Buying dive gear: Hong Kong or Cebu?

[fimbetth]

Will be going to Cebu for some good diving this january. I will need som new gear and wonder if its best to buy it on my layover in hong Kong or in Cebu? Will need an full length wetsuit and some fins (mares avanti quattro or similar).Any ideas?

/Markus

[shugar]

my 2 cents:

usually "non-traditional" market items like scuba gear would be a little more expensive in cebu or the provinces - this because these items are usually shipped to manila-based distributor and then to cebu, or dumaguete, or other location... that would increase the list price compared to manila...

on the other hand, scubaworld is a major distributor of dive gear locally and they have a branch in cebu - the chances of the items there being the same cost as manila are pretty good (there's also a standard 25% cash discount so ask for that hehehehe)... send them an email or give them a call www.scubaworld.com.ph

if your layover in HK is long though (1 day or so) then that might also make it more convenient for you to go gear shopping... down side is that your baggage weight from hk to manila will increase by the weight of the gear you get - check with your carrier if you're still w/in your weight allowance (you don't want to end up paying extra)... if you're taking philippine airlines manila-cebu or hk-cebu then you might want to look into their sports+ package... details are at www.philippineairlines.com

hope i was of some use...

Jag

[Halthron]

(there's also a standard 25% cash discount so ask for that hehehehe)
?!?!? Is that just for them or have I been missing something with major purchases?

[paolov]

you don't need a wetsuit to dive our local waters if you have good buoyancy. ask Halthron...


hehehhehehe


Will be going to Cebu for some good diving this january. I will need som new gear and wonder if its best to buy it on my layover in hong Kong or in Cebu? Will need an full length wetsuit and some fins (mares avanti quattro or similar).Any ideas?

/Markus

[Armand]

Scubaworld is the distributor for Mares in PI. Avanti quattro cost 8,625 pesos but you can get it for 30% less. Aquaventure Whitetip Dive Supply (Cebu Ernbri Import, Inc.) is the Exclusive Distributor of Scubapro/Uwatec in PI. Also the Exclusive Distributor of Aqua Lung, Bauer, OMS. There's a pricelist in their website. Although a wholesale store they do sell to individual divers.

http://www.aquaventurewhitetip.com/

Enjoy your stay in Cebu.

[shugar]

?!?!? Is that just for them or have I been missing something with major purchases?
dude you didn't know????

pretend i didn't say anything... don't kick yourself... just ask for "tawad" when next you buy... and don't forget to bedazzle them with the tagalog you've picked up along the way

Jag

PS
if that don't work ask pao to accompany you... you might even get more than 25% or 30% off (per armand)

[Halthron]

Would this be where you offer cash and don't get a receipt? Now to figure out how to pronounce it... Seems like every time I try to say something in Tagalog, I get a funny look. If I was close, the person I'm talking to will correct me but usually I'm so far off they have no clue.

[shugar]

nope, you'll get a receipt... i always get one... it's really a high-markup business because your stocks are on the shelves for a relatively long time... i don't want to speak for the LDS operators on the PPD (there's ellen and gordon here) but i think the discount for cash purchases is a come-on for people to... ummmm... purchase in cash? (dang now where'd my point go?)

anyway regarding your other concern - tip: filipino is phonetic, w/c means that it's spelled exactly as it's pronounced (and vice-versa)... so "tawad" is "tah-wad"

Jag

[pakman]

Will be going to Cebu for some good diving this january. I will need som new gear and wonder if its best to buy it on my layover in hong Kong or in Cebu? Will need an full length wetsuit and some fins (mares avanti quattro or similar).Any ideas?

/Markus

You might be able to get better prices in HK. I remember inquiring about this earlier in the year when I was starting to buy my own gear for a trip to the Philippines. Some of local philippines dive resorts suggested getting the stuff in HK rather than in PI. But again, I never really went around to any shops in Manila to compare.

Some shops you might want to check in Hong Kong are Pro Dive (www.prodive.com.hk) and Diving Adventure (www.divvinghk.com). In addition to the standard discount 30-35% off the "suggested retail price", they might give you an additional discount if you buy a number of items. BTW, if you're in the market for a suunto dive computer, the prices are very good here (plus there is no sales tax...). They also have a pretty extensive stock of wetsuits at a good price. I think they should have larger "western" sizes (I wear a large edit: but I'm not sure how extra long sizes they carry...)... If not, Mandarin Divers, runned by an Aussie tends to cater to the expat crowd and usually carried big sizes but their prices aren't the most competitve in HK.

[shugar]

pakman... PASALUBONG!

thanks!

Jag

[pakman]

Markus, 1 more thing, if you happen to be interested in a less than 1 yr old pair of Tusa Imprex Tri-Ex Medium Size fins (yellow/black), I'd sell them to you for cheap as they're just sitting in my closet now that I've switched to jetfins (yes I've been brainwashed by spending too much time on scubaboard...)... If you're interested, PM me.


pic attached (but actual color is yellow, grey, and black)


Jag, what does PASALUBONG! mean?

[shugar]

hmmmmm... how do i explain "pasalubong".... hmmmmmmm....

let's see.... hmmmmmmm...

no, better yet, let's wait for the guys to wake up and see how they define pasalubong hehehehehehehehe :wink:

Jag

PS
don't worry, we're not breaking any TOS rules here...

[chip104]

hmmmmm... how do i explain "pasalubong".... hmmmmmmm....

let's see.... hmmmmmmm...

no, better yet, let's wait for the guys to wake up and see how they define pasalubong hehehehehehehehe :wink:

Jag

PS
don't worry, we're not breaking any TOS rules here...
Simple explanation: a present / souvenir.

my prof at MSI explanation: back in the day when people first began traversing the philippine archaepalago, the only way to prove to someone you went to a place (or came from a place) you had to bring back a souvenir for them. No cameras yet to take pics or mail to send postcards.

If there's any other meaning to it, please share to educate my balikbayan as5...

[Migu31]

Pasalubong - a small gift or souvenir from someone travelling either visiting or returning home.

I used to get pasalubong from my father whether he was just coming home from the office or coming home after being away for weeks overseas. Back then, overseas was an incredibly big deal, the whole angkan (clan) came out in a couple of hired jeepneys to to send him off at the airport, and then again to pick him up... well maybe not all that different these days hehehe.

Obviously, pasalubong varies in scale. From the office was maybe say a bar of hersheys, from overseas was like a pair of addidas. Also depends on who the pasalubong was for, for my mum he'd bring back perfume or jewelry ... I think he'd be in trouble if all he brought back was a t-shirt :05:

[paolov]

nice, especially your title, it had the rootword.


Pasalubong - a small gift or souvenir from someone travelling either visiting or returning home.

I used to get pasalubong from my father whether he was just coming home from the office or coming home after being away for weeks overseas. Back then, overseas was an incredibly big deal, the whole angkan (clan) came out in a couple of hired jeepneys to to send him off at the airport, and then again to pick him up... well maybe not all that different these days hehehe.

Obviously, pasalubong varies in scale. From the office was maybe say a bar of hersheys, from overseas was like a pair of addidas. Also depends on who the pasalubong was for, for my mum he'd bring back perfume or jewelry ... I think he'd be in trouble if all he brought back was a t-shirt :05:


but then again you may break it as follows;

PASALUBONG

PASA = to pass
LUBO = tagalog a large fish- grouper = LARGE LAPULAPU
Lubong = that pertaining to a grouper

pasa + Lubong = to pass a large fish ; PASA LUBONG

so PAk; the guys are asking for a gift, obviously you can't bring a live grouper , so they are ok with dried shredded fish in vaccum pack seal

[Halthron]

Also depends on who the pasalubong was for, for my mum he'd bring back perfume or jewelry ... I think he'd be in trouble if all he brought back was a t-shirt :05:
PASA = to pass
LUBO = tagalog a large fish- grouper = LARGE LAPULAPU
Lubong = that pertaining to a grouper
How much trouble would he have been in bringing home a grouper?

[paolov]

How much trouble would he have been in bringing home a grouper?

this response belongs to the question answer game but here it goes anyway.

no trouble except that , the customs would have a treat of it immediately!

[jonix]

@pak: pasalubong...a gift you will give me once you arrive here :D

[pakman]

First off, apologizes to Markus for highjacking this thread...

I guess I should wear my Santa Suit on my flight into PI this Christmas...

sooo... have you guys been naughty or nice this year... hmm...

I'll see how much coal I can squeeze into my dive bag...

[shugar]

First off, apologizes to Markus for highjacking this thread...

I guess I should wear my Santa Suit on my flight into PI this Christmas...

sooo... have you guys been naughty or nice this year... hmm...

I'll see how much coal I can squeeze into my dive bag...
me i've been very nice this year... very very VERY nice hahahahahahahahaha

Jag