Dive Puerto Viejo

The coral reefs off Puerto Viejo in Limon Province Costa Rica are renowned as pristine ecosystems. On the Caribbean side of Costa Rica  is  the only true coral reef in Costa Rica. Through Project Aware and Crocodive Caribe (the only DSAT (Diving Science and Technology) Training center in Costa Rica), there are opportunities for divers to participate in non invasive coral reef monitoring method to divers who are passionate enough to make a difference.

Why? New research indicates that more than half of the world’s coral reefs could die in less than 25 years. Human activities and climate change have contributed to the loss of 30 percent of the worlds reefs to date; another 30 percent are severely damaged.

To go scuba diving in Costa Rica in the Puerto Viejo and Cahuita area gives you access to a huge variety of corals.  Brain Coral Elkhorn, Gorgonian, Sheet Coral, Lettuce Coral and tubipora are just a few. There are over 500 species of fish including Sharks, Trigger Fish, Angel Fish and Parrot Fish. There are also two old shipwrecks about seven meters below the surface.

The best time for diving and snorkeling is during the dry season, February-May and August to November..

The dive Boat we use to explore the reef is the Tango Ix

Tango IX is a 26 feet (8 meters) Panga manufactured specifically to our design by Apex Panga of San Jose, Costa Rica.

After scouring the 7 seas and more than 20 years of diving from boats, we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted and what was an absolute no-no.

First off, we did not want a “Cattle-boat” which all divers have learned about. So we deliberately limited Tango IX’s capacity to 8 divers plus crew.

We also designed the dive stairs at a specific angle to allow ease of ascent from the water. Tango IX has a huge diving deck for its size, and it is completely lit with halogen floodlights for night diving.
 

 

 

The boat is also equipped with a fresh water shower for rinsing yourself after the diving is 
over. The entire first deck is reserved for diving. The tower is reserved for the crew. In essence, divers get a dive deck that’s approximately 24 feet long (7,3 meters) and 8 feet large (2,5 meters) at its widest, which is about 4/5 of the boat. Roomy, spacious and comfortable.

Tango IX is powered by a Mercruiser Cummins Diesel of the latest generation, a quiet, economical and powerful engine. Fully loaded, she is capable of 25 knots. She is a very stable boat, equipped with powerful trim tabs that allows the hull to be at its utmost performance level at all times.

Tango IX is equipped with VHF and the latest GPS/Sonar technology which allows us to map our underwater sites directly on-board. We prefer not to use moorings since they have been proven to damage the environment. Finally, Tango IX has an Oxygen and first-aid kit on board, as well as an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). All crew are certified DAN (Divers Alert Network) BLSPro (Basic Life Support Professional).