PADI Divemaster Course

This tour takes place in the waters right outside of Santa Catalina, at the Panama Dive Center. It’s the only PADI 5-Star Dive Resort in Panama. Besides its excellent amenities, Santa Catalina’s “The Point” offers incredible sights for divers, making this both an excellent sightseeing activity as well as a highly educational course. You’ll be near the limits of Coiba National Park, which protects over 700 marine species, guaranteeing you’ll get to see an incredible diversity of wildlife.

Before You Arrive

In order to be qualified for this divemaster course, you need to have 40 dives logged. You’ll need to reach a total of 60 dives to attain the dive masters certification. (You can also apply from other diving programs, like NAUI — just let your trip planner know what you have.)

You have the option to do the theory portion of the course online, possibly before you arrive for your trip, via a link from the dive center. Completing this portion of the course beforehand frees you up to concentrate on your dives and allows you a little bit more free time.

You’ll also need:

• CPR and First Aid training within the past 24 months
• Medical statement signed by a physician

What You’ll Learn

This tour will allow you to protect skills like hovering, which allows you to hold still and relax while you’re taking in the underwater sights. You might also assist with Discover Scuba Diving and lead Discover Local Diving programs.

You can also look forward to learning more about the following:

• Dive setup and management
• Improved rescue skills
• Mapping an open water site
• Conducting dive briefings
• Organizing a search and recovery
• Supervising dives and student divers
• Business of Diving
• Scuba review and skin diving course

Materials:

When you arrive, you’ll receive your own copies of the following:

• Padi Instructor Manual
• The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving

You’ll also watch a few educational videos that provide important information before the final, written exam.

When to Go

December to April is the dry season, and the cold water brings in lots of plankton, and therefore lots of large underwater species. This is the most popular time for diving around Santa Catalina and The Point, especially during February and March, when the whale sharks arrive.

The rainy season begins in May. From May to August, it only rains about three hours per day, and diving is still pleasant thanks to the warmer water temperatures.

From the end of July to the beginning of September, you’ll have the chance to see humpback whales.

It’s the rainiest from October to November, which can limit visibility.

The Gulf of Chiriquí National Marine Park spreads across 36,423-acres (14,740-hectares) off the Pacific coast of Panama. Founded in 1994, this marine park protects islands, reefs, mangroves, and all kinds of marine and terrestrial wildlife. It’s a great place to snorkel, scuba dive, fish, or simply lounge along a secluded island beach.

Panama’s Coiba National Park is incredible and exotic. Set along the Pacific coast near the Gulf of Chiriquí, this massive park protects the country’s largest island and some of the most biologically rich waters in Central America. For this reason alone, it’s a favorite among scuba divers and snorkelers.