Dive Costa Rica

Dive Costa Rica Year-Round

Dive Costa Rica every month and season of the year. There is no bad period, but there are better and best times, depending on the winds and the weather. Outside temperatures on the beaches in the north Pacific are 85-90 degrees all year!

From about May to December, water temperatures at depth are approximately 75 degrees. From about December to April, thermoclines vary water temperatures daily; the temperature might go as low as 70 degrees at depth. Keep in mind that the rainy season in this area is roughly May to November, but this also creates the right conditions for some of the year's best dives.

Best Spots for Dives

Just as there is no bad period to dive Costa Rica, there is no bad spot to dive. The entire Pacific coast of this country is volcanic rock formations and reefs that encourage hundreds of species of sea creatures, from fish to plankton. Costa Rica snorkeling can be done from the shore or from a boat, and you can explore the rivers, estuaries, and shoreline to find sea urchins, porcupine fish, eels, sea cucumbers, as well as larger critters off the coast.

Superb Costa Rica diving lies off the entire shore of the Osa Peninsula to the south, a rain forest wilderness that the National Geographic called, "the most biologically intense place on earth." The Aguila de Osa Inn offers not only excellent food and lodging, but packages that include explorations of this vital region, scuba diving, and sportfishing. Out of the north Pacific, great diving forays take off from Guancaste, El Ocotal and the Gulf of Papagayo. If you're up for advanced diving, head out for the Bat and Catalina Islands.