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Dive Review of Sam's Tours in
Micronesia

Sam's Tours, Jul, 2007,

by James Knieling, NV, USA . Report 3574.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Sam's Tours is an excellent operator. They have excellent fast and covered boats. The dive crew catered to their American clients. They used Neco Marine Boats, no restroom or padding and had mainly twin 150 Yahama motors which really moved. Most of the other operators used twin 100 Yahama motors.

They have FREE NITROX! FREE HOTEL PICKUPS! REALLY FAST BOATS! This turned the NECO Tours hour ride into 30-minutes average and made the long daily runs as short as possible. They offered packages with local hotel operators. They got me a nice room at the West Plaza Marasical Island which was surrounded with 4-very tempting dance bars. Lots of night life there, but it can be very expensive. The food at the adjacent restaurant was very good. I walked to Sam's Tours my last day of 5-days and it is a 5-minute walk. I notice the Aggressor moors just around the inlet from their operation.

Their facility is well run and has several large vans to make pickup fast and easy. The Blue Corner & Blue Hole dive is INCREDIBLE! No visit to Palau should be completed without Blue Corner! It is a location where you use a hard coral blunt hook and 4' of line. You float up and watch the parade of dozens of sharks, about a 100 barracuda, and schools of 40-100 different kinds of fish racing by as the waters swells up and mixes with the warm and cold water. AWESOME SITE! I did it twice in 5-days of diving. They went to Jelly Fish Lake and German Channel, but Blue Corner was the Best of the Best!

I am going back to Palau, but this time I am going through the Philippines avoiding Continentals rip off fare! Tip: Get an American Express Card and you can take advantage of their great Baggage & Trip Delay Insurance for $12. I really needed it since Continental trashed all three of my bags and has jerked me around with their, "WE MIGHT PAY YOU SOMETHING AFTER YOU WAIT FOR 90+DAYS POLICY! AMEX paid me for 3-NEW bags in 14-days from receiving my claim!

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving On this trip I dove in Palau, Yap, Truk & Bikini Atoll. The week before I dove Lake Mead Nevada.
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas noCurrents
Water Temp 83-84°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 1
Water Visibility 40-100 Ft/ 12-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Sam's Tours was fairly liberal and very liberal in their rules. Most if not all divers followed the dive master who new the area the best.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 4 stars
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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