Our first groups of the summer arrived this past weekend! It has been an exciting first week as the students have started scuba diving, catching waves, and embracing the “Pura Vida” lifestyle. Read on to find out what our students have been up to!
Summer Courses 14-18
Early in the morning this group was off and set out for Bocas del Toro to begin their scuba adventure! At the Panama border this group rallied to make a PB&J assembly line before heading off to Isla Solarte, their new home for the next week. Once at the dock students began lessons with Dive Master Jim Rowe to gain preliminary diving skills and studying for their certification exam. They will soon partake in their free dive and night dive! They also lovingly refer to their group as “Los Mantarrayas” which means “the mantarays.” In their free hours this group has been exploring Panama’s gorgeous beaches, collecting seashells, and finding the best swimming spots. The students have also enjoyed playing volleyball and soccer with the local kids. On Thursday the students participated in a community service project collecting trash and helping repair a road! They will soon begin their journey to San San Pond Sak to meet with local conservationists and help with efforts to protect the endangered leatherback and hawksbill sea turtle populations.
This group has deemed themselves “Las Pipas” which means “the coconuts.” They have had their fair share of coconuts as they have been drinking them on their excursion. It is common in Costa Rica to drink pipa fria – cold coconut water – to help beat the heat! To begin their journey they started their First Aid & CPR/AED training at our beautiful rainforest base located in Tres Rios. They then headed out for Dominicalito, a small bay perfect for beginner waves, south of Dominical. They have been enjoying soaking in the sun on the beach, the ocean breeze and practicing their surfing skills. They have also improvised with rocks to get in a workout before heading out to surf!
Looking to explore Central America?
Join us on our fall Coast to Coast Expedition. Envision yourself spending 85 days in Costa Rica and Panama!
Submit an inquiry or contact our Enrollment Manager at 800-676-2018 or by emailing [email protected].
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