Diving and General Info about Jaco?

[moeronn]

My wife and I may be going to Jaco in December (last week-new years) and we are hoping someone could provide some input about local dive shop/operators and sites around Jaco. We're both AOW certified and she's Nitrox certified, but looking mostly for leasurely dives. Are there any recommended dive operators and decent dive sites in the area? I noticed that there is a higher concentration of diving further north in Coco. Is Jaco even worth going to for about 3 days of diving?

From what I could find online so far, this area seems to be somewhat of a party town? We're more on the mellow side, but as long as there's more to do than drink, we'll be fine. Still, any general info on the area, in addition to the diving, is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[diverrobs]

The surf is pretty rough in the south of Costa Rica and from what I have seen it gets deep pretty fast (Volcanic Coast). Typically waves tube along shore and the surf is 6 to 10 feet alot of the time. I have never dove here but have done some snorkelling in the area (before I started diving). Also because of the surf, there really was not a marina there when I was last there. Dives would probably leave from Quepos, 40 minutes south, unless they have built a marina since I was there (I know they were starting to plan one). I know there are several dive companies out of quepos.

Jaco is a nice little town. Not really a heavy party place. Great hiking trail in the south of town, nice restaurants. Playa Hermosa 10 mintues south is a major surfing beach (black sand like pavement). Jaco is really the closest beach town to San Jose. Personally I prefer Tamarindo or Manuel Antonio/Quepos.

 

[10kdiver]

I would not recommend diving from Jaco. I'm not aware of any dive shops there. Also, as diverrobs mentioned, the surf can be fierce, especially in the oct, nov, and early dec. period. And that time period seems to have the most overcast and rainy days. Now late Dec can get you into the beginning of the dry season, and the waves will calm, (a little), and it can be beautiful for days. Coco Beach has a couple of good dive operators... I liked the one at Ocotal Beach Resort. Visibility depends on how much recent rain, but lots of big critters to see under water. And Costa Rica is just a beautiful country to explore. Have fun!

 

[moeronn]

Thanks for the information. That's pretty much what we realized when we found almost no threads about Jaco here, so we will try to find another location.

Thanks again.

 

[HerraduraDivers]

Hello to everybody,

this Tread is old but it may turn useful for some other divers looking for a dive operation in the area between Puntarenas and Quepos.

Please be informed that Herradura Divers is operating since 2003 near the Los Sueños Resort and Marina offering daily dives, PADI courses up to Dive Master and dive/snorkeltours to the tropical island "Isla Tortuga".

Please check our website to gather more informations


Thanks for your attention and best regards

Chris Karrer

 

[diveangel16]

Hello to everybody,

this Tread is old but it may turn useful for some other divers looking for a dive operation in the area between Puntarenas and Quepos.

Please be informed that Herradura Divers is operating since 2003 near the Los Sueños Resort and Marina offering daily dives, PADI courses up to Dive Master and dive/snorkeltours to the tropical island "Isla Tortuga".

Please check our website to gather more informations


Thanks for your attention and best regards

Chris Karrer

Chris,

Thanks for adding on to the post. It caught my attention. My husband is trying to squeeze in a couple of dive days in with a business trip and the two places that have come up are Ocotal and Jaco. Of course, Isla Tortuga was recommended. Jaco is going to be easier to get to logistically since business will be in La Aurora de Heredia and flying in and out of Liberia might get too complicated.

The boat tours seem to be very expensive, $170-220 for 2 tanks. He's not looking for the rest of the tour, just diving. And, he'd like to squeeze in 4 dives in a day even if the other two are shore dives. Can you tell me if Tortuga must be an all day event? Local diving seems to be about $100-120. What is there to see in these local dives?

BTW, he's going at the end of February. Any suggestions you have would be great.

Thank you.

 

[HerraduraDivers]

Diveangel,

thanks for your questions and i answere the as follows.

Heredia - Herradura/Jaco ist easily reachable driving with a car in max. 2 hour.
Heredia - Playas del Coco is around 6 hour by car or 1 hour by plane and 1 hour by car.
A Taxi from Heredia to Jaco will be betwen 50 and 100$ and Hotes or Cabinas between 10 and 100+$

Isla Tortuga is 15 nautical miles or 40 minutes ride across the Gulf of Nicoya away.
It is a Daytrip including 2 Dives, refreshments and Lunch on the beach.

The price is the same other operators charge for a snorkeltrip to Tortuga plus the extra for the diving operations.

We don't recommened 4 Dives per day, for this the maximum number would be 2 local and a nightdive.

Yes, Tortuga is a full day trip (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.) and minimum of passengers are 2
Due that we would have other clients on board we can't change that schedule.
Also, doing the trip faster won't be cheaper because we have to hurry.

Local dives are usually outside the Bay of Herradura, one on Isla Herradura on the south and the other on the rocky "islands" on the norhern part.

We see locally and at Isla Tortuga usually big predators like:
white tip sharks , then jacks, grunts, pagro, tons of pufferfishes (some huge),
triggerfishes, Angelfishes, 3 types of morays, nudibranchus, to only name a few.
It seems also that the "february special" are the mantatrays, we spot them every day and mostly we can watch them from very near.

We are diving exclusively on rocks, no sandy bottom

I hope that i answered your questions and doubts.

Don't hesitate to ask me more but contact me on our website.

Best regards

Chris Karrer