Locations for Diving in Philippines this February

[jd62]

If you decide to stay in Mindoro for a few more days then it might be possible to travel to Apo Reef, this place has great walls, sharks, turtles, schools of Jacks and Barracuda, etc. Some boats do 2/3 day trips from Puerto Galera. it is also possible to go from Sablyan. You would need to travel by ferry from Puerto Galera to Abra, then take a 2-hour van ride to Sablyan. Apo Reef club run overnight trips from there.

Thanks for the Apo Reef idea.

 

[jd62]

Try to fly into Cebu and avoid Manila completely.
South Leyte is very good choice, good diving and it's whale shark season. Look up Peter's Dive resort.
Malapascua is a really chill island and also good diving. Thresher Shark Diver organized my transport from Cebu City and a good pro operation.

Given the volcano, I've been thinking that Cebu is the logical starting place.

 

[jd62]

Thanks to you all for your advice and ideas. I'm not experienced in the ways of the Philippines, so this information has been very helpful.

 

[Centrals]

Stay well clear from Manila.
Cebu should be your safe bet

 

[D_Fresh]

And you can stay at Scandi Divers to do a lot of that.

And excellent meals! Scandi has got a great menu

 

[lm17]

They have proper web site. Thank you very much.
I hate dealing with anyone on FB!!
We have direct flight from HK to Iloilo.

@Hank49, @Centrals:

They have proper web site. Thank you very much.
I hate dealing with anyone on FB!!
We have direct flight from HK to Iloilo.

How is the diving on the western side of Panay and with the Dive House? I'm staying near there in April/May.

 

[Rickk]

They have proper web site. Thank you very much.
I hate dealing with anyone on FB!!
We have direct flight from HK to Iloilo.

Facebook is very common for businesses to have an on line presence here.

That is because most people use mobile data plans and Facebook usually does not count against the data consumption.

 

[Rickk]

Hi all. I have been reviewing posts about Philippines diving, but I find that many have different preferences than I do and are often much more experienced than I am. I'd appreciate any advice you'd care to offer.

I'm AOW with about 35-40 dives under my belt. I consider myself an adequate (certainly not a good) diver: my buoyancy is reliable, I can navigate by compass, and I generally can spend about 45 minutes on a tank of air. Mostly I have dived in Cozumel in the past few years. I will be by myself. I will have about 15 diving days available (allowing for a day of no diving before a flight)......

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I would go to Panglou Island. You can fly there, the airport is only 5 minutes from Anola Beach and lots of places to stay locally.

A lot of the dive operations are independent shops along the beach and you are not tied to the resort's dive shop. I dove with Philippine Fun Divers and can recommend them.

Lots of coral and walls just off the beach, 10 minute boat rides. There are two different islands about an hour and these are marine sanctuaries so some very well protected corals. Lots of turtles.

Then you can take a 2 hour ferry ride to Dumaguete, The Dauin Coast has lots of muck diving but you can also go to Apo Island where there is better coral than at Pangalo. Apo trips are usually 3 tanks. The business set up there is all resorts with their attached dive operations so you usually stay where you dive. I had an Airbnb but dove with Liquid Dumagete, also recommended.

Mostly shore dives the beach is rocky and can be difficult entering if there is a surf.

Depending on your departure airport you can fly from Dumaguete to Manila or if you are departing from Cebu you can just take a bus. If you flying Cebu the ferry to Tagabliarin in Bohol is only a couple of hours.

Most places in the Philippines will be a complete day travel between them. These are the two major dive areas that you can easily travel between in a half day, without an aircraft, so you can dive in the AM, take a ferry ride in the afternoon and start diving again nest morning.


Another option would be to go north to Subic for a while, some good wrecks there then bus to Batangus and ferry to Puerto Galleria. This is another pair of dive sites that you can travel between in a half day and not have to fly which will lose another day diving.

 

[Hank49]

@Hank49, @Centrals:

How is the diving on the western side of Panay and with the Dive House? I'm staying near there in April/May.

I think you will enjoy. You also get to Maniguin Island and Piedra Blanca from there.

 

[jd62]

I would go to Panglou Island. You can fly there, the airport is only 5 minutes from Anola Beach and lots of places to stay locally.

A lot of the dive operations are independent shops along the beach and you are not tied to the resort's dive shop. I dove with Philippine Fun Divers and can recommend them.

Lots of coral and walls just off the beach, 10 minute boat rides. There are two different islands about an hour and these are marine sanctuaries so some very well protected corals. Lots of turtles.

Then you can take a 2 hour ferry ride to Dumaguete, The Dauin Coast has lots of muck diving but you can also go to Apo Island where there is better coral than at Pangalo. Apo trips are usually 3 tanks. The business set up there is all resorts with their attached dive operations so you usually stay where you dive. I had an Airbnb but dove with Liquid Dumagete, also recommended.

Mostly shore dives the beach is rocky and can be difficult entering if there is a surf.

Depending on your departure airport you can fly from Dumaguete to Manila or if you are departing from Cebu you can just take a bus. If you flying Cebu the ferry to Tagabliarin in Bohol is only a couple of hours.

Most places in the Philippines will be a complete day travel between them. These are the two major dive areas that you can easily travel between in a half day, without an aircraft, so you can dive in the AM, take a ferry ride in the afternoon and start diving again nest morning.


Another option would be to go north to Subic for a while, some good wrecks there then bus to Batangus and ferry to Puerto Galleria. This is another pair of dive sites that you can travel between in a half day and not have to fly which will lose another day diving.

It's funny. Many people bash Panglao here, and it is definitely not on the "serious diver" map any longer. And yet, objectively, it still has much to recommend to divers, especially Baliscag. Clearly, one should not stay close or on the beach or the loud parties will be a real pain. I was specifically looking at Philippine Fun Divers, interestingly enough. I was going to go with Alona Divers, but something scared me off--I forgot what, but I'm sure it came from comments here. The Panglao airport is also now right next door nowadays.

Thanks again for your ideas.