Diving Boracay? Great dive location?

[rjjj111]

I have not hear a lot about diving in Boracay but saw 2 locations near Boracay that some people said were in the top 10 dive location in the Philippines.

Crocodile Island, Boracay and Yapak 2, Boracay

Any opinion about this? Any other great dive locations around Boracay?

 

[h2odragon1]

You're right on the border! more than 100 dives, Boracay may be disappointing less than 100 you can still find decent diving! Yapak 1&2 would appeal to you as would Crocodile Is.!
Most other offerings in Boracay are more for less experienced divers.
Puerto Galera, Anilao, Dumagete, Moalboal, Malapascua, Subic Bay; These dive sites offer very interesting dives, and you could dive a week at each! Boracay is good for two or three days!

 

[rjjj111]

thanks for your comments.

 

[Goodtime Adventures]

Agreed with H2odragon1, for those with fewer dives, its still fairly impressive, with a bit more experience not really. Some of our instructors went to the Philippines on a diving holiday (I personally was one of them) and were disappointed with Borocay - even with the Yapak dives. Aside from the diving, its just a bit of a tacky location (its subjective of course, some people love it). In general though there are much prettier, less westernised, less developed and more chilled locations in the Philippines with much better diving. Examples include Malapasqua (Cebu Island), Panglao (Bohol), Apo Island (Negros Island), not to mention Coron, Palawan etc to name a few more. You get the idea

 

[Centrals]

I have been diving near all over country. And there are two places that I am not interested for take 2: Boracay and St. Fernando in La Union.

 

[rjjj111]

many thanks.

 

[pughio83]

Personally I like Boracay as many of my fiends live there and have been several times and always had fun. Good places to eat and drink, party if you like. However over the years it has become so commercialised. The beaches are ok but it can be packed and not that relaxed. The diving is average for the less experienced, yapak is highly overrated. Crocodile island is good however and night dives can offer good macro. Best thing about Boracay is getting on a short LoB to dive panagagan which can be v good. Most other places top Boracay for diving but if u need to cater for non divers it's worth a few days!

 

[rjjj111]

Thanks for your input. I have dove many nice places in PI. I have never been to Boracay yet in my 6 trips so far because I have always found other things and places much better and more fun. I heard it was touristy there in Boracay, that is another reason I have not had much of a desire to go. I think my general plan right now is go to Coron for some 1st time wreck diving, then fly to Mactan Island and dive and relax around there and maybe zip line or sky walk at the Crown Regency in downtown Cebu City and maybe go down to Oslob to dive with the whale sharks, it is very relaxing at Aaron's resort there and then on to Butuan City for the rest of the trip. I am always very flexible in my trips because I never make reservations for any hotel room except for my first 2 nights in PI. there is always room for 1 more any most all hotel in any area. then I do not work my travel around staying some place longer or shorter than I really want to. if I love the place I stay longer, if I do not like the place or diving I get up and leave to another place. I am curious, does anyone know if the sardines returned to Moalboal?

 

[String]

I have not hear a lot about diving in Boracay but saw 2 locations near Boracay that some people said were in the top 10 dive location in the Philippines.

Crocodile Island, Boracay and Yapak 2, Boracay

Any opinion about this? Any other great dive locations around Boracay?

Crocodile Island was really nice but has taken a severe battering by Typhoon Haiyan. A lot of the soft corals in the shallows have gone and the rocks scoured. There are still some nice formations a little around the corner but the area around the mooring got badly damaged.

Yapak is a nice deep wall drift (30m or so) where you'll likely see a few reef sharks and is the only place you might see some bigger stuff. Not sure id rank either as anywhere near top 10 world sites though.

Camia is nice - although its an artificial reef its been sunk 10+ years and has a lot of soft corals, colour and marine life on it. Balinghai slope has some decent fish life (turtles, rays etc) as well.

Other areas of the Philippines certainly has better diving and more variety of coral and life but there are enough decent sites here to give you 2 or 3 days decent diving. Just avoid the sites plagued by some of the shockingly poor dive centres with both guides and customers walking across the reef, dropping anchors on the coral or even giving intro divers no fins and dragging them around powdered coral.

Some Boracay related photos from this year underwater are here:-

Boracay - a set on Flickr

I'd also say avoid Cebu city like the plague - it's easily the worst city ive seen anywhere in the world and i've visited a LOT of third world **** holes before!

 

[h2odragon1]

Agreed with H2odragon1, for those with fewer dives, its still fairly impressive, with a bit more experience not really. Some of our instructors went to the Philippines on a diving holiday (I personally was one of them) and were disappointed with Borocay - even with the Yapak dives. Aside from the diving, its just a bit of a tacky location (its subjective of course, some people love it). In general though there are much prettier, less westernised, less developed and more chilled locations in the Philippines with much better diving. Examples include Malapasqua (Cebu Island), Panglao (Bohol), Apo Island (Negros Island), not to mention Coron, Palawan etc to name a few more. You get the idea

Boracay is mostly for Tourists! The Beach, and the Golf course and Spa's! Diving as stated is a MINOR feature!