Panama Diving

[Bryan Cunningham]

Dive Right In
The Pacific coast is tops for diving thrills. Santa Catalina is one gateway to the Coiba Island National Marine Park, home to the second largest coral reef in the eastern Pacific. The waters around Coiba Island and neighboring islands (off the coast between David and Panama City) are habitats for hammerhead, whale and white-tip sharks, as well as dolphins and sea turtles; sightings of orcas and humpback whales are fairly common, too. This dive experience is usually offered in a week-long dive boat package, geared to divers but with enough shallow waters for snorkelers. Additionally, reefs around the small islands off the Azuero Peninsula are virtually untouched and unexplored.
On the Caribbean coast, offshore from Portobelo (30 miles from Colon) the best diving is at Buena Ventura Island—with both shallow and deep diving—and Saladina Reef, where wooden galleons rest on the sea floor and 75 ft. down divers can explore a sunken C-45 aircraft. Closer in are the colorful coral gardens off Farallones reef near Drake’s Island, which teem with reef fish.
The beautiful islands of the Bocas del Toro archipelago are another favorite, sheltering 74 of the Caribbean’s 79 coral species, a variety of sponges, neon fish, peppermint shrimp, eels and dozens of little invertebrate creatures. The waters are clearest at the end of August to early November, and there are plenty of dive shops in Bocas Town that arrange for half- and full-day excursions, offer lessons or a certified PADI course. Dive sites include:

• Cuevita—one of the best dives on the outer reef, lots of caves and swim-thrus;
• Punta Manglar—corals in great condition, no current, great place for a night dive;
• Sachen—a shallow dive with a strong current, often nurse sharks and good diving for advanced divers;
• Zapatillas Cays—a little farther away than other dive spots; most beautiful islands in archipelago; nice swimthrus.
  
  The historic waters of the vast Gatun Lake of the Panama Canal are littered with French machinery and a train submerged during early attempts at canal-building. Diving here is for super-achievers and requires the assistance of a good dive company, perhaps one that offers a 1-day “dive two oceans and the canal” adventure, starting on the Caribbean coast, moving to the canal, and finishing off the last dive in Pacific waters. *Of note: Clients who will be diving in Panama should bring what proof of certification they have, and in turn, ask for certification of a local dive master.

CONTACT ME TO HELP PLAN YOUR TRIP

 

[buton]

I am going to panama on December holiday week...

I will stay in santiago de veraguas I would like to make a trip to coiba for two or three days...

 

[gb_williams]

I've been diving Portobelo and Bocas del Toro for over 10 years, and while I enjoy diving in Panama I think it's important to put the above post in perspective.

First, about Coiba; Orcas are not a usual occurance. Humbacks come through in late fall through . The Yemaya is the liveaboard, but I can't find anything on their website about offering snorkeling for non-divers. As a matter of fact, regarding Coiba they advise, "New divers might find this diving environment challenging." The majority of dive sites around Coiba are not shallow, and definitely not for snorkeling.

Scuba Coiba and Coiba Dive Center also offer dive packages to Coiba out of Santa Catalina on the mainland. Some of their dive sites are in shallower areas, but they are not around Coiba.

Now for Portobelo, which is actually a little over an hour from Colón, 90 minutes from Panama City. The reefs have changed a lot over the last three years. What used to be wonderful reefs teeming with fish no longer teem. Buena Ventura is okay but not great. And, I wouldn't call a max depth of 60' "deep diving." The C-45 is a very small two engine aircraft, much to small to even turn around in comfortably with dive gear. And, it rests on the bottom at 40', not 75'. The one time I dove it, there were no fish around it, so we finned over to Buena Ventura reef. At one time, Drake Island was my favorite dive site in Panama. In recent years, there have been fewer and fewer fish. Lobsters and crab have all but disappeared. It still has a lot of beautiful soft coral.

Only from September until mid-November are the seas calm enough to get to the deeper dive sites along the barrier reef like Salmedina. The rest of the year, there are essentially three dive sites; Buena Ventura, Drake Island and the C-45. Viz will be anywhere from 10' to 45'. There is usually a lot of sediment in the water.

Scubapanama and Panama Divers are the two dive ops in the area. Both dive the same sites. Panama Divers is PADI and Scubapanama is SSI. Prior to Panama Divers coming in, Scubapanama used to charge $65 for a 2-tank dive. Then, Panama Divers showed up charging $85. Now, Scubapanama charges $85 plus $5 "rental" for each tank plus all the divers in the boat have to split the cost of the DM. If you want to do a night dive, you have to show an AOW card or take their SSI AOW course. Even then, a night dive is $85 for one tank and a minimum of two divers. If you're solo, you pay for two. On my last night dive, I rented a primary light. The DM's light died less than 5 minutes into the dive, so I gave the primary to him and I used my back-up light, since he didn't have one. (My back-up was actually brighter than the rental.) They still charged me for the light. I don't really care for the way Scubapanama does business.

Bocas del Toro -- much more "teeming" than Portobelo, but keep in mind that just like Portobelo you can only get out to the barrier reef -- where all the sites listed above are located -- between September and mid-November. Which is not to say that all the protected dive sites suck -- it's just that you'll need to lower your expectations. No swim throughs ... no deep dives ... no wall. If you like the macro world, Bocas is an excellent place to be. Lots of coral, lots of sponges, lots of interesting critters like toadfish, cowfish, squid, porcupine fish, etc. The dive sites will be between 10' and 45' with up to 40' of viz.

The dive shops are much more reasonable than those in Portobelo, as well. Bocas Water Sports, the islands' only PADI 5-Star dive center, offers two, 2-tank dives each day with a maximum of four divers per DM. A single 2-tank dive is $65 including all the gear. Multiple dives are $55. They are the most customer focused dive op I've been with in Panama.

Lake Gatun -- more of a gimmick than a dive. The viz is no greater than 5', more likely in the 1' to 2' range. Personally, having seen the 12'+ crocs that inhabit Lake Gatun, the Chagres River and the Canal estuaries, having read the newspaper articles about fishermen who were "disappeared" by the crocs, there is no way I'm getting in the water with them.

As for getting to places like Santa Catalina, Bocas and Portobelo, there is a lot of good advice on Trip Advisor. Santa Catalina is a seven hour drive from Panama City. Bocas is an expensive one-hour flight on Air Panama ($243 round trip). Portobelo is a 90 minute drive in a rental car.

Don't get me wrong -- my wife and I have enjoyed diving in Panama for years. I've had some wonderful night dives off Portobelo, and some of my favorite dives have been in Bocas. A couple of years ago, I felt Bocas was better than Roatan. I just think if you're going to Panama, you should be prepared for what you'll get rather than having high expectations that can't be realized.

 

[buton]

Interesting...

Tell me more about coiba ..please.

 

[gb_williams]

Check out the websites for Scuba Coiba and Coiba Dive Center, and then check the websites for local hotels and casitas. Santiago is very close to Santa Catalina.

 

[parachute]

I went to Panama last year and dove Coiba. Took multiple buses from Boquete>Santiago>Santa Catalina>Panama City.

Did a 2-tank boat trip w/Scuba Coiba in Coiba National Park.

It was decent. This was the first Pacific diving I've ever done (all my prev diving had been in the Caribbean). Stronger current. Did see a lot of white tip reef sharks, but I was hoping to see more pelagics. I would go back again, but due to the effort of getting to Santa Catalina and out to the marine park (~an hr boat ride), I would try to do a multi-day/overnight trip and get more dives in.

 

[Royplumber]

Hi everyone i am asking for a bit of help realy.This is my first time in georgia thomaston my place of residence for 3 weeks and i love it. i am from the England Dover i have been here since last thursday and missing my diving already. I dive on or in the wrecks in the english channel most weeks as its so local and i'm planning on a diving in panama on saturday 21st next week however would like all your help please.
I have 4 young lads coming down from thomaston and would like a boat i have kit but not all my kit. It would be great to see these lads see how we do it i am very encouraged that these young lads from geogia are so keen and they will be doing snorkiling as back in the uk young lads dont seam that bothered about diving.
Be great to meet any fellow divers if there is any in thomaston or in panama
kind regards roy

 

[gb_williams]

Roy, assuming you can get there, go to Bocas Water Sports in Bocas del Toro. They include whatever kit you need in the price of the dive. They will also let your friends snorkel while you dive or they offer Discover Scuba dives in either 1-tank or 2-tank dives.

 

[buton]

I decided to do a 3 day trip to coiba with scuba coiba on December..

 

[B.campbell65]

Has anyone done any dives of the Perl islands? I'm going in October and have heard from the boat that there are humpbacks in the area now.