Sea Hunter | Costa Rica (Cocos Island)

Boat

Sea Hunter is the gold standard for all other dive liveaboards, it's a superbly stable and robust craft, formerly a commercial dive-support vessel, built to serve the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico long time ago. After Undersea Hunter Group bought it in 1994, it went through eight months of extensive redesign and renovation, turned the boat into the striking vessel it is today, combines the large platform, functionality and powerful machinery of a workboat with the comfortable and relaxed interior of a modern yacht.

Sea Hunter is a 36 meters long, 8.1 meters wide welded steel vessel, specifically designed and built for long-range expeditions to destinations like Cocos and Malpalo islands. This spacious boat is everything that a serious diver or photographer could wish for: individual gear storage, private camera/strobe storage shelves with 110 & 220-volt AC power, zero-speed stabilizers and even a private washer & dryer for client’s towels and bathing suits.

On the main deck, the lounge is ample and comfortable with chairs and long, padded seating areas for sitting, reclining and even dozing off. Aside from the always fascinating socializing with your fellow adventurers, there is also a variety of nightly entertainment available aboard. This includes slide shows, DVDs, videos, games and more. Please feel free to bring along your own favorites. The refrigerator is constantly refreshed and brimming with soft drinks, beer and ice for your pleasure and something to munch on is always within reach.

The dining room consists of five, 4-person booths arranged in two rows, cozy enough even to allow conversation between booths. The menu aboard is a soulful combination of American and local Costa Rican cuisine. Meals are varied, abundant and nutritionally well-balanced. There are fresh tropical fruits, salads, fish, chicken, beef, and much more, all prepared in a wide variety of ways. Our guests continually laud our chefs' creativity in turning out delicious and memorable meals at sea. Please let us know if you have any special dietary needs or requests.

There is another library room offer comfortable seating and a library that provides a relaxed and private ambience. And also a TV, VCR, DVD and personal computer to allow guests to view and edit their video and digital photography.

This 1000 square foot sundeck is truly multi-use. Make yourself at home reading in a lounge chair, catching some rays or watching a sunset. Our chefs use this area for sumptuous BBQs with dancing under the stars. Its large open area has actually been designed specifically for landing a helicopter during special expeditions.

Diver facilities are extremely well-designed with segregated, individual gear storage provided for each diver. This includes under-seat storage, a large cubbyhole with electric outlets for charging as well as easy access to protected areas for even the largest camera housings and lights. Besides, there are 20 personal camera lockers in the camera room with numerous 110 & 220 volt outlets for charging batteries, strobes and other electronics.

Cabin

Sea Hunter has 10 comfortable guest staterooms, it can accommodate up to 20 guests per trip:

All cabins have air conditioning climate controls, ensuite bathroom, shelves, drawers and hanging hooks, a desk and chair,110-volt outlets, a satellite telephone for international calls, a flat screen TV with DVD player.

1 Owners Cabin :
Located on the upper deck, comes with a queen size double bed, large cabin space and seaview. windows.

1 Upper Double Suite :
Located on the upper deck, comes with a queen size double bed, large cabin space and seaview windows.

2 Deluxe Twin Cabins :
Located on the lower deck, each cabin comes with two twin beds side by side, portholes.

3 Deluxe Double Cabins :
Located on the lower deck, each cabin comes with a queen size double bed, portholes.

3 Deluxe Bunk Cabins :
Located on the lower deck, each cabin comes with two single beds in bunk style, portholes.

Diving

• Generally 3 dives per day + at least 3 night dives per trip.

• No dive provided on the day of arrival and departure.

• All diving will provide experienced guide to lead the dive.

• Supports all types of totally closed-circuit rebreathers (CCR)

• Offer Tri-mix support with helium and other Tec dive support

Other Informations

• Nitrox：Available with additional charge
• 15L Tanks：Available with additional charge
• REBREATHER Dive：Available with additional charge
• Technical Dive：Available with additional cost
• SUBMERSIBLE Dive：Available with additional cost
• Dive Equipment Rental：Available with additional charge
• Dive insurance：Divers travel aboard must have valid dive insurance
• Wi-Fi Internet ：Not available at the moment
• Laundry Service：Not available at the moment
• Massage Service：Not available at the moment
• Payment on board：By cash (USD) or credit card
• Crew Number：14, include 2 dive guides

General Dive Information for Cocos Island

Dive Experience/Level
Cocos Island presents the same diving challenges as any other Pacific, Indian or Red Sea diving location. Cocos, however, is not recommended for inexperienced divers because it is an open ocean destination that requires advanced open water diving skills.

Please note, the minimum required level of certification to dive at Cocos is Open Water and we strongly recommend having at least the Specialties of Deep & Night Diver. We also recommend having a minimum of 35 dives experience.

Dive Conditions
Most of the action is at 60-90 feet /18-27 meters, and most dives are between 60-130 feet / 18-40 meters. The safety limit is set at 130 feet / 40 meters and a dive computer is necessary. Visibility averages 60-100ft/18-30m. Average water temperature is 79 F to 84 F (26 C to 29 C), although it can be a few degrees lower under the occasional thermocline.

Sample Itinerary - 11D/10N

Arrival Day
You must arrive at least one day prior to the boat departure date.

Upon arrival to San José, we can have transportation waiting for you (please contact us for a quote) or you can take a taxi to your hotel. There are always taxis available at the airport, even minivans for those of you who carry a lot of gear. We can also recommend and arrange accommodations for hotels in San José.

Please note that air transport, airport transfers, hotel nights and meals before and after the cruise are not included in the charter.

Day 1
The following day, generally between 8 AM and 1 PM we pick up from certain hotels and transfer everybody by bus to Puntarenas where you will board the vessel. The drive takes about 2 1/2 hours, and gives you a chance to view the lush forest and rich farmland of the region.

Due to occasional low tides our boats may need to depart from the pier earlier in the day. Should this occur, you will be transferred by skiff to the vessel. When all passengers have arrived on board, the vessel will take a 32-36 hour cruise out to Cocos Island.

Day 2
A travel day. There will be time to arrange dive and camera gear as well as enjoy the Pacific and the sunshine. Also, the group of incredibly experienced divers provides plenty of stories to pass the time. There are videos and the experience of the Captain and crew to help you get excited for the diving...as if you need them. In addition, you may want to take this time to take one of our diving courses.

Days 3 - 8
Spent diving the pinnacles around the perimeter of Cocos Island. Divers usually average three dives per day at depths of 60-100 feet (18-30 meters) or more. This, of course, is what the whole trip is about. It will also be possible to do at least three night dives during the trip.

Between dives or when time permits, guests are welcome use the sea kayaks, go for a swim, snorkel around the boat, or just chill-out and watch movies.

Day 9
Make the last 3 dives before the cruise back to Costa Rica and reality!

Day 10
All day to discuss the diving and to compare your adventures!

Day 11
Arrival to Puntarenas. Immediately after breakfast you will be transported back to San Jose. We strongly recommend staying one more night on land, before flying out, in case of any unforeseen delays.

DeepSee available

DeepSee is a highly technical one-of-a-kind submersible.
It is subject to an extensive daily checkup routine, governed by the ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) protocols. Considering the subs complexity, we cannot guarantee that it will be available for all days or dives reserved. In the unfortunate event that Deep See is not available for your dive, we will provide a full refund of the pre-booked payment. No further compensation will be offered in such an event.

The DeepSee submersible is scheduled to be onboard certain trips throughout the year. The cost of DeepSee dives are additional.

Optional tours

While you are here in Costa Rica it is certainly worth the extra time to visit other aspects of the country that truly make it a natural wonderland. Very active volcanoes, white water rafting, mountain biking, some of the most pristine jungles in the world, coffee plantations, horseback riding, visits to craft centers, and of course, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world are among the activities and destinations available in the country. We would be happy to arrange one day tours or longer trips to more remote areas at the client´s request. Recommended Costa Rican companies will operate these tours.