Coiba worth the trip

[Liberty01]

Thought about going to Santa Catalina and dive around Coiba either in end of March until beginning of April or beginning of September.
I just wonder whether diving Coiba is worth the effort and expenses. I read about long boat trips exposed to rain in summer, very poor vis and about careless dive guides (even when diving in raging currents).
Can you snorkel with whales there in summer? Can you see giant manta rays there?
Which date would you recommend?

Best regards,
Liberty

 

[Sushi Boy]

Yes, it's definitely worth the trip. I have a trip report from a couple of years ago posted here and pics posted here (if you click into the first pic, and then navigate through with the "next" arrow, you'll get to see more of each image.)

 

[Lorenzoid]

In 2013 I enjoyed diving with Scuba Coiba. I left my report on Tripadvisor rather than SB for some reason: excellent and unique trip - Review of Scuba Coiba, Santa Catalina, Panama - TripAdvisor

Send an inquiry to Herbie Sunk at Scuba Coiba with your questions. It's hard to say whether it is "worth it," as that is such an individual question. My wife and I enjoyed it because it was something different from the other places we had dived, namely, the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific. We heard humpback whales off in the distance, but did not get close to any. No mantas, either.

 

[Sushi Boy]

Sorry, didn't realize that DIR applied to where I was supposed to post trip reports, as well.

 

[gb_williams]

If you go in September, the whales may still be there. They calve around Coiba during July, August and the first half of September. I'm not sure how close you can get to them, as boats are required to keep their distance.

Visibility will be better in September, too. The nutrient rich layer of cold water won't be up the water column as much as it is during January through March. That's also what brings in the whale sharks and the Mantas, so you'll probably miss them. Even in February, I found the visibility varied greatly from one dive site to another. Sometimes, it was down to 10' (3+ meters). Sometimes it was as good as 50' - 60' (23 - 30 meters).

I agree with Lorenzoid that "it depends" on whether it's worth it or not. Coiba is definitely the best diving in Panama. We had some issues with the divemaster. But, he is gone, thankfully. I would do it again, and I would go between July and September. The island is beautiful and the diving is adventurous.

 

[psusnyder]

I dove there 4 times in March 2015 - I was in Panama for work for 2 weeks and took a weekend diving trip. Visibility was not great that time of year, but did see about 10 whale sharks over those dives, and other cool stuff. I wore a 5/3 full suit and was plenty warm.

Worth the trip is relative to what you like, what are your other options, and how much time/money you have. I probably won't go back, unless there for work or other reason.

 

[spestonji]

I just came back from 2 glorious weeks of diving in Coiba. Dive with Panama Dive Center. Hands down the best dive centre. wonderful DMs, caring staff. Everyone loves what they do, excellent customer service, very focused on safety, small dive groups