July 2012-Diving the San Blas? Also, best dive site in central America for July?

[Wanphatkatt]

Hello! I'm currently researching a trip to central America/Caribbean..been getting some decent advice here thus far..one of the places Im interested in going of course are the San Blas Islands with the hope of having an authentic experience there staying with the Kuna...whether that is possible, i dont know as Ive been reading a lot that the Kuna are pretty corrupted by the American dollar by now..someone on another thread also recommended I check out Caribbean Jimmy's - a dive resort that dives sites in the San Blas...but have read that the Kuna don't allow scuba in the Islands. So I wonder where Jimmy dives there? Has anyone stayed at his resort and dived the San Blas? Id like a first hand account of the diving there. Im very interested in the San Blas area if the diving is of a very good quality there. Don't want to waste my time or money diving there though if it's only mediocre.
that said, what do people think is the best dive location in Central America in July? I have been researching Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, and Columbia. Specific sites I've been looking at include the Blue Hole area in Belize, Roatan, Cano Island in CR, bat Island, A Mapelo or Coiba live aboard...etc..
Im wanting to see megafauna most of all.. Especially Whale sharks if possible in July? Anyone know??
I've done drift dives before like I am sure is to be found in the Pacific sites.. But it's been a long time so I'd be more comfortable with reputable outfitters and going down with a Dive Master for dives with challenging currents. Also open to sticking to the Caribbean side if dives are really good and worth it. Definitely want to avoid overdived or damaged areas..
thank you all for your input and advice!
thanks!
Alexis

 

[gb_williams]

It's illegal to dive in the San Blas Islands. That's why I can't tell you first hand how the diving is there, but I understand that many of the reefs are pretty decimated. How does Jimmy get by with it? Evidently, Jimmy hasn't been caught, yet. He also encourages divers to take crab and lobster, which is illegal to do while diving. Before considering Caribbean Jimmy's, you might want to read the variety of reviews on Trip Advisor.

As for the Kuna being corrupted by the U.S. dollar ... the U.S. dollar is the national currency of Panama. The Kuna in San Blas and Ngobe Bugle in Bocas depend on tourism for their livelyhood. They do things, like overfish, because tourists -- mostly U.S. -- insist on having fresh lobster, conch and other locally endangered or overfished species for dinner. Short-sighted? Yes, very. But, what are the other employement opportunities in the area? None.

As for diving, Bocas del Toro used to be as good as anything I ever saw in Roatan. There were more species of coral, critters and fish than Cayman. After diving there in April, I'd say go to Roatan.

 

[Wanphatkatt]

Thanks for your input GB...I'll definitely check out the reviews of Caribbean Jimmy's as you suggested, another person wrote me a PM about this place and it was mostly positive:

Yes, I spent a week with Jimmy several years ago. Went with a group of 10 divers. Jimmy has contacts with the Kuna and one Chief in particular. He allows Jimmy to visit his island and dive but no lobsters, conch harvestinng etc. It is a day trip included in jimmys weekly price. Of course for extra money, Jimmy could arrange for you to camp out and spend as much time as you like there but it is primitive and isolated. The reefs are virgin and unspoiled in the SanBlas. Most of Jimmys local reefs are just as spectacular. Jimmy lets you catch all the lobster and crab you want and his wife leti will cook it for you. They are very nice people. Jimmy will pick you up at the Toucaman airport in Panama City. Jimmys is very very very laid back and it is not a resort. you may possibly be the only diver for the whole week. His local dives are offshore within 10 miles of his place. Patch reefs with white sandy bottoms, cracks and crevices to swim thru. Vis averages best in summer August / September 60- 100'. This is open ocean diving with currents, no dive master unless you want one to go with you . Typical setup with group of experienced divers, jimmy throws small concrete anchor with rope tied to ball./flag. Everyone back rolls into water. figures where current is going, decends and heads all over the reef. 40-50 minutes later, you pop up , blow up your sausage if needed, and jimmy picks you up. I would say this is not beginner diving in Panama. You are the only boat in site. The nearest medical help is a long way off should things go south. Being on the edge of the Jungle, it is very tropical, hot, bugs, rain etc. If you are looking the the maximum anti big dive resort , well jimmys will be great. You will do amazing diving, get all the lobster, crab and local jungle food you can handle, drink some good beer, jimmy likes to play his guitar. The biggest hit on the trip was Capt Jack Sparrow, Jimmys Howler Monkey. Good Luck. Let me know if you how your trip was.

Definitely guilty of the lobster taking..but I like the laid back and intimate description of the place.. Opposite of big impersonal resorts.
have you even dove the pacific side of costa rica or panama? Like Coiba, Isla De Cano, Catalina Islamds? Just wondering if you had to choose the Caribbean side or the pacific side, which? I've read some great reviews about those pacific side sites.ut good ones too about Roatan, Elise, etc...

 

[gb_williams]

Thanks for posting the review on Jimmy's. Very informative.

I haven't dove Coiba, yet. But, it's certainly on my bucket list. It takes a day to drive from Panama City to Santa Catalina, where you go out. As often as we go to Panama, we haven't wanted to spend two days coming and going.

Coiba is rated as world class, with whales, mantas, hammerheads and a lot of other large fish. It's also for advanced divers, as there are often surges, currents and blue water diving. The Pacific is also much cooler than the Caribbean -- 3 to 5 mm, depending on the time of year.

You have two options for diving Coiba; (three, if you count the liveaboard, Yemani). One, to stay in one of the small hotels/cabanas in Santa Catalina and go out every day. Depending on the site, it can be two hours each way in a small boat. The other option is to stay on the island. Conditions there are very primitive -- tents or an open barrracks building. Coiba was a penal colony, and there are still some inmates on the island. Visitors are advised not to wander off any distance on their own. Check out the other SB posts on Coiba -- there are a couple very detailed trip reports.

My Panamanian diving friends dove Pedasi last year. They didn't care for it, saying that the viz was worse than Portobelo or Bocas and there was almost nothing to see.

 

[lthomas132]

My wife and I did a trip to Panama in Feb./March. We stayed at the Coral Lodge (SAN BLAS ISLANDS CORAL LODGE RESORT. Panama Eco Beach Hotel Ecolodge - Caribbean on the Water Villas) which we were told is the closest diving to the San Blas Islands legally. We visited the Kuna's islands, beautiful, picture postcard islands of white sand with a few palm trees. The Kuna's make a point of telling visitors, snorkeling only, no scuba. The islands are protected by the barrier reef making the water much smoother than the open Caribbean that we did for 1 hr. in a smallish boat to get there. I dove with a Dive Master from the lodge to a reef ~3 mi. offshore from the lodge. It was horribly rough, 4 ft. swells, and the vis was 20-30 ft. maybe. The other 2 divers on our boat chummed all the way out. I refused to do a 2nd tank in those conditions. Bocas del Toro is supposed to be much better. Good luck!

 

[t4e]

It's illegal to dive in the San Blas Islands.

that is not true, where did you get that from?


from one of the resorts there:

A new dive destination with no crowds or schedules, just the unexplored reefs and marine life of the San Blas barrier reef.
You decide when, where and how many. Up to 4 boat and shore dives, not to mention the great snorkeling off the deck of you over-the-water bungalow

 

[gb_williams]

that is not true, where did you get that from?

As Frommer's stated:

Unfortunately, scuba diving is prohibited within the Comarca Kuna Yala. However, snorkeling is not. Snorkeling is better in the eastern part of the region, not near El Porvenir. If you are interested in diving just outside the San Blas, you'll need to stay at the nearby Coral Lodge in the Colón Province

Read more: Planning a Trip in Western Comarca Kuna Yala at Frommer's​

Coral Lodge -- where your quote is taken from -- is outside the comarca (reservation) and while they dive the so-called "San Blas Barrier Reef" (which is the same reef system as the "Portobelo Barrier Reef" and the "Bocas del Toro Barrier Reef") they are not diving within the San Blas Islands.

 

[lthomas132]

Panamanian diving friends tell me that the shallow reefs around San Blas are not good and also Diving is actually banned in San Blas Islands so unfortunately you won't be able to do it.

I did a little diving from Coral Lodge in 2012; water was very rough and clarity at 70' was maybe 20-30'. One of the Lodge's employees had been diving at the San Blas Reef on a research trip. He said that the barrier reef is pristine and extremely clear. We were only allowed to snorkel on our day trip to the Kuna Indians, the water was extremely clear on the small island that we had lunch on. There are a few small lodges on the small islands, a couple of them are:Yandup Lodge (http://www.enjoypanama.com/hotels/yandup-lodge.htm) and the Sapibenega Kuna Lodge (http://www.enjoypanama.com/hotels/sapibenega-the-kuna-lodge.htm). They are all run by Kuna families, very basic, but I understand that the ladies feed you 3 meals a day. Enjoy