A big thank you to Kristin Panke who put together a slide show of what we do here at Bocas Water Sports. Her video shows our tours, dive trips, dive instruction, and Kayak rental.
The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIbA-1MAg8o
Check out what we do on Youtube!
January 28th, 2010Dive with BWS for individualized attention!
January 9th, 2010In a bid to offer the best diving experience in Bocas del Toro, we are striving to offer the best in service and individualized attention. Neither Stacy nor I like diving in huge groups (been there, done that), so we are trying to offer smaller charters with more personalized service. We endeavor to put no more than four divers with one divemaster guide. We may have eight divers on a boat, but we will make every attempt to insure that we send out two divemasters to accommodate the group.
Come see why Bocas Water Sports is the premiere dive shop in Bocas del Toro.
Beat the Winter Blues!
January 8th, 2010For a limited time, we are offering a discount on our already low priced Open Water Diver certification class. Get certified in three days for only $205. This special includes everything–books, equipment, training, certification card! No “hidden” costs. We also provide two free dives after you pass your class. These free dives give you additional experience and an opportunity to enjoy our beautiful underwater world. Some restrictions apply and this is a limited time offer so please contact us right away to reserve an instructor!
Learn to dive with PADI’s E-learning
December 26th, 2009Winter weather got you down? Dreaming of palm fringed beaches and warm tropical water? Always considered learning to dive but never had the chance?
Bocas Water Sports has just the solution. Consider learning to dive with PADI’s e-learning system. Sign up online, designate bocas Water sports as your affiliated dive resort, and begin your diving adventure today for an excellent price.
PADI’s e-learning system uses state-of-the-art educational systems and technology to make the academic part of your class fun and informative. Learn at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home.
Once you have completed your academic training, come on down and visit us in beautiful Bocas del Toro, Panama for your confined water training and open water check out dives. Complete your theory/academic work at home and you only need two days to become a certified PADI Open Water Diver, a certification that is accepted around the world and leads to a lifetime of adventure.
Students who complete e-learning and designate Bocas Water Sports as their affiliated dive center can do there confined water training and open water check out dives (on our lovely coral reefs) for the amazingly low price of $195, with everything included! Begin your diving adventure today!
Consider Taking Your EFR Course at Bocas Water Sports
December 15th, 2009Emergency First Response is a course designed for divers and non-divers alike. Everyone can benefit from this course.
Suddenly, the unthinkable happens. The person sitting at the table next to you clutches his chest and slumps out of his chair. You look around for help, but no one knows what to do. The problem becomes even worse because you are having trouble communicating to the restaurant management in their native language. Precious seconds tick away until somebody decides to call emergency services.
Scenarios like this happen daily around the world. Tens of thousands of people die every year due to heart attacks and other medical emergencies. Living on a remote, tropical island makes this threat even more tangible, as medical services on the island are sometimes limited. The question arises: as restaurant owners, hotel owners, tour operators, are we prepared to deal with medical emergencies that occur on our island? Even if you are not a business owner, being prepared to save the life of a friend, loved one, or a complete stranger is a skill worth having.
If you have never been certified to administer CPR, or if you have been certified but it has been a while since you practiced your skills, you should strongly consider becoming CPR/First Aid certified through the Emergency First Response program. If you were certified a number of years ago it is important to understand that the various certification agencies have changed their recommendations to simplify CPR and make it more likely that you will act in an emergency instead of simply being an observer. The Emergency First Response program uses the latest recommendations of the Red Cross and The American Heart Association.
The Emergency First Response program delivery methods minimize the amount of time in the classroom and away from the job. Student materials are designed with an independent-study component which develops foundation information and allows the instructor to focus time on skill practice rather than lecture time. This reduces classroom time while increasing skill retention. This model is proven to inspire student confidence and provide care when a medical emergency arises. You can learn more about Emergency First Response through their website at: www.emergencyfirstresponse.com. This class is perfect for business owners, teachers, parents or students who want to be well prepared for medical emergencies.
Stacy Schneiderman, co-owner of Bocas Water Sports and Certified Emergency Nurse emphasizes the importance of CPR training when she states, “In a life threatening situation most people have just precious moments to be saved. Everyone should know CPR and First Aid measures as there really isn’t enough time in most cases to call for someone else to help. With the simplified CPR standards everyone should feel comfortable enough to assist in providing care until a professional arrives on the scene.” Stacy believes that the Emergency First Response course can instill the confidence necessary for managing a medical emergency.
Bocas Water Sports has three certified Emergency First Response instructors on staff and can offer the class in either English or Spanish. It is not necessary to be a scuba diver to take this class, as it is designed for divers and non-divers alike. The two-day certification class is available to anyone from the age of 12 and up and covers adult and child CPR, AED (automated external defibrillator) usage, and basic first aid. Bocas Water Sports is now offering the course at a reduced rate for Bocas residents. Be prepared to act in a medical emergency.
What Should We Do With the Lionfish?
December 14th, 2009Before May 23rd of this year, there had never been a reported sighting of lionfish in Panama. Bocas Water Sports reported the first sighting in Panama on May 23rd–it was reported to the US Geological Survey, NOAA, and REEF, who all keep track of this invasive species. Now, we see them on almost every dive.
In the Bahamas, they have created a fishery for lionfish meat, where it often replaces grouper and snapper on the local menus. In other places dive operators and environmental organizations offer a bounty for the fish to encourage the hunting of these fish.
So the question is, what should we do to stop the spread of this fish, or should we just accept them into their new environment?
The following is an article that appeared in our local paper (The Bocas Breeze, July, 2009, www.thebocasbreeze.com)
Invasion of the lionfish
by Jon Schneiderman
We have an unwelcome visitor in Bocas del Toro. No, it is not a tourist complaining about the no-see-ums, nor is it another developer threatening to turn our island paradise into the next “Key West.” This visitor is far more ominous, and a lot more difficult to get rid of than tourists or developers. The visitor I am describing is the lionfish, Pterois volitans. Native to tropical Pacific waters, the lionfish was first introduced into Atlantic waters in the early 1990’s by aquarists whose fish had gotten too big for their aquariums. Instead of destroying the fish, they were dumped into the ocean off the coast of Florida.
Lionfish have no natural predators in the Atlantic and Caribbean and they have voracious appetites. Because they are a non-native species, most native fish have no fear of these predators and quickly become prey. This combination has led to a population explosion of lionfish in Atlantic and Caribbean waters. They have been spotted as far north as Rhode Island and are now commonplace off the coast of Florida, North Carolina, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Cuba. There have been sporadic sightings in the Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Belize, and Costa Rica. There have been no officially reported sightings in Panama, or at least there were not any until May 23, 2009. On that day, scuba divers with Bocas Water Sports observed lionfish at both Polo Beach and the Playground dive sites. They also managed to get a picture of these invasive creatures. The sightings were reported to NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration), REEF (Reef Environmental and Educational Foundation), and the U.S. Geological Survey. All three of these agencies have established databases to collect data on the distribution and range of lionfish in the Atlantic and Caribbean. The sightings were also reported to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Station. On May 30, Alfredo Joseph, a divemaster for Bocas Water Sports, captured a live specimen which was quickly accepted by the Smithsonian for further study.
It is critical that residents understand that lionfish are venomous and that their stings can be very serious, even causing paralysis and death in some rare cases. NOAA recommends that if stung, the victim should immerse the wound in hot water (100-110 degrees F, 38-43 degrees C) for 15-20 minutes. Be careful not to scald the skin with the hot water, and seek medical attention as soon as possible. It is recommended that you call the Aquatic Toxins Hotline at the Florida Poison Information Center in Miami, where medical experts can advise you immediately, 24/7. The number is 888-232-8635.
Our beautiful waters have been invaded by a predator which will only increase in numbers in the near future. Scientists around the Caribbean region are researching how to deal with this new resident. In the meantime, these fish must be removed from our waters whenever possible (the dive staff at Bocas Water Sports will be trained on removing them in a safe manner).
It is essential that people understand that these fish are dangerous and utmost care must be taken when they are removed from a fishing hook or spearpoint. On a positive note, these fish taste better than grouper, and if they are filleted in a safe manner might just be a source of fresh fish at local restaurants (and a way to keep their population in check).
To report lionfish: Call NOAA (252) 728-8714; Email: reportlionfish@noaa.gov
To report online: http://www8.nos.noaa.gov/nccos/ccfhr/lionfishreport.aspx
What Kids Say About the Ocean
December 14th, 2009Since I was a writing teacher/tutor in the past and now work near, on, and under the water, I thought some of these observations by young children were very entertaining. Enjoy!
You never know what they will say……..
1) – This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles. (Kelly, age 6)
2) – Oysters’ balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)
3) – If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island. If you don’t have ocean all round you, you are incontinent. (Wayne, age 7)
4) – Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She’s not my friend any more. (Kylie, age 6)
5) – A dolphin breaths through an asshole on the top of its head. (Billy, age 
6) – My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs. (Millie, age 6)
7) – When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn’t blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans. (William, age 7)
– Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really? (Helen, age 6)
9) – I’m not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can’t think what to write. (Amy, age 6)
10) – Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves into chargers. (Christopher, age 7)
11) – When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6)
12) – Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can’t go down alone, so they have to go down on each other. (Becky, age
13) – On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won’t do it again because water fired right up her big fat ass. (Julie, age 7)
14) – The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don’t drown I don’t know. (Bobby, age 6)
15) – My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn’t know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (James, age 7)
PADI instruction
December 12th, 2009Our PADI classes are really filling up. Over 20 students certified in the first two weeks of December. Let’s welcome our newest OW student Celeste and newest AOW student Bryn to our underwater world!
Open Water students
December 10th, 2009OW students Bronagh and Harry and instructor Hector.
BWS Open Water students
