Costa Rica Scuba Diving - Adventure Tourism Beneath the Waves

Costa Rica scuba diving offers you the chance to swim with manta rays and pow-wow with white-tip reef sharks while admiring the huge schools of grunts and chancho barberfish that gather around the numerous rocky islets on the Pacific coast. Though it's not a considered a dive destination on par with the Red Sea or Papua New Guinea (not many places are - so be careful you aren't spoiled diving there), Costa Rica scuba diving offers plenty of thrills for both the diving enthusiast and the beginner. Rates for scuba diving certification are among the most reasonable in the world. And what's more, your adventure opportunities above water are greater than most other places and include surfing, atv tours, fishing, jungle canopy tours, volcano climbing, and horseback riding to name a few.

I spent a year in Costa Rica, Playas del Coco to be exact, where I earned my divemaster through an internship at Summer Salt Dive Center. Patrick and Sandra, the Swiss owners, run an excellent shop and are incredibly nice and knowledgeable about the diving around Coco - they also have the fastest dive boat in the area. During my time interning and working I dove with huge manta rays, snorkeled with a whale shark, saw a ten-foot bull shark (a real heart stopper), swam alongside a mother and calf humpback whale and saw countless other marine life.

In fact, the density of sea life is something that sets Costa Rica scuba diving on the Pacific coast apart from locations around the Caribbean, including the much-lauded Bay Islands of Roatan and Utila. After diving for a week in Utila I was quite disappointed at the number of animals I saw. Many were very small and aside from the coral, which was beautiful, there wasn't much action. When you are scuba diving in Costa Rica, action is not usually a problem.

One consideration to keep in mind is that while there is much life to be seen while scuba diving in Costa Rica, the visibility varies a great deal. The same currents and plankton that draw in the fish can sometimes reduce visibility, which averages between 20-50ft or 6-15m. However, numerous times when I've experienced a drop in visibility I've also seen huge stingrays materialize, seemingly out of nowhere. Sharks also seem more comfortable, and with an experienced dive guide you're sure to see something interesting. Just be aware that Costa Rica scuba diving is not like jumping in a swimming pool as the Caribbean often is, but if you want to see big fish and not just pretty coral then you'll certainly have your chance.

The best places to go for scuba diving are Playas del Coco on the northwest coast and Cao Island off of the Osa Peninsula. About a forty-five minute boat ride from Playas del Coco, you can reach the popular Catalinas Island to the south, which is where I saw my first manta ray, and Murcielagos Island to the north, which is where I saw my first bull shark. Both sites have excellent diving. Even other closer dive sites like Punta Gorda and Tortugas Island offer a great range of things to see and I led many satisfied divers through those sites. Dive operators in Golfito and Drake Bay can reach Cao Island, which features a nice reef and plenty of fish to see.

As a final note, if you plan on bringing your own equipment don't forget your wetsuit. While water temperatures are normally between 75-84F (24-29C), there are thermoclines (layers of colder water) at depth that can drop temperatures to the mid 60sF (around 18C). Also, dive guides who do a good job should get a decent tip. I once received a thousand colones for a tip, which is equivalent to a $1.85. I can tell you that as a divemaster earning just $400 a month, tips are what help keep you afloat. Finally, you should consider whether you want to visit during rainy or dry season. Dry season is most popular and offers a slightly better visibility on average, but during the rainy season (May-Nov.) crowds are smaller and on days with good visibility the quantity of marine life really seems to multiply.

For more precise advice get in contact with a good dive shop like Summer Salt to find out what current conditions are and to find out about what the diving has been like recently.

Click this link for more detailed information and tips on Costa Rica scuba diving. Check out my destination guide for more general Costa Rica travel information including attractions, activities, and more based on my experience living in this beautiful country.

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