Costa Rica in late October, what to wear

[Cornbread O'Malley]

Northern or Central/Southern CR?

Water temperature for both northern and central/southern Costa Rica would be helpful.

 

[USdiver1]

Pacific side: Guanacaste and Puntarenas - 5mm

Caribbean side: Limon - 3mm

 

[Snoweman]

Water temperature for both northern and central/southern Costa Rica would be helpful.

I did Cano Island in the southern region in March with a swim suit and rash guard. I was mostly fine, I believe the water was mostly 80 degrees. There were some interesting spots on the first dive where you could see the heat eddies (sp?) going through the water. It was like a thermocline river and it got hot. The second dive had a definite standard thermocline that took my breath away. It probably dropped about four or five degrees, but felt colder.

I did a couple of dives off of the Catalina's in early December. I was going to do my standard rash guard thing, but was convinced to wear a shorty. I'm glad I did, and I even got cold towards the end of the second dive. Probably low to mid 70's.

All my dives were on the pacific side.

 

[USdiver1]

I did Cano Island in the southern region in March with a swim suit and rash guard. I was mostly fine, I believe the water was mostly 80 degrees. There were some interesting spots on the first dive where you could see the heat eddies (sp?) going through the water. It was like a thermocline river and it got hot. The second dive had a definite standard thermocline that took my breath away. It probably dropped about four or five degrees, but felt colder.

I did a couple of dives off of the Catalina's in early December. I was going to do my standard rash guard thing, but was convinced to wear a shorty. I'm glad I did, and I even got cold towards the end of the second dive. Probably low to mid 70's.

All my dives were on the pacific side.

October is towards the end of the rainy season [late-May - mid-December] Temps will be down from the March and April dry season highs. A rash guard may be insufficient.

 

[Snoweman]

October is towards the end of the rainy season [late-May - mid-December] Temps will be down from the March and April dry season highs. A rash guard may be insufficient.

The December dive really warranted a full wet suit. They said it had been raining heavy the week before which probably lowered the temps a degree or two. I killed the viz for my two dives.

 

[USdiver1]

When I snorkeled Cano, it was around Xmas, Rains had just stopped, viz was 15 - 20 ft, temps warranted a full wetsuit. I recall lots of morays, butterfly fish, a number of barracuda and a few white-tipped reef sharks.

Islas Huevos in Guanacaste I did in September, viz was only so so, maybe 15 feet at best. Best part of the diving was prying ostiones [shellfish] off the bottom and eating them raw with lemon juice.