Did I make a mistake?

[Clernix]

Thank you everyone for all your feed back. @vollyball I am way ahead of you. I sent some feeler emails to some Borneo dive ops. I have heard the same things about Palau heavy traffic iffy hotels. I have not heard about Anilio going to check the map you are saying I don't need to take the ferry.

Tubbatha is just to pricey for me. I can dive Raja for that money. Not saying Raja is better its just I LOVE Raja.

I'm a coral reef guy I don't care much about sharks or big pelagic (except whale sharks of course ) If I wanted sharks I could do sharks in the Caribbean not threshers of course. I am flying to the coral triangle for coral.

I have underwater photography equipment. Whether I am a photographer is debatable.

@Volleyball I get the feeling we are the same type of diver. I have high expectations when I travel far and spend a lot of money. It has to be way better than the Caribbean or why bother.

 

[Centrals]

Apparently, you missed me saying a random example...lol

LOL.
You did say Palau is the top three DESTINATION IN THE WORLD.....,didn't you?
There is a huge difference between destination and site.

 

[Centrals]

I'm a coral reef guy I don't care much about sharks or big pelagic (except whale sharks of course ) If I wanted sharks I could do sharks in the Caribbean not threshers of course. I am flying to the coral triangle for coral.

Southern Leyte in Philippines.
Now is the time to snorkel with the gentle giant.

 

[Volleyball]

Thank you everyone for all your feed back. @vollyball I am way ahead of you. I sent some feeler emails to some Borneo dive ops. I have heard the same things about Palau heavy traffic iffy hotels. I have not heard about Anilio going to check the map you are saying I don't need to take the ferry.

Tubbatha is just to pricey for me. I can dive Raja for that money. Not saying Raja is better its just I LOVE Raja.

I'm a coral reef guy I don't care much about sharks or big pelagic (except whale sharks of course ) If I wanted sharks I could do sharks in the Caribbean not threshers of course. I am flying to the coral triangle for coral.

I have underwater photography equipment. Whether I am a photographer is debatable.

@Volleyball I get the feeling we are the same type of diver. I have high expectations when I travel far and spend a lot of money. It has to be way better than the Caribbean or why bother.

Pretty much the same, yet we have the added complexity of limited vacation days so often we have to travel during a week with a US holiday. We try to dive every day when vacationing except for the last day we save as a buffer

 

[cetacean]

I'm not disputing what you're saying but we're talking about two different things. You're talking about your direct experiences and I'm talking about published lists...Random example:

View attachment 878254

@Volleyball - actually, that's also not true.

Revealed: the World's Top 100 Dive Sites
CNN

https://www.abs-cbn.com/life/01/04/23/tubbataha-among-worlds-best-scuba-diving-destinations

You assumed I wasn't also basing my opinion on "published lists..."

It's clear you haven't dived much. Pls travel, see some of these destinations, then chime in.

 

[cetacean]

Thank you everyone for all your feed back. @vollyball I am way ahead of you. I sent some feeler emails to some Borneo dive ops. I have heard the same things about Palau heavy traffic iffy hotels. I have not heard about Anilio going to check the map you are saying I don't need to take the ferry.

Tubbatha is just to pricey for me. I can dive Raja for that money. Not saying Raja is better its just I LOVE Raja.

I'm a coral reef guy I don't care much about sharks or big pelagic (except whale sharks of course ) If I wanted sharks I could do sharks in the Caribbean not threshers of course. I am flying to the coral triangle for coral.

I have underwater photography equipment. Whether I am a photographer is debatable.

@Volleyball I get the feeling we are the same type of diver. I have high expectations when I travel far and spend a lot of money. It has to be way better than the Caribbean or why bother.

@Clernix -Raja Ampat is great diving, but there is nowhere you are getting the vis or deep walls in Raja that you get in Tubbataha. You go to Raja for the coral and fish (and mantas), you go to Tubbataha for the big animal life, the vis, coral and walls, and the remoteness. That does cost $, because access isn't as easy as a ~15 min boat ride (which is true for most of the other locations in the Philippines).

The Bird's Head peninsula (northern Raja Ampat) is the center of coral diversity. If that's all you want, everything else will will offer less. However it's not the center of critter diversity, that actually sits in the Philippines - so it really depends on what you are looking for.

 

[Volleyball]

@Volleyball - actually, that's also not true.

Revealed: the World's Top 100 Dive Sites
CNN

https://www.abs-cbn.com/life/01/04/23/tubbataha-among-worlds-best-scuba-diving-destinations

You assumed I wasn't also basing my opinion on "published lists..."

It's clear you haven't dived much. Pls travel, see some of these destinations, then chime in.

lol...I stand by the examples I provided. Direct experiences are not absolute, they're relative, it can vary by the time of year, the currents, the viz, etc. I'm not saying this is you; when someone says "I dove there, I didn't like it" do you just take their word for it or do you do more research? Thank you for suggesting I travel more, I tell everyone the same thing...No matter how much you travel, you can and should always travel more

Since I guess folks want to go back and forth with posting lists here's another...We can do this for days...lol

Scuba Diving Bucket List: Top Dive Destinations

So many scuba dive sites so little time! Does your bucket list need a refresh? From Indonesia to the Red Sea, these top dive destinations offer some of the best marine life, reefs and beaches in the world. Here are the top dive destinations you must add to your bucket list from our Diventures...

www.diventures.com

 

[Clernix]

@Clernix -Raja Ampat is great diving, but there is nowhere you are getting the vis or deep walls in Raja that you get in Tubbataha. You go to Raja for the coral and fish (and mantas), you go to Tubbataha for the big animal life, the vis, coral and walls, and the remoteness. That does cost $, because access isn't as easy as a ~15 min boat ride (which is true for most of the other locations in the Philippines).

The Bird's Head peninsula (northern Raja Ampat) is the center of coral diversity. If that's all you want, everything else will will offer less. However it's not the center of critter diversity, that actually sits in the Philippines - so it really depends on what you are looking for.

That is a very nice contrast. Thank you. I have about 30 days maybe 60 to make my final decision. I land in Manilla on 04/05 What are you thoughts on waiting to get to Peurto Prinecea and trying to get a cheaper liveaboard? Or a last minute cancelation? I have not booked anything and i have three weeks in country.

 

[Clernix]

Just checked LA.com looks like there isn't anything left. They are pretty much completely sold out for times I could dive except for some $4k+ boats. Looks like the decision has been made for me. So I am waiting on a return email from some ops in Borneo. If I can get the spot I want there. I'll do Sangalaki 10 days fly back and dive Verde Island a couple times if I can find an op that is willing to go out there. If not I'll find a lounge chair and a piece of beach. Either way I am back in South East Asia which is my favorite place in the world. Coron is off the menu for sure. Wrecks with no growth are not for me.

Again thank you everyone for your input

 

[cetacean]

Just checked LA.com looks like there isn't anything left. They are pretty much completely sold out for times I could dive except for some $4k+ boats. Looks like the decision has been made for me. So I am waiting on a return email from some ops in Borneo. If I can get the spot I want there. I'll do Sangalaki 10 days fly back and dive Verde Island a couple times if I can find an op that is willing to go out there. If not I'll find a lounge chair and a piece of beach. Either way I am back in South East Asia which is my favorite place in the world. Coron is off the menu for sure. Wrecks with no growth are not for me.

Again thank you everyone for your input

@Clernix - Sangalaki (and the surrounding region) offers some very good diving, the best time to dive it is usually March through October (so likely lines up with your visit to SE Asia).

The mantas can be hit or miss (but when they are there, you can come across 30+ in a train...), otherwise the nudibranch variety is really good.