Costa Rica and Panama Scuba & Service
Dive into adventure. Dive into impact.
Experience the thrill of scuba diving in the crystal-clear waters of Costa Rica and Panama and make a lasting impact on the environment during this unique, 12-day scuba & service expedition.
You’ll begin your adventure by traveling to the famous Caribbean archipelago of Bocas del Toro, Panama, where your first scuba lessons will set the foundation for dive techniques and then progress towards more advanced skills that will guide you in exploring vibrant coral reefs, hidden shipwrecks, and the magic of a bioluminescent night snorkel or scuba dive. After your scuba instruction, you’ll have the chance to give back and connect with the local community through various development projects.
But your adventure doesn't stop there!
Finally, you’ll transfer to the natural wetlands of San San-Pond Sak, where you’ll discover why local sea turtle populations are endangered, gain a deeper understanding of marine conservation, and participate in hands-on research. You’ll help release newly hatched turtles into the ocean, excavate old nesting sites, and complete night patrols to monitor mama sea turtles laying their eggs in the sand.
Join us for this unforgettable journey of discovery and service and return home with lifelong memories and a newfound sense of purpose.
UPCOMING COURSES
Course # HCYW-2531
Age 14 - 16
Days 12
Cost $4,750
Dates 6/28/2025 - 7/9/2025
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
Course # HCTW-2531
Age 16 - 18
Days 12
Cost $4,750
Dates 7/12/2025 - 7/23/2025
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
Course # HCYW-2532
Age 14 - 16
Days 12
Cost $4,750
Dates 7/26/2025 - 8/6/2025
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full
This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST
Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY
This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL
When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED
As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
Cross the Panama border to your island home in the archipelago of Bocas del Toro. Begin the basics of Scuba – learn about theory, the equipment, and the important skills needed to have fun diving. Boat out to multiple dive locations to see spectacular tropical coral reefs and colorful fish that surround these islands. Continue to build on your diving skills as you glide and explore new coral reefs, sunken catamarans and shipwrecks. Learn more about the amazing plants and animals that make this ecosystem their home and explore the unique beauty of this ecosystem at night through a bioluminescent night snorkel dive. Glide through the waters as thousands of magical bioluminescent lights illuminate your path.
Service projects are often incorporated into Outward Bound courses through coordination with local land managers, conservation groups, government, or social service agencies.
On this course, students will meet local conservationists In the community of San San Pond Sak and learn about the active conservation efforts for endangered leatherback and hawksbill sea turtle populations. Wake up to the sounds of the ocean and make your way to the sandy beaches to volunteer at one of the most important sites for nesting sea turtles in the world. Excavate old nesting sites in the sand, release newly hatched baby turtles, and complete night patrols to monitor the mama sea turtles laying their eggs along the beach.
While in the wilderness, students are also encouraged to practice service to the environment and their team by sharing responsibilities and following Recreate Responsibly ethics throughout the expedition.
This program is located primarily in Panama where the group will learn two technical skills, scuba diving and sea kayak expeditioning. The Bocas del Torro archipelago is located near the Caribbean border with Costa Rica. The islands are home to a rich, heterogeneous culture including the indigenous Guaymi-Ngobe people who are direct descendants of the original inhabitants of these islands and the afro-Caribbean Bastimentenos. The Guaymi communicate in both Spanish and their traditional language, of which there are only about 2,000 fluent speakers left in the world. Their dwellings are typically constructed on stilts over the water with grass-thatched roofs. Several small communities and outlying homesteads will host the group as the crew explores the region in expedition sea kayaks. The Guaymi-Ngobe community on the island of Solarte is the staging ground for the scuba element of the course. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Guaymi-Ngobe.
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Getting Started
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.