Grand Bahamas and Panama

[StuMiller]

My wife and I are going to Grand Bahama Island and staying at the Xanadu in late April and early May. I think we want to dive with GBS and Xanadu. Any advice from anyone out there?

Hey Tavi... no offense but are you on GBS's payroll? You got me convinced so I will no doubt schedule a dive or two with them. Are they really that good? How's their equipment? I hate the idea of getting crappy equipment.

We dove in Panama last year around Drakes Island (Porto Bello(spelling?)) and enjoyed the hell out of it. I was wondering if anyone out there has dived this area and the Bahamas and can tell me how they compare. We had about 50 ft of vis in Panama but lots of sea life and almost 80 degree water.

If any of you have never visited the Porto Bello, I would highly recommend it. I think it was twin oceans who we dove with. great group and cheap cheap cheap. Not only that but My wife and I had a great lunch a couple hundred yards up the road for $1.45 for both of us.

The Panamanian people were great and if you make it to Panama City and stay at El Panama, try to get Dale Robinson as your bellhop/concierge. Great guy and a zoney so he speaks great english.

 

[Tavi]

StuMiller once bubbled...
My wife and I are going to Grand Bahama Island and staying at the Xanadu in late April and early May. I think we want to dive with GBS and Xanadu. Any advice from anyone out there?

Hey Tavi... no offense but are you on GBS's payroll? You got me convinced so I will no doubt schedule a dive or two with them. Are they really that good? How's their equipment? I hate the idea of getting crappy equipment.

Hi Stu,
Welcome to the boards!!

No, I'm not on the payroll!

I have had a lot of good times diving with them! Enough that I would rather go with them than take my chances with someone else on the island. I don't have any personal experience with other operators there but, I have seen divers show up at GBS that were supposed to be diving with someone else that day. Their dives were cancelled and they showed up in time to go out with us! I have also seen divers who started their vacation diving with someone else, and finnished it diving with GBS.
GBS has a perfect safety record.
Fred has a new assistant and a new apprentice this year. So service is probably even better.
I take my own equipment and use their tanks. But from what I've seen their equipment is good. I haven't seen any problems, or heard any complaints.


Have a great trip, and be sure to post a trip report when you get back!

Wish I was going too!

 

[StuMiller]

Trying to get used to this so this may be a reposted repost - or something like that.

Anyway, thanks Tavi. As you apparently figured out, my payroll comment was tongue and cheek.

Fred emailed specific answers to my questions. Impressive seeing as how most everyone else responded with pretty much form letters.

I am sure my wife and I will dive with GBS on several of our dives. He said he will pick us up from our condo.

So being that you have been there several times, what else is there to do on the island? Can't dive every minute - dang it.

I don't know if you have ever dived in Panama but if you get the chance, go in and see Twin Oceans. Jessie out there didn't even seem to have a problem with taking just my wife and I out to Drake Island. They do dives on both the Atlantic and the Pacific side. Great people, very laid back yet attentive to their customers. And all their equipment was near brand new Scuba Pro.

Besides that, the rest of Panama was great and really cheap. An awesome Octopus and coconut rice dinner might set you back $6 or $7. Everyone we met was really nice too.

 

[aquasport]

GBS are the best i dove with them in june. When i go back to the bahamas i will dive with them for sure.

 

[ivansie]

I am glad you guys liked Panama... its a great country and the food is awesome and cheap.... drinks too....

I am from Panama and me and my wife are planning our first diving trip down there ( I have never dived in Panama before) so next time we go down to visit the family we will reserve 3 to 4 days to go diving we will either go to the Portobelo (correct spelling) in the Atlantic (they had told me there is a great place close by called Divers Haven) or a live aboard to Coiba (pacific). You can pick and choose to maybe do both even because the distance between the two oceans is 50miles....

bye
ivan

 

[StuMiller]

Ivan:

We enjoyed the heck out of Panama. The food was great, but the people were fabulous. My wife and I spent a good deal of our time just visiting the Fondas along the road and talking with whoever wanted to stumble through my broken Spanish. Easy to spend a bit of time there when beers are 25 cents. It was a great time.

We stayed at a friends house in La Roca, just a bit up the road from Portobelo.

We didn't get to dive on the Pacific side although from what I understand, the company we dived with does dives on both oceans (Twin Oceans - go figure) and I believe in particular on Coiba.


Anyway, we would go back without hesitation. I'd be interested to hear how Coiba is if you go.

Stu

 

[ivansie]

Stu, I am very glad you liked my country I think is a great place. My wife loves it, as soon as we land in the states, she wants to get back on the plane to leave again.... She is from minessota but now is more panamanian than I.

Did you eat a lot of ceviche??

Diving both oceans should not be that complicated since the distance between them is about 80kms

Anyhow, in our next trip we are taking our gear and reserving 4-5 days four ourselves without any family commitments to go diving. I have heard they have a great liveaboard for Coiba island departing from David (Chiriqui) which is about 5 hours from Panama city. Our other choice is go to the resort in Nombre de Dios and dive the Atlantic including Portobelo, etc, etc... there is a lot of very old hispanic wrecks and history on that side and the coral reef is very healthy.

I am sure after we come back, whenver that is, I will post some of my comments on the board.

bye
ivan=-)

 

[coconutvee]

I was stationed there for three years ( Panama ). My buddies and I dove almost every weekend that we could. Porto Bello is great, but there are even better places like San Blas Islands and Bocas Del Toro. If you get to go there you won't find that many tourist or crowds. What you will find is friendly indians, great food, prices and some of the best diving in the world. Lots of marine life and plenty of bugs for the hunter. It is worth a trip.

 

[StuMiller]

Thanks Coconut. It looks like it may be a couple years before we can get back there but those places are definitely on our to do list. I loved the fact that Panama was for the most part, untouristy. A few pot holes in the roads may keep many of the upitty tourists out of the way and that is just fine for us.

If you happen to stay in Panama City at all and find yourself at the El Panama, ask for Dale Robinson to be your bellhop/consierge. He's a zonie and was absolutely great to deal with. You want it, you get it. Also, the El Panama had a great brunch with REAL COFFEE - surprisingly hard to come by there. The brunch plus a couple of free drinks at the poolside bar was included in our $95/night room rate. Beautiful Hotel - 5 star?.

Almost without exception, everyone we met was great and it certainly didn't hurt that we didn't feel like we were being price gouged every time we turned around.

Where else can you do two dives in a day for $32 including all your gear? Twin Oceans ( I really hope I have this name right because they deserve a plug) was great to dive with. They had a real laid back attitude except that they were very professional about making sure your dive went off without a hitch. My wife has had back problems and they were really great about making sure she was safe. They really put her at ease. I can't say enough about how helpful they were. The biggest dive party we had was 6 including my wife and me.

Stu

 

[ivansie]

Stu, I am glad you liked panama but I am a bit confused... You could not find real coffee besides the El Panama brunch? I am very surprised since all we do down there is drink good, strong, aromatic coffee. The 2 most known brands are Cafe Duran and Cafe Sitton and both are great black or with just a little bit of milk.

El Panama is a really nice hotel and the new Marriot is even nicer. Panama is yet to develop into a a prime turistic destination so it still very good and uncrowded although a lot of cruise ships are stopping now there mainly in Panama city and Colon.

Or maybe you are like my wife that likes "american" type coffee which for us is not coffee at all...

Anyhow, hope you can get back soon. I am planning on it as my next trip, probably 2004 since this year we are going to Roatan, God first. But certainly panama will be a great destination for us since lodging and food are at no cost!!!

Best Regards
Ivan