Anilao Dive Rates

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hanna_banana

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Messages
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Location
Manila
I am wondering why Anilao is the only place in the Philippines where diving rates are dependent on how many people are diving with you. In Bohol, Puerto Galera, Palawan, Malapascua, etc. etc. the dive rates are fixed inclusive of boat, tank, weights, DM fees etc.etc.etc.

Why is this so? I thought that it was a good practice since it makes diving cheaper... but it is not that much cheaper. In fact, it can get more expensive if you are with a small group or if one of the divers back out from the dive mid-weekend.

Why don't resorts just have a fixed price? I think Solana is the only one with fixed diving rates regardless of number of divers (correct me if I am wrong).
 
because anilao is the only resort area in the philippines that accomodates free lance instructors / divemasters from manila to bring in guest. the business of dive resorts in anilao is actually not diving but hotel and restaurant. diving is just the activity that brings them the customers. They let the boatmen profit from the diving through boat rentals (most of the resort don't get a cut from the boat fee) so they have income, the freelance divemasters and instructors get to charge for lessons and DM fees to encourage them to bring customers to the resorts.
 
Everyone can still profit even if dive rates are fixed. Boatmen still get their service fees, Dive pros will still get what is due them. I don't see why charging a fixed rate will not allow boatmen and Dive Pros to make a profit. Resorts can choose not to make a profit from this but still charge a fixed rate. I really don't see why it is not feasible or practical to do this.

Example.... in PG, they charge US$22 (correct me if I am wrong)per dive regardless of how many divers. I am sure that in the US$22 they charge, the boatman gets paid, the dive pro gets paid, tank and weights are paid for as well. In the case of Anilao, if resorts charge a fixed rate, part of the rate will go to boatman, part of it to Dive Pro (whether in house or from Manila), part of it for tank and weights. The resorts will be at a loss if there are fewer divers, but they will also make money if there are a lot of divers. So it will be the resorts problem to bring in the divers.

Right now, the price of the dive is actually on the shoulders of the divers, the more we are, the less we pay. The less we are, the more we pay. Dive Pros help by gathering a group together... but it turns people off when they want to dive a certain weekend but they cannot join anyone (for whatever reason) so their diving cost goes up. It is really not that encouraging to dive. Divers end up skipping the weekend because diving will be expensive because no one can go with them that weekend.

Now, if the diving rates were fixed it will actually be easier for the diver to 'budget" his or her weekend.... example. Resort charges Php2000/head/night. and dives are ... lets say 1000/per head per dive. Then if one wanted to stay overnight (2000) and do 4 dives (4x1000) then one can expect to pay 6000 for the weekend. This is better than 2000 for the resort and more (how much more) or less (how much less) 1000/dive depending on how many diver there are.

The fixed rates should be discussed with the boatmen and Dive Pros. I really don't see why this cannot be done. Solana did it and still does it.
 
Maybe a lot of it is psychological as well. Filipinos like to know what they are paying for and Anilao caters to the local crowd by breaking down the cost as opposed to a blanket charge.

Anilao is a big dive co-op. I do agree that I would be diving more often if I didn't have to worry about getting at least 3 more people!

But lots of resorts offer a sliding fixed price rate depending on the number of divers. Balai and Planet Dive have a 2 tank dive, weights, boat, & DM charge.
 
Maybe a lot of it is psychological as well. Filipinos like to know what they are paying for and Anilao caters to the local crowd by breaking down the cost as opposed to a blanket charge.

Anilao is a big dive co-op. I do agree that I would be diving more often if I didn't have to worry about getting at least 3 more people!

But lots of resorts offer a sliding fixed price rate depending on the number of divers. Balai and Planet Dive have a 2 tank dive, weights, boat, & DM charge.

I see... I agree it is all psychological. Filipinos will still know what they pay for.... 1000 (example price) for a dive inclusive of boat, tank, weights and DM. Do we really need to know the price of each? Will it make a difference? Maybe psychologically.

At least resorts are now starting to have a sliding fixed rate. It still does not give divers a solid idea of how much their diving will cost on the weekend if they go "solo" to a resort. It will still be dependent on how many divers are there already. At least it is a start though.

I think more people will be diving during weekdays if the dive rates are fixed. I sometimes want to go dive on weekdays but don't because I am unsure what the diving will cost me as I am not sure how many people are diving.

I hope resorts are reading. We want to dive!!!! We want to dive with a big group or a small group. We want to dive! Give us a fixed price and we will dive with or without a group. We will dive more often. It is to your interest to give us fixed rates for diving. It will be easier for us to go to your resorts to dive regardless of the size of our group. Having a small group will not hinder us from diving. Charge us more if needed but charge us right. We will pay the price but do not put the burden of gathering people to dive just to get a good rate.
 
fixed rate is usually more expensive than the flexi rate in anilao. for a group of 4 or 5, dive rates can go as low as 400 or 500 per dive (based on boat fee of 1500 for two dives, tank at 140 eaach and DM at 500/dive/group) there is no way you can spend that little anywhere else that charges fixed fee since fixed fee will have to base costs on the minimum number of divers to break even. also, dive sites in puerto galera are nearer than those in anilao so boats use up more fuel. personally, i find diving in anilao among the cheapest in the country. the problem would be if you have no one to dive with since this is when the costs go up. but the PPD is here. lots of people to dive with and share costs.
 
But the flexi rate also depends on where you intend to go. A 3 dive day doing Mainit, Sombrero, and Sepok Wall will increase the boat fee, thus the total dive cost, waaaay up there!

I wonder if the sliding fixed rate is dependent on where you go as well. But in general, I found the fixed rates were very comparable to the flexi rates for 4 divers doing 3 dives. A full boat and the flexi rate was cheaper (assuming a lunch of ~P200).

edit: The flexi-rate dive sites I used as a comparison are Sombrero - Bahura - and twin rocks. If you choose to go from one end of Anilao to the other, the flexi rate will probably be more.

edit edit: I'm also talking about a day trip. Not overnight.
 
yup. that's why people usually choose closer sites like cathedral for the third dive so the boat fee is cheaper. or do four dives since boat fee is the same if you do one or two dives out.

i think some resorts that offer unlimited shore dives and two boat dives with lunch usually choose sites that are close by and will charge extra for sites that are further away.
 
but then again jigs, our 2 dives around Basura was pretty darn cheap for just the 3 of us!

Dive without a DM and the flexi-rate just became a lot cheaper than a fixed rate.
 
fixed rate is usually more expensive than the flexi rate in anilao. for a group of 4 or 5, dive rates can go as low as 400 or 500 per dive (based on boat fee of 1500 for two dives, tank at 140 eaach and DM at 500/dive/group) there is no way you can spend that little anywhere else that charges fixed fee since fixed fee will have to base costs on the minimum number of divers to break even.

I suggest that resorts make fixed rates a but more than 500 per dive... maybe 600 or 700 per dive but it should not be dependent on the number of divers. It should be the resort's problem to come up with the minimum number of divers... not ours. It would be nice to walk into a resort and dive a rate that is not dependent on how many you are.

also, dive sites in puerto galera are nearer than those in anilao so boats use up more fuel. personally, i find diving in anilao among the cheapest in the country.

My point exactly... dive sites in Anilao are farther away (compared to PG) and yet prices are the cheapest in the country. Are the boats in Anilao inferior to PG? Are the tanks in Anilao inferior to PG? Are the DM in Anilao inferior to PG? If the answer to the above 3 questions are a resounding NO... then why are Anilao rates below par with the rest of the country? Maybe if resorts charged properly (fixed rate) they will have the resources to improve their diving facilities.

the problem would be if you have no one to dive with since this is when the costs go up. but the PPD is here. lots of people to dive with and share costs.
This is exactly the problem is. Prices are dependent on how many divers are in our group. It is so difficult to come up with a working budget as compared to fixed rates in PG. I can walk into a shop alone and dive... and prices are constant.

Don't misunderstand me. I am extremely happy with the low prices in Anilao. I am just not too hot about knowing that diving costs can and will change anytime a diver decides to skip a dive or decides to cut the weekend short and do a daytrip instead of overnight. All of this can me avoided if resorts charged a reasonable fixed rate (maybe a bit higher) and make it their problem to come up with the optimum number of guests.... much like a buffet.... one price/same price for everyone... whether the group is big or not. So easy. So convenient.

Resorts can charge fixed rate for shore entry dives and fixed rate for boat dives.

I think it will all balance out in the long run but it will be more convenient for everyone.
 

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