Gap Year Scuba Diving | Costa Rica Discoverer

Costa Rica Discoverer
Quepos, Costa Rica

Last updated: 22 February 2013

Surrounded by beautiful bays and stunning dive sites, the two towns of Quepos and Manual Antonio are great places to learn Spanish, scuba dive and experience plenty of local culture. Whether you’re a student in college, a professional in the field or a lifetime learner; these programmes provide you with the tools and guidance you need to achieve and surpass your Spanish and diving goals!

Our programme combines Spanish lessons, local activities and scuba diving. Depending on your dive level, PADI courses from Open Water to Divemaster can be selected and there are at least 20 hours Spanish per week, regular social events (either in town or on the beach) and a choice of adventure trips to bolt-on.

Essentials

Country:	Quepos, Costa Rica
Meals:	Breakfast and dinner provided by your host family
Trip duration	From 1 week +
Suitability	All diving levels welcome including beginners.
Getting there:	London - USA (i.e. Houston) - San Jose - Quepos

What diving courses are availble to you?

Please click the course name for more information about that particular course.

Details and Itinerary

Programme content and guideline itinerary

Spanish Lessons

The weeks are fairly well structured with a nice balance between Spanish, diving, adventure and free time. Each weekday you have up to 4 hours Spanish in either the morning or afternoon. If the Spanish is done in the morning then you can expect 4 hours group learning or if it's in the afternoon then it's 2 hours private tuition. Learning is relaxed and informal at the school and you should quickly feel your Spanish proficiency improving. The teaching methods connect language learning to real life situations so that your new vocabulary skills are retained and mastered quickly.

The diving

Around the Spanish lessons are diving classes and boat excursions to neighbouring dive sites. Diving classes are done privately or in small groups (depending on the course) and we schedule the diving to fit in with your Spanish lessons and social commitments.

When you are diving, the marine life is quite exquisite around Manual Antonio and you can expect to see everything from crabs and lobsters to Humpback whales, manta rays and schools of sharks!

Adventure

Weekends provide a welcome break from the learning but also an opportunity for fun dives and independent travel. We can arrange lots of fun activities and tours from guided tours in Manual Antonio National Park to a full day white water rafting trip on the Rio Naverjo! Other activities that you might like are mountain biking, a canopy tour, a mangroves tour, sea kayaking, a sunset cruise, dolphin watching and other specialised tours. All these activities can be cherry-picked when customising your trip.

Achievements

By the end of this programme your Spanish proficiency will certainly have improved. Some people really do learn quickly and it is quite simply amazing how quickly they pick-up the language!

You'll also progress your diving to a new level and experience some of the wonders the Manuel Antonio coastline has to offer. You'll return home feeling that you've learned new skills and be a more informed and educated diver.

Itinerary

It's a semi-structured itinerary! Spanish lessons are rotated (AM/PM) on a daily basis to fit in with the diving. So one day it might be diving after breakfast and another day it might be diving after Spanish and lunch. It's a daily surprise but the schedule is largely dependent on the dive courses you choose.

Monday to Friday are generally regarded as Spanish and diving days whilst Saturday and Sunday are free days for relaxation, additional diving and independent travel.

Included and Not Included

A guide to what you see and what you get!

Full details of exact inclusions, exclusions and local payments will be sent to you when you request a quotation. As a general guideline you can expect the following:

Included

Airport meet and greet in Quepos, up to 20 hours Spanish lessons each week (either 4 hours group lessons or 2 hours private lesson each day), all Spanish learning aids, optional Salsa and Meringue lessons, homestay accommodation with host family, private room with breakfast and dinner provided daily (see notes in accommodation section), laundry service, recreational dives, full equipment hire, PADI training, local activities (available to bolt-on), 24 hour UK support, local support through Georgia.

Not Included

International and domestic flights, visa (if applicable), airport departure taxes, vaccinations, travel Insurance, PADI fees, PADI materials, meals other than those indicated, and personal spending money.

Local Payments

Lunch each day, snacks, PADI Fees and PADI materials

Extra Information

A few things you should know and trip downloads

Guideline Pricing Information

All prices are per person and exclude flights unless otherwise stated. The guideline prices shown are designed to provide you with an indication of how much to budget for your trip. You need to be aware that there are a number of factors which can influence the price; these include the duration of trip, the time of year, exchange rates, board basis and the amount of diving you require. For an accurate price you must submit a quote request.

Accommodation

We accommodate everyone in the local town of Quepos. You stay with a local host family who’ll provide you with a private room within their home. Breakfast and dinner are provided daily and the family even do your laundry! The system works well and you live nearby other students. Living with a host family also enables you to practice your Spanish on a daily basis whether you like speaking it or not!!

Note: 1 day a week the host family do not provide dinner and you will need to eat out one day per week.

Flights

The best way to get to Quepos is to fly via the US and connect with a flight to San Jose. It's then a short flight to Quepos.

Requirements

- No Spanish required. All Spanish levels welcome.
- No diving experience needed. Full training provided.
- Over 17 years of age and over 18 for Divemaster training
- Fit to dive (a PADI medical form will be sent to you after booking)
- EFR course for qualified Rescue Divers starting this programme (can add when booking if out of date)
- 40 logged dives if you are a Rescue Diver starting this programme and wishing to start a Divemaster course

Dive Training

You choose what you would like to do! When submitting a quote please indicate what diving courses interest you and how much recreational diving you would like. We will prepare an itinerary based on your requirements.

PADI Materials

PADI fees and materials are NOT included and you need to pay for these locally. The costs for 2013 are detailed below. Please note that you only need to pay for materials and fees associated with the courses you complete.

- PADI Open $70 for manuals and certification
- PADI Advanced Open $70 for manuals and certification
- PADI EFR $40 for manuals and certification
- PADI Rescue $70 for manuals and certification
- PADI Deep Diver Speciality $60 for manuals and certification
- PADI Equipment Specialist $30 for manuals and certification
- PADI Night Diver Speciality $60 for manuals and certification
- PADI Nitrox Diver Speciality $75 for manuals and certification
- PADI Fish ID Speciality $30 for manuals and certification
- PADI Navigation Speciality $60 for manuals and certification
- PADI Digital Underwater Photography Speciality $60 for manuals and certification
- PADI AWARE Coral Reef Speciality $30 for manuals and certification
- PADI Deep Diver Speciality $60 for manuals and certification
- PADI Divemaster $440 for crewpak and Divemaster Application Fee
- PADI EFR Instructor $195 for manuals and Application Fee
- PADI Instructor Development Course (including IE) $1485 for crewpak and Application Fee

PADI Fees

Please see above

What next?

Happy with what you have seen and read? To get an exact price please click the 'tailor-made button' (located on the 'prices, dates and booking' tab) to request a quotation as this trip is tailor-made. Following the link will open our online quotation system. Simply follow the steps and make your selections. A formal quotation will be sent to you via e-mail once we have received your request.

Special Offer

Grab a deal whilst you can!

Free courses!!

Offer 1:
Sign-up for a 6 week Divemaster Internship in Costa Rica and get 2 specialties FREE; one from each of the following lists.
List A (choose 1): Project AWARE, Fish ID, Coral reef conservation and equipment specialist.
List B (choose 1): Deep Diver, Search and Recovery Diver, Enriched Air Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy Diver (PPB), Naturalist Diver and Boat Diver.
Terms: Only applicable when you do a Divemaster Internship. PADI materials and PADI certification fees still apply and must be paid for locally.

Offer 2:
FREE 6-week Divemaster Internship (WOW!) when you sign-up for an Instructor training course. Minimum dives required and daily work as a Divemaster intern expected from 7am to 3pm 6 days per week. Please call 0845 257 3292 for more information.

Prices, Booking and Dates

Guideline prices, trip dates and how to book!

Guideline Price Table

Request a Quotation

Current Dive Level	As a guide...
Current Dive Level	Duration	Price
Beginner	1 week +	From £615From £615 for 1 week including 20 hours Spanish and a PADI Open Water course
Open Water	1 week +	From £505From £505 for 1 week including 20 hours Spanish and a PADI Advanced Open Water course
Advanced	1 week +	From £675From £675 for 1 week including 20 hours Spanish and a 10 recreational fun dives.
Rescue Diver	1 week +	From £675From £675 for 1 week including 20 hours Spanish and a 10 recreational fun dives.
Divemaster	1 week +	From £675From £675 for 1 week including 20 hours Spanish and a 10 recreational fun dives.

Booking a tailor-made trip

This trip is tailor-made. Please to start customising your own trip. Our quotation system is easy to use and it allows you to get an idea of price according to your dive level. If you wish to book then you must complete the quotation form, add your details and we will e-mail you a formal quotation with all the booking details. You can also call us on 0845 257 3292 to discuss this trip and to book a place.

Booking Instructions

Step 1: This trip is tailor-made! Request a quote so that we can check availability and provide an accurate price based on your travel dates and diving requirements.
Step 2: We will review your request. A quote will be sent to your e-mail address with a link to follow should you decide to book.
Step 3: If you wish to proceed with the booking; follow the link in the e-mail and pay the deposit for the trip. Please note that quotes have an expiry date.
Step 4: You will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of your booking request along with login details so that you can manage your booking.
Step 5: We will send you all your travel documents and be at-hand to answer any questions relating to your trip.

Trip Dates

Custom start dates throughout the year. You must arrive in Quepos on a Sunday to start Spanish on the Monday. A suggested trip duration will be displayed when requesting a quotation, however, the trip can be extended (and possibly shortened) as required.

Financial Protection

TTA Your money is secure with us! We have TTA Financial protection under licence Q0621. The protection means that you can book your holiday secure in the knowledge that the Travel Trust Association will protect you in the unlikely event of a us becoming insolvent. Should we for any reason financially fail or cease trading, the Travel Trust Association will liaise with the suppliers to ensure that your holiday goes ahead unaffected. If for any reason this is not possible, the TTA will administer a claim for a refund of money that you have paid to us for your holiday. Read more about how your money is protected.

Deposit and Balance Payments

We request a £250 deposit to secure a place. All balance payments are due 60 days before the start of the trip. If you book within 60 days of departure then full payment must be made at the time of booking.