Panama Deep Sea Fishing

Another incredible trip to Surfer Paradise! As usual, the trip went off without a hitch. David was waiting for us at the airport. He was nice enough to take us around to buy snacks, liquor, pillows, towels, surf wax and then to lunch. He put us on the bus to Guavala and we were on our way. The bus ride, 5 hours, was comfortable and it was nice to see the country side during the day. Cheffy was waiting patiently at the bus stop in Guavala and took us to the camp bunk house for a good night sleep. The trip to the island is tide dependent, so we had to wait until 6am to get out. We were happy to get a good night sleep and were rested for the morning surf session. Rocky, guide, woke us up and put us on the boat to the island. The boat ride out in the morning is pretty unbelievable! Paul, guide, met us at the beach to help us bring in the gear. The camp had a few new buildings and decks since my last trip. A great deck off of the central white house, a new two bedroom house to the left, yoga cabana, wind power, and new dining area. The guides, Rocky, Paul and Gillian, were awesome! They took care of all of our needs and were ready to do whatever we wanted at the drop of a hat. The surf during our stay was smaller, but we anticipated this. It is the slow season for waves. It picks up in March. This gave us the opportunity to explore the fishing and diving around camp. They have a great new fishing boat with twin 115 yamaha's. We did some awesome diving, spearfishing and fishing around the island, the rivers and "offshore". We caught wahoo, tuna, skip jacks, sierra mackerel, jacks, needlefish, african pompano, grouper, snapper and langostas. We also hiked through the jungle and went for a nice evening at Narris's local bar. If the waves are small, don't worry, there is more than enough to do until the swell picks up!!

The guides are ever changing. I have yet to meet one I didn't like, but if you have the opportunity to head down in the near future, Rocky and Paul will make your trip one to remember!

The food by the local ladies, Narris & Chilla, is awesome. The plates will stuff you. I am 6'1", 200lbs and love to eat. I was happy with every meal. Breakfast from eggs, pancakes, french toast, bread, rolls, fresh fruit (everyday), oatmeal and the list goes on. Lunch was multiple styles of fish, chicken, beef, rice, potatoes, cabbage, pasta, tacos, beans and local vegetables. Dinner was similar to lunch with pasta with meat and veges, rice dishes, beans, fresh veges, fish, beef, chicken, etc. If you catch fish, they will prepare it! We had wahoo & tuna sushi for appetizer and ceviche most days. I had a few fresh langosta's for lunch. Chilla's ceviche is top notch!! Make sure you troll from breaks to port, you will be happy you took home a few sierra's! If you want a lot of beer and soft drinks, let the guides know this in advance so they can prepare for your arrival. If you plan on drinking liquor, bring as much as you possibly can with you. If you have some left over, the next crowd will drink it or buy it from you.

The camp, just like everything in life, is about expectations. If you are a 4+ star vacationer, this probably isn't going to meet your expectations. It takes a good while to get to camp via bus & boat, your arrival is tide dependent, you are riding in panga's not $40+K boats, you are sleeping in concrete & tile houses with twin beds and foam mattresses with mosquito nets, the fans keep you cool not air conditioning, you eat family style with the whole camp, drinks are in a cooler and you mark them by honor, food is as good as it gets, but isn't prepared by seasoned chefs from your local culinary school, if others are there you decide as a group what you are going to do with the boats, the guides administer first aid if needed, not the local clinic, etc. All of the above is why I chose to go to Panama Surfer Paradise. You can't beat the price, the remote location, the local people, guides, great surf, diving and fishing. Taking the journey to the island, for me, has been worth it every time! I think a lot of the negative reviews seem to be posted by people who didn't do their research before heading down.

Do yourself a favor before you go, ask Steve questions and ask for the current camp guides email addresses. The guides are the ones who are there everyday. They can let you know exactly what the tides are doing, what the surf has been, how the fishing has been, and the final details for your arrival. They do have wireless on the island! The guides will respond when the internet is up and the guests give them a little time during their day. It runs for maybe an hour or so each day when needed. It draws a decent amount of the electricity and electricity is solar and wind generated with a back up generator. You are on vacation, don't tie yourself to your computer!

You can pay for everything via PayPal, so you only need to carry enough cash for tips, snacks along the way, etc. Don't forget that these guides and local cooks, cleaners & captains do a lot to make your trip a success. Remember that when you leave and tip accordingly. The local kids love gifts and you might find that the extra hat, snacks, rod, lures, towels or pair of sunglasses your brought might really help out one of the locals.

If you like what you have read above, Morro Negrito should be on your list of places to visit! You will not be disappointed! It is impossible, at least in my travels, to find a better price for the amount of surf, fishing, diving, scenery, people, culture, food and overall fun you will have at Morro Negrito and during your travels to and from!