Back in 1970 when Costa Rica’s main industry was bananas and coffee, tourism wasn’t even considered as a main source of income. During this time, a Mr. Bill Beard visited Costa Rica and was impressed by the country’s natural beauty but was shocked to realize that scuba diving was practically unknown. As a matter of fact, he wasn’t able to find a scuba tank during his visit.
Beard was eager to experience Costa Rica’s marine life and made a second trip this time with his own scuba tanks which he filled with compressed air at a local gas company. Beard was able to find someone to take him out on a dugout canoe and adventured in his first dive off the Costa Rican Coast. According to Beard, the experience was so amazing that and there were so many schools of fish that he didn’t even know were to start.
After his experience, it wasn’t a difficult task for him to realize the country’s potential for scuba diving and began his difficult journey of creating an industry where it didn’t exist. Thanks to his determination and vision, Bill Beard is today recognized as the true pioneer of scuba diving in Costa Rica and one of the key players in bringing Costa Rica to the forefront as a dive destination.
Beard continued to pave the road for the diving industry in Costa Rica by training today’s dive masters and instructors in Costa Rica. He also opened the first professional and full serviced dive shop in Costa Rica named Mundo Acuatico. In the early 1980’s, Diving Safaris, owned by Bill Beard became the first beach-based dive center, getting its start in Playa del Coco, moving to Ocotal, and eventually settling in Playa Hermosa.
Thanks to Beard’s vision, Costa Rica’s Pacific and Atlantic Coast is today one of the top diving destinations within the Central American area.
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