Drake Bay, Costa Rica. Looking for Dive Op opinions/experiences.

[AaronRiot]

Hey all,

Spending a couple weeks down in Drake Bay to explore the Corcovado Rainforest and do some diving out at Cano Island.


These are the 2 actual shops I've been able to locate, not sure if there are more or not, wondering if anyone would be kind enough to share brief experiences.. good or bad.

Cano Divers -- Costa Rica Diving, SCUBA Diving, Drake Bay, Cano Island, PADI Resort, SCUBA Diving Lessons, Southern Pacific Ocean Region, Costa Rica SCUBA Diving

and

Costa Rica Adventure Divers -- Cost RADandWatersports-1


Many Thanks For Sharing

 

[zeppelindiver]

There is a small eco resort called Aguila de Osa in Drake Bay, they have a website, they have a PADI Resort Dive shop onsite, you can stay there & dive with them or they will take you out to Cano if you're not staying with them & their boat isn't full. Two years ago we spent 4 days in Drake Bay on our sailboat and dove with them for a couple of days as well as eating dinner in their restaurant and having drinks & appies at the bar. Great place, very friendly, good boat & divemaster. She was so happy to see us because that week they only had snorkelers staying with them so when we came along she got to take us diving while someone else took care of the snorkelers. They make a day trip out of it to Cano, how long depends on how much time you spend watching the whales & dolphins on the way out & back. We did one dive in the morning out on the pinnacles about 2 miles past the island, unbelievable, then they took us to shore for lunch on the beach, then a second dive on the reefs of the island, also great.

They can also arrange for a guided tour of Corcovado, they take you by panga down to Sirena Station, about a 75 minute boat ride to the most isolated area of the park, and then we went on a 6 hour hiking tour of the park, lunch included. The wildlife was amazing, the guide had been doing it for 16 years, and he grew up in the park because his father was a park ranger. It was almost as good as the diving!

Staying there for a couple of weeks you will have an amazing experience!

 

[AaronRiot]

Thanks very much for sharing your experience Wayne! I will have a further look into Aguila de Osa and their operator.

We are booked in to stay at El Mirador Eco Lodge. They do adventures out to Corcovado and snorkel trips etc. which I'm cool with doing through them. We basically signed up for one of each tour and left a bunch of days open so if we liked we could continue and if we wanted to try another operator we can. I will have two days diving so I want to make sure I find a good Op right off the bat, you know?

El Mirador uses Drake Divers ( Drake Divers Costa Rica )

We don't take off until February so there is still a good deal of time to explore options!

A side note, Wayne, sailing their sounds incredible. When we finally have the funds to move down south for good, a sailboat is #1 on the agenda.

Anyone else care to share?

 

[ScubabunnyCR]

Second with Alguila del osa. Really nice set up down there. Also check out pirates cove.

 

[dolesorchard]

Have stayed at Corcovado Adventures Tent Camp which we loved, if you don't mind sleeping in a tent with no power. It is not really camping as the tents are up on a wooden platform with a tarp over the entire platform and the tent under the tarp. Plenty of room in the tent with two double beds. The food there was great. Last year we stayed at Jinetes De Osa, they have their own boat and run trips out to Isla Del Cano. The dive master was more of a babysitter than a guide, after we said something to him and the manager, he showed a little more interest in slowing down and showing us some of the highlights. He also made a special trip to Devils Rock to show me my first frogfish. Wherever you stay the trip to Sirena is worthwhile, there is a local couple who do a night tour in the jungle and it is outstanding. The diving at Cano can be great, but they have limited it to four or five sites and it can get repetitious.