First timer, going dive Costa Rica and SCARED!

[matt_unique]

Hello,

I'm doing my dives here in the states and then I'm going to do my referral dives in Costa Rica. I'm VERY excited. Two of those dives are in the Catalina Islands...and I've heard about bull shark sightings!

I'm VERY VERY SCARED of sharks, I just keep thinking they are going to attack me while in Costa Rica. Please, honestly tell me in your own words how these terrifying beasts work and if they will bother me...I know the visibility isn't THAT great...they may mistake me for a fish!!!

This is off subject, but what were some other things you did while in Costa Rica. This is what I'm doing, have any comments.

2 day Pacuare River...HOW rough is this BABY!!
Arenal Volcano with Tabacon and Arenal Canopy Tour
Rio Celeste Tour
Monteverde Canyoing, Sky Walk & Sky Trek
Catalina Islands!!

If you love eco adventure you will LOVE Costa Rica. I usually stay in Coco (Playas Del Coco) which is close to the Catalina Islands. Ask to dive the "Northwest Drift" site. That is my favorite. I have always seen sharks at this site. The biggest I have ever seen there was about 7'. I have only seen Whitetip Reef Sharks. If you are lucky enough to see them the encounter will be brief. They will stay for a few minutes when your group arrives but will soon move on. If you have a camera take your pictures quickly.

I can recommend a PADI dive shop in Coco if you're interested. The place is called Deep Blue Diving adventures. They offer the best prices I have ever found in CR and the service is awesome. $30 for a two tank morning boat dive. No kidding - $30 - off a nice 30' cabin cruiser. The Catalina Island dives are $75 for two tanks. They also include snacks and drinks of course. The owners are (now) friends of mine. Billy and his wife Terry are Americans who said to hell with corporate life and moved to CR to open a dive business. Billy jokes that he has not work shoes since he moved except for special occassions Terry is the instructor and an excellent dive guide. She can point out more sealife than you can imagine. She is without question my favorite guide anywhere. If you're interested check out their website - do a search on Yahoo for Deep Blue Diving Adventures.

You will love Arenal and Tabacon Hot Springs. The canopy tours are a blast. What canopy outfit are you going with? "The Original Canopy Tour" company has a great reputation for safety. The Sky Walk and Sky Trek are very different from the regular canopy tour. With the canopy tour you are wearing nothing more than a climbing harness with pully and gloves. The Sky Walk/Trek is basically walking along a suspended bridge and tram ride respectively. I would opt for another canopy tour if it were me.

I would also highly recommend the Rincon de la Veija national park. Beautiful dramatic scenery, great horseback riding, CRAZY water slide (sounds funny but you would not believe it - they dam up water and you ride the wave down wearing a helmet), and they have the highest/longest canopy I have ever heard of or seen. They have this one canopy line, I sh*t you not, is about 200 yards in the air crossing a gorge about 300 yards long. You would have to ask for this one specifically. Otherwise you would be taken to the "regular" canopy portion which is the same as most others. By the way don't think Water Country or anything like that when I say water slide. This is just an unusual little attraction they put in - in the middle of the woods down the side of a mountain. This park also has a mud bath place - you go into a sauna, lube up with mud, rinse off, then dip in their pools. Very nice.....

If you want more info let me know.

--Matt

 

[Dwain]

I got certified in Costa Rica. Besides the dives being a tad deep for OW cert dives it was a great experiance.

 

[Paco]

I cannot wait for the Arenal Volcano...where did you stay? I'm staying at Arenal Observatory Lodge...it's REALLY close. I cannot wait for Tabacon, I'm sure they will relax me. I'm chose to go to Tamarindo insead of Manuel Antonio because of the Catalina Islands...I heard MA is beautiful!

That's where we stayed. Great view of the volcano. Hope for clear sky at night so you can see the lava flows. We didn't get that lucky; it was cloudy but we heard some amazing sounds.

 

[dweeb]

Just remember that sharks are hardwire programmed by nature. You don't look like, smell like, sound like or have the electrical impulses of anything on their natural menu, to them you are the unknown and should be avoided.

Exactly. There is no mystique to predator behavior - they only want an easy meal, and a diver seldom looks like one.
They are primitive animals, with a simple food recognition
program, and divers haven't been around the millions of years it takes to authorize a change to the source code.

When it comes to predator behavior, ask yourself, would you rather try to kill a bear with your teeth for dinner, or hit the drive thru at McDonald's? Predators are the same way - they want the easiest meal possible.

 

[Mako Mark]

sharks are so stupid that if they see you close your eyes, they believe that if you cant see them, they cant see you!

Anyway, the crocodiles usually chase them all away.

Ok enough with the shark jokes, Sharks are like dogs, there are big mean ones and little friendly ones, they all have teeth and even a spaniel can bite your ankle, a pit bull can rip your leg off. so dont pat the pit bulls and if a spaniel growls and barks leave it alone.

The same is with sharks, they have body language, they will move rapidly and jerkily when excited, the will swim slowly with exagerated tail movements (look how big I am, I have seen you and am not hiding), they will do what is called a false pass, charging at you and veering off at the last minute (next time I will bite you),

But generally they just swim slowly by and have a look then go away.

Most people describe their first shark sighting as "just like on TV, but with no scary music" get a photo if you can.

 

[Wes2004]

If you love eco adventure you will LOVE Costa Rica. I usually stay in Coco (Playas Del Coco) which is close to the Catalina Islands. Ask to dive the "Northwest Drift" site. That is my favorite. I have always seen sharks at this site. The biggest I have ever seen there was about 7'. I have only seen Whitetip Reef Sharks. If you are lucky enough to see them the encounter will be brief. They will stay for a few minutes when your group arrives but will soon move on. If you have a camera take your pictures quickly.

I can recommend a PADI dive shop in Coco if you're interested. The place is called Deep Blue Diving adventures. They offer the best prices I have ever found in CR and the service is awesome. $30 for a two tank morning boat dive. No kidding - $30 - off a nice 30' cabin cruiser. The Catalina Island dives are $75 for two tanks. They also include snacks and drinks of course. The owners are (now) friends of mine. Billy and his wife Terry are Americans who said to hell with corporate life and moved to CR to open a dive business. Billy jokes that he has not work shoes since he moved except for special occassions Terry is the instructor and an excellent dive guide. She can point out more sealife than you can imagine. She is without question my favorite guide anywhere. If you're interested check out their website - do a search on Yahoo for Deep Blue Diving Adventures.

You will love Arenal and Tabacon Hot Springs. The canopy tours are a blast. What canopy outfit are you going with? "The Original Canopy Tour" company has a great reputation for safety. The Sky Walk and Sky Trek are very different from the regular canopy tour. With the canopy tour you are wearing nothing more than a climbing harness with pully and gloves. The Sky Walk/Trek is basically walking along a suspended bridge and tram ride respectively. I would opt for another canopy tour if it were me.

I would also highly recommend the Rincon de la Veija national park. Beautiful dramatic scenery, great horseback riding, CRAZY water slide (sounds funny but you would not believe it - they dam up water and you ride the wave down wearing a helmet), and they have the highest/longest canopy I have ever heard of or seen. They have this one canopy line, I sh*t you not, is about 200 yards in the air crossing a gorge about 300 yards long. You would have to ask for this one specifically. Otherwise you would be taken to the "regular" canopy portion which is the same as most others. By the way don't think Water Country or anything like that when I say water slide. This is just an unusual little attraction they put in - in the middle of the woods down the side of a mountain. This park also has a mud bath place - you go into a sauna, lube up with mud, rinse off, then dip in their pools. Very nice.....

If you want more info let me know.
--Matt

Hey Matt,

I want to thank you for your information. I'm checking into the Ricon de la Vieji tour. I think I'm more excited about this waterslide than anything else! I'm going to see how my diving will work with this, sadly I only have 10 days...

I'm also going to book my diving with that center you recommended...they are 75 dollars cheaper! As of canopy tours, I'm doing one in Arenal, forgot the name. I'll have to see about the Sky Walk and Trek...it really isn't one of those canopy tours?

Tell me everything!! I'm so eager to hear about this country...this will be my graduation trip and I worked REALLY hard for this trip. Started my own fundraiser candy sale like the schools did and sold about 3000 candy bars in 2 months...wasn't easy!

What about the Pacuare River...did you do that? I'm curious about this river.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Wes2004]

That's where we stayed. Great view of the volcano. Hope for clear sky at night so you can see the lava flows. We didn't get that lucky; it was cloudy but we heard some amazing sounds.

I know, it'll be really upset if I do'nt get to see this thing!!! Ofcoarse I'm bound to hear it. I have 2 nights, so wish me luck. Hey, are the sounds loud enough to wake you up?

 

[GotAir]

Wes2004
Here's some pic's from Costa Rica last year. I have some more of sharks if you dare to ask for them

http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/photogalleries.php?s=4306

 

[Wes2004]

Wes2004
Here's some pic's from Costa Rica last year. I have some more of sharks if you dare to ask for them

http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/photogalleries.php?s=4306

The shark in your picture puts me at ease. Show my your other pictures of sharks if you have some...I might as well see what I'm in for.

Thanks

 

[GotAir]

PM me with your e-mail address. and I'll send you some more sharks and pic's from CR. that one shark pic was take at Catalina Iland they lay in these natural channels and let the food come right to them. ask your dive op to take you to ****ty rock its near catalina Iland. there's a big manta that hangs around there. my divemaster took a ride on him, I tried but i didnt know how much pressure to use to hold on and he slipped out of my hands. The manta just kept swimming around us as if he was lonely and wanted someone to play with. I've been to a few place outside the US to dive but CR was the one that really made an impression on me. Mike