Just got to Thailand, spent three weeks in the Philippines, in which time I did 10 dives in 3 locations, and had some experiences that left me questioning some of the things I saw. I am not a hugely experienced diver, and may take some stick for my choices or comments, and thats fine.
First stop was White Beach at Puerto Galera. Walked round a few shops, met some people, asked about doing a refresher as I hadnt dived in 5.5 years, but everyone I met said, nah, just get in the water and we will do the two basic skills before going down. So I did five dives, 3 with just me on the boat, they were nice, nothing difficult to start with, so perhaps I didnt see the best of PG diving. Was slightly intrigued that no proof of certification was asked for, just sign the waiver and go.
Did visit Sabang beach, what a ***********. As a 25 year old I also felt about 20 years too young for this place, and creeped out by the seediness.
Next up was Bohol, where I wandered around until I found a few cheaper places doing dives with equip for about 1000 a dive (the pound is really not treating me well, damn you Gordon). This place did actually ask me for my certification, but everything else was crap. The first dive at Balicasag, I was given no time to kit up, just told to sit on the edge of the boat, stick it on and jump in with no checks or anything. I started checking my equipment when I put it on, and it wasnt connected up right, so i couldnt inflate. The DM, who was already in the water, started shouting at me to just jump in and he would fix it in the water. Is it unreasonable to make sure I have fully functioning equipment before I get in the water?
So we did the first dive, and they got it all wrong, it was a wall dive, but we swam all the way against the current, passing other divers going the opposite way, great. Getting ready for the second dive, the instructor jumps in and one of his pipes blows, so back to the beach for a change of octopus and dive site. Second dive, I am swimming along when suddenly I realise I am steaming through my air, and bubbles are appearing from places they shouldnt. End up doing half the dive on instructors air. May be my fault, I dont know, but I have my suspicions about the equipment.
Finally to Malapascua, where I met some nice foreigners (no names) who recommended me a dive centre, she was doing the dive portion of her OW there having done the theory back home. Again, not asked for cert., just sign the waiver and who cares.
Diving here was a little chaotic. First dive was with someone who was doing her OW dives and it was down to 22 m, stay 1m from the bottom, to see thresher sharks, got to stay out of their line. She shouldnt have been that deep, or with us. Next dive, a different OW diver who could not control himself at the right depth, shouldnt have been on that dive. Dive finished in three groups at different times too.Tsk. And no sharks, just one manta in two dives. The place is simply too crowded, they need to control it.
So final dive with them, was tunnel at Gato Island, which was fun, saw a nice big white tip reef shark, but again the DMs had no control. ONe Chinese guy turned up with a wonderful set of equipment, nice shiny knife, computer, camera, the works, but dam, was he weak in the water. The DMs could not control the group, and allowed him (chinese guy) to drift off from 20m to 2m from the surface whilst he laughed and took pictures of himself, midway through the dive. Moron. They went and brought him down everntually, but not until they had helped him take some pictures. Other dive centres were asking for 30 dives to do this tunnel, but the one I was with was putting newly certified OW divers through it, and it was scary.
After the dive I talked to the foreigners, and they said they realised that the dive centre had done the OW dives with only a DM, no instructor, and that they were worried they would not count. This seems really illegal and unprofessional to me.
So I have left now, it wasnt all negative, there were a few nice dives, and some lovely beaches. I was just worried by a lot of what I saw. Anyway, I am considering doing my DM now in Thailand, and it was a nice eye opener seeing some of these operations, and realising what the differences between good and bad operations are. And that you really do get what you pay for.
First stop was White Beach at Puerto Galera. Walked round a few shops, met some people, asked about doing a refresher as I hadnt dived in 5.5 years, but everyone I met said, nah, just get in the water and we will do the two basic skills before going down. So I did five dives, 3 with just me on the boat, they were nice, nothing difficult to start with, so perhaps I didnt see the best of PG diving. Was slightly intrigued that no proof of certification was asked for, just sign the waiver and go.
Did visit Sabang beach, what a ***********. As a 25 year old I also felt about 20 years too young for this place, and creeped out by the seediness.
Next up was Bohol, where I wandered around until I found a few cheaper places doing dives with equip for about 1000 a dive (the pound is really not treating me well, damn you Gordon). This place did actually ask me for my certification, but everything else was crap. The first dive at Balicasag, I was given no time to kit up, just told to sit on the edge of the boat, stick it on and jump in with no checks or anything. I started checking my equipment when I put it on, and it wasnt connected up right, so i couldnt inflate. The DM, who was already in the water, started shouting at me to just jump in and he would fix it in the water. Is it unreasonable to make sure I have fully functioning equipment before I get in the water?
So we did the first dive, and they got it all wrong, it was a wall dive, but we swam all the way against the current, passing other divers going the opposite way, great. Getting ready for the second dive, the instructor jumps in and one of his pipes blows, so back to the beach for a change of octopus and dive site. Second dive, I am swimming along when suddenly I realise I am steaming through my air, and bubbles are appearing from places they shouldnt. End up doing half the dive on instructors air. May be my fault, I dont know, but I have my suspicions about the equipment.
Finally to Malapascua, where I met some nice foreigners (no names) who recommended me a dive centre, she was doing the dive portion of her OW there having done the theory back home. Again, not asked for cert., just sign the waiver and who cares.
Diving here was a little chaotic. First dive was with someone who was doing her OW dives and it was down to 22 m, stay 1m from the bottom, to see thresher sharks, got to stay out of their line. She shouldnt have been that deep, or with us. Next dive, a different OW diver who could not control himself at the right depth, shouldnt have been on that dive. Dive finished in three groups at different times too.Tsk. And no sharks, just one manta in two dives. The place is simply too crowded, they need to control it.
So final dive with them, was tunnel at Gato Island, which was fun, saw a nice big white tip reef shark, but again the DMs had no control. ONe Chinese guy turned up with a wonderful set of equipment, nice shiny knife, computer, camera, the works, but dam, was he weak in the water. The DMs could not control the group, and allowed him (chinese guy) to drift off from 20m to 2m from the surface whilst he laughed and took pictures of himself, midway through the dive. Moron. They went and brought him down everntually, but not until they had helped him take some pictures. Other dive centres were asking for 30 dives to do this tunnel, but the one I was with was putting newly certified OW divers through it, and it was scary.
After the dive I talked to the foreigners, and they said they realised that the dive centre had done the OW dives with only a DM, no instructor, and that they were worried they would not count. This seems really illegal and unprofessional to me.
So I have left now, it wasnt all negative, there were a few nice dives, and some lovely beaches. I was just worried by a lot of what I saw. Anyway, I am considering doing my DM now in Thailand, and it was a nice eye opener seeing some of these operations, and realising what the differences between good and bad operations are. And that you really do get what you pay for.