Deep Boarding in Bocas Del Toro, Panama

Real Deal Team Experience

Most all of the water tours in Bocas Del Toro, Panama offer the same itineraries. You can choose from pretty much one of 4 routes depending your interests and budget.  Most all tours are on panga’s (small open boats, some with shade cover and outboard engines), all include snorkeling and beaches, and hopefully some wildlife spotting. I went out searching something different and came across the Deep Boarding Tour. I was even more surprised to hear that this tour actually included lunch and beverages (sodas, water and beers) which no other operators do. I travel lightly and certainly do not want to worry about packing a lunch and a cooler to keep my things cool during the long 8 hour days in the sun. Snorkeling, wildlife viewing, deep boarding, beach hopping, lunch and a couple beers; Perfect, sign me up!

From the photos and the video that I saw before booking the Deep Boarding tour, I was excited about trying it out, however still a bit anxious as to how the Deep Board itself worked and if I would struggle rather than enjoy the experience. Our guide assured me it was super easy and they would spend time on the beach instructing us before towing us in the water. So, we hopped in the panga and set out for the Zapatilla Cays where we would get to try out this super cool new water sport in Panama.

Instead of heading straight to the Cays which are located inside the Bastimentos National Marine Park, we stopped off at some of the many mangrove islands and slowly navigated the channels scouting out Sloths in the trees. Using a small boat to navigate, our captain pointed out several different sloths. In all, I think we saw 3 adult sloths and one baby sloth in one tiny section of the mangroves, it was amazing.

From there we headed out towards Dolphin Bay (Laguna Bocatorito) where the mother dolphins teach their babies their first survival skills in its protected waters. We saw a couple different pairs and the baby dolphins are extremely adorable when they are really young. We saw a really young dolphin and a more juvenile dolphin. This is a popular stop for most boat tours in Bocas Del Toro heading to the southern routes or Red Frog beach.

After that, enough with the wildlife and onto the wild ride!! We made our way past some of the more popular snorkeling spots in Bocas Del Toro to the Cays at the southernmost region of Bastimentos National Marine Park, the Zapatillas. We stopped first onto the secluded beach of Zapatilla menor; the smallest of the two cays. Here we got out of the boat, stretched out in the sand, and waited while the crew set up the deep boarding gear. Upon first site I thought it almost comical how simple the design and the set up was. Who thinks up these things? And why did I not think of that sooner? On the other hand, the aerodynamic design of the board and the fact that it is clear acrylic or some sort of resin, is absolutely incredible and yet simple. After a brief instruction, we were geared up with a snorkel, a mask, and our own deep boards attached to the boat and a wooden beam to assist spacing everyone out appropriately.

With a bit of nervous anticipation, I stretched the deep board out beyond my head, put my face in the water, and started along for the ride of a lifetime. For the first maybe minute or so I spent getting comfortable with my snorkel and control of the deep board on the surface. After that, it was on!! Using the board with ease, I was diving up and down and turning left to right and popping up for air only when absolutely necessary. It was incredible really. Snorkeling to the extreme!!! Deep Boarding: Such a great new idea to bring to Bocas Del Toro water sports.

The fun did not stop there. We got to spend about 1 and half hours on the beach at the Zapatilla Mayor (Larger Zapatilla). We had time to explore the trails on the island which ran through mangroves and swamp leading to completely secluded beaches on the other side. They gave us snacks and beverages while the captain and crew prepared our lunch.  On this particular day it was build your own sandwiches, but apparently they typically serve pasta and salads.   Our group expanded to double in size at the last minute so they had to make some last minute substitutions (my commendations to the guides). Everyone was happy and it would be pretty hard not to be with the backdrop of this amazingly rich National Marine Park in Panama….and we had the whole island to ourselves!!!

On the way back we stopped off to yet another snorkel location I had visited on a previous trip to Bocas Del Toro and again it was FULL of all sorts of different fish and even huge jelly-fish….not the scary little ones, but the big huge beautiful clear ones. It was incredible. After deep boarding which was fast paced and more of a water sport challenge, it was perfect to stop and slowly take in some prime snorkeling in the Caribbean.

This tour start to finish was the most complete one day boat tour in Bocas Del Toro I have experienced.  Actually, this was not just the best eco-tour in Panama, but in all of Central America in my experience. I believe this is really the best tour option out there for the more adventurous travelers. Due to the flexibility of the activities, the kids would enjoy the tour as well even if they did not do the deep boarding snorkeling portion. Highly recommended, I hope you all have the chance to experience Deep Boarding in Bocas Del Toro during your Panama vacation.