Birds & Bats of Palau This newly released book, Birds & Bats of Palau is one of its kind, featuring never seen before pictures of endemic, resident and migrant birds of Palau, as well as 2 local bat species. Written by Douglas Pratt & Mandy Etpison. Available at Sam's Tours. We can mail it to the U.S. via USPS Priority Mail. This is a wonderful field guide for visitors to Palau and also makes an excellent gift to bring home. My Palauan children have thoroughly enjoyed it. You will too.
Announcing our all new Digital Photo Center Sam's Tours all new Digital Photo Center is fully equipped to cater to digital photographers of all interest levels from those with handy “point-and-shoot” cameras to the most demanding digital photographers shooting in RAW format. Our six top of the line Apple iMac workstations are loaded with terabytes and terabytes of storage, archiving and secure data back up systems, lots of RAM, and completely optimized for digital imaging with Apple Aperture image management software, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Bridge, Toast, and topped off with DSL Wi-Fi internet access. No other photo center in Palau comes near!

Plus new rental Canon SD850 Digital Cameras and Canon ZR830 Digital Minicams with underwater housings.

Other camera-friendly improvements include an expanded “dry zone” for Camera Preparation and Charging and a new Camera Drying Station complete with towels and compressed air for post-rinsing camera care.

Click here from more information on the Digital Photo Center.

See our Calendar of Events for the latest upcoming programs including Shark Shootout, Wreck Expedition Week and Photo Week.

More new Tanks with DIN-Yoke Convertible Valves

As part of our constant upgrades to equipment around the dive center, we recently added another 40 brand new Catalina 80 cu. ft / 12 Litre aluminum scuba tanks to our inventory. The new tanks are equipped with top of the line Thermo Convertible valves that accommodate both DIN and Yoke regulators. Additionally we upgraded 20 of our existing tank inventory with the new Thermo valves.

New Flat Screen TV at Bottom Time Bar & Grill

To better accommodate guests who want to share their underwater images with other divers, Sam recently installed a wide flat screen display at Bottom Time Bar and Grill….. with a little “technical assistance” from members of the visiting U.S. Navy Mobile Salvage Team who are here to continue their salvage and recovery work on a downed U.S. WWII aircraft that was identified by members of the Bent Prop Project. For more info on the dedicated and very interesting work by the Bent Prop Project team, visit their website at: http://www.bentprop.org

New Customer Gear Lockers Our new and improved Customer Gear Locker, Staff Gear Locker, Rental Center and Compressor room are now operational. The new Customer Locker will provide well ventilated and secure “wet gear” storage and dry storage space for extra suitcases and gear bags not needed by guests on the dive boats.

The New Sam's Tours

Our new building and facilities are now open serve you.

Bottom Time Bar & Grill Our newly improved waterfront bar and restaurant that include additional bar counter space, new sound system and paving of the floor with sandstone flagstones.

New Bauer Compressor                      On March 3, 2007 we installed a brand new Bauer K-20 Compressor as the primary source for filling our scuba tanks. Our older Bauer K-20 which has served us extremely well will now serve as a back-up compressor system. Both compressors may be attached to our NRC Nitrox Membrane system giving us the capacity to fill over 350 Nitrox tanks per day.

Sam's Tours has provided free Nitrox to all Nitrox certified guests since 2003 and more than half of all guests now dive with Nitrox. Nitrox certification is available every day at Sam's Tours. For more information contact Sam's Tours.

Sam's Tours has just received official notification from PADI Americas that we have achieved PADI National Geographic Center Award status. Please stay tuned for more information on exciting PADI National Geographic eco adventure and exploration programs at Sam's Tours!

New Boats
On March 12, 2007 the latest addition to our fleets of vessels was launched. Christened “Thresher Shark” she joins the rest of our mono-hull fleet named after a variety of sharks that include Whaleshark, Hammerhead, Tiger Shark, White Tip, Silvertip, Great White and Black Tip.  “Thresher” is equipped with Yamaha F150 4-Stroke outboard motors. “Tiger Shark” and “Silvertip” our hardworking 8 passenger dive boats both underwent “surgery” before this season began which include new scuba tank rack system, interior modifications to make them “walk-thru”, improved fixed-mount ladder system, fresh-water rinse shower and new 4-stroke Yamaha motors.

75% of Fleet Equipped with 4-Stroke Motors            
Continuing our commitment to protecting Palau 's environment and to improving the comfort for our guest, Sam's Tours continues our upgrade program for our outboard motor equipped vessels to more fuel efficient and quieter 4-stroke motors. As of March 2007, over 75% of our outboard equipped fleet now have either Yamaha or Suzuki 4-stroke motors with the majority of them being Yamaha F-150's.  In 2002 Sam's Tours was the first dive center in Palau to deploy 4-stroke motor technology when we launched two new boats with Honda 4-stroke motors.

Our Catamaran Fleet              
“Sea Cat” Sam's Tours very first “cat” boat re-joined our small boat fleet this month after several years in retirement. Another addition to our “cat” boat fleet is “Reef Cat” a sistership too “SeaCat”.  Our other “cat” boat “Shark Cat” is the the first of our “cat” fleet to be equipped with 4-stroke motors as she proudly sports a new set of Yamaha F115's.