Dive Review of Aqua Center/Paridisus Resort in
Costa Rica/Playa Conchal, Gunacaste

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Aqua Center/Paridisus Resort, Apr, 2009, by Steve Giles, CA, USA ( Sr. Reviewer 7 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 4763.
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	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.
Reporter and Travel
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
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
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
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	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 Aqua Center/Paridisus Resort in Costa Rica/Playa Conchal, Gunacaste

Aqua Center/Paridisus Resort, Apr, 2009,

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 Aqua Center/Paridisus Resort in
Costa Rica/Playa Conchal, Gunacaste