Tours and Activities > Tamarindo, Flamingo, Conchal > Catalinas Islands Scuba Diving
Discover the magical underwater world on a 2 tank scuba diving excursion at one of Costa Rica's scuba diving hot spots: Catalinas Island. Options for certified and non certified divers.
Duration
5-6 Hours
Transportation
Available for a Fee
Certified
Diving Guides
Mytanfeet
Customer Service
Description
If you love the ocean and want to try a new adventure, then Catalinas Island scuba diving has to be on your itinerary! Whether you're a first timer or advanced diver, this group of volcanic islands offer fantastic opportunities to discover the magical underwater world of Costa Rica and swim among fish, turtles and rays.
The dive center is Pacific Coast Dive Center, a 4 star PADI Dive Center, registration code 21708. All guides and instructors are PADI certified. Their office is in Flamingo, Guanacaste and boat is docked at Playa Potrero, the west side near Flamingo Marina.
There are three different options for the Catalinas Island scuba diving: Discover Scuba Diving, Certified Divers and Refresher.
Discover Scuba Diving (DSD): For those who are not certified but want to try scuba diving, Discover Scuba Diving includes a 1 hour pool instruction for basic skills and safety guidelines led by a PADI professional. After the pool instruction, you will do 2 open water dives at Catalinas Island with a max depth of 12 meters/ 40 feet).
Certified Divers: Those who have their scuba diving license and have done at least 1 dive in the last year and have at least 20 total dives. Dive times 40 min max, bottom time and depth at 16 meters/ 60 feet. Includes 2 tank boat dives.
Refresher: For those who are scuba certified, but have not done at least 1 dive in the past year and do not have at least 20 total dives. Includes 1 hour pool instruction to practice skills before the 2 boat dives.
Riders: This option is for those who wish to join the tour but do not want to scuba dive or snorkel. They can join the group on the boat and enjoy the beautiful coastlines and views along the cruise.
Estimated Itinerary
630 AM: Discovery and refreshers meet at the dive center and do their 1 hour pool instruction.
730 AM: Certified divers meet at dive center to complete paperwork and gear inspection.
8 AM: Leave for beach to board boat
40 minute boat ride to Catalinas Island
Do 2 tank dives, with 1 hour surface interval between dives. Max 40 minute dive time per dive session.
1230 - 1 PM: Return back to beach.
**Only morning dive trips offered. Afternoon dive trips are available only as private tours.**
About the Boat
The boat, called Golden Venture, is 54 feet with two decks, dry area, lockers and a bathroom. Total capacity is for 50 passengers and 4 staff members.
Snorkelers, scuba divers and riders will go together on the boat.
To get onto Golden Venture, guests will first board a dinghy to ride 2 minutes from the beach to board the boat. It is a wet pick up and the dinghy does not have a roof.
Starting $140 USD
per adult
Free cancellation
if cancelled before 24 hours of start time*
*Conditions apply*
Catalinas Island Scuba Diving Highlights
- Dive at two different dive spots around the Catalinas Islands.
- 4-5 divers per guide.
- Enjoy diving in tropical waters, with average temperatures between 16-30ºC/60-86ºF depending on the time of year.
- Opportunities to see giant manta rays, turtles, whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays, sting rays, green moral eels, angel fish, butterfly fish, jacks, grunts and schools of other fish during the dives.
- Opportunities to see marine life from the boat during the cruise to and from the islands.
What is Included?
Additional Information
- Confirmation will be given upon tour booking, which must be prepaid in full to book.
- Not available on Sundays.
- You cannot dive if your flight is within 18 hours of requested date. Please choose an earlier date to dive.
- For certified divers, you must send us and the dive center your proof of certification. Lack of proof may require additional cost and training.
- Dive insurance is not required but you may purchase your own if you wish. We recommend World Nomads, which also includes many other adventure activities besides scuba diving.
- Shared transportation available for an extra fee from Tamarindo, Brasilito, Flamingo and Potrero.
What to Bring
- A good attitude!
- Towels, change of dry clothes, swimsuit, dry bag to hold wet clothes and items.
- Waterproof camera if you have one.*
- Credit card or cash for tips or extra services
- Sunscreen (Reef friendly/safe only please). We recommend Stream2Sea.
*Photos are available for purchase directly from scuba diving guides. Please consult with your diving guide to arrange details. Cost is around $20-30 USD per person for photos.*
Booking Form
Our prices are quoted in USD and include all taxes and we never charge booking fees. What you see is exactly what you'll pay. While other websites might show lower initial prices, they often add taxes and fees at the end, Mytanfeet believes in transparent pricing from the start.
If you can't see the booking form below, please try refreshing the page or contact us for assistance.
Cancellation Policy
Read the cancellation policies here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of animals can we see?
Schools of jacks, grunts, spadefish and damsels, butterfly fish, angel fish, sea turtles, green moray eels, jewel morays, white tip reef sharks, eagle rays, sting rays, seahorses and octupus are some of the wildlife you may see during the Catalinas Islands scuba diving excursions.
During the humpback whale seasons, January through mid March, July through September, you may hear humpback whales singing or see them during the boat ride.
Giant manta ray season is from December to April, with peaks in February and March. Whale sharks have sometimes also been seen.
How is the visibility and temperatures?
Conditions vary throughout the year and can change rapidly. Visibility ranges from 15 meters (50 feet) to 21 meters (69 feet) year round. April through July normally has the best visibility.
Temperatures vary throughout the year as well, between 55ºF (13ºC) and reaching 86ºF (30ºC). The coldest months tend to be January and February and is warmer in the rainy season months such as July and August.
Do I need to have my Advanced or Nitrox certification to dive?
No, it is not necessary. For certified divers, Open Water is enough. The guides will choose the dive sites to go to for the day, dependent upon conditions. Please remember that if you have not done at least 1 dive in the past year and have at least 20 dives, you need to choose the Refresher course.
Do I need a dive computer?
If you have your own, we recommend to bring it, especially for certified divers. It is not required for Discover Scuba Divers.
If some people in my group want to dive, but some don't, can we all go together in one boat?
Yes! As the boat holds up to 50 people and both snorkelers, riders and scuba divers all go together, everyone in your group can stay together for a fun day.
Snorkelers will stay with their respective snorkel groups and divers will be separated into respective groups (DSDs, certified).
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