Diving Tubbataha Reef with M/Y Sakura

[Tippytoes12]

Excellent review and really helpful for anybody contemplating this boat , very many thanks for posting.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Thank you for sharing your detailed experience. I did not book with Sakura due to how basic it seemed but one cannot deny the good value. Now, I can say for sure, it is too basic for me and the layout/setup and issues are dealbreakers for me. I know someone who went on it and had a great time though so it's very YMMV!

 

[Kevrumbo]

For the exposed divesites & moorings/anchorages and the open Sulu Sea passage to Tubbataha Reefs, a large multi-hull fiberglass on wood "bangka" like M/Y Sakura is not the best seaworthy vessel to be aboard in rough weather, compared to the steel hull liveboards of the Expedition Fleet. (And even aboard the steel hull M/Y Borneo Explorer coming back to Puerto Princesa in a heavy tropical squall 2008, there were a couple of times I was violently rolled out of my bed onto the cabin deck).

Especially for this trip, I recommend both purchasing a PLB and registering your complete day-to-day itinerary on the US State Dept Smart Traveler Website (if a US Citizen), as well as leaving the same itinerary and additional dive-op info with your designated Emergency Contact Person associated with activation of your PLB Distress Beacon.

 

[akeary123]

Hello, thanks for the review. I'm heading out with M/Y Sakura this sunday April 8th-13th. Sorry to hear the weather shortened your trip, hopefully my girlfriend and I dont have the same conditions. Just wondering if the other dive group of 5 or 6 what ever it was came across anything your group didnt see? maybe a manta, whale shark, tiger shark or hammerhead. Also did they split the group up based on experience or did it seem just picked at random?

 

[RedFishBlueFish]

Hello, thanks for the review. I'm heading out with M/Y Sakura this sunday April 8th-13th. Sorry to hear the weather shortened your trip, hopefully my girlfriend and I dont have the same conditions. Just wondering if the other dive group of 5 or 6 what ever it was came across anything your group didnt see? maybe a manta, whale shark, tiger shark or hammerhead. Also did they split the group up based on experience or did it seem just picked at random?

I hope you have better visibility and see the big boys! Apparently there was a typhoon and that’s probably what caused the rough seas and bad visibility. Both groups dive at the same sites at the same times but the divemasters May drop down at opposite sides. We never dropped at the same spots as the other groups. During one particular dive, the other group split and one dive master and one diver together saw two mantas. That’s the only difference in what we saw but a huge one lol! Would’ve loved to have seen that! The divemasters split up the group based on who was traveling together. They kept people together for the most part based on that. The single divers were split evenly. Skill and experience level was completely split evenly. My suggestion for sleeping accommodations is to take the roof of the boat. There’s room for up to four up there and the father and son who were sleeping there invited me and my husband to sleep there because we felt seasick in our double cabin. Just bring a sweatshirt and ask for an extra blanket in case it gets cool. It’s the best place if you’re prone to being seasick and the driest place on the boat. Don’t take anything on the boat you don’t mind getting wet. If the sea is rough and you have stuff on the main deck or down below, it is highly likely it will get wet. Please set up your own gear or make sure you check your gear. Don’t lose your weight belt or any of their equipment for that matter. You will be charged for it. After diving, you remove your gear IN THE WATER before getting onto the fast boat. Meaning, you remove your weight belt, BCD and fins in sometimes very choppy water while trying to not get smashed onto the side of the boat by waves. During one of the dives, I handed my weight belt still attached to my BCD to the guy driving the fast boat. I let him know my weight belt was attached and saw it go over my head and onto the boat. My husband also saw it go over. When we returned to the Sakura, my weight belt was no where on the fast boat. I didn’t want to accuse anyone of dropping my weight belt into the ocean because I didn’t see that happen nor did I knowingly drop it myself so I just paid for it. It cost me 600 PHP for the belt, and 250 PHP PER LB. I wear 6 lbs. That weight belt cost me $40 USD! One more thing: if you plan on doing a night dive and don’t have a torch, you can rent one from their shop but you should tell them before you depart. They didn’t bring any torches to rent while on board unfortunately.

 

[RedFishBlueFish]

Well I was considering the Sakura for next year but your review was very helpful in me deciding that maybe this isn't the boat for me. I don't need luxury but I'm not into camping at sea either. Just a little bit to basic for me even considering the cost. Thanks for your review.

Two divers we met on board Sakura had done a previous liveaboard in Thailand diving the Similan Islands for 6 nights and they paid a lot less and the boat was much nicer with showers set up in the same area once you take off your gear. I believe they used Wicked Diving. That seems like something we may try in the future.

 

[akeary123]

I hope you have better visibility and see the big boys! Apparently there was a typhoon and that’s probably what caused the rough seas and bad visibility. Both groups dive at the same sites at the same times but the divemasters May drop down at opposite sides. We never dropped at the same spots as the other groups. During one particular dive, the other group split and one dive master and one diver together saw two mantas. That’s the only difference in what we saw but a huge one lol! Would’ve loved to have seen that! The divemasters split up the group based on who was traveling together. They kept people together for the most part based on that. The single divers were split evenly. Skill and experience level was completely split evenly. My suggestion for sleeping accommodations is to take the roof of the boat. There’s room for up to four up there and the father and son who were sleeping there invited me and my husband to sleep there because we felt seasick in our double cabin. Just bring a sweatshirt and ask for an extra blanket in case it gets cool. It’s the best place if you’re prone to being seasick and the driest place on the boat. Don’t take anything on the boat you don’t mind getting wet. If the sea is rough and you have stuff on the main deck or down below, it is highly likely it will get wet. Please set up your own gear or make sure you check your gear. Don’t lose your weight belt or any of their equipment for that matter. You will be charged for it. After diving, you remove your gear IN THE WATER before getting onto the fast boat. Meaning, you remove your weight belt, BCD and fins in sometimes very choppy water while trying to not get smashed onto the side of the boat by waves. During one of the dives, I handed my weight belt still attached to my BCD to the guy driving the fast boat. I let him know my weight belt was attached and saw it go over my head and onto the boat. My husband also saw it go over. When we returned to the Sakura, my weight belt was no where on the fast boat. I didn’t want to accuse anyone of dropping my weight belt into the ocean because I didn’t see that happen nor did I knowingly drop it myself so I just paid for it. It cost me 600 PHP for the belt, and 250 PHP PER LB. I wear 6 lbs. That weight belt cost me $40 USD! One more thing: if you plan on doing a night dive and don’t have a torch, you can rent one from their shop but you should tell them before you depart. They didn’t bring any torches to rent while on board unfortunately.

Ah ok thanks for that. Arrrhh i bet you were spewing you didnt see the mantas. Yea we have the v-berth cabin in the front of the boat, I dunno what to expect with that. We didnt book early enough to choose the double room. I'm hoping the conditions clear up, I've been looking forward to this trip for ages now and just assumed the weather was always good in April. Well thanks for all the information you have shared, I'll definitely keep all this in mind for my trip. Ill let you know how we go, hopefully better conditions and all the big boys.
I seen your other comment about the Similan Islands, I have done 2 liverboards out there with Kao Lak Scuba Adventures. My 1st on the Manta Queen 2 and the 2nd on the Manta Queen 7. I can highly recommend these liverboards, Still a budget liverboard but by the sounds of your review alot better living conditions and price than the M/Y Sakura. If you are after the Mantas i think Feb on wards they start showing more of an appearance.

 

[RedFishBlueFish]

Ah ok thanks for that. Arrrhh i bet you were spewing you didnt see the mantas. Yea we have the v-berth cabin in the front of the boat, I dunno what to expect with that. We didnt book early enough to choose the double room.

The v-berth cabin is directly in front of the double cabin. The two divemasters shared that on our trip and on the way out, because of the rough seas, got all wet as it’s below deck. No windows I believe in that area. They called it the panic room lol. So maybe make sure your clothes that you want to keep dry, ask them to put it somewhere on top or better yet, maybe bring A garbage bag to wrap your bag inside. In any case, if the weathers nice, just sleep on the mats where we eat on the deck. It’s really nice there when the weather is calm. And it wouldn’t hurt to ask if you could sleep on top because they don’t assign people to that area since it’s technically not a cabin. Hope you have a wonderful and safe trip. Let me know how you liked it

 

[moorish8idol]

I have to say that, having recently got back from diving with Sakura, I think redfishbluefish was very generous in his comments on the shape of the boat and the overall enterprise going out to Tubbataha. When I have the energy, I will write up a general Philippines trip report since I hit up a lot of great sites and encountered dive shops of varying degrees throughout the Philippines. The diving in Tubbataha was spectacular but I think the Sakura is below-par in what is acceptable even for a "budget" liveaboard. I wouldn't recommend it and anyone who wants to go, I think would want all of the details so they can make as informed a decision as possible. We had much better conditions for our crossing (still not great) at 14 knot cross-winds and 1.6 m waves - we travelled at only about 3 knots the whole way and not an inch of the boat (inside or out) was dry (including the "dry" area for bags - mine also came out soaked and disgusting after sitting in salt water for 6 days at the end), which was especially bad due to the number of uncovered electrical outlets everywhere (which zapped people regularly depending on what they touched) and somehow led to some mid-night manic pumping of water that had flooded the hull (not to mention the huge crack in the pontoon they tried to nail back together with some wood or the broken toilet seat and cover and single showerhead off the back of the boat with little to no pressure - forget any fresh water rinses during the week for your gear). Overall cleanliness and tidiness was not great either - a very uncomfortable stay. If we hadn't seen all the big guys on a huge amount of our dives, it would have been a nightmare. Happy to answer any specific questions - until then, I will save anything else for the trip report. However, i did meet some people that went on the Stella Maris around the same time - its the next least expensive liveaboard (though twice the price of Sakura) and they said it was excellent all around.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I have to say that, having recently got back from diving with Sakura, I think redfishbluefish was very generous in his comments on the shape of the boat and the overall enterprise going out to Tubbataha. When I have the energy, I will write up a general Philippines trip report since I hit up a lot of great sites and encountered dive shops of varying degrees throughout the Philippines. The diving in Tubbataha was spectacular but I think the Sakura is below-par in what is acceptable even for a "budget" liveaboard. I wouldn't recommend it and anyone who wants to go, I think would want all of the details so they can make as informed a decision as possible. We had much better conditions for our crossing (still not great) at 14 knot cross-winds and 1.6 m waves - we travelled at only about 3 knots the whole way and not an inch of the boat (inside or out) was dry (including the "dry" area for bags - mine also came out soaked and disgusting after sitting in salt water for 6 days at the end), which was especially bad due to the number of uncovered electrical outlets everywhere (which zapped people regularly depending on what they touched) and somehow led to some mid-night manic pumping of water that had flooded the hull (not to mention the huge crack in the pontoon they tried to nail back together with some wood or the broken toilet seat and cover and single showerhead off the back of the boat with little to no pressure - forget any fresh water rinses during the week for your gear). Overall cleanliness and tidiness was not great either - a very uncomfortable stay. If we hadn't seen all the big guys on a huge amount of our dives, it would have been a nightmare. Happy to answer any specific questions - until then, I will save anything else for the trip report. However, i did meet some people that went on the Stella Maris around the same time - its the next least expensive liveaboard (though twice the price of Sakura) and they said it was excellent all around.

This sounds like the liveaboard from hell. Getting zapped? That is a huge safety issue. Having so many things go wrong makes it seem like it’s not a one-off fluke but it has a few good reviews on TripAdvisor. The toilet and only shower to be shared among everyone not functioning properly is a huge letdown. How many others were on with you? Were they at capacity? What did all the others say during and after the trip?

I went to their website and it looks like they don’t even have oxygen on board - it seems like something basic and critical given the more remote location. (Link below for specs.) Judging from photos, the vessel also doesn’t look like the best option for open water crossings; it looks like it doesn’t take much wave height to clear the sides and come in. At the same time, this is also why I like larger vessels, especially steel and steel hulls for open water crossings. They are much more stable and stays bone dry inside. @Dan_T can tell you the value of not being on a wooden phinisi or similar for open water crossings and anything but calm seas.

I wonder if the water was coming through the sides or portholes/windows (not sealed!) for the rooms from the waves and whether there was a leak in the hull where your bags were stored. The boat itself was built in 1995 and overhauled in 2007 but if they are not dry docking on a regular basis to maintain the boat, that also explains it.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m sorry it was disappointing and a disaster. I’m sure you had to spend time figuring out how to clean your lugggae and clothing then worrying about your zippers corroding after sitting in salt water. The the time to do that, especially during valuable vacation time and the frustration that stems from this is a huge opportunity cost when the original prospect was to have it be budget friendly.

FYI boat specs for anyone interested: Tubbataha Liveaboard – Sakura Charter