Palau at its best!
Sam's Tours in Palau is a premier scuba diving and eco-adventure company. The friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff at their PADI 5-Star Training Center offers daily trips for divers of all skill levels to Palau's world-class dive sites and WWII wrecks.
Dive Center and Service
At Sam's, the guides have the flexibility to honour requests of each and every diver. Dives are scheduled every day. Sam's has built a first-class team of PADI instructors, marine biologists and trained naturalists. As a PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Centre, Sam's Tours can meet all diving enthusiasts' needs from the inexperienced to the most advanced.
Diver numbers are limited per day boat. They organise the diving in small groups, with a maximum of 8 divers per dive guide. Sam's safe and fast dive boats are canopied for sun protection, equipped with DAN emergency oxygen, First Aid kids, radio communications and operated by licensed experienced local crew.
All scuba tanks are US manufactured aluminium cylinders. Sam's Tours offers 12L standard yoke tanks. DIN tanks are no longer available, but DIN adaptors are available for rent. Nitrox up to 36% is offered free of charge to all Nitrox certified divers!
Sam's full service on-site Digital Photo Center offers Canon SD850 Powershot digital cameras and Canon ZR830 digital camcorders complete with underwater housings for rent. High speed Apple iMAC workstations optimized for digital imaging and wireless internet access offer photographers complete post-shooting support. Personal videos, camera and photo instruction, and professional videography services are also available.
Safety
One of the most important areas is safety. Sam's Tours has recently updated it's safety policy regarding divers who have been out of the water for a while. The updated policy is as follows:
- Divers not diving for 1-2 years: For divers that have not been diving in the last year, a 'Refresher Course' is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to be completed before they arrive at Sam's Tours or can be taken at Sam's Tours if need be.
- Divers not diving for 2 or more years: For divers that have not been diving for more than 2 years, a 'Refresher Course' is REQUIRED to dive with Sam's Tours. This course can be completed prior to arrival in Palau (proof of completion required) or can be taken at Sam's Tours if need be.
It is recommended that guests requiring a Refresher Course visit their local dive center and complete the course prior to arrival at Sam's Tours.
Dive areas
Sam's fast day boats reach all the main dive sites around the archipelago. Such sites include the sharks of Blue Corner, the manta rays of Devilfish City and German Channel as well as the coral reefs and stunning drop-offs teeming with marine life. You can explore any of a dozen WWII wrecks or countless marine lakes.
Sam's also offers tours to incredible dive sites less frequented by others such as Devilfish City, Ulong Channel, Peleliu, Shark City, and West Passage.
Daily itinerary
Guests are picked up by bus or boat shuttles at either 7.45am or 8.30am based on their specific diving schedule for the day and arrive at the dive center within 10 to 15 minutes from all hotels.
The experienced dive guides and captains will greet you with comprehensive dive briefings for the day's dives and will assist you with your needs. Dive boats generally leave the dive shop dock within 45 minutes of hotel pick-up times.
A 45-minute ride through Palau's beautiful lagoon precedes your first dive. Following the first dive, have lunch on one of the pristine rock island beaches where you can snorkel, explore the island or just relax.
After the second dive, they will take you through the rock islands where you will have the chance to snorkel at Jellyfish Lake, Soft Coral Arch, Giant Clam City, or one of Palau's many beautiful marine lakes. Boats return to the dive shop at approximately 4.00pm.
We think...
Sam's Tours is one of only two experienced and service-oriented dive operators we work with in Palau. Divers love their all-inclusive packages and especially enjoy the opportunity for unlimited diving at Sam's Macro Wall, even after the boats have returned from the outer reefs.
