tippytoes, centrals, as always good resources for Sogod Bay in particular and Philippines in general. My 2 cents regarding Sogod Bay:
Southern Leyte is indeed off the beaten path, unspoiled by Philippines standards, and relaxing.
So you got that right. It is also, as tippytoes points out, no longer a pain to get to. It's conveniently tied into the fast transport system and for better or worse, by that measure, no longer remote. Internet access can still be touchy and inconsistent. If you need to be tied into the grid 24/7, you may be disappointed. If not, come on down.
March is a good/great/maybe the best time to visit, and gets better the deeper into March you go. Rain has usually stopped, breeze usually continues off the bay, and the chances of any given day being a washout are virtually nil. It will be hot. But not yet really hot.
As you are not a photographer, i agree with the recommendation to visit 2 spots. Should you take up photography between now and then, by all means consider South Leyte as your one stop. Many have, and I'm unaware of anyone wishing they hadn't.
You will be resort based, with plenty of opportunity to visit the municipality of Padre Burgos, a 2 km 8 peso trike ride away depending where you end up. There you can buy your take home beer, snacks, and other necessaries. Chances are you can rent a small motorcycle for a very fair price to visit the hills or wherever else your heart desires. If you want to visit Maasin (you will arrive there, 45 minutes away) or Sogod city bus is your option.
By all means, and for a dozen reasons, stay at Peter's dive resort - that's hardly even a suggestion. Among the reasons: 2 boats going out daily (although one may be on a whale shark trip), great, truly friendly people who aim to please, more than adequate facilities. Disclaimer - i have no affiliation with Peter's other than than my familiarity. That's not to say there are no other decent resorts in the area. Recommend the duplex, but if you are on a tighter budget the standard with twin beds is good too. You can usually get wi-fi in the standard.
Visibility decreases up until sometime in January, hard to say exactly when, as the water cools and the plankton survives, then slowly improves. Smaller creatures come up from the depths with the cooler water, which is great if you are a photographer, and the whale sharks come in from the open ocean with the extra food. Really poor viz days are few and far between, usually associated with a storm, and you shouldn't expect to have one. Visibility will be fine in March. The whales sharks come and go as they please coincident with the increased plankton (this ain't Oslob), but if the past is any indication they will be around in numbers from December through March into April. They leave when the plankton isn't enough to sustain the tribe. Strays can and do wander through at any time. If you come to Philippines or for that matter virtually anywhere in the coral triangle including Tubbataha expecting Caribbean viz, you will be sorely disappointed.
You will be hard pressed to find the concentrated numbers/variety of hard and soft corals represented in Sogod Bay anywhere else in the world short of a liveaboard.
For all those reasons, plus the densely covered walls and slopes and optional muck should you so desire, S. Leyte is a good choice.
Any specific questions that might not be of general interest please pm, and pm as well if you decide to head that way.
r
It's a whole different ball game. if you stick to you plan of coming to PG kindly check out www.scandidivers.com for a nice resort in Big La Laguna.
