Drake Divers offers PADI scuba diving courses in Drake Bay for every level, from your first breath underwater to professional certification. All open water training dives take place at Caño Island Biological Reserve, the best dive site on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, with whitetip reef sharks, sea turtles and eagle rays as regular company.
At Drake Divers, we offer officially certified PADI diving courses in Drake Bay for every level: from your first breath underwater to professional Divemaster certification. All open water training dives take place inside Caño Island Biological Reserve, the most biodiverse marine protected area on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Real diving, real skills, real certification.
Every course combines theory via PADI eLearning, confined water skills practice, and open water dives at Caño Island, where reef sharks, sea turtles, and eagle rays are your regular training partners. Maximum 4 students per instructor. High-end equipment included. 20+ years training divers in Drake Bay.
We offer PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Divemaster and the full range of PADI specialty courses. All open water training dives take place at Caño Island Biological Reserve. All courses include eLearning theory so you can study online before you arrive.
Book your Open Water or Advanced directly online. For Rescue, Divemaster or any specialty course, send us a WhatsApp.
Your entry-level PADI certification. Three days and 4 open water dives at Caño Island: theory, confined water practice and real ocean sessions. Certified to dive independently to 18m worldwide. No experience required. Minimum age: 10.
Extend your range to 30m with 5 adventure dives at Caño Island, covering deep diving and underwater navigation. Takes just 2 days. Enrol after completing your Open Water certification. Prerequisite: Open Water. Minimum age: 12.
Rescue Diver, Divemaster, Nitrox, Deep Diver and more. All specialty and professional PADI programs available in Drake Bay. Contact us on WhatsApp to check available dates, prerequisites and build a training plan that fits your time here.
With over 240 reviews on Google, we are one of the highest-rated dive centers in Costa Rica. Our guests highlight our organisation, professionalism and the personal connection that defines diving in this corner of Costa Rica.
If you have never dived, the PADI Open Water Diver course in Drake Bay is the right starting point. It runs over three days and is designed for complete beginners — no prior experience in scuba diving is required. If you want a single-day introduction before committing to the full certification, the Discover Scuba Diving experience at Caño Island is a good first step and counts toward the Open Water course if you decide to continue.
You need to be comfortable in the water and able to swim 200 metres without stopping, but the pace is relaxed and any stroke is acceptable. There is also a 10-minute survival float that requires no swimming at all. Most people who take PADI courses in Drake Bay have an average level of fitness — competitive swimming ability is not required.
Yes. The PADI Open Water Diver course takes three days and the Advanced Open Water takes two days. If you complete the PADI eLearning modules before you arrive in Drake Bay, you skip the classroom day entirely and go straight into the water from day one. We recommend keeping one buffer day free in case weather delays the boat crossing to Caño Island.
Drake Divers limits all scuba diving courses in Drake Bay to a maximum of four students per PADI instructor. That ratio is a deliberate policy, not a minimum standard. Smaller groups allow the instructor to adjust the pace for each student individually and spend more time in the water with anyone who wants to repeat a skill before moving on.
Yes. Drake Divers runs scuba diving courses throughout the year. Both the dry season (December to April) and the wet season (May to November) offer good conditions at Caño Island Biological Reserve. The wet season typically brings warmer water, higher marine activity and regular humpback whale sightings on the boat crossing from Drake Bay to Caño Island.
The PADI Open Water Diver course is your first scuba diving certification. It qualifies you to dive with a buddy to 18 metres anywhere in the world. The PADI Advanced Open Water extends that limit to 30 metres through five adventure dives — including deep diving and underwater navigation — all completed at Caño Island. You can enrol in the Advanced course immediately after finishing your Open Water.
Yes, and it is the most efficient option. PADI eLearning lets you complete all knowledge development online before you travel to Costa Rica. When you arrive in Drake Bay, the course moves directly to confined water practice and the open water dives at Caño Island — saving a full day of study time. Your eLearning access code is sent as soon as you confirm your scuba diving course booking.
Yes. All PADI courses at Drake Divers run in both English and Spanish. Our instructors deliver the full course — theory, in-water briefings and skills practice — in whichever language you prefer. Your PADI certification is issued internationally and recognised worldwide regardless of the language used during training in Costa Rica.
Call or message us directly. Talk to one of our local instructors. We’ll listen to you and help you choose the best diving or snorkeling experience for your level.
