Bad Experience at Coconut Point- Apo Island in Philippine

I am a fresh advance diver who has only 20 times diving experiences. I also have never been experienced drift dive before…
I went for a diving trip with a group of friends last year; our destination was panned to stay in Moalboal and visit Apo Island in the middle of our trip for several days. Talking about Apo Island, it was a place that was recommended by some friends but none of us in the group have been to this place before.
After a check dived in Moalboal and a night rested, our foreign DM from Moalboal followed us to the Apo Island by couple of vans. Coconut Point was one of the diving points that suggested as one of the must go points there.
Our boats arrived to this point in an hour. It was raining, windy and wavy. Before we had a briefing on the boat, to my surprise, our foreign DM took out a book from his pocket, reading the map and the descriptions about Coconut point. He then told us about this point, by holding the book, saying that we might have chances to meet strong current down there, and we would drift from the starting point, passed by a corner and drift back to the starting point. But of cause, if the current was too strong for drifting, we might have to give up and go up to the water.
Because of the strong waves, we jump off the boat and strictly went down to 15m, held a rope and waited until everybody ready. Our DM asked us to loose the rope and start drifting after all of us arrived.
It was my first time and I couldn’t control the speed and direction. I was excited and didn’t really know I would be facing dangerous.
My speed was getting faster and faster, near myself was one of my friends who was also a fresh advance diver as well, and my buddy was I little bit far away from me. When we almost reached the corner, all of a sudden I found that our group was getting far away behind two of us. I didn’t realize that we were starting to leave the corner! At that moment, my friend’s husband immediately went and caught her, while I was still drifting away. My buddy saw that, swam to me and caught me too. He asked me to swim back to the corner. At this moment, we met Washing Machine!
We were starting to leave the corner and being pushed down by the down current. We tried to swim to the wall but fault. We reach to a flat bottom in a few seconds. It was already 40m deep, 25m down to the corner. Meanwhile, my buddy found that he has already used up half of his air by saving me. Then we started claiming up to the wall from the 40m flat bottom, but at the same time, we met stronger upside down currant. At that moment, I was thinking about my family, I really didn’t want to say goodbye to them that early!
Finally, our Pilipino DM appeared on top of us, he pull us up and point us to the better location, where we could meet weaker current. At the same time, my buddy got 25% air left while I was 40%. We do not have enough air for the safety stop with the currents; we slowly went up until we could see the waves and sky.
I was really appreciated that my buddy has taken the best ever decision to come and catch me and the Pilipino DM didn’t leave us alone, or else I would have faced 4 endings: being pushed down by the down current to the lower bottom (if there is any…); being pushed to far far away without seeing any walls and bottoms; went up from 30m-40m with adding air to my BCD and die; went up safely without the safely sausage (I forgot to bring it for my trip), with only a few boats around Apo Island, I might have a chance to float for few days without anybody know!
After going back to my home town, I did a research from the internet, and here goes the description of Coconut Point:-
Depth: 12- 30 meters. Coconut Point is strictly for advanced divers with drift dive experience, since it is subject to very strong currents and can be a challenging due to both up and down currents! Its nick name is therefore the ‘Washing Machine`!
I am not complaining but the DM should have asked if we have ever drifted before, because besides two fresh advance divers, there were also two open water divers in our group and luckily they didn’t experience the washing machine! After this bad experience, I promised myself to do enough research for all dive points before the trip, no matter how experience my friends have in my group.

Please do not visit Coconut Island or strong current points without any drifting experience!

Reference:-
Diving Philippines - Amontillado Beach and Dive Resort, Diving Dumaguete, Diving Dauin, Diving Apo Island, Diving Negros Oriental
Dumaguete + Apo Island, Philippines - Big Blue SCUBA Diving Shanghai of China
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Apo Island, dive sites. - VIRTOURIST.COM APO ISLAND
Trip Report – Apo Island, Philippines [Archive] - ScubaBoard

I am so sorry you had a bad experience and luckily, you came away safe and sound.

First off, no offense, but just because you may have an "advanced" rating does not mean you are an advanced diver. With only 20 dives, I would rate you as a beginner diver. Yes, the DM should have told you about the strong current, which he did at the dive site, saying that the drift might be too much for diving that day. Personally, with as little experience as you have, I would have brought your misgivings about drift diving to the attention of the DM and been ready to abort the dive for that day, if he said it was too dangerous for you. Perhaps you did and the DM said it was okay, you don't say. Also, I would think that with the amount of air in your tanks, you should have been able to do a short safety stop anyway. Are you aware that drifts are strongest against the reef and can run slower a short distance away from the reef, so if you swim directly away from the reef you might be able to slow your progress?

It looks like English is not your primary language and I may be reading something into your story which is not what you really meant, but again, it's very fortunate you came away with no more than a story to tell This story perfectly shows the need to do advance planning when setting up a dive trip.

Thanks for sharing the story. It does not sound like a place I want to dive. I understand there are some wonderful places in the Phil to dive, but I'll skip the washing machine.

Good message, I understand why you wrote it.

We are all responsible for our own safety.

This begins with doing research before diving, asking questions, understanding what lies ahead... not after the fact.

Sugar345318:

...After this bad experience, I promised myself to do enough research for all dive points before the trip, no matter how experience my friends have in my group.

Click to expand...

And that is the best advice you can offer us all.

When we go to the Philippines, we divide into three different groups...

1) Those divers who do not wish to experience much current
2) The divers who want to learn about current diving slowly
3) Divers who are looking for every Washing Machine on the planet

I am now in group #3, but I was never in group #1.

Understand what you are getting into. This can be hard if you do not understand the concepts or possibilities in advance. Some folks simply can not translate words or drawings into perceived reality. Some are just overwhelmed, some simply can't make the connection, and more than a few are too self-assured.

Many people come to SCUBA Board seeking written reassurance in every aspect of travel and diving. It is different permutations of "I have 25 dives, will I live through a LiveAboard trip to the Galapagos?" Answer: No, on the way home, you will get run over by a cab at the airport in Chicago.

Sugar345318:

Please do not visit Coconut Island or strong current points without any drifting experience!

Click to expand...

Or maybe just have a serious discussion with the DM and dive operation well in advance of jumping on any boat.

Thanks guys for your advises and sorry for my poor English. I am from Asia but I was informed that I can meet many experts and professionals here and can get some advices, that's why I post this article here

Honestly, if the DM think that somebody shouldn't visit coconut point, the first one would be the open water divers. But nobody in our group including the OWs had been warned.
I was caught by my buddy and he decided not to do the safety stop, the only thing I could do at that moment was to follow him. I guess he didn't know how many bars left in my tank after that accident, and he didn't want to take risk. If I were in that situation again, I would share my second reg to my buddy so that we can do the safety stop together, and not to rely on my buddy too much.
Moreover, I didn't have time to observe the reefs and DM, and I didn't know how to change my body direction to adjust my speed. I should experience more current diving (but not strong current) in my next trip to learn how to protect myself under the currents.

My friends told me that I must try again if there were chances to met strong currents in the future...I would say NO, I need to take responsible to my buddy and myself, I should learn it step by step instead.

I think I will be in the #2 group next time