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I certified OW over Xmas New Year 95/96. I then dove at many resorts in the Caribbean and other places, dove with several dive shops, got air fills at more and dove with a couple of clubs. I was never asked for a c card until I started diving in the Philippines about a year ago. Since then 4...

I checked the PRA web site, they are accepting new applications but you need to make an appointment to the head office in Makati. Also the $US10,000 deposit option requires that a pension more than $US1,000 per month be deposited in a Philippine bank account, which can only be opened here.

The only use I see for spare air is to give you enough air to get to your buddy in case you are OOA at more than a couple metres away. However for the same money you can get a 19 cuft tank and have a real reserve if you want.

I disagree on buoyancy as being the critical skill. The basic safety skills, mask removal and clearing, replacing lost regulator, emergency assent, buddy breathing skills etc are more critical. You can survive a dive with poor buoyancy control, you might not survive if you lose your regulator...

On one of my AOW dives the instructor showed up with no mask. He had lent his spare to a student, not gotten it back then left his main mask sitting on the counter back at the shop. His truck had at least two of everything else in it, just no mask.

That sounds like a Special Residential Retirement Visa or SRRV. As of right now, SRRVs are not being issued and holders of them are not allowed back into the country unless they have a Philippine spouse or dependent or are former citizens. They are also only issued in the Philippines and you...

I like the bags from 511 Tactical. They come in a variety of sizes and have lots of MOLLE attachments. They are very sturdy. These allow you to attach pockets and pouches in many different configurations to meet your needs. Anything breakable can go into Pelican cases inside the soft sided bag.

Wet rocks Damp sand

I don't stress the air usage. If I have a reason to be higher than normal I will take that into account. So if I do a nice drift dive where there is not much to see other than just watch the scenery as you float past, and the boat moves to pick you up, I have one set of targets. I want to be 9...

If you are correctly weighted in fresh water and want to jump in the ocean, just weigh yourself with all gear and add between 2.5 and 3% to allow for the increased buoyancy of the salt water. Whatever weight you are and whatever volume you displace, you will have reached equilibrium in fresh...

I came to Moalboal, Philippines just before the lockdown started here. Had a 110 day surface interval then we were able to resume diving, I go 3 days a week since mid July.

Put me right in the middle of the camp that believes that a foreigner should always be very careful about making sure that all conditions of your visa are in order and yo u follow all local laws. People who work on a tourist visa then get deported deserve that and they deserve the losses that...

The metric that you measure and track will be the one that will improve. I found that really works is to calculate my SAC after every dive. If I am higher than usual I look at the reasons, stronger current or some other factor on my dive that contributed to the increased consumption...

I have been on the surface waiting for the divers to assemble, deflated then switched from snorkel to my reg at about a half metre deep. About half the time I get away with it, the other half I get laughed at.

Current rules are that it is very difficult to get out 0oe manila to anywhere else. I would recommend flying into Cebu if you want to come to Moalboal. To come from Manila to Cebu, you need a health check, a police clearance, permission from the receiving Barangay, from the receiving municipal...

When my son was taking his advanced course in Lake of the Woods Canada he kicked my mask off. Didn't touch the reg, just hit my mask with the fin. We had gotten too close to look into a hole, I managed to grab the mask before it floated away, replaced it cleared it and he never knew that he...

Don't count on October for being able to travel in the Philippines. I am here and betting on into the New Year for easy travel. ( I hope am wrong but...) However the tourist associations are pushing for tourism to become an "essential" industry. I suspect that will mean that you will have to...

Back in the 90's I took my OW at a resort in Jamaica. The instructors were 6 in the smallest hotel room (bunk beds), not allowed to eat with the guests and could only eat from the lowest end buffet restaurant. and needed to save for about 6 months to get home at the end of the season. Six...

Metro Manila and Cebu City just went back one quarantine level for 2 weeks. I don't see travel for foreigners or even inter-provincial travel for locals to open up much before the New Year, but that is just my wild ass guess. They may relax and make the quarantine restrictions a little more...

Official numbers in the Philippines are about the same as in Canada which has only one third of the population and is held up as a good example of Covid response. If the official numbers are near accurate, then the Philippines has done a remarkable job in controlling the virus given the often...