Best dives in Philippines in 10 days

[Centrals]

Puerto Galera Yacht Club | The Philippines Sailing Club

PUERTO GALERA YACHT CLUB the Best Philippines sailing club for cruising information sailing courses where to learn to sail plus listing best beach resorts hotels Typhoon weather regatta photographs

www.pgyc.org

There is also a yacht club in Subic Bay.

Diving wise PG is far better in term of everything(variety and vis) except wreck. One dive at a time because most of the sites are within 10-15 mins away. Verde Island is highly recommended for the experience(current).
USS New York is the main attraction in Subic but it was NOT always possible to dive it(pre-Covid time) for some reasons.

 

[Davez3]

Thank you Centrals. Would you recommend any particular dive shop in Sebang? On YouTube Sebang looks like one big construction site. I wouldn't mind if it seemed seedy, but rather than a red district, it just looks dirty and unkempt. Should I find a hotel in Sebang or stay on the White beach? Is White beach close to dive shops in Sebang? Are there any attractions in Puerto Galera besides diving?

 

[Blackcrusader]

My opinion: 2. There is nothing in Cebu to see. All the way to Moalboal for one day of diving! Why bother?

Moalboal was mostly destroyed by the Typhoon recently and will take until the end of the year to recover. Lots of dive centers have to be rebuilt along with restaurants and lodgings. It is not worth a day trip at it can take 4 hours one way from Mactan.
Avoid going there for a day trip.

 

[Davez3]

Everything that was said seems to point to Puerto Galera and I assume that this means Sebang.

 

[Davez3]

Just saw a video on Boracay and it seems to have a ton of wind-related activities. Sails everywhere. Has anybody dived there? I wonder if it also has been affected by that typhoon.

 

[Centrals]

1. Sabang is dirty and unkempt? This is Philippines ie normal.
Seedy? Not even on pre-Covid time unlike certain area in some countries.
2. White Beach is miles away and there are dive shops/resorts over there.
3. There are THREE beaches(?) in Sabang: Sabang, Small La Laguna and Big La Laguna but only a small patch of the beach in Big La Laguna is good/safe enough enough to lie down!
4. Asia Divers(Small La Laguna) and La Laguna Beach Club and Dive Centre(Big La Laguna) are well respected. Of course there are others to chose.
5. The "night life" is there if you had read the latest post on PG in SB!
6. Boracay has only one good site: Yapak 2, the rest is very ordinary

Travel Guide to Boracay: Itinerary + Top Things to Do + Hotels | Guide to the Philippines

Plan your trip to Boracay Island in the Philippines with this travel guide. Find out the top hotels, activities, & travel requirements for a hassle-free trip.

guidetothephilippines.ph

Not sure if it is still accurate.

There are a lot of interesting places in Philippines but do you have the time to explore some of them?
Keep it easy and simple.

 

[Centrals]

Moalboal was mostly destroyed by the Typhoon recently and will take until the end of the year to recover. Lots of dive centers have to be rebuilt along with restaurants and lodgings. It is not worth a day trip at it can take 4 hours one way from Mactan.
Avoid going there for a day trip.

So it is fine to go and stay longer! LOL

 

[Mango's Dive Center]

Thanks for all that information guys. Between Subic Bay and Puerto Galera how do they compare both in terms of quality and variety of diving and in terms of night life? Puerta Galera was known for its bar scene, but in current Youtube videos it seems devoid of life. Subic Bay beach looked very nice in one of the videos, and I even spotted a Sailfish boat on a beach. I was hoping to do some Hobie Cat sailing in addition to diving, but couldn't see it offered anywhere. But the video was from last year. I've read somewhere that the water in Subic Bay is not as clear as in Puerto Galera, but on the other hand it has the same history as Pattaya in Thailand. Diving comes first, but I wouldn't mind having some fun at night

Subic Bay is not as clear as PG, but in a lot of times, and depending on the dive site, it is fine. It depends on what type of diving you want to do. If your gig is crystal clear reefs with teeming fish, that is not Subic Bay. This is historic wreck diving with over 15 amazing primary wreck sites that are no more than a 45 minute boat ride from the shop and maybe 15 minutes from each other, all in a protected bay. The bottom composition is silty which can make for some lower vis at times depending on tides and currents. Subic gets a bad rap primarily from the one trip, one day diver that had a couple of murky dives. Or maybe they dived the wreck of the US Cruiser, the New York, which is located smack, dab in the middle of the harbor and can get down to vis measurements in cm sometimes. (OH, but worth it as when she is up to 5m, it is epic!).

Staying in Barrio Barretto, Olongapo (that is where you want to be) gives you access to easy daily diving with our shop, over 20 bars/clubs, with a great nightlife, multiple restaurants, beaches, lots of expats to get info from and all within walking distances of minutes. I have lived here in Subic Bay area for over 5 years and have dived all over the Phils since 2008. I have well over 400 dives in the bay and I still love it.

Overall, (and yes, I am a little biased) it does not get too much better than this if you are looking for a one-stop-shop of diving, partying, location, stuff to do and getting here. This is why I live here instead of anywhere else in the Phils. I know the area intimately and I am happy to answer any questions you may have! - Ken

 

[Centrals]

The tail of the P3 Orion.

 

[Mike1967]

forget Moalboal for a couple of years.

Really? A group of us are going there in May, it's a 2020 trip that has been postponed twice until now. We don't have a choice, it's go or lose our money, but is it really that bad? Btw we're only travelling from Australia, not the other side of the world.