yuhtnav I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience with Evolution and thank you for taking the time to explain why. I am quite surprised (as apparently are a few others).
I was introduced to David and he showed me around and got me setup with gear right after I arrived. I went diving right after that. Matt was off-island and I didn't meet him until a few days later. I really think you should have addressed this with Matt or David. I think they are both great guys and would have made it right.
Since you've gone into detail about your issues with Evolution, I will do the same with TSD and Exotic.
I had a dispute with TSD over charges. I recommend to people that if you're going to dive with them, it would be best if you print out whatever you agreed to and take it with you. Our agreement was over a certain number of dives. Andrea said it was for "unlimited" diving (this got dropped on me while I'm settling my bill and I had to make the ferry so I could make my ride back to Cebu, which TSD had arranged). There was bad weather while I was there and some dives were missed. As far as I'm concerned Andrea took extra profit from me by charging me for dives we were unable to do because of weather. In fairness to her, I expect she charged me the way she "remembered" it. I had no way to prove her memory wrong. When I got home I checked our email correspondence and my memory was right. I could see where she might have gotten it confused as we negotiated over my package, but bottom line was it should have been charged the way I remembered it and this was borne out by the emails. I didn't think there was any way to get the money back, so I dropped it, but I will never dive with TSD again because of it. We're talking about a handful of dives (3 or 4) that I didn't make (so therefore no loss on TSD's part) that they charged me for. She did "discount" it (which actually upset me even more as she implied she was doing me a favor, while still charging me more than we agreed) It was the principle of the thing for me. I did a couple of courses and dived there for over a week. Not a very good business decision on their part as it has cost them my recommendation and any chance of repeat business.
With Exotic, nothing to do with diving, just attitude of Exotic employees that I came in contact with. When I came to Malapascua last time I got directions and then I walked with my bag from the ferry landing. I would stop occasionally to make sure I was still going the right way and hadn't missed it. You've been there so you know the back way you can't always tell what is on the beach. One of the last times I stopped, I was behind Exotic and asked two people who appeared to work there where Evolution was. They weren't very friendly (unusual for the Philippines) and said they didn't know. I knew based on the directions I had recieved I had to be close. I was surprised to find that it was right next door. Wow! I won't get into some of the other stories I head about them and will just stick to my own experience. My impression was they didn't want to help me because I was diving with someone else. Who knows?
As for the issue with dive guides, in my experience in the Philippines, I've had great guides who were only Open Water divers... they were Open Water Divers with 100's of dives though
I've had guides who were instructors also who were also good
The Philippines is actually the only place I've personally had a "guide".
Boat diving in the US does not generally include a guide unless you want to pay extra for one. Generally the boat gets you there and you buddy up with someone if you didn't bring a buddy with you and do your own dive. They will generally try to match experience levels and I've been asked more than once to take someone less experienced. I am always happy to do this as someone did the same for me when I first started diving When the dive is over the boat takes you back.
A guide in the Philippines for me is another set of eyes for finding interesting subjects to photograph and is there to provide "local knowledge". They may need to be a bit more than that depending on experience level of whoever is diving, but I personally don't require much. This could shape expectations.
I'm sorry you had such a bad experience at Evolution. It's the first one that I've heard about and a huge contrast from my own experience. I would be a little curious to hear what Matt would have to say about it. I really think it would have been good to take Matt aside and address it with him then and it might have made a difference. I'm reminded of what I learned when I worked in management years ago though... only 1 out of 10 customers who have a problem will likely ever say anything. Most will just go away and take their business somewhere else...
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That can be significant factor.
I did have room on the bench to lie down during the over 70min ride to Dona Marilyn.
5 more divers found places on boat to lie down as well (3 on a raised flat surface at center of the boat, one on the floor)
If there had been 2 more divers on boat, some would have had to sit straight up during the whole ride.
But I came during low season (July), so Evolution could be expected to have more divers on boat during peak season, right?
Anyway, it can be far worse on other dive shops' boats, I don't know.
My last trip I was there in December and there was plenty of room on the boat. I think they try to keep their groups to a reasonable size. At least that was my own experience.
