Videographers beware of Coiba Island, Panama

[imaswfan]

Hey guys, some friends of mine just got back from Coiba Island, Panama. If you're into shooting underwater video be aware that you are not welcome.

Please read the review. Know before you go!

Coiba Island / Santa Catalina Scuba Dive Report

 

[marshallkarp]

Bummer, dude.

 

[drbill]

Wow... quite a story. I had considered diving Santa Catalina Island (I want to dive all the islands of the world with that name) but not Coiba, nor will I now.

 

[imaswfan]

yea, no doubt.

Quick quote from the review:

"After our dives for the day we were informed by the rangers (who's guards walk around with machine guns) that shooting video on the island and underwater was forbidden. We were informed that we would have to pay US $3,000 for every 30 minutes of filming that we did. With the civilized daily limit of $10,000.
Oh yea, cash only."

 

[Drewski]

Typical Panamanian BS, unfortunately...

For some reason I'd just have a HARD time trusting a dive operator with the last name of "Sunk," LOL! That's like seeing an orthopedist with the last name of Payne...

Sorry to hear about your problems...

 

[conundrum]

Is there still communist? sorry with you.

 

[justin-branam]

Well, if anyone does want to dive in panama, i did a few dives in panama with a shop owned by a man named Bobby Grimes, a guy my dad knew through someone at his work. the guy is an american and owns and runs the shop. it is in pedasi, panama ( a good surfing place as well). although i dont remember the name of the shop, its a very small town about a 3 hour drive from the capital, and hes the only fishing/scuba shop there so its not hard to find. Also, there are no theft problems, and no one wanting handouts, and you can do all the photography and videography you want...for FREE.

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

This is definitely one of the saddest and most unfortunate traveller's tales I have ever heard of. Talking about travelling to dive in third world countries....I have travelled through the islands of Indonesia, and there's thousands of them, and as poor and poorly trained as most of them are, I dont ever recall an outfit like that! The part about where the staff had put on the customers regs upside down...I mean c'mon! And the pics of the beach...damn near look like they had an oil spill recently. And the lack of attention from the owner and decietfulness as well...Somebody from some agency or magazine should pop in on him and see how they are recieved....then tell the world, stay away from this guy! With ops like this and guys with machine guns in a "nacional parque'"...you know your in drug-lord territory. ;-)

 

[marlondutchdiver]

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. Looks also that all websites are written from the same anonymous frustrated diver??

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

 

[Papa_Bear]

If you think it is corrupt, then use that to your advantage! Pay them off! $100.00 US for the guy with the gun and he would probable shot the other guy! Got to get the shot! Do they have bananas?