Divers Paradise Boutique Hotel
★ 8.8/10 (289 reviews)
less than 1 km away as the crow flies
Dive centre · Bocas Del Toro · Panama
4.9326 Google reviewsBocas Pirates
Explore the reefs and wrecks of Bocas del Toro with a team dedicated to marine conservation and coral restoration.
What sets this centre apart
- Full scuba and freediving training available
- Night diving with bioluminescent plankton opportunities
- Sunrise dive sessions available
- All diving equipment included in the price
- Snacks and water provided on day trips
- Professional guides for all excursions
- Focus on coral restoration and ocean protection
- Group rates available for three or more divers
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Bocas Pirates about the centre
Located on Calle 4 in Isla Colon, Bocas Pirates serves as a dedicated hub for divers looking to explore the Panama Caribbean. Since 2009, the centre has operated with a focus on both recreational exploration and environmental stewardship, particularly regarding coral reef health.
The centre provides access to the diverse underwater landscapes of the Bocas del Toro archipelago, including the deep walls and coral barriers of the Colón and Solarte islands. Whether you are looking for a sunrise dive or a night excursion, the schedule is designed to cover the various marine environments available in the region.
The club and its team
The team at Bocas Pirates consists of professional instructors who provide training in English, Spanish, and French. They focus heavily on ocean conservation, integrating awareness of reef protection into their teaching programmes.
Beyond standard scuba instruction, the centre offers specialised training in PADI Freediving. For those looking to move into professional ranks, they provide Divemaster internships and support for those pursuing a career in the industry.
The centre at a glance
- Affiliation
- PADI
- Operating since
- 2009
- Languages spoken
- English · Spanish · French
- Website available in
- English
- Dive schedule
- 8:30am to 12:30pm or 1:30pm to 5:30pm (Day Dives), 6:30pm to 8:45pm (Night Dive), 5:30am to 7:45am (Sunrise Dive), 8:00am to 1:00pm (Bastimentos), 7:30am to 1:30pm (Tiger Rocks)
- Equipment rental
- complet (inclus dans les prix des plongées et formations)
- Night diving
- Yes
- On board
- snacks, eau
- Access and transfers
- Calle 4 Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro
- Accommodation
- The centre recommends several hotels and hostels in Bocas del Toro: Hotel Casa Max, Hostel Twin Fin, Hostel Selina, Pipa Loca Bay, Hostel Hansi, Cosmic Crab.
- Phone
- +507 6672-9424
- Address
- Calle 4ta, Av. G Nte., Isla Colon, Panama
- Official website
- bocaspirates.com ↗
Courses on offer
Bocas Pirates offers a comprehensive range of PADI certifications. Beginners can start with Discover Scuba Diving or the Open Water Diver course, with the option to add extra dives to your training programme.
For more experienced divers, the centre provides Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and Divemaster training. They also specialise in PADI Freediver courses for those interested in breath-hold diving.
Equipment and gases
The centre provides full equipment hire for all dives and training courses, meaning you can arrive with just your personal items. This includes all necessary kit for both scuba and freediving.
Onshore, the facilities include a café and hot showers for rinsing off after your sessions. For day trips, snacks and water are provided on board to keep you hydrated between dives.
Dive sites with Bocas Pirates
The Tiger Rocks are a highlight of the area, situated about an hour from town. These giant rock formations in the open sea offer wall diving and reef environments where you can encounter large schools of fish and various predators.
Bastimentos Island offers a different landscape, featuring rocky formations, caverns, and underwater caves. It is an ideal spot for those looking to see larger marine life and interesting macro species when the swell is low.
Colón and Solarte Islands provide a mix of deep walls, shallow reefs, and coral barriers. These sites are suitable for all levels and frequently host nurse sharks and eagle rays.
And some of the dive sites the centre runs.
Colón IslandSolarte IslandBastimentos Island (outskirts)The Tiger Rocks
Marine life around Bocas Del Toro
The reefs are vibrant with life, featuring a variety of reef fish such as snappers, groupers, angelfish, butterflyfish, and damselfish. You will also find various species of eels, rays, and triggerfish navigating the coral structures.
For those interested in larger pelagics, the area regularly hosts nurse sharks and eagle rays. Barracuda and various species of rays are also common sights around the deeper walls and rock formations.
Macro life is abundant for observant divers, including octopus, green moray eels, and various nudibranchs. The seabed and reef crevices are home to large lobsters, crabs, and various species of shrimp.
The seascape itself is built on a foundation of corals and sponges, providing the necessary habitat for the local ecosystem. During night dives, you may also encounter bioluminescent plankton, which is visible approximately 12 days each month.
Diving conditions
The dive sites in the region are subject to sea conditions, specifically regarding swell. Both Bastimentos and The Tiger Rocks are only accessible when the swell is low, making it important to check conditions before heading out.
The water temperature in the area typically ranges between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius.
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