Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Ocotal Resort in
Costa Rica

Ocotal Resort, Sep, 2004,

by Diane May, CO, USA . Report 1442.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 3 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments I'll never return to Ocotal, but if you choose to stay there, REVIEW YOUR BILL THOROUGHLY!! The room charge is billed to your card shortly before your arrival date, and the onsite charges are settled at check out. I didn't review my room charge until after I returned home, only to realize that I had been over-charged. I e-mailed the manager (owner?), Barbara, to explain the discrepancy and request that the difference be credited back to my card. I was quoted a total price at the time I made the reservation, have received an e-mail from Barbara confirming the exact amount that I SHOULD HAVE BEEN billed, but have still been refused a refund. I sent her a print-screen of the charge to my VISA to prove to her that I was billed more than the mutually agreed upon amount. She further went on to insult my intelligence to suggest that the difference was a variation in the exchange rate, which is a completely ludicrous argument because a) the room rate (yes, plus taxes) was quoted in US dollars, so any fluctuation in the exchange rate is the hotel's problem, not mine, and b)there was no fluctuation in the exchange rate between the time I made the reservation and the time I was billed. Furthermore, we were in COMPLETE AGREEMENT as to what the bill should have been. Nevertheless, Barbara has still refused to refund the difference. Barbara gets a HUGE THUMBS DOWN!

The dive shop was friendly and acceptably efficient, but the diving was pretty boring. We did dive Bat Island to see bullsharks. I didn't see any, but some others in the group saw one. The dive briefing, I might add, scared the neoprene off me! "If you see a bull shark, don't follow it because it will lure you into its territory and you'll be attacked... People have died at this site..." The land tours, on the other hand were great. Land tour prices are published, but don't hesitate to haggle. I found Costa Rica to be a wonderful, warm, and welcoming destination. I'll definitely return to CR, but not to Ocotal.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving [Unspecified]
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas choppy
Water Temp 80-0°F / 27--18°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 40-60 Ft/ 12-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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]
Was this report helpful to you?
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 168 dive reviews of Costa Rica and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest
is an agency for travelers that like to scuba dive. Let us plan your trip to mingle with hundreds of swirling hammerheads, sharks, & rays of Cocos in Costa Rica.

Want to assemble your own collection of Costa Rica reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

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.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.2 seconds