Dive Review of Scuba Coiba in
Panama/Coiba / Santa Catalina

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Scuba Coiba, Nov, 2007, by Chad Engler, OK, USA ( 2 reports). Report 3742.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I found the diving to be below average. I've heard all kionds of grat thikng but didn't find that to be the case. The dives got grades from B to F, average C-. Not worth the travel and trouble. The ride from Panama City is 5 hours, easy. If you rent get 4WD. I'm very glad we didn;t rent as the directions are tricky and much of the trip is in wilderness. The dive operation (Scuba Coiba) should have warned me that Coiba island did not allow video to be shot. I made arrangements for a large vehicle and special battery charging for my trip so they without a doubt knew that I was bringing serious video gear. They also without a doubt knew of this rule for quite some time yet they said nothing to me about it. Upon my retunr to Santa Cataliona the owner refused to see or talk to me to settle this. He still has not answered my e-mails. I find his behavior to be irresponsible and he has wasted my time money and cost me a lot of dives that I paid him for. Aside from this problem Scuba Coiba is a bit of a sloppy operation. They set up our gear the second day and nothing was right, regs on wrong BC's, regs on backwards, no LP's connected but they would have happily let us exit the boat that way. Getting back on the boat, no ladder, is awkward. You have to pull yourself over the rail and get pulled up by your boat mates. It's tough on older or larger people, The boat rides are long, local dives were 45min to 1.5 hours, Coiba is 2 hours. Small open boats, our broke down more than once and almost ran out of fuel (1 cup left after a 3 hour run). Overall I would highly recommend not choosing Scuba Coiba, take a look at another operation there. The hotel, SolyMar was very nice, especially for the area.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Truk, Palau, Yap, Kauai, Cozumel, Tonga, Fiji, Bora Bora, Maui, Cabo San Lucas, Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, Dominica, Grand Bahama, New Providence, Charleston, Black Canyon, Niagara River, St. Lawrence Seaway, Saudi Arabia, Bonaire, Curacao, Catalina, Oahu, Crystal River, Bermuda, Yucatan, Komodo Indonesia, Cocos Island.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy, surge
Water Temp	74-80°F / 23-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	20-50 Ft/ 6-15 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Max depth of 100ft
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	DON'T GO TO COIBA ISLAND. Much to my surprise, and with no warning from Scuba Coiba despite many video related arrangements I made with them, Coiba island does not allow vieo above or below the water. They demanded $10,000 per day fee, in cash - No, this is not a joke. When I refused they escorted (intimidated) the boat I was on with a patrol boat to the edge of the park. A TERRIBLE experience and a terrible dive operation.

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Dive Review of Scuba Coiba in Panama/Coiba / Santa Catalina

Scuba Coiba, Nov, 2007,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Scuba Coiba in
Panama/Coiba / Santa Catalina