is there good diving in Costa Rica?

[sailingangel70]

Hi,
I went diving in Guanacaste this year -- used a 3mm suit adn it was fine. We used Ocotal Divers at the Ocotal resort and also drove down to Aquacenter in Flamingo. It was either amazing (Humpback Whales, Manta rays, Whale sharks and regular sharks) or terrible with vi at less then 20feet. Altogether, it is totally worth diving there - I would go back in a minute. Fly into Liberia which is only about 45 minutes from the coast unless you are dying to see San Jose and drive 5 hours to the coast (which is what we did). GO!

 

[Scuba65]

Dorko72...You can't dive in Limon....the currents there a too strong so, nobody ever dives there. All the diving is done in Guanacaste.

 

[Maui]

The real underwater deal in CR is not Guanacaste. Head south to Drake Bay and dive Cano Island. Yes it's an adventure itself just getting down there, but it's well worth it. No begginer diving here. Expect BIG fish in BIG numbers and chances are BIG currents too. Much better viz than anywhere in Guanacaste or Limon/Cahuita/Pto Viejo area. Several operations to chose from, DO NOT go with Jinetes de Osa, dangerous! Try out Cano Divers, they are serious and professional. Lots of topside adventures. As far as Guanacaste goes, the best operations are Bill Beards and Ocotal, Ocotal having the best boats and the best record. I've been diving CR for over 18 yrs and worked for several of these shops.
E-mail me with any questions.
Maui

 

[ronrosa]

As far as Guanacaste goes, the best operations are Bill Beards and Ocotal, Ocotal having the best boats and the best record. I've been diving CR for over 18 yrs and worked for several of these shops.
E-mail me with any questions.
Maui

Any experience with Aquacenter in Flamingo ? I'm staying at Melia Playa Conchal. Have heard good things about Catalina island.

 

[tangfish]

From what I gather, diving around Playa Del Coco is the best bet. What about other stuff to do around the area or on the way to/from San Jose? I'm going with my girlfriend who will be doing her open water between now and our departure (We're going to be in CR from Mar 24-Apr.3). Since I have no idea how much she'll like diving I'd like to have some other options for stuff to do there. Are the beaches around Tamarindo nice? What other destinations can you guys recommend along the way. I'm thinking of flying direct from San Jose to Tamarindo and then on the way back going by land and enjoying sights along the way.

 

[Maui]

Diving in Guanacaste is good, like sailingangel said, it's either amazing, or NOT! Visibility can be quite low, but life can be quite BIG. Playas del Coco is the easiest place simply because it's the 'original' dive destination in CR. This is where you find more dive shops, more services, more night life, and a wide array of accomodation to suit every need. It is not necessarily the best diving in the country. Limon doesn't get dives often, conditions are constantly changing and it's hard to score the right day for a dive. But when it's good, it's GREAT! Diving is mostly done south of Limon along Cahuita National Park and Manzanillo-Gandoca National Park, but again, it's risky to plan ahead since you never know what the weather is gonna do. Best time to dive there is top of the rainy season, Sep/Oct. Drake Bay down south along the Pacific Coast is still my favorite in CR waters, it's WILD, wild place and wild diving, it's far out there, not easy to get to but well worth it if you are into adventure. If you rather be somewhere with night life and plenty of shopping, etc. stick to Guanacaste.
Things to do on the way to/from are plenty, depending on which way you go, you can do canopy tours, visit volcanoes, rainforest, waterfalls and more. Try going around the town of Fortuna and check out ARenal Volcano, you'll find plenty of stuff to do and see.
Maui

 

[tangfish]

Thanks for all the great info Maui. So do you think its worth booking ahead? I'm going for spring break, I don't know if thats a factor. I usually like to travel without prior bookings for flexibility, but if this is a busy time/place then maybe it'd pay off to book ahead. Also, is it better to stay at one of the dive ops' lodges (Ocotal or Deep Blue) or should I stay in a regular accommodation and just dive with em?

FS

 

[Maui]

Thanks for all the great info Maui. So do you think its worth booking ahead? I'm going for spring break, I don't know if thats a factor. I usually like to travel without prior bookings for flexibility, but if this is a busy time/place then maybe it'd pay off to book ahead. Also, is it better to stay at one of the dive ops' lodges (Ocotal or Deep Blue) or should I stay in a regular accommodation and just dive with em?

FS

Hey Funky, Ocotal is by far one of NICEST places to stay around the area...with the price to go along with it. Ocotal also has the nicest boats and a pretty nice setup right on their premises. The other shops all have to sorta load up on the main beach (kinda funny since there is NO DOCK!...you'll see) There is plenty of reasonable accomodation around the area, you don't need to stay with the dive ops accomm, however, if you do, this sometimes get you a discount on the room or on the dives. If money is no problem for you, then go with Ocotal all the way. Plus their place on top of the hill has a MAGNIFICENT view over the ocean.
Have a good one...PURA VIDA!
Maui

 

[tangfish]

Does anyone know what the water temps are around Playa Del Coco in March/April? Also, i've been doing some checking around and basically I've come up with El Ocotal, Deep Blue and Bill Peard's as the best recommended dive ops in the area. Is there a reason why Deep Blue is SO much cheaper than the other two? It also looks like its located right in Playa del Coco. I'm going with my girlfriend and we'd like stuff to do at night and also to get a good value for diving and her open water course, is Deep Blue a good choice for us?

 

[Scuba65]

funkyspelunker I've dove with Deep Blue many times and I've had no problems with them whatsoever, they are american owned. I've used their gear on 2 occassions and have found it to be fine, now I travel with my own stuff. Yes, Deep Blue is located on Coco Beach..about 1 block from the actual beach. I've also used Ocotal and they were also a good operator. As to a place to stay, the only place that i've used there is Flor de Itabo which is located right down the street from Deep Blue a couple of blocks from it and it's a very nice descent priced hotel.