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Tanapag Beach, Saipan |
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Reviewer |
Site Condition |
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| Name: | Seth Bareiss | Entry: | 
5.00
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| Email: | Click Here | Bottom: | 
4.00
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| City: | Phuket | Reef: | 
3.00
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| State: | Phuket | Animal: |
3.00
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| Country: | Thailand | Plant: |
3.00
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| Diving: | 16 years | Facilities: |
4.00
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| Dives: | 2000 | Solitude: | 
1.00
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| Roads: |
5.00
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Evaluation |
*Average: | 
3.43 |
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| This is the most crowded intro-diving spot on Saipan. An occasional 40-passenger greyhound bus will show up. More often, there are one or two pickup trucks with 3 or 4 customers. Find it north of Garapan, south of Nikko Hotel. It's a bit off the main road, on a suburban street, so plan to hunt, ask locals, or follow a dive truck. Bathroom's defunct, no phones unless you ask a local to use his home phone. Park on grass next to an outdoor theater/pavilion, use the theater's outer wall as a bench. Gear up, walk 10' to the perfect sand beach, look for a rope headed out to sea. Follow the rope; it slopes verrrry slowly to 10' deep, in a sandy trough (perfect for open water and intro lessons, unless there's one of the occasional fast currents blowing longshore back toward Garapan). Beware of lots of scrap metal cans (sausage "fishfood", the scuba equivalent of tying a pork chop around your neck so the dog will play with you). The rope will turn right (north, away from Garapan) and circle a few shallow coral heads with good viz. PERFECT place to use a disposable snorkeling camera. Beware of stone fish. Enjoy hordes of tiny sky-blue penny-sized fish that will "kiss" your hands in search of sausage. Also look for flounder, tiny boxfish & puffers, and at least one anemone with clownfish. Except on days with strong longshore currents or when a bus pulls up, this is the PERFECT place for an exceptionally timid diver's first intro dive. Some day, a smart businessman will probably set up a dive shop with assembly-line diving (Snuba?) at this spot. Wish it were me! | |||
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Enjoyment Level |
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| Snorkel: |
3.00
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| Beginner: |
3.00
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| Intermediate: | 
2.00
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| Advanced: |
1.00
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| Night diving: |
4.00
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Seasonal Information |
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| Season: | Winter | ||
| Year: | 1996 | ||
| Visibility: |
4.00 |
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| Current: |
4.00
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| Surf: |
5.00 |
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