diving in Moalboal and advice on diving center

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

OP
W

world_traveler

Contributor
Messages
83
Reaction score
11
Hello
We planned a few days to dive (shallow dives, till 15m) and snorkel in Moalboal but now I wonder if it's a good choice after the typhoon.
Has anybody been there recently?
Which other area is god for shallow diving and snorkeling?

Which are the best diving centers in Moalboal?
Any experience with Blue Orchid, Savedra, Kasai village diving centers?
 
For a long time, I used to go with Savedra when it was german owned and when the operation catered to more serious divers (half of 'em german divers in speedos diving early morning)
It was sold then, the current management seems to target the backpack crowd and casual divers, last time I went (2018) it was a factory, there were lots of european guides or instructors, some of them completely newbies to the sites : while in the Phils I expect filipino guides. Hence I changed dive shop after one day.

I haven't dived with the other dive centers you mention, I would say go with Nelson's (100m from Savedra), one of the original dive shop in Moalboal, you'll be sure it's one of the cheapest and locally run.
 
For a long time, I used to go with Savedra when it was german owned and when the operation catered to more serious divers (half of 'em german divers in speedos diving early morning)
It was sold then, the current management seems to target the backpack crowd and casual divers, last time I went (2018) it was a factory, there were lots of european guides or instructors, some of them completely newbies to the sites : while in the Phils I expect filipino guides. Hence I changed dive shop after one day.

I haven't dived with the other dive centers you mention, I would say go with Nelson's (100m from Savedra), one of the original dive shop in Moalboal, you'll be sure it's one of the cheapest and locally run.
Thank you Luko
 
For a long time, I used to go with Savedra when it was german owned and when the operation catered to more serious divers (half of 'em german divers in speedos diving early morning)
It was sold then, the current management seems to target the backpack crowd and casual divers, last time I went (2018) it was a factory, there were lots of european guides or instructors, some of them completely newbies to the sites : while in the Phils I expect filipino guides. Hence I changed dive shop after one day.

I haven't dived with the other dive centers you mention, I would say go with Nelson's (100m from Savedra), one of the original dive shop in Moalboal, you'll be sure it's one of the cheapest and locally run.
Can confirm Luko’s comments from using that shop in 2019. Total factory approach. Quite impersonal in our experience. Things may have changed, of course, and we are also now wondering about the impact of Super Typhoon Odette (late December 2021), and trying to decide best approach to dive Moalbal with a better setup this time. We will likely stay in Cebu City, and dive Moalboal as a day trip. It is still very much on our list, however. 👍🏻 One recommendation would be “slack tide”’timing for dives if at all possible. 🤣
 
Can confirm Luko’s comments from using that shop in 2019. Total factory approach. Quite impersonal in our experience. Things may have changed, of course, and we are also now wondering about the impact of Super Typhoon Odette (late December 2021), and trying to decide best approach to dive Moalbal with a better setup this time. We will likely stay in Cebu City, and dive Moalboal as a day trip. It is still very much on our list, however. 👍🏻 One recommendation would be “slack tide”’timing for dives if at all possible. 🤣
Thank you
 
It is a fair bit to drive from Cebu City to dive Moalboal on a day trip.
Pescador Island and the school of sardine is the main attraction. Please enquire the chance to dive the sanctuary which is quite a distance away and the beautiful wall is very deep.
Nelson has been there nearly 40 yrs.

There are dive operators on Mactan Island(Cebu's airport situated). There are some good sites but the best is quite far away. Finding a reputable one is NOT easy. Lot of Korean operators.
 
I dove with cebu fun divers last July. Good experience. They gave me rides everyday. Fantastic night dive right in front of resort-my first blue ring octo and about 12 mandarin fish and many other interesting creatures. Pescador is still good and the sardines are still there, but less than I remember from 2018. The after dive spots have moved from the footpath to the main road about 100 meters before you reach the end of it. It is in recovery mode but still a good spot for me.
 
where you plan to dive from Cebu city?
The Moalboal area. Sardine balls.
If anyone has recommendations of places to stay in or near Moalboal that have rebuilt since Odette wiped out Moalboal at the end of 2021 - as well as parts of Visayas, Siargao and Bohol - would be interested in leads. Have heard the infrastructure damage in Moalboal area was horrific. Some hard hit other areas are starting to bounce back, but have not heard much about Moalboal conditions currently.

To clarify, we were not able to find a place that tickled our fancy and had availability in fall of 2019, and did Moalboal as a day trip using a White Taxi driver in Cebu. We hired his cab and services for a couple days at a really reasonable rate, visited lots of Cebu countryside, but had city comforts at night. A nice break on a long trip for us. 🤣
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom