La Buga Dive & Surf

Established in 2007, La Buga Dive & Surf quickly earned a reputation as a reliable and renowned dive centre and surf school in Bocas del Toro, Panama. A PADI 5 Star Dive Resort with three PADI Instructors, the team delivers top-quality service built around its core values of safety, convenience and fun — whether you head out to dive, surf, or rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard.

Courses and diving

The centre runs a full range of PADI training, from the Open Water Diver Course and ReActivate Scuba Refresher through to Advanced Open Water, Deep Diver, Rescue Diver and Emergency First Response. If you'd rather just get in the water, the Half-Day Dive Trip runs around three hours from USD 95. Local dive sites include Casablanca, Bouy Line, Pandora, Airport Point and Sashen, where you may encounter sharks, turtles, ocean fish, corals, eels and more.

Facilities include an onsite training pool, an Adaptive Services facility, a dive boat, free Wi-Fi and food and drinks. Staff speak English, Spanish and Dutch, making La Buga a welcoming choice for newcomers and certified divers alike.