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YOUR DIVE TRIP
The Pacific side offers unspoiled world class dive sites for beginner and advanced divers with spectacular marine life. Where else can you dive with Mantas, Bullsharks and see humpback whales and dolphins on the way to the dive site ?
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About Scuba Diving in Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Incredible Year-Round diving on Costa Rica´s best Dive sites
Dive with Manta Rays (Dec - Feb) and Bullsharks (Mar-Nov)
Be guided by our passionate dive professionals
Experience a unique diving frontier reserved exclusively for the adventurous divers
Many people ask us if there is good scuba diving in Costa Rica. The asnswer is yes ! Guanacaste, is Costa Rica´s diver's paradise on the Pacific coast.
This stunning region boasts Costa Rica´s top 3 best dive sites, from the captivating Catalina Islands to the thrilling waters of Bats Islands and the local sites of Playas del Coco, teeming with marine life. If you're an adventure seeker and a lover of underwater exploration, this is the ultimate destination for you.
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Want to know what to expect. Visit our photo & video gallery.
There are no dive centers Costa Rica´s Carribbean side but thre are several excellent diving opportunities on the Pacific side.
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Here at Rich Coast Diving located in Playas del Coco, we are a PADI 5* CDC & PADI ECO friendly diveshop offering scuba diving and snorkeling locations to suit all skill levels. For beginners and those looking for a more relaxed dive, the dive sites of Gulfo Papagayo offer an ideal setting.
We offer dive sites with a wide range of marinelife such as huge schools of tropical fish, barracudas and big eye jacks, white tip reef sharks, sea turtles, devil rays, golden cownose rays, eagle rays, a variety of eels and even macro life like harlequin shrimp, frogfish and nudibranchs. The gentle waters and stunning underwater formations make the diving experience here accessible and enjoyable for everyone. See what our customers say and check our scuba diving reviews on google and tripadvisor.
On the other hand, advanced scuba divers can venture further out to explore deeper waters around the ofshore islands. This is where the true thrill of diving in Guanacaste comes to life. The encounters with bull sharks, known for their formidable presence and strength, are reserved for the most experienced divers seeking an adrenaline rush.
But fear not, even if you're new to scuba diving, we offer training and guided dives, ensuring you can safely experience the wonders of Guanacaste's underwater world. All our dive sites are accesable for beginner and advanced divers. There for Costa Rica is a great place to get your PADI scuba certification.
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One of the most sought-after dive sites in the area is the Catalina Islands. The waters surrounding these islands are home to a diverse array of marine species but most famous for the chance of diving with Manta Rays. We are closely located (40 mintues) to Catalinas Islands and offer diving with Manta Rays from December to April only. These graceful creatures, with their enormous wingspans, glide effortlessly through the water, captivating anyone lucky enough to encounter them. Watching manta rays perform their elegant underwater ballet is an experience that epitomizes the magic of scuba diving.
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For the truly adventurous divers looking for shark diving, there's a chance to dive with Bullsharks at Bats Islands (Murcielago Archipelago) from June to October. The bullshark is a gentle giant and a truly breathtaking sight to behold. Swimming alongside these magnificent creatures is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will forever be etched in your memory. The Bat Islands (Murcielago Archipelago) belong to the National Park of Santa Rosa, that include a protected marine area with a great diversity of marine life. The scenery is spectacular and you can appreciate both the beauty of the sea and of the archipelago. Worldwide, the Bats Islands are considered one of the best bull shark dive sites. But only advanced certified divers are allowed due to the depths.
Divers planning their visit for a diving holiday often ask us when the best time to dive in Guanacaste. Our favourite time of the year is half May until end November. Overall, our location offers excellent year-round diving opportunities but the Pacific Coast has unique geographical conditions that change the diving conditions from day to day, and in our experience May to November are the best months. Also the weather is less dry and hot so everything is beautifull and green. On top of that, these months are a quiet time of the year in terms of visitors so you can get great deals on accomodation, car rental and tours. Generally our water temperature range from 23 – 28 Celsius throughout the year so a 3 - 5 mm wetsuit is sufficient to keep you comfortably warm under water. In Costa Rica the seasons are divided between the rainy season (which runs from May to November) and the dry season (which runs November to April). But note that the name "rainy season" is somewhat misleading as Guanacaste is one of the driest provinces of Costa Rica and is far less rainy then the other states. But if you plan to come outside the suggested period (May - November) then we could say that the dry or wet season do not affect our diving conditions. So any time of the year is great to come diving with us !
Whether you're an avid scuba enthusiast or a novice looking to embark on your first underwater adventure, diving in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The diverse marine life, ranging from schools of tropical fish to magnificent sharks and rays, coupled with the stunning underwater topography, create a captivating and exhilarating experience like no other. So, come and dive into the natural wonders of Guanacaste !
