Philippines Dive Trip Part 1 - Subic Bay

[Centrals]

That looks like a nice boat Centrals.

I can't see them using that boat for fun dive.
BTW, can't see your photos any more!!

 

[DevonDiver]

Not really, but one could speculate that after 30 years there perhaps he can't be @***d

However I am sure if pushed something could be organised for earlier dives, really need to ask Andy Davies as he used Johan's boats from time to time, in particular for his Tech Training.

Having dived in Subic for over 8 years, and having managed a dive center here myself, I'd suggest two general reasons, not specific to Johan's;

1. Customer Preference. Many of the dive centers here run their dives out at around 9-10am. That seems to be more popular with most diving customers; allowing for a longer sleep and a restful breakfast. It's worth noting that there is some 'nightlife' here and it's not unusual for visitors to enjoy a night out. The average age of visiting is also a little older than many places...and many appreciate a relaxed pace to the day. A later start to diving ensures that divers have had ample rest and the chance to get effectively fed and hydrated before departure. That's prudent for diver safety and also customer satisfaction. An earlier start may lead to customer no-shows or dive center refusals to take people diving. Yes, things can also run at 'Philippines speed'... some like that, some hate it.

2. Harbor Procedures. Subic Bay is a busy working harbor and all boat activities are closely regulated. For every dive trip, a dive center must telephone permission from the 'Ecological Department' (??), the Harbor Patrol Office and facsimile (only... no call, no email) a copy of the full diver manifest and authorized divemaster/instructor/s to the Port Authority office. If this isn't done, then the Harbor Patrol could arrive and prevent diving. Sending the facsimile can be problematic on occasions, as it needs to be actively received by the harbor authority office...and if nobody is available to do that, the dive center has to wait until someone picks up. It can be difficult to get a 'pick-up' in the early am.... I guess there's 'more important business' to attend to before 9-10am

Sometimes, depending on the site; in particular, the USS New York, the dive center has to wait until approval to dive is given. This is due to anticipated boat movements (especially military vessels, which have exclusion zones)... and can also result in later departures, if the site can be dived at all that day. As you might expect, the movement of military vessels is not announced in advance to the public...which would be the case if dive centers were pre-informed of diving/no-diving times. The official policy regarding diving on the USS New York seems to change on a whim every few years for no given reason.,, such is bureaucracy. At the moment, it is quite disruptive to the dive centers.

Also from experience, but I know that Johan will endeavor to run earlier trips on demand. However, that depends on boat and staff availability.. and also the number of divers in the group. It's more normally done for technical trips.

One issue that, I believe, delayed the diving on my dive with Gordon was that we had to make a judgement call on the wind conditions that morning; to determine whether the AJ-2 Savage dive (offshore, at 72m) could be run. As it was, the frustrating and unseasonal wind, caused a rougher than prudent sea-state offshore and prevented that. Because of this need to make a decision on the morning itself, Johan hadn't prepared trimix/deco gasses and cylinders in advance. The Tabby and Skyraider were the 'divert' sites at 42m and 36m respectively...and we required different kit and mixes for that dive... which, I believe, Johan blended in the morning once the judgement call on the wind/sea state had been made.

When I run courses in Subic, and out of Johan's, I normally start training at 8am (unless the customer prefers a later start, in which case I am flexible). This allows a few hours for either theory development over breakfast/coffee and/or equipment tweaking and refining....especially on sidemount and technical classes.

 

[bill22]

I'd concur with that. As a regular customer, 9-10 AM works really well for me I like to have breakfast before going out for the day Although I have spent significant time traveling around the Philippines, I've spent the majority of my time around Olongapo. Johan's I consider to by my "home" dive center and I even keep my gear there when I know I'm going to be in the area for an extended period. Great bunch of people there

 

[Centrals]

and who knows what else is still laying at the bottom of the bay waiting to be discovered.

On your next return, beside those two planes outside the Bay. You can sample the PBY Catalina's Wing, P3 Orion's Tail and Wing and the two M3 Half track vehicles. All of them are under 30m.

Dive Sites – Johan's Beach and Dive Resort Subic Bay Philippines