Surf, Scuba, Raft & Hike in Costa Rica & Panama (Ages 14-18)

Outward Bound Costa will without a doubt be one of the most challenging things you will ever do but you will meet the most amazing people and achieve things that felt unachievable. My favourite thing about OBCR was the people I met, not only did I make some great friends in my group but also the local people we met along the way who made it so special. It could be laughing with Kenneth an instructor, listening to Santiago tell you about the man who fought off a Puma, Swimming with Jefferey the Kayaker, Holding Goat Man Ricks new baby goat, talking to the hosts at the home-stays or making burritos with Samuel the chef, there are always people with something to teach you or tell you. I went on the trek course and there is no denying that it is challenging, I would advise being in reasonable shape because it will make it easier but whatever your fitness level you will complete it. It's one of those things you wish you had a choice about in the moment but afterwards your glad you didn't because you know you would have backed out. As hard as the mornings of hiking were the afternoons in the tarp are some of my funniest memories. When I refer to the tarp I mean the two massive pieces of tarpaulin that form a group tent during the trek. Sleeping packed in like sardines is a great ice-breaker and I learnt more new card games than I thought existed. I think you should go on outward bound just to experience the feeling of joy you get when a comfort that you haven't had in a long time comes back. I have never had a shower as good as the one I took at the first homestay, the water was freezing and I had limited toiletries but it felt amazing. Even walking without the weight of a backpack is a joy on trek. I cannot explain to you the excitement and anticipation about getting our suitcases back when we got back to base which had our clean clothes in. The weirdest experience from trek was definitely the third day. It started off great, the views were spectacular, there was a lot less uphill than yesterday, it was all looking good. Then the rain came. I cannot put into words how wet we all were, jogging down paths that had turned to rivers, wading through mud, giving up on rain jackets (they made no difference by that point), hoping desperately to reach the promised campsite. When we'd eventually set up camp (the rain was still going) we call crawled into the tarp, stripped off our wet clothes and just sat there for about half an hour. No one new what to do, everything was soaked, but I remember just laughing hysterically with some others from the group just trying to process the absurdity of the situation. After that we could all confidently say, it doesn't get any worse. While this may sound like a negative thing outward bound will push you to breaking point, but after that you will feel like you can literally do anything and that is the best feeling in the world. (Don't worry we also had relaxing beach days and fun activities like zip-lining it's not all pain.) Highly recommend!

I did a summer course at OBCR (tropical trek) and it was a culturally enriching experience. I was able to practice my Spanish speaking skills with my instructors and have a blast with my coursemates. The hikes were physically grueling and I would advise being physically able to handle uphills and downhills with a heavy pack. The course itinerary was great and had a healthy mix of cool activities with educational ones. I recommend!!

Traveling to Costa Rica was the first time I had been abroad since the pandemic began. The combination of physically challenging days punctuated by the thrills of activities, the joy of acquiring new knowledge and the entertainment of building a close knit community of people along the way was the perfect set of experiences to get me into interacting with the wider world and new people.

Great personal growth experience. Loved the staff and the group of kids. created lasting bonds. would love to come back again or even lead a trip in the future. came out more self aware and ready to take on school

A mother writing here....our daughter called and asked to stay for the one-week surf extension, following the two-week scuba course. This is her second time returning, and would be third if we didn't experience the pandemic. I can't say enough for the amazing communication offered by the enrollment manager, Brynna. I felt at-ease knowing our daughter was in great care, and I couldn't wait for the email and photo updates each week! Outstanding. I hope she goes back again next year.

It was a wonderful experience! I enjoyed the people and activities -especially scuba diving. I am happy that I received my Advanced scuba certification. Seeing the sloths and manatees was amazing; I wish we could have seen the sea turtles.

Learning new things about the culture of Costa Rica, myself, the importance of nature, and wildlife. I learned about the typical breakfast in Costa Rica, for example, Pico de gallo, plantains, etc. were just a few examples of the great foods to experience. I learned a lot of new things about myself, and ways that I can improve to better impact the people around me. I’m so glad I got to experience this. Karina and Henry are amazing!

I absolutely loved this course! I have never bonded with people as fast or closely as I did with other people the way I did with the amazing people I got to meet on this trip! I had challenges and experiences I never could have imagined and I am so grateful for every single part of this trip. The amount of reflection we did as a group made us really trust each other and find out a lot of people struggled with the same things in life so we were able to bond over that and grow together. I realized the person I truly want to be for myself and for others, I came home 10X more confident than I have ever been and knowing what true happiness is. It's feeling like your legs are going to fall off as you're walking up your tenth hill and it is pouring rain on you and all your things but you are so grateful to be there with the people you have, you are grateful for the strength you feel after pushing up those hills and you are even grateful for the rain as you all dance and laugh together while you're soaking wet! It's meeting host families and sharing laughs even through a language barrier, it's realizing we are all people living on earth, and there is so much beauty in the people and the environment around us that even the worst times make you smile because you feel so blessed to be where you are with the people you have.

I had the best experience of my life so far ! Everything was Amazing ! I have made friends that I continue to stay in touch with ! My scuba experience started off rocky but I’m glad I stuck with it. This experience helped me realize how important it is to explore new things because there’s so much to learn. I now appreciate the simple things like a hot shower !

I learned a lot during my time at Outward Bound. The living conditions were challenging , but having a group of people that you live and bond with for 2 weeks helps you get through the challenges. The instructors on my 2 programs were great and know how to interact with teenagers - they really made a big difference for me.

My Outward Bound Costa Rica trip was such a blast! The other girls in my group were the kindest and most amazing people I have ever met, and I know that we have formed bounds that will last well beyond our trip has ended! I feel like I have known the girls in my group since kindergarten even though we were complete strangers before meeting at the Outward Bound base in Costa Rica. I loved this trip because it pushed me to take risks and become a more adventurous leader and traveler. I got to go cave jumping in pitch darkness (it was so exhilarating), scuba diving in the coral reefs and in a real shipwreck, release sea turtles into the ocean as part of a sea turtle conservation project, and learned how to wake board and knee board. Everywhere I looked was natural beauty and wonders, and this trip made me feel closer both to the other girls, but to my myself and the environment. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is willing to get dirty, take risks, and grow! I am so thankful for my experience and would totally go again if I had the chance! :)

All of the activities were incredibly fun and once-in-a-lifetime type experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The instructors were great and I learned a lot about myself, other cultures, and the natural world. The only complaint I had about the entire trip was the housing situation during the scuba portion of Panama which was a bit of a shock to me and my fellow students even going into it knowing that we wouldn’t have some of the comforts of home that were were used to. I wish they had been more upfront about that. However, we only stayed in that house for a few days, and the rainforest base in Costa Rica was nice. Overall, it was an amazing trip and I’m glad I went!

My daughter recently attended the Scuba, Sea Turtle, Service & Sloths program with Outward Bound Costa Rica, and you can read her own glowing review, but I wanted to offer a parent perspective. To provide a little context, my daughter attended during the summer of 2021, when she and others had been vaccinated but when travel was still a concern and families (ours, at least) were still reluctant to "open up" and let our kids participate in programs like this one. OBCR was INCREDIBLE, patiently and promptly answering all of my emailed queries, spending time with me on the phone to talk through my many questions about COVID protocols and safety measures, and hosting multiple live Zoom meetings for parents and participants to walk through the itinerary and answer any and all questions, for as long as it took. In the end, OBCR addressed our fears and concerns (thank you, Brynna!), and my daughter spent two transformative weeks with the incredible instructors and staff in Costa Rica and Panama. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I learned that I don't need or want my phone 80% of the time, that I need to appreciate the small things so much more, and that I overthink and stress out way too much. And surfing lessons were amazing! It was so much fun to learn and it felt so good to catch a wave. Our instructor Bailey really engaged us in learning about the culture, learning how to surf, etc. She always had her head in the game, basically knew everything about everything, and always made sure everyone was included.

I had been to Costa Rica before and loved the area, so I chose to return with OBCR because I wanted to learn to scuba drive, work on my spanish, and help the sea turtles. The connection I made with my group, meeting all the local kids, and releasing the baby sea turtles were amazing. I definitely learned how self-sufficient I can be, improved my organization skills, and learned how to thrive outside my comfort zone. I also thought the staff was amazing at always emailing back, having a detailed packing list, and really getting me excited and feeling welcomed before I even came.

The beach, surfing, waterfalls, city walks, shopping, cultural experiences - it's a mix of everything. I learned that I love trying new things and experiencing things outside my comfort zone.

I loved learning to scuba dive because it's a skill I will be able to use for the rest of my life. Through this experience, I also learned that I really enjoy meeting new people.

The service and cultural immersion taught me so much about how other people live and the impact you can have on people and nature. It taught me not to take things for granted. I also learned how I function with a group.

I came to Costa Rica because I wanted to try something new, and scuba diving was definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. We had the best instructors I could ask for, and I learned that I should be more grateful for the little things at home.

The relationships with my coursemates and instructors were incredible. I never thought that I would know all of these people like I do now. They are true friends because we went through thick and thin in the past two weeks. I wouldn’t change a thing — my course was awesome. I learned that if I try to see the positive in things, it will lift up the group and myself.

It was a great opportunity to explore and learn in a new country. It was really awesome to experience life with the ocean, as that's something I don't have at home. I enjoyed learning about not only how to surf, but experiencing the surfing lifestyle. Costa Rica is very green, and there are a ton of crazy wildlife. Stingrays, jellyfish, macaws - it was cool to see them all in person.

I had an amazing time and learned all about these great cultures. I enjoyed spending time with the kids and teaching them CPR. I knew that it meant a lot to them because they were really listening to us and the CPR they learned could save lives one day. All the work we did improved the community, it was awesome to see how grateful they were. We had super good inventive meals and we all cooked well. The instructors did a great job making sure everyday was always safe.

I believe that whether you are an adventurous person or not anyone should do an OBCR course because it really allows you to see what you are capable of doing. I learned so much about the wildlife of Panama, especially during the scuba portion of the course. This meant a lot to me because I am very passionate about marine animals.

The experience on my trip taught me about caring for others, when given jobs working as a team, and to live in the moment. The most meaningful part of my course was when we finally reached the top of the mile long mountain and looked down because it showed that all the hard work was worth it. Helping others with less makes me feel so great and encourages me to do more of it. It's nice to know that people that aren't from your community care about you. I would recommend Outward Bound because I think that sometimes my family spends too much time on electronics.

My experience was exhilarating, exhausting, and worth every last minute. I learned that I definitely like to travel and explore new cultures and activities. The most meaningful part of my course was visiting the local school and seeing the smiles on the children's faces despite any hardships they faced, as well as being able to share smiles and laughter while speaking different languages. I learned about how Panamanians grow up, go to work, travel, dress, and interact with each other. It was a great experience where I got to meet a lot of wonderful people and try new things, while understanding a new culture, and I think everyone should experience that.

I believe OBCR is great for everyone because it gets you out of your comfort zone and allows you to experience authentic cultural things. The indigenious communities way of life was so interesting to learn about and also the sea turtle efforts. When bad weather occured, Molly and Andrew explained what to do if it got worse and they always kept us in safe situations.

I can't be more happy for the instructors that I got for my first time being in Costa Rica / Panama. All of them teach me lessons for life and how to get my patience to another level. I did surfing before but for 3 days, and thanks to my instructors I know how to do it better, same as rafting. Most important to me was meeting such amazing people.

Not only did we have beautiful dives, I learned about Panamanian culture through kids and adults alike. My favorite parts of the course were interacting with the kids because they were so cute and fun and scuba diving because I saw so many beautiful animals and the shipwreck was so cool. A new challenge that pushes you through physical/emotional struggles and beautiful new views of life.

Marc had an amazing time. He really enjoyed all the activities with kids in the villages, the kayaking and releasing the turtles. He said he had so much fun with the leaders and 2 other kids. The 5 of them seemed to really bond and without phones, they spent their evenings bonding and playing a lot of cards :). I think his only regret is not speaking Spanish a bit more, but other than that he loved everything. Thank you so much for such a wonderful experience for our son.

My daughter has been on 3 trips with OBC over the past 3 summers. She loves the Service courses. I cannot say enough positive things about OBC. My daughter loves everything about her experiences with them. She loves the structure of how the coarses work and also the layed back part as well. She has made friends on coarse from all over the world. She always comes home planning her next summer with OBC. They know how to take kids out of their comfort zone into meaningful tasks and opportunities. All students have shared responsibilities throughout the coarse. They help students learn their leadership style while teaching how to respect others with different leadership styles. They expect full respect of individual differences. My daughter is mature for her age, but always learns so much and grows personally every trip. She will be back for her 4th summer in 2019.