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Just to update this thread - earlier this month the US Navy have officially recognised the wreck in the video as that of the USS Robalo based on the video footage provided. All families with contact details have already been notified of the discovery, you can also find more details on the...

Pretty much all resorts will charge $150 each way for a van, it's worth noting on the way there the fixed fare taxis from the airport charge just over 3,000 Php to Mabini - around $70, although many of the drivers don't want to make the journey. One option that could now be viable (and will...

Just to respond here - The Irako is one of the easiest wrecks to get too and is located at a maximum depth of 40-42m, most of the upper levels being around 30-35m in depth. The Irako and the Kyukozan Maru (to the North of the Island) are by far the two best wrecks IMHO. The Okikawa Maru and...

Coron is still a cheap option, the key is to stay in Coron town and not in one of the mid to higher end resorts. The trip is further as Central said, but to be honest the extra 45-60 minutes each way is more than made up for by the fact theres a lot more to do in town than if you are stuck in a...

I had no idea the better option of a "Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures with Extended Range w/ normoxic Trimix" was a UTD course :-) The TMX25/25 option is there but really isn't needed for 99.999% of all dives, advanced penetration dives below 30m would be the exception. The argument against a...

Or maybe take Tec40, then Tec45 (upto 100% O2 for deco) then Tec50 which allows two deco gaes and use of Trimix in the last dive, there aways then Tec65 which allows normoxic trimix. Or just do TecDeep then Tec65 for a all-in option. In other words, it's basically the same as Advanced Nitrox...

Generally the most narcotic gas we regularly encounter in diving is Carbon Dioxide which is about 20 times more narcotic than Nitrogen. Any kind of work that can lead to increased CO2 can also result in a big increase in narcosis, this can make deep narcosis a lot worse but can also bring on...

Andy - I think this one is mis-categorized? It's potentially a money saver, this would save a small fortune on paying for rental weights? If you can save 20 Php per day it would more than pay for itself in just over 1500 years; assuming you'd rent weights each day, but that's not even...

Who'd have thought a technical thread could end up in a deep air or not deep air conversation? :-) I think the governing factor in this whole deep air argument is 99% down to two factors already mentioned, cost and availability. Is using air deeper than 30m more risky than using trimix at...

Sadly the weather further south is looking a lot worse than it is in Anilao. the typhoon 2000 link is your best option for short to medium term forecasts, the link below should take you there. :: Typhoon2000.com® :: The Philippines' First Website on Tropical Cyclones (Since 1997) Based on the...

I'm a huge fan of Anilao and Anilao diving but sadly it really isn't a great option for a single divers or even small groups due to the non-fixed diving costs (everything basically is a la carte) and lack of public transportation. Diving from Anilao is generally charged per boat or per dive so...

Slightly late and repetitive post, but for Cebu, or the Philippines as a whole I would rank Poby Han as the #1 sidemount instructor. Poby is an official Razor Instructor but will cover all aspects of sidemount which can be translated to most harnesses/systems. His enthusiasm and knowledge base...

In short, yes, expedition fleet have a bad reputation (some would say very bad) and that would go a long way to explaining the lack of bookings. However, as far as I know the company is now under new management and ownership so many of the complaints of the past may no longer be relevant. This...

I'm guessing the 20k budget is Peso ($460 US), so sadly that's now quite the budget Whitesands visualises :-) The real key in getting gear to to make sure you buy something you won't want to replace very quickly, generally the better the quality of gear the higher the price, although there is a...

Hi Michael, Things are not ideal in northern Cebu right now as you say, as bad as it is the devastation is it is not quite as bad as the horrible scenes making the news in Tacloban. The Philippines is also a very resilient country, you'll be amazed at how quickly things can be back up and...

Sadly these are the going rates these days for Tubbataha, however as for being more expensive than Palau I think that's way off - once you add the environmental fees and other add on costs on top of the liveaboard costs for 5 days of diving in Palau you won't find many places cheaper than...

What James K said! Sidemount can give advantages when it comes to streamlining, easing weight on the knees/back and passing smaller restrictions, otherwise back mounted doubles is a more solid configuration for most applications. To be blunt, using sidemount backgas with back mounted deco gas...

Sadly this statement is spot on, it was the biggest difference between UTD and GUE for me. Previously the UTD standard seemed much much higher, just look at the pass rate the UTD IDCs a few years back to now, that tells a story - everyone seems to pass these days? That said, we all know other...

I recently went for the custom fitted Hog suit and have a few mixed feelings…. The suit quality for the price is very good, it’s a bi-laminate suit but is very well made and put together. However, I was a little disappointed on the sizing to the point where I almost returned it...

A lot of dive theories are one in a million or less likely hood but this one has actually happened to me, in open water too! One clip completely ceased up and was not moving, so the only way to remove the (stage) tank was to cut the connecting line before exiting the water. I then managed to...