bay islands or panama to get certs?

[Jonny Chase]

im going to get my certification as a divemaster this year and wonder what would be the best place. cost is of the main importance. where would be the least expensive of the two to get certified?
- i really want to go to panama since i surf as well, but i have a house i can house sit in the roatan so im really torn between the two.
-also im not the most expereinced diver but have spent a lot of time in the water, surfing fishing, diving, etc.

[mksmith713]

Bay Islands for sure.
Check out Coconut Tree Divers in the West End.
They have dorms for folks takng courses with them.
Not sure how much it costs now but bck in 2008 it was les than $10. per night to stay in th dorm.

[jlevine]

I have no comments on which country would be better. I suggest that you consider asking the shops about how they run their divemaster programs. You can also see if there are others on Scubaboard who have completed the divemaster program with the shop and instructors you are considering. I did my DM with Anja and Liber Garrido Barnet who are now at Mayan Divers in West Bay on Roatan and had a great time. They were a great match for me and I learned a lot from them.

[HerraduraDivers]

Jonny Chase,
if you "need" to surf then you have to go to Santa Catalina on the pacifc side of Panama, but there are only 2 dive operators and i don't know if they take dive master students.
If you can focus "only" on diving then the bay islands are definitively the better choice as they are a real divemaster and instructor forge.

Chris

[cappyjon431]

Jonny, there is excellent surfing in Bocas del Toro almost all year (with the exception of September and October). Hostels are available for $8-$12/night.

To learn about Bocas, you might want to check out BOCAS DEL TORO - Tourism in the Panama Caribbean region. It has excellent links to hotels and hostels, dive shops, surf schoools, restaurants, attractions, etc.

If you are interested in Bocas, PM me and I will give you complete information on our DM program. It is diving intensive (you will be doing LOTS of diving to increase your experience level). The cost of the course is $500 plus books and PADI fees. We also offer a DM internship where we waive the tuition in return for helping around the shop (gearing up divers, assisting with classes, helping lead dives, etc.). You can also check out our web site at Bocas Water Sports for basic info about our operation.

[Doc]

Roatan is a big island for such a small rock.

Exactly where is this house that you could stay for free when you are house sitting?

That location may have a greater impact on the relevance of the Roatan equation than you might have thought.