and me with 1800 PSI left. That was a deal breaker. Staff generally pleasant and helpful, however, if customers do exactly as they say. Very little to see aside from small, typical reef fish. Guides point out the mundane - lobsters, spotted drum, small yellow stingrays and the like - exciting only to those who have made very few dives in the Caribbean, tedious for others. I'd recommend diving here if you are in the area for other reasons, love to dive no matter what, and are more patient than I. Be aware there are no big fish to be seen, aside from the occasional eagle ray, not even parrotfish or barracuda - in short, nothing edible to be seen. Review based on only four dives (all I could bear). Lastly, boat had no tank racks, but wasn't an issue with only 5 divers max while I was there. The above represents the opinion of this reviewer.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Egypt Red Sea, Taveuni and Ringgold Islands Fiji, Palau, Sipadan, Kenya, Zanzibar, Hawaii (Big Island), Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman, Cayos Cochinos and Roatan Honduras, Belize, Phuket Thailand, Akumal and Cozumel and Cabo San Lucas Mexico, Sangalakhi Island Indonesia, Costa Rica
Closest Airport	Montego Bay	Getting There	small airport at Negril, but easier just to drive from Montego Bay - roughly 1.5 hours depending on traffic
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	82-84°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	One wreck dive to about 90' others about 60' from my limited knowledge (stopped diving with this shop after having to ascend at 35 minutes with 1800 PSI on fourth dive for no evident reason).Another dive was for 60 minutes, after fellow-diver complained about short dive times (of 40 min typically).
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
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	No special services that I noticed.

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Scubacaribe/Riu Palace in Jamaica/Negril area

Scubacaribe/Riu Palace: "pleasant if unexciting", Dec, 2015,

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 Scubacaribe/Riu Palace in
Jamaica/Negril area