Instant Reader Report
on Copamarina Resort / [same] in
Puerto Rico / Near Ponce on
2002/03
by
Joe Bean , Il, USA`
Report Number 030101134041542

 Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Florida Keys, California, Catalina, Bahamas, Turks
& Caicos 

Dive Conditions

DM was very attentive to my son and his friend, both of whom were on their
second dive trip, yet he did not ignore the other divers.  DM --nickname
is BamBam--loves the water, wants you to enjoy the dive and works to make
sure you do!  

!  

Overall Rating

The resort is wonderful...altho food in the restaurant is extremely
expensive. Two outdoor pools, beautiful well-kept grounds...we stayed in a
villa...three bedrooms, kitchen, veranda...service was
impeccable...clean...staff was very nice.  Provided us with a golf cart
for the week as part of the villa.  The dive operation is new...BamBam,
the dm, is just great...explained that he was still seeking new
sites...said we'd go there, look around, if we decided it wasn't any good,
we would leave immediately..and we did!  Water was very rough our first
day; BamBam advised against going out, saying he didn't want people to get
sick and not be able to enjoy their vacations.  Some of the diving was
so-so...not much to see in the way of fish, coral or sponges.  But at some
of the sites, it was gorgeous...with lots of little critters, coral,
sponges.  The highlight of the trip, however, was seeing a 45-foot whale
surface within 20 feet of us..we could hear the whale's blowhole.  BamBam
spotted the whale and stopped the boat instantly.  We watched quietly,
almost reverently, as the whale swam forward...then sank out of
sight...only to reappear again in a few minutes.  BamBam didn't turn the
boat's motor back on until the whale was gone as second time...and for
good.  Bam Bam loves the water...he was very attentive to my son (17 and a
certified diver) and his friend on their second dive trip...made certain
they saw things...big cuda, morays, coral.  He was a joy to be around...I
wouldn't go back to the Copamarina exclusively for diving...other islands
offer more and more consistent diving...but I would return for two
reasons:  BamBam, who seemed to genuinely want us to enjoy each dive and
the island.. Puerto Rico is beautiful, the food is great and the people we
met were gracious.  Ponce is fun to visit...and the area around the
Copamarina Resort is worth seeing.   

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