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I have been a dive instructor in the Philippines since 2008 and most people do not tip. I would estimate that less than 5% of our guests leave tips. Tipping is not in the local culture, so it is not expected. If you do tip, your DM will really appreciate it. I have seen the divemasters get...

I don't know of a place that sells steel tanks. But an option you can look into is a balikbayan box. I send a box from Texas every time I go home for a visit. It is based on volume not weight. 2x2x2ft box costs me USD85. It is surface, so it takes two months to get here. I use a company...

Palawan does have a good mix of land based tours, island hopping, and diving. From Manila you could fly into Coron. Do three full days of diving. There are six big Japanese World War II wrecks available depending on your certification. There are a couple smaller gunboats and a lake dive in a...

With three full days in Coron, you should be able see all 6 big wrecks easily. Although, that is only checking them off the list and not really seeing them. Barracuda Lake is a fun dive. It is a freshwater layer that sits on top of a saltwater layer. The lake is also on top of a geothermal...

Coron has Kingfisher Park. It is a place for birdwatching, mangrove kayaking, and some trail hiking. An alternative to the direct 8 hour El Nido boat is a 3-5 day island hopping expedition. It is not luxury, but you get to see tons of nature and hang out on rarely visited beaches and reefs.

Sorry, I missed your first post. The contact for the chamber in Coron has changed. Maribel no longer lives here. I would use the number 0920-945-8714 to contact the resort that owns and operates the chamber. We keep the contact number for the float plane in subic if there is ever a problem here.

When I first arrived at PG, Rick at Frontier really took care of me. I was headed to Malapascua with another instructor to work. About a week before our flights, we received an email saying the shop hired two instructors that just showed up. (our flights were already booked. ouch) We sent a...

Asking the best sites is a lot like asking what is your favorite pizza. Everybody has their own favorite for their own reasons. Lots of divers like the Irako because it is the deep one, and lots of people like the Akitsushima because there are guns on it. My personal favorite is the...

I live in Coron, and I can't remember the last time I heard of a Malaria case here. Dengue would be a bigger concern, but still quite rare.

I would say make a short list of potential shops and call them. Talk to the instructor that will be teaching your course. You will be spending a good deal of time and money. Spend a couple extra dollars on a phone call or two. It will help you be sure that the instructor is experienced...

When you ask what is the best wreck, it is a lot like asking what is the best pizza. Everybody has their own favorite. Many like the Akitsushima because there are guns in it. Some like the Irako because it is the deep one. Some like the Kogyo because of all of the construction supplies in...

2GO ferry has a large passenger ferry that goes to Puerto Princessa. The trip is 14 hours, but you get a bed. You would then be able to take a bus from Puerto Princessa to El Nido. I don't know the state of the private airstrip in El Nido after the recent typhoon, but you might be able to fly...

Ecolodge is a nice place. It is one of the best values in Coron considering the amenities that you get. I run Neptune Dive Center, so of course I think we are a good outfit. I usually tell people to send an email to the shops and see what kind of response you get. Dive with the one that...

There is a regular banka service that goes from Coron to El Nido. The trip is 8 hours. Tao Expedition has 3 and 5 day island hopping trips to El Nido. Everyone that I have talked to really enjoyed the Tao trip. Submariner in El Nido runs a dive expedition from El Nido to Coron. Depending on...

It seems the media is selectively reporting. Coron is NOT destroyed. The airport resumed flights on the 11th. I was in Manila, and supposed to fly back on the 9th. I was then rescheduled for the 10th, and then rescheduled for the 15th. On the 11th, I was at the Pier in Manila trying to...

I am plus 1 for City State. Descent rooms and a reasonable price. It's near a couple bars and restaurants. The door staff and the security guards is the real reason that I keep going back. They are always good with helping me get a metered taxi, etc. One tip is: I always ask them how much...

I can't think of a dive shop in Coron that won't take an AOW to dive at Cathedral Cavern. One point is that it is not a full on cave. Its more of an underground lake. You enter from a small shallow tunnel into a large room that is half filled with water. There is a short cave offshoot at the...

I have to agree that Cebu Pac has the worst customer service attitude that I have ever delt with. I live in Coron. If you pay excess baggage fee, it will cost you a lot more. On CebuPac, you can prepay for your luggage up to 4 hours before your flight at the discounted prepay rate. Less than...

I have some pdfs that I use in here in the dive shop. They are from the GEF Coral Taxonomy Project. There are 10 downloadable files. I think they might help. Click the link COENOMAP

I think it really depends on the diver and the relationship with the dive op. From your previous post it seems that you get a bit of prefrencial treatment. For me I wouldn't mind helping them out as well occasionally. I had an arrangement with a dive shop that if they needed me to guide it...