Malapascua madness

[Traminer]

Hi.. am reading up ahead of my Malapascua trip later this month and came across this account by a recent visitor on TSD in Malapascua. Any views?

Warnings Or Dangers: Your Friendly Dive Shop - Thresher Shark Divers

Updated by m*****k/virtualtourist on Nov 5, 2006
Malapascua Island - Thresher Shark Divers
# Thresher Shark Divers

Don't be fooled by easy search in the internet when you type "thresher shark malapascua" because the search result will be listed with information where Thresher Shark Divers (TSD), your friendly dive shop can arrange everything for you.

Here is the extract of their email when i ask for better price to dive with them.

Extract from TSD's mail:

We offer quality diving with good equipment, clean air, knowledgeable dive guides and safety at a premium. You will not find these things in every place. You should beware of anyone offering very cheap dives as it is not worth saving a few dollars to get carbon monoxide poisoning. So we think our prices are quite reasonable.

So, you may think that i bad mouth them because of my negotiation with them is not a successful one. TSD describe other dive centres will be quite irresponsible to allow their divers to dive with bad air and get carbon monoxide poisoning, think again after reading my quick chat with 2 of the TSD's divers.

My dive buddy & i were having dinner at Ging Ging Restaurant and we chatted with Italian diver couple who are in their fifties who are diving with Thresher Shark Divers. We were asking them whether they have spotted the thresher sharks and they reply was they were out in the sea (to Monad Shoal) 3 days in the row and they have not spotted any thresher shark yet. And the dive centre (Thresher Shark Diver in this case) told them there was no shark sighting for the last 5 days. This is totally bullsh!t because i just dove the day before (i spotted 3 on my first dive) and on the day of my arrival, Angela (boat buddy) sighted 3 thresher sharks and one manta ray. The very day i dine & chat with the Italian couple, two divers from our dive centre have an encounter with thresher shark swam as close as 1 meter above them.

Apparently, TSD purposely bring their divers out to the sea 1/2 hour later and decent at Monad Shoal around 6:25am where most of us from Exotic Island divers would have pack up and ascend to our dive boat. So, don't believe the TSD's Thresher Shark Guarantee assurance because you will miss thresher shark in your first 4 dives and final got the see them on the 5th dive because TSD finally asking you guys to gather in the boat 1/2 hour earlier and descend the Monad Shoal at the right time.

6th free dive not qualified and you still have to pay for the 5 dives and multiply them with USD 23 and you do the math yourself.

What about extra nights' accommodation and foods?

 

[Mike Veitch]

sounds like a typical complaint you hear all over the world from someone who knows better than the local dive shop, happens all the time...

i wouldn't take stock in it..

 

[pakman]

never dove with them but did wonder about TSD doing their dives later than the rest... I figured there might be some logic to their madness as it can get crowded during that 530-630 period as larger groups of divers tend to spook the Threshers. But then again, doesn't make sense to have the whole shoal to yourself if the main attraction have gone back into the deep...!

 

[boljakool]

they've been getting a bad rap about their 5+1 offer (you get a free dive "if you're not lucky" to spot any thresher sharks after 5 dives). i never dove with them myself, but a couple of friends from virtualtourist.com also mentioned about the same experience. they went diving with another dive op, they spotted the threshers on their first dive during the first day and on next couple of days that they were there. timing & the right location is key. if they say you're leaving later than 6am, forget it. you should be underwater by or before 6am. and of course, expect the dive site at monad shoal to be packed with divers early because they all go there to see the threshers.

bad air in tank? well...you should be able to at least detect them before you plug your reg to the tank, right? any strange smell or taste should give you the first warning.

dive safe & have fun at malapascua!

 

[McCDiver]

Hi,

I dove with TSD earlier this year and basically dont care much for the dive shop politics, and from what I heard there is a fair amount of it in Malapascua. I dove the morning monad Shoal dive 5 times (later than the other shops) and saw the the sharks on 3 of them. In 2 instances the shark got in within 2.5-3m, great photos and the shark circled us for about 7 minutes, left and went in to the blue and returned for a encore presentation. Maybe I got lucky but I was totally pleased with what I got form TSD.

 

[eagerbeaver]

bad air in tank? well...you should be able to at least detect them before you plug your reg to the tank, right? any strange smell or taste should give you the first warning.

This is true, but wouldn't help with carbon monoxide which is mentioned in the quote. CO is odorless and tasteless - bummer! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide

I'm with MV on the whole thing as it seems McDiver backed up.

Cheers

 

[Traminer]

Thanks for the tips everyone. Guess in a small island, should be lots of juicy politics brewing. TSD have been very patient in their responses so far and even found us an AC room (!!!!!) at Kuan Ba. Am inclined to give them a shot myself and report back on the local Bad Christmas gossip.

McCDiver - what times did TSD head out to Monad in the mornings? Do you know if they are flexible about dive schedules? Like to do Monads in the afternoon (for the mantas), Gato and even the Dona Marilyn if they can do it.

 

[ishbaby]

ive dove with TSD . . . nxt time I come back, im going for Exotic instead.

nuf said.

 

[Traminer]

ive dove with TSD . . . nxt time I come back, im going for Exotic instead.

nuf said.

Oh dear... why? :huh:

 

[boljakool]

@ ish: you bit the 5+1?