Cocos Island
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
August 2-12, 2026
Join us on an adventure to Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Cocos located approximately 342 miles off the west coast of Costa Rica. Cocos is a world renowned diving destination in the pacific. The area is known for the “big animal and big action marine life including schooling hammerheads, whitetip sharks, mantas, schools of tuna, frogfish, and even chances of whale sharks . The area is very remote, stunningly beautiful, and was designated as a world heritage site in 1997.
Trip Details
Our adventure begins San José, Costa Rica. Feel free to arrive a few days early and enjoy topside activities in Costa Rica.
Aug 1, 2026: Arrival into San José, Costa Rica. Arriving one day prior to our transfer to the vessel is required. Suggested hotels will be provided.
Aug 2, 2026: We'll be picked up at the designated hotel at the designated time (TBC) in San Jose, Costa Rica and transferred in a comfortable air conditioned bus for a 2 hour scenic drive Puntarenas. Once we arrive Puntarenas we'll board the vessle and begin our 297 nautical mile crossing to Cocos Island (approx 36 hours).
Aug 3-4, 2026: Depending on our crossing diving will be begin on the second or third day. During the day we’ll participate in safety briefings, unpack and set up dive gear.
Aug 4-10, 2026: Diving begins and continues for the next 7 days. Our focus will be on diving with the pelagic life that frequents Cocos Island- hammerheads, variety of sharks, loads of schooling fish (jacks, creoles, etc), marble rays, frog fish, morays, lobster, and so much more. Our planned course will make a loop around the island diving the best sites in the right conditions. There are exciting chances to see schooling mobula rays, manta rays, sail fish, mating white tip sharks, and false killer whales.
Aug 10-11, 2026 We’ll begin our voyage back to Puntarenas, Costa Rica with another relaxing day at sea.
Aug 12, 2026: We'll disembark the vessel in Puntarenas at 7:30am. We’ll say our goodbyes to the crew, and begin our transit back to San José. Please do not schedule departing flights before 12:30pm to allow enough time for airport arrival, check-in, immigration, etc.
Dates: August 2-12, 2026
Duration: 10 nights/11 days
Yacht: Cocos Island Aggressor
Master Staterooms: 4 Cabins
Staterooms: 8, 9, 11
$6549.00 USD per person, double occupancy
Two Twin Beds
Stateroom: 10
$6549.00 USD per person, double occupancy
One Queen Bed
Deluxe Staterooms: 8 Cabins
Staterooms: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
$6295.00 USD per person, double occupancy
Two twin beds
Stateroom: 1 (smaller stateroom, bow of the boat)
$5995.00 USD per person, double occupancy
Two twin beds
Single Room pricing available upon request
Additional accommodation details can be found here.
Guests of the Cocos Island Aggressor shared a trip video.
Exclusions
International flights to/from San José, Costa Rica (SJO)
Dive Insurance
Travel Insurance
Nitrox ($150 USD per 10 night charter)
Rental Gear
Alcoholic (liquor) beverages & "fancy" coffees
Wifi
Gratuities
Cocos Island Park Fee: $490 USD pp plus 13% VAT tax (subject to possible increases in 2026)
Cocos Island Emergency Evacuation Plan: $30 USD pp
Hotels prior/after liveaboard
Inclusions
10 nights on the luxurious Cocos Island Aggressor
All Meals & snacks
All non-aloholic drinks, beer & wine
Diving (approx 3-4 dives a day) & regular air tanks
Experienced Guides with each dive group
Nautilus Lifeline, SMB, Dive Alert Signal Device
Presentations on marine life
Travel with an underwater photographer and travel expert.
Photography advice & tips
Private charter just for our group
Transfers to/from San Jose, Costa Rica to the port in Puntarenas (2 hour ride, meeting us in Puntarenas is also possible).
Taxes
Travel with experienced trip leader & organizer, Kim Randall.
Getting There
Arrival Airport: San José, Costa Rica (SJO airport code)
Arrival into SJO: August 1, 2026. Requires an overnight.
Departure from SJO: August 12, 2026, Flights only after 12:30pm. Or join us for a post trip land-based adventure! TBC.
From North America:
Many airlines within North America fly into San José, Costa Rica. The airport code is SJO. Please plan to arrive one day before, on August 1, 2026.
From Europe:
For most, traveling via the US and onward to Costa Rica will be the most efficient way to get to get there. Some airlines will route you through South America.
Iberia Airlines offers a nonstop flight MAD-SJO. Please plan on arriving no later than August 1, 2026.
From Australia:
For most, the first international port of entry will be the United States. The closest US airports are (Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Everyone flying to the US must clear immigration and customs even if you are continuing onward to Costa Rica. There is currently no option to stay in transit in the US. If you have a connecting flight, you’ll drop your luggage at baggage re-check or at the ticket counters and head back through security to your connecting flight to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO). You might consider a layover in California prior to continuing down to Costa Rica. Please plan to arrive no later than August 1, 2026 and book departing flights after 12:30pm on August 12, 2026
About the Diving
The Cocos Island Aggressor is an ideal trip for advanced divers, with at least 100 dives. Diving in Cocos consists of volcanic pinacles, underwater seamounts, and deep walls. Ocean currents converge at the island, creating nutrient rich underwater environment that attracts a huge variety of marine life. For this reason, this destination is ideal for divers with their Advanced Open Water cert and at least 100 logged dives. You should be comfortable diving in current (nothing scary), deploying an SMB, and following directions from your dive guide. This destination is ideal for experienced divers.
Diving is usually done from the yacht's skiffs. They use multiple skiffs as “taxis” so that divers can be picked up when they surface and whisked back to the liveaboard instead of waiting in the hot sun for everyone else to surface. At all times there will be a skiff waiting and watching for divers.
August is a nice time for diving in Cocos. Water temperatures average 82f/28c, with some dive sites having thermoclines to 75f/24c. We recommend at minimum a 5mm wetsuit, but bring what keeps you warm and toasty in 78-82f/24-28c temperatures. Visibility averages 50ft/15m.
Cocos is know for its large pelagic marine life including: schooling scalloped hammerheads, white tip sharks, black tip sharks, schools of tuna/jacks, silky sharks, galapagos sharks, mantas, marble & eagle rays, the occasional whale shark/tiger shark, and much much more!
You are welcome to read the past adventure logs from the operator here.
How to Secure Your Spot
Please note that this trip has limited spots, so you will need to get in quick to secure your booking. The following payments will be required:
In 2025:
Deposit structure is as follows (per person):
$1000.00 USD Initial Deposit to secure your spot
$1000.00 USD due Oct 15, 2025
$2000.00 USD due Jan 15, 2026
Remaining balance per invoice due April 15, 2026
$490.00 + 13% VAT USD Cocos Island Marine Park fee cash in USD or 3% added for credit cards (paid on board)
$30 USD Cocos Emergency Evacuation fee, cash in USD or 3% added for credit cards (paid on board)
We will be in touch via e-mail for your payment and provide individual invoices. We would recommend purchasing your flights into Los Cabos, Mexico (SJD) as soon as possible to secure reasonably priced flights.
To book and check for available spaces email: info@designedforscuba.com
About the Cocos Island Aggressor
Built in 2022 and launched into service in January 2023. She is a 124' yacht, custom built for comfort, safety, and stability.
Has 12 comfortable suites, each with their own bathroom/shower and individually controlled air conditioning
Offers a huge dive deck with ample space for everyone to get ready for diving and charging stations.
Relax in the upper sun deck which includes a hot tub and shaded/unshaded lounging areas.
Enjoy the large inside lounge area to play games, watch movies, listen to presentations in the evenings.
Comfortable indoor dining area for meals and to work on photos, etc.
8 crew members on board.
Designed for Scuba, LLC highly recommends you purchase travel and dive insurance as soon as possible after confirming your travel plans. We recommend Dive Assure or DAN for diving insurance. We recommend Dive Assure or DAN for diving insurance. Dive Assure offers a Dive and Travel Insurance annual and short-term (per trip). You can purchase it here: https://diveassure.com/en/home/?pid=18662
Evidence of adequate travel and dive insurance must be provided prior to departure.
Bookings made more than 100 days out from the start of a trip require a deposit of $1000.00 USD per passenger in 2025 and a regular deposit schedule will commence in late 2025/early 2026.
All deposits are non-refundable.
Bookings made less than 100 days out from tour commencement require payment in full to secure your booking.
Payment in full is required 100 days out from the start of the trip. We will email you a final payment reminders. No refunds will be given within 100 days of the start of any trip, under any circumstances.
If you cancel your spot more than 100 days before the start of a trip, and we are able to resell/fill the spot, a trip credit for your remaining balance (minus a $300 USD service fee deducted) will be issued for use on another Designed for Scuba, LLC trip within 2 years of the cancellation.
If you cancel your spot less than 99 days prior to the start of a trip, no refund or credit will be issued for deposits that have been paid.
If our In-Country Providers cancel or if aForce Majeure Event occurs, meaning any act of God, war, terrorism, fire, flood or any other extreme weather conditions, loss of power, epidemics or pandemics, industrial disputes, slow-downs or other strike activities, riots or civil disturbances, acts of government, semi government or other authorities, inability to obtain any necessary license or consent and delays caused by sub-contractors, suppliers or other third parties (including telecommunications carriers), material shortages or other disruption to the trip beyond our control, Designed for Diving shall not be held responsible for matters outside of our control or any failure to deliver the trip.
The affiliated and established company such as Aggressor Adventures, holds the relevant insurances and maintains responsibility for the dive and snorkel insurance policies and procedures. As such when in the water diving, snorkeling or swimming you are diving under the affiliated company's policies and procedures and must adhere to either the Captain, Dive Instructor or Divemaster’s instructions.
Designed for Scuba, LLC takes no responsibility for loss, damage or injury arising from any shortfall, error or omission in the information passed to the customer during the course of the sale or subsequent delivery of the product. The company takes no responsibility nor can be held liable for loss, damage, or injury that occurs on a supplier’s or service provider’s premises or transport, or between two such premises.
Participation in any of the Activities involves certain risks which may result in injury or death. This warning does not purport to describe or disclose all risks associated with participation of the Activities. There are a wide range of inherent risks when engaging in sports and particularly underwater sports; for example, with diving there is the risk of decompression sickness, embolism or other hyperbaric injury can occur that requires treatment in a recompression chamber. Open water scuba diving trips may be conducted at sites that are remote, either by time or distance, from emergency services or recompression facilities. Scuba diving, snorkeling and tours will involve uncontrolled encounters with wild animals which bears the risk of stings, bites, and at the extreme end, more serious injury and death. Participants should be responsible and aware of animal behaviors and their own interactions and engage in these activities entirely at their own risk.
We will not be liable to you in respect of any personal injury (including without limitation serious injury or death) that you may suffer or sustain directly or indirectly as a result of attending the Trip or participation in the Activities. Nor will we be liable to you in respect of any other losses arising as a result of any such personal injury (including without limitation loss of profit or earnings or other consequential losses). We will not be liable to you in respect of any of your personal property that is lost, stolen or damaged before, during or after a trip.
Please ensure you understand our cancellation policy prior to providing any deposits and agree to the booking and trip. By placing a booking with Designed for Scuba, LLC, this implies that you accept these booking terms and conditions and cancellation policy.
Most travelers to Costa Rica can enter the country under the following conitions:
1. A valid passport with more than six months of validity, roundtrip airfare, evidence of enough funds to support themselves while in the country.
2. Tourist visa is NOT required for many nationalities including, US, Canada, most of Europe, etc.
3. Yellow Fever vacination IF traveling from certain countries in South America and Africa. ( Such as: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guayana, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, Sudan, etc).
To look up entry requirements for citizens of specific countries, use the timatic site via United Airlines.