Philippine Diving?

[midwestdvr]

Hi, y'all. Newly certified diver here with only 8 post cert dives under my weight belt. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in the midwest. Guess I'm gonna have to stick with lake diving for a while. My question is, does anyone here know about diving in the Philippines? Will be going there Dec '03 to Jan'04 for 3 weeks for a family reunion. I thought I'd go diving to avoid some of the inevitable family squables. I'd like to know the places and the dive ops available. Is Philippine diving doable for a newbie? Thanks.

 

[Jester]

You might look into Palawan, Boracay or Subic Bay (in that order). I can't give you any real info on these places, because it's been a loooooonnnnngggg time since I was there, but if you were to post in the travel section, I'm sure you'll get a response. Good luck on your trip!

 

[Rick Murchison]

Sorta depends on where you'll be, but most places to dive in the Philippines are good for beginners.
Here are three shops...

Eagle Point Resort
Diver Training Facility
206 Cacho Gonzales Bldg, Aguirre St.
Makati, Rizal
j_doy@pacific.net.ph
Phone 63-2-8178801-07
fax 63-2-6715020

Strega di Mare
Diver Training Facility
1929 Kamias Street
Das Marinas Village
Makati City, Metro Manila
gbmay@attglobal.net
Phone 63-2-843-8583
Fax 63-2-636-1610

SUN VIEW
Diver Training Facility
San Tedoro Mabini
Batangas
sunview@hanmail.com
Phone 63-919-369-9123

Rick

 

[Swordfish]

I'm newly certified myself and had just logged nine dives prior to my liveaboard earlier this month for Tubbataha (Sulu Sea) in southern Palawan.

I did my certification couse in Coron, Palawan which is also a nice site for wreck diving (mostly sunken Japanese WWII ships).

I live in Manila and the nearest dive sites are in Anilao, Batangas (a three-hour drive from Manila). Anilao is popular with both local and foreign divers and the reefs are good for underwater photography.

There's also Puerto Galera in Mindoro province, famous for manta sightings and the pygmy seahorse.

The Philippines has a number of first rate dive sites. The water is warm (30 C is normal) and visibility is great (30-40 m).

Check www.tubbataha.com for more info on the dive sites I mentioned. Hope this helps.

Regards,
Swordfish/Norman

 

[midwestdvr]

Thanks for all the info. I've heard about Anilao from other posts. Sounds great. Also considering Puerto Galera and Boracay, it's on the way to the province of Romblon, that's where my parents are from. If my nondiver friend comes along, might have to be Boracay cause she's a beach bum. Hmmm, maybe I can persuade her to take up diving before the trip.....

 

[CuriousMe]

I was there a few years ago, I did my first dive ever at Boracay. It's a beautiful island. It's very small (I think it's 7 kilometers by 1 kilometer), sand paths and no real vehicles to speak of. It was very relaxing.

Peace,
Cathie

 

[itchyfins]

One of the best places to dive is El Nido in Palawan, south of the Philippines. It's just a short flight away from Manila. I was there just recently and dove for four days. Everyday was a good day. Sharks, Eagle rays, turtles...Not to menion we got good value for money. You can save some more if you stay in El Nido the town, not the high end resorts. Food's good, and the natives are very friendly. Happy Diving.

 

[midwestdvr]

Can anyone recommend any good dive op in the philippines that they have personal experiences with or word of mouth? Preferably anilao, boracay, or palawan? Wouldn't mind hearing about good dive resorts either, nothing like a relaxing SI...

 

[itchyfins]

you might try Dive & Trek or Eagle Point in Anilao...for El Nido, there's ten knots, pricey though....or lally & abet, great value. Try browsing their websites. good luck.

 

[gronnz]

try this site

http://www.explorerfleet.com

they have land based and live aboard dive trips... owned by scuba world.

bunch of nice guys. one of their dive instructors is the Philippine President's diving instructor