Panama City Dive Packages Recommendations?

[scuba_linux]

Greetings

My dive buddy and I are looking at diving in Panama City, Florida around May 9th to the 14th. We are hoping you would be kind to share with us your recommendations for any dive shops/resorts that offer dive packages.

Also any recommendations regarding dive sites and any other items you may wish to share.

Best Regards,

 

[Stone]

One of the resident experts on Panama City (PC), is Rick Murchison. I believe he is in Bonaire right now, so he may take a while to respond.

"Hydrospace" is usually recommended. They probably have a deal with local hotels.

Here is the website: Hydrospace

 

[Rice]

I would reccomend divers den or Dixie divers in panama city. I don't know about packages but they are class outfits.

I've heard negative things about the previously mentioned shop.


With dixie divers we hit really rough seas unexpectedly and called the trip when the DM said vis was bad. they credited us back all of the trip expenses inluding equipment rentals. Class act

HTH,
Rice

 

[scubanole]

All of my diving in PC has been with Hydrospace. I have never had a problem with them. They work with the divers to choose a dive site once everyone is on board. They do make suggestions on dive sites based on conditions. Hydrospace is more of a cattle boat if that matters or not. Have fun.

 

[xtracheese4me]

by cattle boat you mean that they get as many people as you can fit on a boat?

BTW we will be there shortly after you May17-22

thanks,.

B

 

[FredT]

I've been bitten by them too many times.

If you don't mind being babysat and dumped on the closest "site" to the inlet feel free to use them. I've also had dives cut short because of errors the crew made so they could "get back for the next group" and have been lied to about trip destinations and conditions offshore. A shop that runs several boats on 3 or 4 trips a day should have a clue to what offshore conditons are. I would be especially wary of them on weekends and after Memorial Day when the summer trip schedule kicks in.

Hydrospace does have the bulk of the "student" divers, in part because of the favorable treatment they provide to instructors. For a non-student trip I'd call Diver's Den, Dixie Divers, Pete's (or the shop that used to be Pete's) or PCDC. Pete's just sold to people who have always provided excellent sevice when they worked at another shop.

FT

 

[Rick Murchison]

xtracheese4me once bubbled...
by cattle boat you mean that they get as many people as you can fit on a boat?
BTW we will be there shortly after you May17-22
thanks,.
B

By cattle boat we mean they are big boats. The Captain Scuba II and Reef Runner can accomodate about 20 divers without being crowded, and the Island Diver about 30. The sites are large enough that this many divers isn't crowded. Some folks don't like that many divers on a boat and will complain no matter how professional the operation is otherwise. Hydrospace is a fine outfit.
They cannot, however, control the weather, the visibility, the sea state or the current.
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We're running an "all inclusive" package that includes all meals, lodging and five dives on the May 17 weekend. PM me if you're interested.
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Holiday Lodge is next door to Hydrospace and they have a loose association - we typically stay there when diving with Hydrospace because it is so convenient. It is *not* a five star hotel and has few ammenities - but it is reasonably priced, clean and the folks who own and run it are friendly and accomodating. There is no longer a restaurant on site, but PC is full of places to eat that range from the positively awful to the insanely expensive to just plain good.
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Other boats and dive shops - Dixie Divers, Diver's Den and PCDC are all fine; my favorite if you're interested in a smaller boat is with Sea Divers out of Ozark, AL, who run two 32' boats out of PC. George & Mary (Sea Divers) are just super nice folks to deal with and very accomodating when it comes to getting the dives you want.
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Panama City diving can be some of the best in the world if you hit it right. Good luck and good diving...
Rick

 

[freddie]

I dove Hydrospace twice last week, and they dictate the length of their dives... I.e. they told us how long we could stay down: 30 first dive, 45 minute SI, 25 minute second dive. My second dive I had >1500 psi left!
I'd try Diver's Den.

 

[BradfordNC]

I dove with hydrospace this last weekend (17 May). I didn't experiance any of the negatives mentioned. My buddy and I were walk ons. When asking about the afternoon dive, were told a dive charter requires 6 people to be a "go".

we left the dock with the boat packed with 5 divers.

the crew took us to the sites we requested. our dives times and surface interval were not dictated.

oh, and they give military discounts.

did 7 dives over the weekend, the other dives were with PCDC and were arranged prior to arriving. next time I'm in Panama City, i'll prolly return to hydrospace for my dives.

 

[Soggy]

I dove with SeaHorse Water Safari's. Good boat...not much handholding. Private charter.

They are in Port St. Joe.

www.seahorsewatersafaris.com