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My wife and I are final approach for our May trip. My question is with OceanQuest's AOW being $240 and PacificScuba's being $320 is there a reason I wouldn't go with OceanQuest?
Puerta Vallarta dive op ?
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I don't know enough about Ocean Quest, just my great expeience with Pacific Scuba. But if I were you, I'd call Pacific Scuba and see if they'll match (or beat) the price. Remember, this IS Mexico.Backtanner:
yasushi
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Larry and others
Thank you very much for a lot of useful information posted here. :07: We had a very good time in Puerto and Nuevo Vallarta.
We were there between March 14th to 21st, 2004, and had diving with pacific scuba (3 days : 6 dives). Our dive master was Alex and the owner of shop (I forgot his name now, I need to ask my wife.) Anyway, Alex was a great dive master, also he was very helpful and attentive. He will be a great instructor one day.
I never posted comments like this before, but may be helpful for other divers who are thinking to visit there. While we were there, we encountered so many manta (someone said more than 400+ :11: or even more) in our second dive of March 17th. You will see it in my photo album starting around 24th pic out of 42. I could not believe my eyes.
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/yasushinj/slideshow?&.dir=/42ff&.src=ph
water temp: 62F at the bottom
visibility: 40-50F
current : sometime very strong
We used 7mm two-piece wet suite + hood etc, but I felt cold at the end of each dive. Since I used this brand new wetsuit for the first time, I had terrible divings in my first two dives to adjust weight. It was so difficult to move arms and even to walk. It was so bulky, heavy and had a lot of buoyancy......, but I did not have to go bathroom under water
Camera:
Sony p9 with marine pack housing + red filter
Overall: Diving was great since we saw mantas, but if we did not see them, I might have had a different view. There were a lot of fish and very rich marine life every where. Now I can understand why whales are hanging around there too. Since visibility was not great and also current was strong, we could not take good pictures. It reminded me when we had diving in Las Vegas (Colorado river). It was very difficult to get closer to fish. Anyway, I do not mind going back there and enjoy diving for 2-3 days with pacific scuba again.
Thanks,
p.s sorry for bad writing and mis-spellings. English is my second language.....
Thank you very much for a lot of useful information posted here. :07: We had a very good time in Puerto and Nuevo Vallarta.
We were there between March 14th to 21st, 2004, and had diving with pacific scuba (3 days : 6 dives). Our dive master was Alex and the owner of shop (I forgot his name now, I need to ask my wife.) Anyway, Alex was a great dive master, also he was very helpful and attentive. He will be a great instructor one day.
I never posted comments like this before, but may be helpful for other divers who are thinking to visit there. While we were there, we encountered so many manta (someone said more than 400+ :11: or even more) in our second dive of March 17th. You will see it in my photo album starting around 24th pic out of 42. I could not believe my eyes.
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/yasushinj/slideshow?&.dir=/42ff&.src=ph
water temp: 62F at the bottom
visibility: 40-50F
current : sometime very strong
We used 7mm two-piece wet suite + hood etc, but I felt cold at the end of each dive. Since I used this brand new wetsuit for the first time, I had terrible divings in my first two dives to adjust weight. It was so difficult to move arms and even to walk. It was so bulky, heavy and had a lot of buoyancy......, but I did not have to go bathroom under water
Camera:
Sony p9 with marine pack housing + red filter
Overall: Diving was great since we saw mantas, but if we did not see them, I might have had a different view. There were a lot of fish and very rich marine life every where. Now I can understand why whales are hanging around there too. Since visibility was not great and also current was strong, we could not take good pictures. It reminded me when we had diving in Las Vegas (Colorado river). It was very difficult to get closer to fish. Anyway, I do not mind going back there and enjoy diving for 2-3 days with pacific scuba again.
Thanks,
p.s sorry for bad writing and mis-spellings. English is my second language.....
Mantaklaus
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Backtanner:
Ocean Quest Dive Center takes great care of their divers and you will be taught by your own private PADI Master instructor which makes it fun and safe.
They are in it for fun not so much for profit, they just like to dive and meet nice people.
journey_1000
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Backtanner:
Backtanner, just make sure there are no hidden fees. I used Pacific scuba for my kids Open water referral, and the price I was quoted was for everything. I had a lower quote but apon checking, it did not include Padi fees ect. I loved the service (see my other post) that Pacific scuba gave. Although I have heard some positive info on Ocean quest from another diver.
Bob
Backtanner
Contributor
We are staying at the Westin Regina and I'm told Pacific Scuba is right across the street. Plus I heard you get a better dive package for a just a little bit more dinero.
Also correction- Above I stated that Pacific's AOW was $320. it's actually only $275. Forty-five bucks should get me a couple extra margaritas.
Also correction- Above I stated that Pacific's AOW was $320. it's actually only $275. Forty-five bucks should get me a couple extra margaritas.
journey_1000
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Backtanner:
Hi Backtanner
The westin Regina is right by the marina...beautiful resort... and you can access the water from that side (10 peso's to get throught the gate per person) however I am not sure if you can get to the other side of the marina. The channel is full of water obviously, and they are tied to the other side. The Los Pienes pier....however if you speak to them, they may just boat accross to pick you up and they will drop you there for sure...on our dives they dropped people over there on our return. I don,t know if there is a walkway accross so its a bit of a hike to go all the way around the channel.
Ray the Manager is a super guy, I,m sure if you speak to him they will pick you up by the refueling point on your side.
Bob
Hi Rick,
I have been researching PV diving. I was checking out the Pacific Scuba website. They mention several dives on their site. I was curious which ones you did.
These are the dive trips mentioned:
Los Arcos - Underwater National Park
Majhuita Beach Paradise
Marietas Islands
Chimo
El Moro
Also we are staying in Sayulita - 20 minutes north of PV near Ixtapa and there isn't much information posted about diving in Ixtapa/Zihuatenjo. Did you get a chance to dive around there?
Thanks,
Katy
I have been researching PV diving. I was checking out the Pacific Scuba website. They mention several dives on their site. I was curious which ones you did.
These are the dive trips mentioned:
Los Arcos - Underwater National Park
Majhuita Beach Paradise
Marietas Islands
Chimo
El Moro
Also we are staying in Sayulita - 20 minutes north of PV near Ixtapa and there isn't much information posted about diving in Ixtapa/Zihuatenjo. Did you get a chance to dive around there?
Thanks,
Katy
Backtanner
Contributor
The sites I dove (all with Pacific Scuba were:
Sat 5/8 - Los Arcos
Nice dive vis was probably about 15-25 ft. We saw a couple of puffer fish and a few eels but not much else. We weren't the first boat there but we got there way before the snorkel boats arrived.
Sun 5/9 - Marrietas Islands
Much better visibility probably in the 30 ft range. A lot of fish all around. Lots of rays, eels, and other reef fish.
Mon 5/10 - Los Arcos
This was a night dive and I gotta say that if I had painted my mask black I wouldn't have known it. Vis was maybe a foot. I was more impressed with myself on this dive than with the dive itself.
Bottom line is that if I were to go back to PVR I wouldn't taking another whack at a makeup night dive as it would be ridiculous to blame the dive company for mother natures mistake.
Sat 5/8 - Los Arcos
Nice dive vis was probably about 15-25 ft. We saw a couple of puffer fish and a few eels but not much else. We weren't the first boat there but we got there way before the snorkel boats arrived.
Sun 5/9 - Marrietas Islands
Much better visibility probably in the 30 ft range. A lot of fish all around. Lots of rays, eels, and other reef fish.
Mon 5/10 - Los Arcos
This was a night dive and I gotta say that if I had painted my mask black I wouldn't have known it. Vis was maybe a foot. I was more impressed with myself on this dive than with the dive itself.
Bottom line is that if I were to go back to PVR I wouldn't taking another whack at a makeup night dive as it would be ridiculous to blame the dive company for mother natures mistake.
WaterWayne
Guest
Katy001:
Good question for me, too. Although I haven't committed yet to a particular timeshare for Sep.4-10 '04, I want to distance myself from the biggest, most boisterous Americano crowds. Am I correct in thinking that Manzanillo seems to be the least Americanized among PV, Ixtapa? Regarding Ixtapa-based diving, they have a hyperbolic chamber, so there's enough long-term diving interest to sustain that operation. Bearing in mind that none of these resort areas are built specifically diving, of course.
TIA,
Wayne
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