Advanced divers and up
Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: Sea 0.7 m, Visibility about 15 m, Water 28 °C
Mon 2 · 75 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.7 m
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 28°C
Tue 3 · 74 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.7 m
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 64 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.7 m
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 27°C
Thu 5 · 66 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.8 m
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 66 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.8 m
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 68 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.7 m
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 27°C
Sun 8 · 70 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.6 m
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 29°C
Tap a day for sea, wind and water. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 172, good
- Mon 275, good
- Tue 374, good
- Wed 464, good
- Thu 566, good
- Fri 666, good
- Sat 768, good
- Sun 870, good
- Mon 976, good
- Tue 1077, good
The site in three facts
- Advancedand up
- Water 28 °C3 mm wetsuit
- Faces NWswell from there reaches it
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know currents, the visibility on the day or your certification.
Suits Advanced divers and up, as a dive guide states it. Scored for Advanced divers.
| Day | Score | Sea | Wind | Gusts | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 72, good | 0.7 m | 4 kn | 6kn | 28°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 75, good | 0.7 m | 3 kn | 7kn | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 74, good | 0.7 m | 6 kn | 11kn | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 64, good | 0.7 m | 4 kn | 10kn | 27°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 66, good | 0.8 m | 4 kn | 9kn | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 66, good | 0.8 m | 5 kn | 16kn | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 68, good | 0.7 m | 3 kn | 11kn | 27°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 70, good | 0.6 m | 5 kn | 9kn | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 76, good | 0.6 m | 7 kn | 11kn | 29°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 77, good | 0.6 m | 1 kn | 10kn | 29°C |
Sea is the waves near the site, in metres; wind and gusts in knots. "Boats in": gusts that keep dive boats in. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovLow 00:40 −1.0 mHigh 06:50 +1.1 mLow 13:12 −1.2 mHigh 19:32 +1.1 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 01:45 −0.9 mHigh 07:56 +1.0 mLow 14:17 −1.0 mHigh 20:40 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:59 −0.9 mHigh 09:09 +0.9 mLow 15:28 −0.9 mHigh 21:52 +1.0 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Slack water, the safest time to dive where there is current, is about half an hour either side of each high and low. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the site and its town
El Arco on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About El Arco
It suits Advanced divers and up, as a dive guide states it. The coast faces NW: swell from the NW reaches it, and wind from the SE blows out to sea. No dive centre within 10 km, the nearest 25 km away. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (3 mm wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (rash vest or 1 to 2 mm). The town to stay in is Drake. Within 5 km we also list 4 dive sites.
- What it is No source states what kind of site it is.
- How deep No source states how deep it goes.
- Who it suits Suits Advanced divers and up, as a dive guide states it.
- Dive centres No dive centre within 10 km, the nearest 25 km away.
Water about 28°C: 3 mm wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Visibility about 15 m. Typical for the time of year, estimated from ten years of NASA satellite water clarity, not a forecast. Clearest in Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr and Jul (about 20 m).
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$784–US$1,470 each
about US$784–US$1,470 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SJO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$295–US$610 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$161 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$188–US$315 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$208–US$389 |
| Total | about US$784–US$1,470 |
Guided dives are not priced yet: we have no sourced price, so it is not in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Drake
44 min by car · 30 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Drake its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$74 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 13h 45m
About 13h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SJO, direct, then 4h 45m by road
Flights ORD → SJO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Drake · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Drake · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
Osa Divers 25 km
The nearest named dive centres and shops within 25 km, in a straight line; training agencies where the map states them. Listings, not a recommendation. Dive centres: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
What you might see
Too few open records near this site to list its animals. Ask a dive centre what you are likely to see.
This week: visibility about 8 m, greener than usual (satellite plankton reading, 24 Oct). Estimated from the month's typical visibility and this week's satellite chlorophyll against the site's normal; heavy rain before a dive can still muddy it.
The current and the life no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.