Sea Scooter Snorkeling in Tamarindo: Catalina Islands

Underwater flight instead of slow swimming

Sea scooter snorkeling in Tamarindo pairs you with a professional guide for a 4.5-hour outing from Flamingo Beach to Catalina Islands, where you operate a handheld motorized scooter to move faster and farther through the water. The activity includes all equipment, a safety briefing, boat transport from the freediving school in Tamarindo, fruits and drinks, and souvenir photos or video. No snorkeling experience is required. Swimmers aged 12 and up can join.

Step-by-step itinerary

Sea Scooter Snorkeling Adventure

• Meet guide at freediving school
• Choose snorkeling equipment
• Shuttle to Flamingo
• Board boat at Catalina islands
• Receive equipment and safety briefing
• Snorkel with Sea Scooter

The experience

You meet your guide at 1:30pm at the freediving school in Tamarindo, choose your snorkeling gear, and ride a shuttle to Flamingo Beach. From there, the boat carries you and your guide out to Catalina Islands, where the reef system draws reef sharks, manta rays, turtles and schools of fish. Before you enter the water, the guide walks through the sea scooter operation, technique and safety so you understand how to handle the device.

Once in the water, the scooter lets you travel at up to 3mph instead of the pace of a swimmer, which means you cover more ground and see more of the reef in a single outing. You're not watching from a boat or following a guide's pace on foot. You're moving under your own control, propelled by the scooter, able to hover over a coral head or chase a turtle without exhaustion. The guide stays with your group throughout, pointing out marine life and making sure everyone stays safe.

The full outing runs 4.5 hours from start to finish. Transport, all snorkeling and scooter equipment, a safety briefing, fruits, drinks and souvenir photos or video are included. Bring swimwear and sun protection. No previous snorkeling experience is necessary, though you do need to be comfortable in the water and at least 12 years old.

What’s included

• Sea scooter and snorkeling equipment.
• professional guide in English.
• boat transport to Catalina Islands.
• safety briefing and instruction.
• fruits and drinks.
• souvenir photos or video.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 13:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Under 12: can't be booked

GroupUp to 6

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Freedive Costa Rica

Is this one for you?You operate the scooter yourself in a small guided group, which suits anyone who wants to cover more reef and move faster than traditional snorkeling allows without the fitness demands of swimming the whole time. If you prefer to stay in one spot or watch from a boat, a different snorkeling option would work better.

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Top questions

What marine life might I see while snorkeling around Catalina Islands?

Catalina Islands' reef system regularly hosts reef sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and large schools of fish. The guide will point out what appears on the day you go, though marine life sightings are never guaranteed.

Do I need snorkeling experience to use a sea scooter?

No previous snorkeling experience is required. The guide gives a full briefing on equipment use, technique and safety before you enter the water, and you'll have the guide with you throughout the activity.

How does a sea scooter change snorkeling compared to swimming on my own?

A sea scooter moves you at up to 3mph, so you cover more reef and see more marine life in the same time without the physical effort of swimming. You control the device yourself and can hover, move closer to coral or follow a turtle without tiring.

What's included in the 4.5-hour activity?

The activity includes sea scooter and snorkeling equipment, transport by shuttle from Tamarindo to Flamingo Beach and by boat to Catalina Islands, a professional guide in English, a safety briefing, fruits and drinks, and souvenir photos or video of your underwater time.

What time does the snorkeling start and where do I meet the guide?

You meet your guide at 1:30pm at the freediving school in Tamarindo. From there, transport takes you to Flamingo Beach and then by boat to Catalina Islands for the snorkeling portion.