Dumaguete resort question

[SCUBAJENNIFER]

Most resorts won't let you in the water alone at 6 in the morning. Diving with a buddy at the housreef of the resorts is in general no problem.
Be aware of the rules in Dauin Apo, you might find yourself in the hands of the police when exit a sanctuary after 6 pm or enter before 6 am.
The fees are a joke, now 250 PHP for a dive with camera and 300 PHP for night-diving (even not allowed inside the sanctuaries). A newly formed group of dive-pros is working on a solution of that problems ... more here . will keep you informed..

cheers from Dumaguete

Rhoody

I dived with a Rudy at Atlantis in Dumaguete a couple years ago...would that be you?? He was a very lively, German fellow...telling Marco to hurry and get into the frogfish outfit!

 

[Rhoody]

Hello to Louisville,

that would be me... don't say I am german, I try to hide that...hehe. I am still in Dumaguete and have no plans to leave. Not with Atlantis though but my webprojects keep me to busy to be from 7am to 8pm at one place and i can't work in a dive-Mc Donald's where you need to have your head way up your bosses ar.... I take care of guests book me directely or via my Dumagueteinfo.com webpage.

pls don't say anything bad about me here. I pretend to be a good boy on Scubaboard... hehe

cheers

Rhoody
cheers from lovely Dumaguete

Rhoody

 

[Rhoody]

During my recent week at El Dorado Resort in Dauin there was a fellow from Amsterdam named Erik with a large video rig (40-50 lbs.) who pretty much did what he wanted on most of our dives and the divemasters gave him no trouble. On my second dive he spent at least 25 minutes straight filming a Flamboyant Cuttlefish. The divemasters may have been a little lax at times, a new diver would have to pay attention as the divemasters couldn't always keep us in a group, but for confident and experienced divers it was no problem, and if you did get lost the shore was a short swim away on almost all dives. Apo Island was nice for coral, but seemed to have more current so much more difficulty taking pictures, especially of the small stuff. You might also contact Mike at Adventure Diveshop (adventurediveshop@yahoo.com). He is building a house in Dauin practically next door to El Dorado and Pura Vida. I didn't get to dive with him during my week, but he is very helpful and I am sure he would provide you with support for solo shore dives in the area. I just appreciated the free nitrox at El Dorado. I did a solo shore dive for my last dive and nobody had any concern - just sign out and in on the dive board and go. Have Fun

Mike's Adventure-diveshop is a good shop to dive with. He has quite some guests staying in other places and diving with him. And he has the coldest beer at the boulevard and great BBQ and mexican snacks at his place in Dumaguete. At present it is sometimes not the most convinient transfer from Duma to Dauin if you stay in the city but his personality and attitude equals everything. Mike takes care of the divers needs but he does not support solo-diving. If he knows that in advanced he books a DM for you (or calls me if I wanna go as a buddy with a camera guy). That has the advantage that you DM finds the next critter while you take your time with the last one.
If you drop him a mail, mention me and ask for discout... he hates me for that... hehe

cheers

Rhoody

 

[SCUBAJENNIFER]

Hello to Louisville,

that would be me... don't say I am german, I try to hide that...hehe. I am still in Dumaguete and have no plans to leave. Not with Atlantis though but my webprojects keep me to busy to be from 7am to 8pm at one place and i can't work in a dive-Mc Donald's where you need to have your head way up your bosses ar.... I take care of guests book me directely or via my Dumagueteinfo.com webpage.

pls don't say anything bad about me here. I pretend to be a good boy on Scubaboard... hehe

cheers

Rhoody
cheers from lovely Dumaguete

Rhoody

You do a VERY good job hiding the German thing

Does this guy look familiar??

Hopefully I'll get back your way soon!! Good to see you found scubaboard!

 

[Rhoody]

Just wonder how that guy makes it that he always looks soooo good.. hehe.
Must be the photographer. His mirror tells another story.

cheers

Rhoody

 

[greatwolf]

Welcome to the PPD Rhoody.I visited your forum a while back using the same handle. Great site by the way.

 

[Rhoody]

thank you for the compliment. I think I remember your name...
I am actually quite happy to provide some Information about the Visayan area and Negros Oriental. If I am not under-water I work on my german diving-page or on dumagueteinfo.com, where probalby everybody ends up when searching infos about Dumaguete in the net...

Or sit down at the Boulevard and have a cold one with some great people. Whenever any you guys heading towards Duma, I am happy to meet you and share my Coke-light...

what a hard life...

Rhoody

 

[ngfl3]

During my recent week at El Dorado Resort in Dauin there was a fellow from Amsterdam named Erik with a large video rig (40-50 lbs.) who pretty much did what he wanted on most of our dives and the divemasters gave him no trouble. On my second dive he spent at least 25 minutes straight filming a Flamboyant Cuttlefish. The divemasters may have been a little lax at times, a new diver would have to pay attention as the divemasters couldn't always keep us in a group, but for confident and experienced divers it was no problem, and if you did get lost the shore was a short swim away on almost all dives. Apo Island was nice for coral, but seemed to have more current so much more difficulty taking pictures, especially of the small stuff. You might also contact Mike at Adventure Diveshop (adventurediveshop@yahoo.com). He is building a house in Dauin practically next door to El Dorado and Pura Vida. I didn't get to dive with him during my week, but he is very helpful and I am sure he would provide you with support for solo shore dives in the area. I just appreciated the free nitrox at El Dorado. I did a solo shore dive for my last dive and nobody had any concern - just sign out and in on the dive board and go. Have Fun

Thanks for your feedback as well as everyone else's.

However, I've given up on Dumaguete and am heading to another dive location.
What you say sounds nice but when the local resorts were contacted directly they brushed me off or said if I wanted that type of "personlaized" service I would have to pay for a private guide ($60 U.S. per dive!!!). I don't need personlaized service, I just want to be left alone to photograph without having to follow a group leader like a bunch of cattle. Many dive ops will leave serious photographers alone to do their own thing. This is one of those destinations where the ops just don't get it or they don't care about what the diver's needs are and I have no problems taking my hard earned money elsewhere-- someplace where divers are not all treated like babies in constant need of supervision.

And contrary to belief there are many dive operations that will cater to individual needs, even in the Philippines. I just avoid the ones that treat everyone the same.

 

[clgsamson]

welcome to SB, you may want to http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...yourself-get-know-ppd-no-chatting-please.html here.

Some pix to share?