Costa Rica Scuba Diving. All of the dive centers we offer in Costa Rica are either PADI, NAUI, or SSI Certified Dive Masters and both Spanish and English is spoken on all boats. You will be required to show your certification card, so don't forget to pack it!
Dive Departure Times
Daily two tank boat dives departure between 7:30 and 8:30 AM (depending on where you are staying) Afternoon dives leave between 1 and 1:30 pm and night dives are available in the Gulf of Papagayo only.
Experience level, currents, surge:
We have dive sites suitable for all levels of diver from Beginner to the most Advanced. Dive depths average 60-80 ft maximum for first dive, and 40-60 ft maximum depth for second dive of the day, so you can get in plenty of bottom time. There are more advanced dives to the Catalina and Bat Islands where you will need to be an advanced diver or show proof of 100+ dives. Most of the shops require that you dive local waters to adjust weight and buoyancy before diving Bat Islands
Ocean temperature and visibility:
Visibility is not seasonal and averages 40-60 ft year round and we have very calm seas, particularly in US summer months when water is flat calm. Water temperature ranges from averages of 74-78 F from December to March (5mm suit recommended) and 78-84 F from April to November (3mm suit recommended)
NOT Certified Diver Yet??? Want to get your Advanced or Instructor Certification??? Dive Courses are available
It is easy to get Certified in Costa Rica. Courses from Bubble Maker for children up to Instructor are available. We would also need to know the day you plan to start the course so we can schedule your instructor's time.
If you would like to get started before you come:
1) Go to the library and check out the PADI Open Water Dive Manual
2) OR Go to your local dive shop and buy the PADI Open Water Dive Manual
3) OR Sign up for PADI e-Learning and you can watch all of the videos, do all of the book work, and take all of the exams before you come.
Getting the book and starting to read it will save you a lot of hours of reading on your vacation, and you will have a better understanding of what you will be doing.
If you have completed nothing and read nothing before you come, that is fine, too, but we would need a FULL four days (9-4 daily) to complete the course work.
There is another option: 4) Referral Course: You go to a dive shop take all of the classroom and swimming pool training with an instructor from the dive shop and then you only need to do the four check out dives -- this would take two days instead of four.
NOTE: Combination fishing & scuba diving trips have gained
popularity in Costa Rica since Bill Beard & his family and friends
started doing it more than 25 years ago. We are now offering it to our
clients at The Bat & Catalina Islands. You leave at 7 AM, troll to
the dive site, make your first dive, fish for about two hours on your
surface interval, make you second dive and then fish back toward the
beach arriving around four PM. Yes, we catch & release all game fish.
Contact Bill Beard's at 877 853-0538 or EMail for more information and reservations.
To see more scuba diving packages in Costa Rica: GO HERE
