A dive or snorkel charter in Panama needs the same paperwork as any boat tour (ATP registration, an AMP-inspected boat, a licensed captain, insurance) plus dive-industry standards. The main grounds are Coiba National Park on the Pacific, Portobelo and Isla Grande on the Caribbean, Bocas del Toro and Las Perlas. Coiba fees are paid to MiAmbiente in advance.
Two businesses on one boat
A dive charter is a boat operation and a dive operation at the same time, and Panama regulates the first more clearly than the second.
- The boat side is the standard chain: company and aviso de operación, ATP registration as marine tourist transport, AMP vessel registration and inspection for passengers, a licensed captain, civil liability insurance, and a SENAN manifest. See every licence and permit a Panama charter needs.
- The dive side runs on industry standards. We found no Panamanian rule that names a specific certifying agency. In practice operators affiliate with an agency such as PADI or SSI, employ certified divemasters and instructors to guide and teach, check every guest's certification card and logbook, and use the agency's medical questionnaire and liability release. Your insurer will usually ask for exactly that.
Snorkel-only trips are simpler, but the same logic applies: a guide in the water, a head count in and out, and flotation for weak swimmers.
Coiba National Park: fees, rules and access
Coiba is Panama's flagship dive ground: a national park created by Law 44 of 2004, with a marine protection zone around it, managed by MiAmbiente under a management plan and a public-use plan approved by resolution in 2019. Activities that break those plans are prohibited. Most dive boats reach it from Santa Catalina on the Veraguas coast; from Panama City it is a long passage, not a day trip.
What operators need to know:
- Pay before you go. Since 2022 MiAmbiente has taken Coiba visitor payments by bank transfer or at its finance offices (headquarters or the Veraguas regional office), not in cash on the island. You present the receipt at the park's administrative office at Gambute, and visitors carry ID so nationality matches the rate paid. No proof of payment, no entry. Confirm current fees with MiAmbiente.
- Low-impact rules. Take nothing, touch nothing, keep distance from wildlife, go slow inside the park and use moorings where they exist rather than anchoring on reef.
- Closures. MiAmbiente has closed the park temporarily in bad weather. Build that into your cancellation terms.
Fishing rules in Coiba are separate; see running a fishing charter in Panama.
Portobelo, Isla Grande and Bocas del Toro
Portobelo and Isla Grande, on the Caribbean coast of Colón province, are the closest dive grounds to Panama City by road, which is why many operators run them as shore-based dive shops with small boats rather than as charters from Amador. Reefs, walls and wrecks are close in. Marinas nearby include Panamarina and Linton Bay.
Bocas del Toro has an established dive and snorkel industry around Isla Colón and Bastimentos, including the marine national park at Cayos Zapatilla, where MiAmbiente fees apply. The AMP's Bocas office runs regular inspections of tour boats and their operators' licences. See Bocas Marina.
San Blas is not a scuba ground: the Guna do not permit scuba diving by visitors. Snorkelling is fine. The rules are in San Blas charter operations.
Las Perlas: snorkel from Panama City
For a charter based at Flamenco or La Playita, Las Perlas is the realistic snorkel product: about 35 nm to Contadora, with rocky points and beaches around Contadora, Saboga, Chapera and Mogo Mogo. Pacific visibility is variable, and the islands are clearest in the dry season when the northerlies make the crossing rough. Most day trips are mostly running time; a snorkel stop works better on an overnight. See Las Perlas day charters.
Dive flag, briefing and the emergency plan
Flags. We could not confirm a Panamanian rule on dive flags. Fly the International Code flag A ("diver down, keep clear") when divers are down, and many operators also use a red-and-white diver-down flag that guests from the US recognise. Keep a lookout for other boats; the Pacific tide sets strongly around headlands.
Briefing. Before every dive: site, depth and time limits, entry and exit, current, lost-buddy and recall procedure, and the boat's pick-up plan. Count divers in and out and log it.
Emergencies. DAN's advice is clear: an injured diver goes to the best local emergency medical care first, then specialists decide on recompression. Give 100% oxygen if trained, call local emergency services, and call the DAN emergency line (+1 919 684 9111). The ACP publishes a tariff for hyperbaric treatment at its own chamber, subject to equipment and staff availability, but that is not a public guarantee. Confirm with DAN and your local hospital which chamber can accept a diver before you sell a site, and know how long evacuation from Coiba or Bocas takes.
Seasons and visibility
The Pacific side has two moods: the dry season (roughly December to April) brings northerly wind, cooler water and rougher crossings; the rainy season (May to November) brings flatter seas and afternoon squalls. On the Caribbean, rivers carry runoff after heavy rain and visibility near Portobelo can drop for days. Plan for both and say so in the booking terms. See Panama weather and seasons for boating.
Your practical starting checklist
- Complete the standard charter chain first: aviso de operación, ATP, AMP inspection, licensed captain, insurance.
- Affiliate with a dive training agency and hire certified divemasters and instructors.
- Check every guest's certification and medical questionnaire, and use a signed release.
- For Coiba, pay MiAmbiente fees in advance and carry the receipt and guests' IDs.
- Carry oxygen, a first-aid kit and a trained provider, and write the evacuation plan for each site.
- Brief, count divers in and out, and fly flag A while divers are down.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a PADI or SSI affiliation to run dive charters in Panama?
We found no Panamanian law that requires a specific agency. Insurers and guests expect one, and certified professionals to guide and teach, so treat it as necessary.
How do guests pay to enter Coiba National Park?
In advance, by bank transfer or at a MiAmbiente finance office, then show the receipt at the Gambute office with ID. Confirm current fees with MiAmbiente.
Is there a hyperbaric chamber in Panama?
The ACP publishes a hyperbaric treatment tariff for its own chamber, subject to availability. DAN advises taking an injured diver to emergency care first; call DAN for chamber coordination.
Can I take guests scuba diving in San Blas?
No. The Guna do not permit scuba diving by visitors. Snorkel trips are fine within community rules.
¿Qué se necesita para operar tours de buceo en Panamá?
Registro en la ATP como transporte turístico marítimo, embarcación inspeccionada por la AMP, capitán con licencia, seguro de responsabilidad civil y personal de buceo certificado. Para Coiba, pague las tasas de MiAmbiente por adelantado.
En español: chárter de buceo y snorkel en Panamá
Un chárter de buceo es a la vez una operación de transporte turístico (ATP, AMP, capitán, seguro) y una operación de buceo con instructores y divemasters certificados. En el Parque Nacional Coiba los pagos se hacen por adelantado a MiAmbiente y se presenta el recibo en Gambute. En Guna Yala no se permite el buceo con tanque a visitantes.
The next question to answer
The Florida version of the same business. Read Dive and snorkel charter operations (Florida).
The snorkel trip within reach of Amador. Read Las Perlas and Contadora day charters.
Guna rules, including no scuba for visitors. Read San Blas charter operations.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Diving and Snorkeling Charter Responsibilities.
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- DAN: Why DAN does not share chamber availability (emergency guidance, hotline) ↗
- ACP: tariff 2160 hyperbaric chamber services (Dec 2025) ↗
- MiAmbiente resolution approving the Coiba National Park public-use plan, Gaceta Oficial 28798-A (via FAOLEX) ↗
- Panamá América: MiAmbiente changes Coiba payment system (secondary, press, 2022) ↗
- AMP: interinstitutional inspection operation in Bocas del Toro (press release) ↗