Catalina Island Diving Tour From Tamarindo - Certified Only

I had a great experience diving with Tamarindo Diving. I was diving solo after not diving for 7 years and the owner, Davide, had me do an initial refresher dive to review the basics and confirm I was safe in the water. The whole team was kind, helpful and professional and once Davide confirmed that I was ready I joined a group of certified divers. The dives were pleasant; very little coral but pretty rock formations and some interesting marine life. We saw several turtles mating from the boat and overall, a very laid back and fun morning!

This is a two-tank dive. The first site was meh; the second site was much better and I saw a shark close up, eagle rays, moray eels, several small octopus, a lobster, and a turtle that was feasting on a reef. That was awesome. There is really no coral, so the dive is really about the sea life, and for me the tranquility of the ocean depth. The guide (Lily) is great. Loved her energy and humility. I've done dozens of dives and come across so many arrogant dive masters. I was staying near Flamingo in Conchal and learned too late that doing this dive from Tamarindo added a lot of unnecessary time and driving. Tamarindo is 30+ minutes from Conchal and the dive site (Catalina Islands) is near Flamingo, about 10 minute drive from Conchal. The boat ride from Tamarindo to Catalina was about 45 minutes and seas were not calm, making it bumpy and less enjoyable. That's no fault of the operator, but putting this here for your education. There were only four divers and we had two guides. One of the guides was supposedly taking video and pictures to provide it for purchase, which I was intending to do. But at the end of the dive there was no instruction or follow up. I lost my GoPro when I jumped in and another dive shop recovered it (I got it at the end of the second dive), but I had no pictures and wanted to take advantage of the offer. I still enjoyed the trip.

Dive shop was owned by two very friendly people and made our experience very enjoyable. Our dive master was quite knowledgeable of the areas and the boat ride was amazing! I would have given this 5 stars, however the equipment had some issues. One of the divers had a complete failure and had to rely on someone else air. I had a leak from the gauges and my regulator was also leaking causing me to inhale a fair amount of water. my tank was also leaking air at the stem. The dive shop very much needs updated or maintained equipment.

Great dive shop! Staff were extremely friendly and efficient in getting us fitted for equipment, on the boat, and on our way to dive. Dive was great and Lilly was an awesome guide. My wife and I are relatively new divers, but we went with another very experienced diver and we all had a great time.

I am an experience diver (more than 20 years). I went on a 14days tour to Costa Rica and fortunately, I had a fantastic diving trip with Tamarindo Diving Operation through Viator. I saw several white tip sharks, eagle ray, porcupine, tangs, puffer fish, butterfly fish, trumpet fish, eels, blue sea stars, Oh BTW, they even came and picked me up at my hotel. I love this team.

What an amazing time I had with Taramindo diving. The crew was down right awesome. My dive master Lily was a true professional. We saw tons of fish. Snappers, puffers, manta rays, white tips, sea urchins, sea stars, moray eels, parrot fish, barracudas, eagle rays, sting rays and so on. Truly a proffesional crew. I would recommend and dive with them again in a heart beat!! Thank for an amazing experience guys!! Cheers!!

The dive trip was excellent our guide G was incredible. Highly recommended.

I was on an amazing dive with Tamerindo Diving. Crew is amazing, makes sure everyone is having a blast and vibes are really good! Really nice dive as well, saw sharks for the first time, white tip reef sharks, and lots of other cool fishies and morays. Also we saw dolphins on our way to cat island. Just go it will be fun!

Veronica, dive instructor, with Tamarindo, SCUBA, CR Diving was very professional and welcoming. She gave a very detailed safety briefing. Truly informative pre dive brief on what we might see. The two dives were a lot of fun. Veronica was quick to point out aquatic life . She took pics & video which she gave us. We received first class service throughout. We had beginner & advance in our group. I am an advanced diver & dove all over the world. I would highly recommend Tamarindo dive shop & Veronica if you want a great experience. Thank you, Darrin

I did five two-tank dives with Tamarindo Diving while staying in Tamarindo and had a great experience overall. Lily and the rest of the crew were friendly, professional, and easy to dive with. There are actually two instructors named Lily — one local and one from Brazil — and both were excellent. The boat was clean and comfortable, gear setup was smooth, and everything ran on time. We dove the Catalina Islands, about a 45-minute ride from Tamarindo. The boat ride was relaxed with nice scenery, and the crew kept things light and organized. Once underwater, the guiding was very good. Lily, Lily (Brazil), and Manu all knew the sites well and were great at spotting both big animals and small critters. Over the dives we saw large schools of spot-tail grunts, mobula rays, white-tip reef sharks, eagle rays, octopus, and several stingray species. The macro life was also impressive — harlequin shrimp, lots of nudibranchs, and plenty of blennies. One standout moment was Lily finding a seahorse on the very first dive, which I was told is pretty rare for this area. Between dives they provided snacks like fresh fruit, cookies, peanuts, water, and juice, which was appreciated. The crew was also happy to share local tips, including restaurant suggestions and a heads-up about Tamarindo’s Thursday night market. All in all, Tamarindo Diving runs a solid operation with good guides and a friendly crew. I’d happily dive with them again and would recommend them to anyone diving in Tamarindo.

We did a private afternoon dive charter for four people with Tamarindo Diving to the Catalina islands. They got us through check-in and into our boat very quickly for the short trip to the site for two amazing dives with sharks, eagle rays, loads of eels, harlequin shrimp, all to a soundtrack of humpback whale songs in the background. Really amazing dives and excellent work by divemaster Sam and Captain Franklin. Extra points for the best fresh pineapple I have ever had on a dive boat. The is the first private charter I have booked and while not as cheap as group trips, it was very good value. Very convenient location in Tamarindo, short walk from the dive shop to the boat.

We loved the shop. Wonderful staff, super fun and passionate. Also, flexible and easy to work with. 11 year old got open water also.

Great dive for us somewhat newer open water divers. We saw so many great fish, white tip sharks, stone fish, eels, rays, and felt very safe with the staff. Snacks and water on boat

Samuel was our dive guide. Very experienced and helped us as newer divers. We saw some awesome fish, scorpion stone fish,

Very enjoyable experience and very nice crew. Lots of great things to look at while scuba diving as well. I also thought it was a great price for the unforgettable experience you get.

Spectacular!!!! I would give them six stars if I could. It was one of the best dives I have ever done. The team was professional and super friendly. We had the opportunity to see sharks, eagle rays, turtles and dolphins. We also had the opportunity to see a shark nursery. Supper cute. Those little extras demonstrate the knowledge of the area along with their care for the ecosystem. I would highly recommend Tamarindo Diving to anyone visiting the area. I know I’ll be back

My wife and I hadn’t been diving in quite some time, other than a tune up right before our trip to Costa Rica. We booked the half-day trip the the Catalinas and had a great time! The crew was a blast and made sure we all were comfortable with our gear before getting in the water. The water felt great in a shorty and we were able to see many different types of underwater species. Samu was a great guide, we would 100% dive with him again!

Great dive. Conditions were a little rough, but that is part of diving. Samu was excellent. Got up close and personal with a ton of wildlife including parrot fish, puffer fish, and eels, but the highlight was watching a huge spotted eagle ray attacking something on the sea floor. Highly recommend the dive.

Me and my boyfriend had an awesome time doing a half day dive. It was his first ever time Scuba diving and I hadn’t been in years. Our instructor Noami made us feel totally confident. The vibes at the shop were great, getting geared up was quick and efficient and the boat crew was competent and fun! We saw sharks, eels, puffers, and a harlequin shrimp. Will absolutely book again!

Very nice double dive. We saw several white tip sharks, including one very large ( the biggest I’ve seen so far), moray eels, many different types of porcupine and puffer fish and lots of different school of colourful fish. During our break, we serve a delicious fruit selection ( pineapple, paw paw and watermelon), which was much appreciated. Our dive master, Arena ( I hope I got your name right) was very professional, and went out of her way to accommodate our group. Last but not least, the diving equipment was good ( weight in BCD pockets, which I loved).

Absolutely amazing time diving with this group at the Catalina islands, saw many of different types of beautiful sea life and the massive manta rays!!!

Had an amazing time! The team was very profesional and organized, in which we headed out with three different groups on the boat: recreational, classes, and snorkel (I was in the recreational team). During my two dives I saw: - Gental giants up to 6 or 7 mts wide -SO many sharks (one meter or less) -Heard whale songs underwater -MUltiple eels - Shiny seaslugs (didnt know how special they were before this trip) On the boat we also saw whales and saw stingrays leaving out of the water. The snacks were great and the team was very knowledgable about the sea life and are.

If I could give infinite stars for tamarindo diving I would! Incredible time with Davide and his very experienced crew. There’s a relaxed vibe, also very professional and organized, lots of expert teamwork and logistics. Great for couples if one of you is certified diver and other is not, the excursions bring out both divers and snorklers on the same boat so it’s a great option. Obviously some of the best diving anywhere, so much sea life, mantas, pulpos, tiburones, on one dive we saw a whale breach and then heard the whales song during the dive! Both my dive masters Isabel and jack were incredible, guiding and teaching me as I am still new to diving. You’ll appreciate Capitan Franklin’s skill with the skiff to and from the dive boat and his speedy pick ups when you’re done in the water. And finally to top off the whole experience they will hook you up with delicious snacks and drinks between dives. Muchisimas gracias Tamarindo divers! Pura vida!

Have dove twice from this shop. Super friendly, looks like good quality eq ( i bring my own tho). Will dive with them again soon...

We went with a group of friends. Tamarindo Diving is top notch! We felt like family. They went above & beyond to make our trip fun.

This was a great diving adventure with a very friendly and helpful diving guide. We dove two amazing sites with an abundance of life: whitetip reef sharks, eels, octopuses, starfish, rays, and of course a plethora of schools of fish. As we dove he noticed I was clearing a lot of water from my own mask and offered me an extra one he brought. We stopped at a local produce stand on the drive back to the shop which was a nice bonus. Within a short turnaround he was able to send me pictures and videos of our dive so friends at home can believe what I saw! I hope I can make it back to Tamarindo to dive with TamaDive again... maybe to see bull sharks :o

Water conditions were not perfect due to the gyre conditions causing 4-6 foot swells from the SW, which worsened on the trip back to Tamarindo. Shout out to our experienced captain who navigated the big swells on the back. But they still went out, dropped us off on the inside, protected side of Isla Santa Catalina. Not able to do El Clasico, but did North and South Point. Was a fun, enjoyable trip despite some sea sickness. The vis was between 40-60 feet, with underwater topography mostly volcanic rock with some small areas with coral. Warm water and dove with a 2 mm shortie. KK was very good at spotting octopus (saw > 12), moray eels, and South Point has white-tip reef sharks that congregate at a warm, sandy spot. We had a mixed group of 3 divers, 1 discover scuba, and 1 snorkeler--except for some sea sickness, everyone had a blast. Very professional and experienced staff. Thx to Davide and Sebi (discover), Lily (snorkel guide), Enrique KK (DM), and our excellent captain!

Did the 2 dive tour on June 7 with 3 sons. Super experience. Staff was welcoming, funny and most importantly prepared. Equipment all worked to spec (mask, fins, wetsuit, and all diving equipment). Guides Barnabus Jack and Lily were super - helpful, engaging and informative. They also took photos and sent us a link - same day! When I/we go back we will dive with them! Ken

Becoming a certified diver has been on my bucket list since childhood. Although I let that item go for a long time when I was ready to commit to taking the Open Water course, I asked around, and everyone recommended Tamarindo Diving Center. I had a previous connection with TDC when Davide and his team visited my kid's school to demonstrate SCUba and led the students who wanted to go on a pass around the school pool. I had always found that a plus and an extremely generous gesture to provide that opportunity to youngsters, so I was happy to support them with my business. I was not disappointed. The staff at TDC is professional, knowledgeable, fun-loving, patient, and kind. My instructor has been Barnaba. I cannot quantify how enjoyable I have found his lessons. His attention to detail, passion for diving, and ensuring that I understood everything relating to the Diving experience were reassuring and made the learning process fun. When it came time for my qualifying dives, Barnaba ensured that I was 100% prepared, and I had no fear as I stepped off the boat into the ocean for the first time. I want to thank Davide, Barnaba, and all the staff at Tamarindo Diving Center for making this dream come true, and I intend to continue my education with them over the next few years.

Timely meet up at the shop at 6:50am. Paperwork was quick. The explained we were leaving out of a different port - no problem. All the staff were great all day - very helpful on the boat - gear setup, easy to get on and off the boat. The capitan and his nietos - very nice - extra time in the car with them on the way home. Keke - amazing. Frequent checks/asks for air. Knows his marine animals so well. Very conscientious of his guests in the water. Pre-dive explanation, clear safety stop pre-dive and in the water. I learned a lot on how a guide should communicate before and during the dive. Thank you Keke!!

We dove with Tamarindo diving and they were great. They picked us up from our hotel and drove us to the shop and then the beach. Kiki was our dive master and he was so nice and a wonderful dive master. My husband was having some ear issues and Kiki was very accommodating and took his time descending with us. I would definitely dive with them again.

My Dad and I dove with this crew and had a blast! We’re beginner divers and Kika was very knowledgeable and gave us great advice throughout the dive. The sites we dove were full of white tip reef sharks, schools of fish and moray eels. We felt safe and had a great time. The equipment was perfect and checked over multiple times by the crew. Thanks to Jack for the extra tips and info about his dive school, Bubble Scuba Diving School Tamarindo. You don’t find too many master divers with thousands++ of dives and over 40 years of experience - what a treat!

Our recent dive with Tamarindo Diving was not very good. Here are the issues we ran into that you may want to consider: When arriving at the dive shop, we were informed they did not have a boat in service, this should have been mentioned on the website that there was going to be additional travel time. Due to this we had a ~45-minute drive to get to a dive boat that they leased/rented and another 45 min to get to the dive site. In total it was approx. 3 hours in travel to and from the dive site. Our party consisted of 4 divers, my daughter and son-in-law were making their first open water dives since certification, this was mentioned prior to leaving as we were asked how many dives each person had performed. This plays a part in the diving and equipment setup. Our Dive Master was Kiki, he spent more time joking and having fun with the other dive master's and snorkeling guides than with the divers, particularly the new divers so that they would know what to expect. He also spoke disparagingly about our group in particular about my daughter and son-in-law with the others in Spanish thinking that we would not understand. This was incredibly rude and very unprofessional. I do want to mention we had a second dive professional, Lily, she was quite nice and did spend time talking to my daughter and to myself. I appreciated her professionalism, and it is a shame that Kiki overshadowed that with his unprofessional behavior as the dive master for the trip. The gear setup was hurried and as I was watching I noticed that the regulator they hooked up for me was leaking considerably causing them to change it out prior to the dive. They did not do adequate safety checks on the gear prior to taking it on the trip nor during setup. On the first dive, I had issues with my regulator, it was leaking from the safe second and from the gauges, when I brought this up, Kiki did change it out, but he then also ended our dive early, at approx. 1400 psi he sent us back to the boat while keeping others down to continue the dive. Both dives we were on the boat with at least 1000psi remaining in our tanks. This was unprofessional and retaliatory because I complained about the gear. They did not spend any time with any of us to go through, check the gear and ensure it was all fitted and functioning properly. They did not spend any time with the 2 new divers to let them know what to expect as far as the dive conditions, the surge was considerable and difficult for new divers, and they did no overview of the gear to ensure they knew where everything was and how to use it and to ensure they had a fun and safe dive. I would not recommend using this dive shop, I would look for a dive shop that is professional and takes customer service, care and safety seriously.

Excellent diving with Silvia. Dolphins on the way out, a sea turtle, shark, manta rays and moray eels all joined us. Silvia reads the ocean well, made sure our small group was safe and comfortable and had an awesome experience. Can’t wait to come back again!!

I had two amazing dives with Tamarindo divers. Silvia was a fantastic instructor. She was so friendly, knowledgable, and just happy to be diving! We saw sharks, rays, turtles and much more. She gave me lots of tips that I will take forward to the rest of my diving. Would recommend Tamarindo to everyone going diving in Costa Rica!!

Very pleased with this tour. All of the equipment was clean and in excellent condition, from the wetsuits to masks, fins to PFD, everything was well cared for. We have all been on the tours with the sun damaged fins, and overstretched wetsuit…this was not that place. The team assembled all of the equipment and I watched as the dive masters all double checked each piece before we clipped in. We were checked a third time before entering the water. The instructions were clear, and the whole team exceptionally friendly. Execution was also perfect from The dive shop to the beach and back…no problems

I did a snorkelling experience on the 9th Feb 24 with my wife and I went diving on the 10th . This is really a great team, very professional and friendly. They picked me up at the hotel and were very nice all along the process of equipping the group . Davide and Lilli are both to be specifically mentioned as they run the team professionally but constantly smiling and joking with everyone. The boat Libertade is well equipped and , cherry on the cake , they prepare everything for you!! The site was nice with a lot to see . A five star experience!!

We had a lovely trip with Kiki/Keegan was our Dive Master- he located so many underwater creatures on both of our dives, kept us all incredibly safe, and was very very friendly to make us all comfortable. The entire Family was wonderful to work with and we left feeling like part of the family after our dives. They are professional, patient, affordable and we would HIGHLY recommend !!!

All perfect, equipment, guides, boat, timing lifts and security Ok lots of babies sharks white tip and some turtles

Wow, what a please to dive with Davide and his team. This was our second time diving Las Catalinas and a much better experience than the first time with another company. Davide's boat was a nice large catamaran and it was nice leaving from Tamarindo rather than Flamingo since we were staying in Tamarindo. His divemaster's were all super friendly, very knowledgeable and funny. Ours DM also pointed out a lot of hidden sea life which was incredible. Conditions were great and we were able to swim with a large Manta Ray for over 10 minutes of the second dive. It was a truly magical experience. I highly recommend Davide and team for dives out of Tamarindo!

Diving with Tamarindo Diving was a wonderful experience. The team is very professional and passionate, the rental equipment was in a great condition and the dive sites offer a big variety of marine life. Our boat offered enough space. All in all we had a great day and I recommend the Dive Shop for your dives in Tamarindo.

The crew that took us out was fantastic! They were fun and very knowledgeable about the area and the ocean life. My wife and I went out to the Catalina Islands with them and just had the best time. The price includes 2 dives, the boat ride, and snacks on the boat. We saw tons of ocean life, including sharks, eels, barracuda and more. Our guide knew just where to look in a crevice to find a baby shark sleeping. It was an incredible experience! Please give these guys your business because they are stellar!

Spent a really awesome morning with Tamarindo Dive. A nice familiar atmosphere, good equipment and an attentive dive master.

I’m a certified diver and was with my 11 year old granddaughter who was doing her last two open water dives for her certification. Her dive instructor, Jac, was absolutely amazing. He made sure she was calm and comfortable but at the same time made sure she could handle herself in all situations. The company was very professional and made sure we had a safe dive.

Experienced team providing you with comfort and security throughout the whole trip! Highly recommend Davide and his team, we had a great time.

It was an amazing experience! The guide Jac was great. We saw a white tip shark, a couple of rays, a turtle an a lot of colourful fish. We had an amazing time. Highly recommend this company.

The guide Jac was great at finding all sorts hidden in the rocks - he was great fun & made me feel very safe when diving.

My partner and I did an afternoon dive led by Lucas. It was brilliant and we saw a shark, an octopus, baby sharks, amazing starfish and eels and soooo many stunning fish in schools. Lucas was so dedicated to giving us a good experience and took really good care of us. Lilly helped as well and was very attentive to ensuring a safe, comfortable dive. The office staff were delightful to deal with - they foster about 7 adorable dogs who hang out at the office so they must be good people whose business is worth supporting.

Amazing! The crew had great energy and they were really helpful even when the current was much stronger than expected. Our group had licensed divers and beginners, fair to say they were more than prepared to cater to all of us!! We saw sharks and turtles! They know what they are doing!!