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Great tip about padang bai!I've actually dove there on two separate trips, always have really interesting dives there.

Thank you both for the confirmation. I'll get in all my night diving in gili.

I'll briefly be stopping by Lembongan for 2 days on my way from Gili to Bali. Wanted to get in some night diving, but was advised by one of the shops that the night diving sites (the ones with no current) are rather boring. Has anyone dove Lembongan at night? What was your experience?

I'll be diving PG July 16-18, emailed Scandi Divers about Verde and they said they go. If you're in the area during that time and your shop doesn't want to do a trip to Verde, come by Scandi.

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I got certified and dove many times with Philippine Fun Divers. I went back on 3 other trips to get 8 other friends certified and also dove with Fun Divers, top notch every time. Their rental gear is in great condition, their boat was recently refurbished and they are good people.

Thanks everyone for the info! I have decided to stick with the plan of going to Malapascua and am sure it'll be amazing.

Will be in Alona Beach with 2 family members who will be getting their OW certs. I'm thinking about going to Malapascua once they get certified, but I know the Threshers are too deep for OW divers. Is there anything else noteworthy to see there? If there were no Threshers in Malapascua, would...

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I'm now officially OW and AOW certified!! Devon was spot on for how the dives would go here in the Philippines. It was myself and 1 other student in my class and for the OW and AOW dives we'd do skills at the beginning, maybe the first 10 - 15 minutes, then use the rest of the time for...

Hey ctjwa - My story sounds very similar to yours. I'm 31, have some vacation time, wanted to get certified and ended up traveling solo, except that I'm based out of Beijing and went the the Philippines to dive. I actually got certified in 2 very quick days (Note: I'm very comfortable in the...

A good way to find a good instructor for an Open Water cert or for a Discover Scuba on your vacation is to post and ask on the forum for the area you'll be going to. Usually shops with a good reputation on Scuba Board have earned it. Good luck, I'm sure your 2nd experience will be better than...

Thanks to everyone for your great replies and info! I have 1 more day in Alona Beach and have decided to make my way over to Moalboal (Nelson's and staying at Eve's).

I'm a really novice diver, got OW and AOW certified this past week and just completed dive #13 today. I can't speak to any other parts of the Philippines, but the diving at Alona Beach, Bohol is amazing! In my dives here, I've literally seen thousands upon thousands of fish, sea turtles, a...

I'm a rookie diver, will be spending this week at Alona Beach to get OW certified. After I get my OW and do some diving at Alona Beach, I'll have another 5 days in the Philippines and wanted to travel to another dive area. I was going to do Moalboal for the school of fishes, but read that...

I'm a true rookie to diving (getting OW cert next week), but I do a lot of running, mtn biking, skiing and soccer and have always dealt with craps for years. I regularly drink a lot of water and the day of the activity, I stay extra hydrated and yet I still get bad cramps in my legs. The...

Rat-man - I'm also hitting up Alona, Feb 11 - 18 and am having the same luck you are with rooms. I was able to book the 2nd half of my trip at Lost Horizon, but am still looking for places for the first 3 nights. I've contacted Harmony, but your experience with them makes me a bit weary...

Thanks for the detailed answers. It seems best to just leave the decision up to the instructor based on my skills. I've planned a 12 day trip so I hope to have a lot of time after certification to hopefully explore some of the dive sites which I want to see, depending on what the DM says.

I'm planning on going to the Philippines in mid Feb to get my PADI Open Water Diver certification. I'm trying to decide between 2 areas (Moalboal and Bohol) which are known for great diving, but I'm not even sure if I'll get to truly take in all the sights during my certification dives. During...