Live-Aboard Diving Charters

CRSC is now offering All-inclusive, Overnight Dive Charters, as well as Dive and Surf Charters!

See Details and Rates Below

Dive and Surf -- or is it Surf and Dive? 

Costa Rica Surf Charters has teamed up with its long-time friends and colleagues at Diving Safaris to offer an entirely new "open water" experience in the Gulf of Papagayo: All-inclusive overnight dive charters (or diving and surfing charters) aboard the Aquadesiac, the ONLY private, live-aboard dive and surf charter boat in the Northern Pacific region of Costa Rica! No need to deal with taxis, hotel check-ins, dragging your luggage and equipment from rental car to hotel room to dive shop or beach then back again each day you dive. Our all-inclusive charters allow you to leave everything -- including delicious meals -- to us, so you can simply enjoy the Pura Vida!

No Crowds!

With a maximum of 6 guests on board you'll be the first in the water to enjoy crowd-free dive sites and/or surf breaks while traveling in comfort aboard the Aquadesiac. While other divers from the smaller day boats play hide-and-seek with each other, you can choose to join them or have a freshly prepared meal and relax on board until the crowds are back on shore and you can end the day with another great dive with just your boatmates. Night dives also available! (See details about our all-inclusive charter on the What You Get page. Details about the Aquadesiac are on The Boat page.)

Charter Itinerary

Charter itineraries will entail diving (or diving and surfing) well-known spots between Playa Grande and the Catalinas up to Ollie’s Point and the Bat Islands, depending upon length of charter, conditions and divers’ levels of experience. For combo charters, tides and conditions will determine whether we surf or dive first, taking your preference into consideration as much as possible. You may board as early as 6:30 am.

Overnight Dive Charter Rates*

* Special introductory rates for Dive and Surf Combo charters are the same as dive-only charters -- for now! Book soon to lock in these introductory rates!

2 Days / 1 Nights: $878 per person
3 Days / 2 Nights: $1317 per person
4 Days / 3 Nights: $1756 per person

Each additional night: $439 per person. Scroll down for dive site and other info. .
Please see charter inclusions and exclusions below for other applicable fees.

Charter Inclusions:

-- Live-aboard accommodations

-- All meals (Great food and lots of it! See sample menus on “What You Get" page)

-- Fresh fruit and snacks

-- Fruit juice and bottled water

-- One certified dive master for up to 6 divers.

-- Up to 3 dives per day (more possible for additional fee, if time allows)

-- Use of on-board snorkeling and fishing gear (no fishing allowed in national park waters).

Charter Exclusions (additional fees to be paid at time of booking):

-- National park ticket fee: $15 per person, per day. Required for each day the group will be surfing or diving in Santa Rosa National Park waters where Witch’s Rock, Ollie’s Point and the Bat Islands are located.

-- Minimum 10% service fee

-- Sodas are available for $1 each

-- Alcoholic beverages. Beer, wine and mixed drinks are available for $2 each. (Advance notice of your preference required.)

Also available for additional fees:

-- Diving equipment rental: $20 per day

-- Wetsuit rental (per day): $5 shortie, $10 full

-- Nitrox: $15 per tank (2 weeks advance notice required)

-- PADI Courses: call us for rates on courses from Discover Scuba to Advanced

-- Photography: Rates depend upon package chosen. Please call 949-468-0733 (U.S.) or 011(506) 8869-0168 (C.R.) for details.

Minimum number of Passengers Required
There will be a 4 person minimum (or equivalent rate) required to guarantee departure, but don’t be discouraged if you have less than 4 in your party. We will not usually have a problem getting couples and singles booked together to meet this minimum. There is a 6 passenger maximum. Groups of less than 6 who would like to guarantee they’ll have the boat to themselves may pay the rate for 6 to have exclusive use.

Exclusive use / Private charter:
There is usually a 4 person minimum (or equivalent rate) required to guarantee departure. If you would like a private charter with exclusive use of the Aquadesiac so you can have the boat completely to yourselves, that option is available for the equivalent rate of 6 passengers paid in full.

Please e-mail or call us any day between 7am and 7pm (PST) at 949-468-0733 (U.S.) for more information about how we can create your ideal customized dive vacation today!

The Dive Sites:

We are fortunate to have so many great dive sites only a short boat ride away.  Most of the local sites accommodate all levels of experience.  The dives are multi-level, starting out at 30ft/10m and sloping down to a maximum depth of 90ft/22m.

At any of our local dive sites we typically see schooling grunts, spade fish, horse-eye jacks, surgeons, angelfish, and butterfly-barber fish, just to name a few species. We also see white-tip reef sharks, an occasional nurse shark, eagle rays, devil rays, southern sting rays and cow-nose rays, as well as several species of puffer fish and eels, octopus and turtles.  On the smaller side, there are harlequin-clown shrimp, seahorses, nudibranches and frog fish found hiding in the corals and rock formations.  Whale sharks occasionally visit this area and can be seen any time of year.  Humpback whales, pilot whales, dolphin and turtles frequently keep us entertained during the boat rides to the dive sites.  Some of our favorite sites are Virador, Monkey Head, Los Meros, Argentina Point, Tortuga and Sorpresa. 

The Catalina Islands are known for the huge manta rays seen during the dry season (December - March).  While large numbers of manta rays are seasonal to this area, you always have a chance to see them any time of the year.  When you have an encounter with one of these giants, it is something that stays with you for a lifetime.

The main dive sites at the Catalinas are The Point and The Wall. There you will have the chance to see white-tip reef sharks, huge schools of cow-nose rays, devil rays and eagle rays, plus schooling barracuda and horse-eye jacks.  

The Bat Islands: When experienced divers come to this area of Costa Rica, they usually want to book a trip to the World Heritage Dive Site of the Bat Islands (Isla Murcielagos), primarily for the chance to see the bull sharks at Big Scare, the Bat's best-known dive site. However, they soon find other pelagic marine life, including manta rays, huge schools of fish and zebra eels and even whale sharks.  This area is  part of the Santa Rosa National Park, so permits are required. The best time of year to visit the Bat Islands is during the rainy season (April-November).

Catalina Islands and Bat Islands are advanced dive sites due to surge, stronger currents and rougher surface conditions.  Boats do not use an anchor at these sites, so divers need to be able to make a quick descent and make the safety stop without a line. Depth goes from 30-120ft / 10 to 35m.  We require a local day of diving before planning these trips to get divers acclimated to the water.

See photos and more detailed information about dive sites and other available diving services on the Diving Safaris website, www.CostaRicaDiving.net

FAQs about Diving Charters

   --  What is your climate like and when are the seasons?

There are two seasons that affect us in Guanacaste, the DRY season and the RAINY season.  Both are great times to visit.  In the dry season many of the trees exchange their leaves for colorful flowers and during the rainy season Guanacaste becomes a lush tropical garden.  People always ask “When is the best time of year to come to Costa Rica” we always say, “Any time you can get here”.

Dry season is December through March. The Papagayo winds blow this time of year, but the mornings are usually calm.  Visibility averages from 15-40 ft / 3-12 m with water temperature averaging from 70-75 F /21-24 C, with thermo clines. A 5/3 mm wetsuit is recommended. 

Rainy season is April through November, with September and October being the wettest months.  Mornings are usually sunny with afternoon rain showers, clearing in the evening for fantastic sunsets.  Visibility averages 20-60 ft / 7-20 m with water temperature averaging 75-80 F / 24c-27 C, with cooler thermo clines.

   --  Are the dives guided?

       Yes, there is a certified dive master for every 5 divers.

   --  What type of wetsuit will I need? 

       Dry season 5/3mm, Rainy season 3/2mm or shortie.

   --  Do you need to be certified to dive? 

      Yes, you will need to show proof of diving certification to be able to dive.  If you do not have your card, we can check only PADI certifications online.  If we cannot verify your certification you will need to take the Discover Scuba class and dive with an instructor.

   --  What brand is the rental equipment?

       Sherwood

   --  How many divers are on the boat?

         Maximum of six divers plus Dive Master

   --  How long does it take to get certified?

       4 days

   --  Do you offer Nitrox?

       Yes! Please give 1 week notice for fills.

   --  Do you offer fishing, surfing, or other activities? 

       Yes! See our "What You Get" page and call for more details.

   -- What is CRDP?

      Costa Rica Dive Professionals.  Business members that display the CRDP logo on their store front must follow an agreed-upon set of safety rules and guidelines, including having their air tested quarterly and hiring only professionally certified Dive Masters and instructors.  They must also follow the PADI standards and regulations, be licensed with the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT) and follow Costa Rican laws and regulations.  CRDP is a non-profit organization, any money that is donated goes to maintaining and building moorings at the dive sites, protecting the dive sites and organizing beach clean ups and education.

   --  Do you work with any environmental groups?

Yes, in fact every year Diving Safaris organizes and hosts the Project Aware International Clean-up Day event in Playas del Coco / Playa Hermosa. We also support the MINAE (Costa Rica's ministry of national parks), the Surfrider Foundation, Greenpeace, NRDC, Heal the Bay and other environmental organizations.

You may contact Diving Safaris directly at info@costaricadiving.net or call them at (CR) 011-(506)2672-1259 for more information.