Where to go for two week of muckdiving in late november?

[Vigfus]

Greetings,

Me and my friend are planning to fly from Sweden in late November to do muckdiving and photography. We figure we won't do more than two places (and that's only if they are close to each other). Which place(s) would you recommend at that time of year? Price range can be from budget up to mid range as long as the dive sites are good when it comes to lots of small stuff to see and if the dive operator's have exceptional spotters that's a big bonus. To be more specific we're not looking for much besides diving (no nightlife etc.) and don't mind if there are few people in the water since chartered groups are not for us since we're used to diving alone + spotter.

Best Regards,
Vigfus

 

[shugar]

Greetings,

Me and my friend are planning to fly from Sweden in late November to do muckdiving and photography. We figure we won't do more than two places (and that's only if they are close to each other). Which place(s) would you recommend at that time of year? Price range can be from budget up to mid range as long as the dive sites are good when it comes to lots of small stuff to see and if the dive operator's have exceptional spotters that's a big bonus. To be more specific we're not looking for much besides diving (no nightlife etc.) and don't mind if there are few people in the water since chartered groups are not for us since we're used to diving alone + spotter.

Best Regards,
Vigfus

what you need will be covered by Anilao - some really kick-ass muck there in basura and secret bay... there's also a couple other "secret" spots that will be revealed to you by your spotters

there are very good spotters also in resorts like Balai (Edgar and Badong), Solana, Ocelaris?, Acacia and a few others...

no night life in anilao but you can make arrangements to cross to Puerto Galera for a few days as there's excellent diving there as well as nightlife for most persuasions from quiet to wild...

your anilao resort can arrange for that as well...

hope this helps...

Jag

 

[Malene]

I would say Dauin / Dumaguete in the Visayas. Divers have compared these sites to Lembeh.
And If you need a change and wish for macro AND nice corals, there are Apo Island and Siquijor island which are close and of really access from Dumaguete.

These 3 places are not touristy but are famous for their dive sites so most dive centers take diving seriously and have very good guides.

Malene

 

[Kilili]

Bottom line: Anilao is the best of the best for nudis and such

Was in Dauin 2 months ago. The best place was the old coconut factory wharf, which has been stripped and off-limits to divers. To me, Dauin's reputation hinged on this one location. Some nice stuff, but not much, not Lembeh, and I left after 5-6 days because of this. Water tends to be nice and clear though, in comparison. If you do go, check out Mike's Place. Dauin itself is more like a small village, though Dumaguete is pretty close.

Also did Apo Island @ Apo Island Resort, for a couple of weeks, and found a lot more there. Also nice clear water, but, if I'm not mistaken, the Dauin side of Apo Island has rough water that time of year. They told me the boat stays on the opposite of Apo Island, too rough to land, and one must trek across to that side to get on the boat, though the island is mot exactly big.

A friend thought Siquijor was great, but our dives, from the Bohol side, were not great. Interesting history, Spaniards called it the island of fire, because of the night glow from fireflys. It's also the island of the Philippine witches. Had a Philippina with me, and she wouldn't go anywhere near the place, even on the boat diving the offshore reef.

In Bohol, Alona Beach offered nice diving and some unusual nudis. It's a small place, but a number of resorts, and a nice collection of restaurants. Nice destination.

Not done Anilao that time of year, went April-May, and it was fantastic. Again, muck diving in relatively clear water. Season starts early Nov, with water temp 25° C (77 ° F) from November to February.

Puerto Galera, across the bay yields some good macro, but I think there are too many dive boats and divers. It's also quite well known for the bars and girls within. Did have a good time.

 

[jigo]

i would suggest you do a combination of puerto galera and anilao.
as mentioned above, lots of small stuff and tons of nudis in anilao. solana used to have the best spotters but its under new management now. am not sure if they retained the spotters.
for Puerto Galera, there is more variety other than muck diving but Seariders has great spotters and they can bring you to their secret site called macro haven for really unusual nudis and other critters.
in both PG and anilao, you can find nudis, frogfish, ornate ghostpipefish, seahorses, pipehorse, pygmy seahorse, crabs, shrimps, and the occasional flamboyant cuttlefish and blue ring octopus.

 

[Vigfus]

Thanks guys!

Really appreciate the input from all of you! I you or anyone else have more to add, don't hesitate to do so.

Best Regards,
Vigfus

 

[Karl_H]

Another vote for Anilao here!

Dauin has some good muck diving also but Secret Bay/Mainit Muck in Anilao is hard to top....... I'd put in a recommendation for Arthur's place as they have both good spotters and good dive rates without the need for diving with a big group.

There's a lot more to Anilao than just muck diving though, if you're looking for non-muck macro it's hard to find anywhere like Anilao as the shear number of little critters is second to none. Koala is well worth a look as that is one of the most under rated macro sites I know of, most people know of the pygmy seahorses there at only 12m, but there's usually a few other surprises there too

PG is only 1-2 hours away and can be done as a day trip if required, the macro at PG is nothing compared to Anilao but the Giant Clams/The Hill sites are worth a mention - when they are good they are very good! Sabang bay can be okay for critters but it's more of an evening/night or morning site than a day time.

Karl

 

[Vigfus]

Thanks for all the input in this thread and in PMs!

We have decided to try Anilao and Puerto Galera. Do you have good/bad reviews in regards to lodging, dive operators and dive sites please provide all the info you can remember. Much appreciated the detailed info already given!

Best Regards,
Vigfus

 

[Kilili]

In PG 2 months ago, dove with Mermaid, and stayed at their hotel up the street. Small dive operation, and I recommend, Dive Philippines with Mermaid Resort in Sabang, Puerto Galera, Philippines. The hotel is very nice. Also good is, Captain Gregg's, next door. Both have very seasoned dive masters, Americans.

Also stayed at Atlantis, but left after couple of days. Much larger operation, and I did not enjoy diving with them. Very organised, too organised, I thought.

 

[jbb]

Bottom line: Anilao is the best of the best for nudis and such

Was in Dauin 2 months ago. The best place was the old coconut factory wharf, which has been stripped and off-limits to divers. To me, Dauin's reputation hinged on this one location. Some nice stuff, but not much, not Lembeh, and I left after 5-6 days because of this. Water tends to be nice and clear though, in comparison. If you do go, check out Mike's Place. Dauin itself is more like a small village, though Dumaguete is pretty close.

Also did Apo Island @ Apo Island Resort, for a couple of weeks, and found a lot more there. Also nice clear water, but, if I'm not mistaken, the Dauin side of Apo Island has rough water that time of year. They told me the boat stays on the opposite of Apo Island, too rough to land, and one must trek across to that side to get on the boat, though the island is mot exactly big.

In Bohol, Alona Beach offered nice diving and some unusual nudis. It's a small place, but a number of resorts, and a nice collection of restaurants. Nice destination.

Not done Anilao that time of year, went April-May, and it was fantastic. Again, muck diving in relatively clear water. Season starts early Nov, with water temp 25° C (77 ° F) from November to February.

Puerto Galera, across the bay yields some good macro, but I think there are too many dive boats and divers. It's also quite well known for the bars and girls within. Did have a good time.

Thanks for the info. Apo Island is one of my favorites - I've been there three times staying on the Island at least 5 days. I was really pleasantly surprised by Alona Beach just last May. Lots to see with corals as good as Apo and a few pelagics and the first time I've seen as many eels as I usually see on Apo. I'm planning on going back there for more and was thinking of Dauin but I was lead to believe they had a bit more going on there.