Rainy Season is Peak Season For Diving In Costa Rica

People visiting Costa Rica for a vacation often ask us when the best time to visit our country is. The answer is simple. If you are here for diving, you should come mid-May until late November. The reasons behind this are many. The oceans of Costa Rica are home to some pretty unique geographical conditions that can change the diving conditions from day to day, but overall these are consistantly the best months. The best visibility, the warmest temperatures, the most marine life, the smallest crowds and the list could go on. 

Rainy Season In Costa Rica

The term “rainy season” in our region of Guanacaste, Costa Rica can be a bit misleading. During the dry season (December until late April or early May) we can go months without seeing a drop of rain and it is truly dry. Perfect weather for going to the beach, getting a tan,  or lounging in a pool side chair. It is extremely dry. The “rainy season” doesnt have this same level of extreme. The days generally are packed with sunshine until mid afternoon when like clock work you will see the clouds roll in, the rain come down hard for an hour or two, possibly mixed with a fantastic lightning display in the distance over the water, and then it will clear up for the night.

The rain really doesn’t affect you as divers, as most of our dives are done in the morning and we are generally back right around lunch time before the rains begin. The rains also tend to coincide with the return of the bull shark diving at the Bat Islands. What really is great about the “rainy season” is that other tourists don’t tend to be around. In nearby Playas del Coco, the streets are bare in comparison to the dry season. There is much more availability in accommodation, and the prices for the low or rainy season are much lower than the high or dry season. Meaning you can stay longer and dive more for the same price.

Another benefit our divers often notice is that the experience levels of our clientele increases a lot in the rainy season. We tend to get the more serious divers who are here to dive and not sit on the beach. They have researched the location and have checked out what the best time of year is, and they are leaving the nice weather in the USA, Canada, or Europe to come and visit our beautiful country when they know it is raining. While it is true that every diver has to start somewhere experience wise, and we love to be the place where they do it, there is something to be said for being on a boat with experienced, confident divers where you know you will get to use your full tanks or air and get to enjoy your dives to the fullest.

The other benefit that isn’t dive related, but that is something that is worth mentioning is that the area becomes much more alive during the rainy season. The hour or two of rain that we experience each day does wonders for the fauna and vegetation of our region. It goest from being very dry and brown to lush and green within only days of the rains beginning. Some of the land based tours such as waterfall trips and riverboat tours are outstanding these times of years just because of the volume of water that is flowing.

So if you have always dreamed of coming diving in Costa Rica and want to experience it at it’s finest, book your summer vacation off from work and hop on a plane down. We would love to show you all of the great dive sites that our area has to offer! We can help you with the planning of your entire trip. Please visit the Contact page and let us know how we can be of service.

Let’s go make some bubbles!