The Dutch Pirate

Reviews (11)

Guadalupe May 29th, 2013 - 2:41:

The Dutch Pirate it´s a small, personal and incredible spot for diving. Our instructor Abner and the owner Rob, are amazing people, very professional and easy-going. I strongly recommend this place to travelers who likes casual and familiar atmosphere, with nice and responsible people.

Tobias May 16th, 2013 - 18:01:

Dutch pirate Its a Amazing spot to learn diving. I feel me every time realy save, the equipment looks very professional, and the instructor team have any time open ears for any question that you have. Did makes the Dutch pirate to a realy save recommendable adventure! big thank you to Rob, and Abner for this great time.

Fé zenner May 1st, 2013 - 0:48:

Got our padi herre and with the amazing support of our great dive instructor a new, fascinating world opened up for us. It's ptofessional, not expensive and a lot of fun! The dive instructor makes you feel very comfortable and makes really nice pictures! Thumbs up for the dutch pirate :)

Lee April 30th, 2013 - 20:25:

My wife and I went out diving with Abner while visiting Panama. He was great to dive with and was very patient. It had been a couple years since we had gone out. Abner made sure we were clear regarding his instructions and he kept us relatively shallow at our request. My camera housing flooded so he took his digital camera out for the second dive and took fantastic pictures which he e-mailed to me. We look forward to our next trip to Panama and will be diving with Abner!

Sanne April 29th, 2013 - 23:05:

Great dive centre in the centre of Bocas Del Toro. Very good instructor and good professional equipment. Because its a small company, there is a lot of personal attention. Owner speaks several languages. Good vibe. Definitely recommendable!

Thomas April 20th, 2013 - 1:34:

I did my open water course here and it was a fantastic experience. The thing I really like about this dive center is that it's a really small and personal place, not at all a big 'license fabric'. My instructor Abner is a very nice guy and fantastic instructor, he's really patient with everybody and takes care of everything, I couldn't have had a better first experience with scuba diving, thank you!

aMItola Kifflavie April 18th, 2013 - 2:03:

I suggest to everybody to take them class with the dutch pirate. Rod the owner is very nice guy, and very accommodating about the schedule really peacefull men he go with you disponibility and necessity. I like this place for the family aspect, the dive shop and the casa of rob is the same place, that¨s making a friendship and relax ambiance. I really suggest this place at every traveller, it´s the cheaper place you can found in boca. It´s usefull because at the dutch pirate you have the possibility to take the class in many differents languages. Abner the dive master is very cool, at the end of the dive we make a little loop and go in an other bay for see the dolphins. He´s passionnate and give a lot of is time. I really enjoy my journey over there and suggest you to go with them.

Rob de Vrij April 7th, 2013 - 1:13:

Sometimes in life you meet people that you know will never be happy and always find something to complain about no matter what you do.Shaun and his girlfriend started whining and complaining the moment they walked in our dive center.I have a lot of patience and always do my best to make sure our clients leave happy but with this couple I new this was not going to happen.The whining lady actually started yelling at my staff and we decided to just send them on their way because we had (nice) clients waiting in the boat and they should not pay the price for the bad attitude of a miserable couple that should better stay home and not travel in the first place.I admit I lost my cool with them which rarely happens, but this couple just pushed me too far.If I ever see them again I will let them walk the plank.For the record they never dived with us, it was just a confrontation between different caracters and attitudes, I just gave them their money back and was happy to see them walk out of my life.

Abner Antonio Aguilar Deras April 7th, 2013 - 0:07:

Wow nice boats good equipment nice staff they bring a guy from Roatan Bay Island Honduras very professional guy happy and with a lot of experience cheaper that other dive shop in courses and fun divers and i will tell you the true is the same i things all the dive shops around Bocas and the reef is just short no big walls but good visibility and nice colors i feel very good i did a lot of dive here and they have good boats and good new instructor working there... i really recommend this place since now...

Shaun February 28th, 2013 - 20:24:

Do not book a dive here! This was the worst experience of our entire trip. The operation is shady from the moment that you walk through the door. The owner told us we were diving a reef dive when we originally booked our trip then we showed up and the dive plan had changed wich seemed a little weird because the ship wreck that he originally told us was not great he was now trying to sell us on. We soon came to find out that we would be diving with instructors who were bringing students and this is where they needed to learn. When I quizzed the owner as to why we were diving with students his English suddenly became very bad. When my girlfriend went to try on equipment nothing fit her properly. We voiced concern that she would be cold and uncomfortable. Upon hearing our concerns the instructor got defensive and became ANRGY with us. I then voiced concern with the owner, and the owner took an AGGRESIVE tone and told us that it fit just fine and encouraged us to dive this way. I have been diving for 8 years and I have never seen any a dive shop owner take this tone with a diver. When she told him she knew her personal limits and to please respect that, he became even angrier and yelled at us that we have been whining since we walked through the door. I asked for my money back and he stomped back into his office/room, got my money, and threw it at me telling me to get out. Unfortunately this would be my girlfriends first recreational dive since receiving her certification. Needless to say she was a little spooked about the situation. There are many reputable dive shops in Bocas del toro there is no reason to go to this SHADY operation.

Mark December 13th, 2011 - 12:42:

Hi there... I just arrived back home from 3 weeks in Panama...I completed my PADI Open Water with the Dutch Pirate in Bocas Del Toro... I would totally recommend diving with these guys...Sam, my dive instructor is quite possibly one of the most laid back (and patient) guys I have ever met...He's an excellent instructor... Rob (The dive shop owner) runs an excellent operation... I can't wait to get back to Panama and go diving with these guys again...