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Your Advanced Course at Rich Coast Diving in Costa Rica

  • Writer: Rich Coast Diving
    Rich Coast Diving
  • Jul 17, 2025
  • 5 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Already certified as an Open Water Diver and ready for your next underwater adventure? The Advanced Open Water Diver course in Costa Rica is the perfect way to dive deeper, improve buoyancy and navigation skills, and explore wrecks — and there’s no better place to do it than in Playas del Coco with Rich Coast Diving.




Located just 40 minutes from Liberia International Airport, our award-winning dive center in Playa del Coco has been helping divers from all over the world level up their scuba skills in paradise for over 30 years.


Here’s what you can expect when you take your Advanced diver course with Rich Coast Diving.



What is the Advanced Course?


At Rich Coast Diving, we offer the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver certification. Like the name suggests — it’s your gateway to more advanced dive sites, deeper diving, and more exciting underwater exploration.


  • You’ll complete 5 specialty dives, each introducing you to a new skill or environment.

  • The course can be done in 2–3 days

  • No final exam — it’s all about learning through diving!


You’ll gain valuable experience while diving with our experienced instructors at incredible dive sites along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.


The SSI Advanced Open Water Diver certification is internationally recognized and allows you to access deeper dive sites, participate in specialty diving activities, and continue your professional scuba career toward Divemaster and Instructor levels.





What Dives Will I Do?

We personalize your Advanced Adventurer course based on your goals and interests, but most divers choose:


  • Boat diving

  • Deep diving

  • Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN)

  • Navigation

  • Night & Limited Visibility

  • Perfect Buoyancy

  • Photo & video

  • Search & Recovery

  • Waves, tides and currents

  • Wreck diving


All dives are conducted from our custom dive boats, and most sites are just 15–25 minutes from shore — no long boat rides here!




Add-On: Dive with Bull Sharks or Oceanic Manta Rays


Want to make your Advanced course even more unforgettable? Many of our students choose to include a dive trip to the famous Bat Islands or Catalina Islands as part of their training or as an add-on experience. The Bat Islands (seasonal, May–October) offer the rare and thrilling chance to dive with bull sharks in their natural habitat — no cages or feeding, just pure adrenaline in a safe, controlled environment.




Meanwhile, the Catalinas are home to majestic oceanic manta rays, from December to April. These sites are a bit further from Playas del Coco but can be included in your course package at additional cost, making your Advanced certification a truly world-class diving experience.




What Makes Playas del Coco the Best Place for Your Advanced Course?


  • Warm Tropical Pacific waters year-round: No drysuits. Just tropical diving, even in winter.

  • Epic marine life: Eagle rays, turtles, white-tip reef sharks, octopus, moray eels — and if you're lucky, manta rays or dolphins !

  • Convenient location: Short flight from the U.S. or Canada, easy airport transfers, and no long travel days.

  • Surface interval paradise: Waterfalls, volcanoes, beach bars, national parks — Playas del Coco has it all.

  • Diving with friends: Meet other adventurous divers from North America, Europe, and around the world. At Rich Coast Diving we offer a family atmosphere where everyone is welcome to explore the underwater world with us.




Why Choose Rich Coast Diving?


We’re not just any dive shop — we’ are the first and oldest Career Training Center and the highest-rated dive center in Costa Rica.


Here’s what makes training with us special:


  • Private courses available in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German & Italian

  • Accommodation packages available for students — walk to the beach & dive center

  • 5-star reviews from thousands of happy divers on Google and TripAdvisor

  • Brand new gear, custom dive boats, and safety as our top priority

  • Experienced, multilingual instructors who love teaching and diving

  • Private pool exclusive for dive training


We keep our group sizes small to ensure personalized training, and we’ll help you build the skills and confidence you need to go anywhere with your diving.


READ our Guest Reviews !


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Anna Mitchell – USA

I completed my Open Water, Advanced Open Water and Fish Identification courses with Rich Coast Diving over two weeks and absolutely loved it. The instructors were fantastic and we saw sharks, eels, rays and tons of fish on every dive. The service was excellent and the entire team was incredibly friendly and welcoming.


Advanced Open Water Diver Course – Playas del Coco, Costa Rica


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thomas Lanneau – France

I had an outstanding experience completing multiple certifications with Rich Coast Diving, including Open Water, Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver. The instructors were professional, attentive and highly organized, making every training session smooth and effective. The dive sites around Playas del Coco are breathtaking with incredible marine life on every dive, and the accommodation arranged by the team made the whole experience comfortable and social. I highly recommend Rich Coast Diving and will definitely return for future dive training.


Advanced Open Water Diver Course – Playas del Coco, Costa Rica


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nicolas Ruitenbeek – Netherlands

This is truly the best place for scuba diving in Costa Rica. I spent six full days diving with Rich Coast Diving while completing my Advanced Open Water course and loved every moment. The dive sites are spectacular, but what really stands out is the team. From the shop preparation to the personal attention underwater and even fresh fruit and snacks on the boat, everything was perfectly organized. If you are looking to complete your Advanced Open Water Diver course, specialty training, fun dives or snorkeling in Costa Rica, Rich Coast Diving is the place to be.


Advanced Open Water Diver Course – Playas del Coco, Costa Rica




Who Should Take the Advanced Course?


The Advanced Open Water Diver Course is perfect for:


  • Open Water Divers looking to unlock new dive locations and experiences

  • Travelers who want to dive deeper, longer, and more confidently

  • Divers who want a fun, flexible certification with no stress

  • Anyone dreaming of becoming a Divemaster or Instructor someday


Even if your last dive was a year ago, we’ll do a refresher session with you to make sure you feel confident before heading out.



What’s Included?

  • 5 Specialty dives over 2–3 days + 1 FREE additional dive !

  • Full gear and dive computer rental

  • Online study materials (digital training through SSI app)

  • Boat trips, snacks, drinks & amazing dive sites

  • FREE Digital certification card

  • Private course with multilingual instructor


Advanced Diver Course students in Costa Rica


Coming from the USA or Canada? Here's What You Need to Know:


  • No visa required for stays under 90 days

  • USD is widely accepted

  • Fast, direct flights to Liberia (LIR) from many major cities

  • We’ll help you arrange airport transfers, local lodging, and activities

  • Most of our guests from the U.S. and Canada choose 3–5 day stays combining diving with exploring Costa Rica



Ready to Go Advanced?

There’s no better way to improve your scuba skills than with our friendly, professional team in one of the best diving destinations in the Americas.


👉 Email us now at info@richcoastdiving.com

👉 Ask about our Advanced Diver Course + Hotel Combo Packages for divers


Take the next step in your scuba adventure — go Advanced with Rich Coast Diving in Costa Rica!



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