Coiba Island - Know before you go!
- Thread starter imaswfan
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cowdog77
Contributor
Sheesh....what a nightmare, and what a letdown after Cocos!
bubba105
Contributor
Thanks for the heads up. I was seriously considering this exact trip but now I'll look elsewhere. This is what makes SB so great.
VivaCaribe
Registered
For a different report and review, see the Undercurrent article May 2007. (You can find it posted at the ScubaCoiba.com website I believe). It was a fantastic trip for experienced divers who like to get away from the crowd.
marlondutchdiver
Guest
we just came back from a dive trip to Coiba with Scuba Coiba in Sta. Catalina, we spent 3 days in Coiba and did one day of local diving 20 minutes from the town. The diving was great (whale shark twice, 2-3 giant mantas, white tips and turtles at evert dive), the team of Scuba Coiba did a great job, the food they prepared during our stay in Coiba was very good.
Well Sta. Catalina is a small town in an undevelopped area of Panama and they are lacking some things, like electricity outs, some carbage on the street but nothing you would not expect in the thirld world.
We have only pleasant rememberences. Your posting and websites put up against Coiba sound like you dove somewhere else or maybe just are blackmail.
Interested divers should check out other positngs at scuba board about this great dive sites like www.scubaboard.com/forums/central-america/227050-santa-catalina-coiba-report.html
or www.scubaboard.com/forums/central-america/215017-any-good-diving-panama.html
Marlon
Well Sta. Catalina is a small town in an undevelopped area of Panama and they are lacking some things, like electricity outs, some carbage on the street but nothing you would not expect in the thirld world.
We have only pleasant rememberences. Your posting and websites put up against Coiba sound like you dove somewhere else or maybe just are blackmail.
Interested divers should check out other positngs at scuba board about this great dive sites like www.scubaboard.com/forums/central-america/227050-santa-catalina-coiba-report.html
or www.scubaboard.com/forums/central-america/215017-any-good-diving-panama.html
Marlon
VivaCaribe
Registered
marlondutchdiver, I think you are right about the blackmail. Especially given the many great reports on diving Isla Coiba with ScubaCoiba. Including a post of incredible pix including a whale shark, which occurred while the complainers were there.
coibadiver
Registered
thanks for the nice remarks about my partner and myself at the end of your report.
we appreciate it.
glenn
owner/coiba dive center
we appreciate it.
glenn
owner/coiba dive center
As someone who dived Coiba in 2006 and 2007 in February, I was interested by this discussion.
In the earlier year, the ScubaCoiba management was top notch but was changed in 2007.
The simple facts are that diving ops and conditions can vary quite a bit year to year and even day to day, and it helps for a diver to be flexible and make the most of it.
Although I am not a photographer, the report by Imaswfan contained information that seemed to be relevant and useful to those forum members who are avid underwater photographers. It is understandable that the experience was not pleasant, and that those who are fans of this area were not in agreement. But it is constructive to draw a line before personal and subjective criticism of fellow forum members.
In my experience of diving near Coiba and locally near Santa Catalina, as well as in numerous places in the Pacific near Costa Rica, the area of Coiba and Santa Catalina is an ecological treasure with variable, sometimes challenging diving of great potential.
Luis, who, if I understand the current facts, is Glenn's partner in the Coiba Dive Center now, was a dive master and captain with Herbie's op in 2006, and was first rate in local knowledge, helpfulness, and skill.
In the earlier year, the ScubaCoiba management was top notch but was changed in 2007.
The simple facts are that diving ops and conditions can vary quite a bit year to year and even day to day, and it helps for a diver to be flexible and make the most of it.
Although I am not a photographer, the report by Imaswfan contained information that seemed to be relevant and useful to those forum members who are avid underwater photographers. It is understandable that the experience was not pleasant, and that those who are fans of this area were not in agreement. But it is constructive to draw a line before personal and subjective criticism of fellow forum members.
In my experience of diving near Coiba and locally near Santa Catalina, as well as in numerous places in the Pacific near Costa Rica, the area of Coiba and Santa Catalina is an ecological treasure with variable, sometimes challenging diving of great potential.
Luis, who, if I understand the current facts, is Glenn's partner in the Coiba Dive Center now, was a dive master and captain with Herbie's op in 2006, and was first rate in local knowledge, helpfulness, and skill.
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scubacoiba
Registered
I can assure you, that neither the management nor the core team of Scuba Coiba has changed since its beginning in 2003. Luis (first man of all operational matters, 2nd captain and dive guide) is still with us, as is Orlando the captain of our dive boat Robin. What changed and will change are the divemasters and instructors.
Luis mentioned above is the owner of some cabins in Sta. Catalina and a partner at Glenns shop. He has nothing to do with the dive operation.
I am of course following this thread but never wanted to comment it, as I think it is pretty useless to do so. Any reader can come to his/her own conclusions reading other reports in this thread or other threads about diving Coiba and Santa Catalina with us at ScubaBoard or other sites, as well as looking at pictures done by another diver joining the same trip November 2007 and posted at //flickr.com/photos/laszlo-photo/page4/ and following pages.
It is true though and important to point out that the park ranges (what are not armed with machine guns) did ban one very professional looking video camera at this trip. There is no law asking for fees and permits for private video filming, but of course for commercial productions. Unfortunately the ranger in charge decided that the camera could possibly be used comercially (it could) and did not allow to use it, what understandably was not appreciated by the divers.
We never had problems with "normal looking" film or still photo equipment. To avoid similar problems in the future we have posted this warning about possible problems at our website.
Luis mentioned above is the owner of some cabins in Sta. Catalina and a partner at Glenns shop. He has nothing to do with the dive operation.
I am of course following this thread but never wanted to comment it, as I think it is pretty useless to do so. Any reader can come to his/her own conclusions reading other reports in this thread or other threads about diving Coiba and Santa Catalina with us at ScubaBoard or other sites, as well as looking at pictures done by another diver joining the same trip November 2007 and posted at //flickr.com/photos/laszlo-photo/page4/ and following pages.
It is true though and important to point out that the park ranges (what are not armed with machine guns) did ban one very professional looking video camera at this trip. There is no law asking for fees and permits for private video filming, but of course for commercial productions. Unfortunately the ranger in charge decided that the camera could possibly be used comercially (it could) and did not allow to use it, what understandably was not appreciated by the divers.
We never had problems with "normal looking" film or still photo equipment. To avoid similar problems in the future we have posted this warning about possible problems at our website.
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