Best island (s) for land based diving

[AVANTI4]

I walk with my gear for shore diving from my house almost everyday. I live in Moalboal. For most of the accessible coastline within a few kilometers it is less than 100 meters from the beach to the wall. The corals here are healthier than they've been in a long time and still getting better. Panglao is still better but either way you'd be riding a boat to the best diving sites. Siquijor and Camiguin are also decent for shore diving.

I would suggest Alona Beach. It's actually really nice just going right out in front of the strip of diveshops and having your surface interval at a restaurant there. Lots of options for accommodation in walking distance.

Do you still shore dive Moalboal? Are you instructing or just rec diving?

 

[xrcjdx]

Apparently both Moalboal and Southern Leyte were hammered by Odette around 16th Dec 2021. And there have been many reports on the devastating damages sustained in both areas.
I have not been to both places for well over 10yrs. So I am returning to Sogod Bay in Feb and just bought another ticket to Cebu so I can visit Moalboal as well. I want to see it with my own eyes to find out the damages and the recovery.
How could I resist US$150.00 round trip ticket which also includes 20kg checked bag.

If you are expecting devastation you might be very disappointed to see how well the shallows of Southern Leyte have recovered from Odette. The deeper areas were mostly unscathed in any event. Hope to see you in February.

 

[Centrals]

If you are expecting devastation you might be very disappointed to see how well the shallows of Southern Leyte have recovered from Odette. The deeper areas were mostly unscathed in any event. Hope to see you in February.

Unless something unexpected happen between now and then otherwise.....
Great, I prefer healthy reefs and cannot wait for the return after so many yrs.

 

[Macfod]

Just back from 2 weeks Mikes Resort in Dauin. We found diving ok but lacked critters in muck diving..in comparison to Indonesia. Apo Island was ok and pretty but lacks large fish and divers swarm everywhere…two visits being enough
Could be time of year

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Just back from 2 weeks Mikes Resort in Dauin. We found diving ok but lacked critters in muck diving..in comparison to Indonesia. Apo Island was ok and pretty but lacks large fish and divers swarm everywhere…two visits being enough
Could be time of year

I'm surprised you found Dauin lacking when it comes to muck diving.... I go there to dive from Manila often, and it's always pretty much just as good as my (admittedly only 1) trip to Lembeh for macro.

 

[elmo]

I’m on Malapascua now, was in Moalboal last week, and Dauin before that. All are brilliant but for shore-based diving you can’t beat Dauin (and especially Liquid Dumaguete). Lot’s of small stuff, plenty of turtles, with regular boats to Apo Island for a beautiful reef and wall. For big stuff Malapascua is second to none. Moalboal diving is great too - sardines, turtles, and reefs and walls (northern dive sites seemed less storm-damaged than the southern ones), but the town is a bit too hectic for my liking.

 

[yogavnture]

I’m on Malapascua now, was in Moalboal last week, and Dauin before that. All are brilliant but for shore-based diving you can’t beat Dauin (and especially Liquid Dumaguete). Lot’s of small stuff, plenty of turtles, with regular boats to Apo Island for a beautiful reef and wall. For big stuff Malapascua is second to none. Moalboal diving is great too - sardines, turtles, and reefs and walls (northern dive sites seemed less storm-damaged than the southern ones), but the town is a bit too hectic for my liking.

are u saying that moalboal town is more hectic than the panglao area of bohol. ive never been to bohol but google maps shows some big condos etc. with all that infrastructure nearby, wouldnt the panglao area be more hectic than moalboal , especially near the beach areas?

 

[Micko1974]

Malapascua for the famous thresher shark.

Southern Leyte(Sogod Bay). Great diving and with sighting of whaleshark (snokelling only) during the season. Hopefully the area has recovered significantly from typhoon damage.

Malapascua + Southern Leyte would make another fun trip but linking these two places is far from easy and straight forward.

Dumaguete + Sipalay is another interesting option.

Only Malapascua can be described an an island of its own, the rest is just a corner of a much much bigger island.

Hi Centrals,

Don't forget about us in Panglao. It's an island)))

 

[Centrals]

are u saying that moalboal town is more hectic than the panglao area of bohol. ive never been to bohol but google maps shows some big condos etc. with all that infrastructure nearby, wouldnt the panglao area be more hectic than moalboal , especially near the beach areas?

Panglao is over developed but does has more space to spread across. In the old day only divers came to Panglao but......
While Panagsama Beach is very compacted hence probably more hectic to @elmo.

Hi Centrals,

Don't forget about us in Panglao. It's an island)))

I like the place very much when I first went there in 1996. Most buildings were using native materials unfortunately can't say the same now. And I still remember the time when only the guide and myself on a speed boat to dive Doljo and Puntod early in the morning. Introduction of quota convinced me NOT to return.
I never return to Sipadan for the same reason.

 

[elmo]

are u saying that moalboal town is more hectic than the panglao area of bohol. ive never been to bohol but google maps shows some big condos etc. with all that infrastructure nearby, wouldnt the panglao area be more hectic than moalboal , especially near the beach areas?

I’ve never been to Bohol so can’t compare. The area of Moalboal where the dive centres are IS hectic. That wasn’t what I was looking for, but when I was younger and travelling alone it would have been fun - restaurants and bars lined up near dive shops, with great access to diving from shore and boats