Guided or Refresher Scuba Tour - Certification Needed!

A guided tour is for certified divers who are comfortable in the water and want to explore Rincón’s reefs with an experienced local guide leading the way. Your guide will handle navigation, point out marine life, and ensure you get the most out of your dive.

A refresher tour is designed for certified divers who haven’t been in the water for a while and need a skills review before diving. Along with a guided dive, your instructor will go over key scuba skills like mask clearing, buoyancy control, and regulator recovery to help you regain confidence and comfort underwater. It’s a great option if it’s been a year or more since your last dive or if you just want to brush up on your skills before heading out on more advanced dives.

Tres Palmas Marine Reserve is home to a vibrant underwater ecosystem. You may encounter colorful reef fish like parrotfish, angelfish, and wrasse, as well as sea turtles, stingrays, and even the occasional eagle ray. The reserve also features beautiful coral formations and schools of blue tangs weaving through the reef.

A guided tour is for certified divers who are comfortable in the water and want to explore Rincón’s reefs with an experienced local guide leading the way. Your guide will handle navigation, point out marine life, and ensure you get the most out of your dive.

A refresher tour is designed for certified divers who haven’t been in the water for a while and need a skills review before diving. Along with a guided dive, your instructor will go over key scuba skills like mask clearing, buoyancy control, and regulator recovery to help you regain confidence and comfort underwater. It’s a great option if it’s been a year or more since your last dive or if you just want to brush up on your skills before heading out on more advanced dives.

You can dive with a beard or mustache but it can prevent a tight seal between the mask and your face, which may cause water to leak in. It is often recommended to shave at least your mustache before diving. If you’d prefer not to shave your mustache, please bring petroleum jelly or chapstick with you. If you coat your mustache in that chapstick or jelly, it may be able to seal and prevent water from getting in.

Flying directly after scuba diving is incredibly dangerous and could result in a life-threatening illness called the Bends/Decompression Sickness. The Divers Alert Network (DAN) guidelines for flying after diving include:

• A single no-decompression dive, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000 ft (305 m) interval of 12 hours suggested.
• Multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000ft (305m) interval of 18 hours is suggested.
• Dives requiring decompression stops are recommended to have longer than 18 hours.

Please discuss with your dive guide ahead of time what is suggested!

Any activity that brings you above 1000 ft (305 m) can trigger the Bends/Decompression Sickness. Please check your hike elevation to ensure that at no time you will be going up in elevation. If the hike does go to elevation, you must treat it like a preflight interval as listed above in the flying FAQ.

Common sunscreens contain chemicals that can harm coral reefs, as the particles are small enough to be absorbed by corals, causing toxicity and coral bleaching. Reef-friendly sunscreens are formulated without these harmful chemicals. Reef-SAFE sunscreens go a step further by using non-nano particles, which are too large for corals to ingest, helping to preserve marine ecosystems. 

Please avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, and parabens. Consider wearing sun-protective clothing, like long-sleeve rash guards, as an alternative to sunscreen. If you choose a mineral-based sunscreen, ensure it is labeled ‘non-nano.’