OP
Now we have booked hotels in Moalboal and Malapascua and have booked dives with 2 divecenters. Sadly they don't offer unguided dives. I am not against guided diving, but the persective from were we live is different. We are really used to dive without a guide (we never do, I do over 200 dives a year, none with a guide, even not at unknown sides, in Europe there is almost no guided diving, so that makes that you can dive without a guide and feel safe after just 4 open water training dives here).
It is nice to read about the advice to rent a local DM from a diver with less than 100 dives, but if you have over 3000, and are instructor in everything, then the opinion will be different of course. For beginners, yes, a guide can be usefull. For some critters to find, a guide can be usefull. I have rented a private guide on 2 dives on Bali last december. But have also done solodiving there. So we have asked a lot of questions about the guiding, because we don't want to be limited. I am a photographer, so sometimes I want someone that helps me searching for things. But not to be a babysitter. The divecenters that gave the answers that we are not limited with a required guide, they came on a shortlist. I have contacted in both places between 6 and 8.
For Moalboal we have choosen for a small divecenter, the contact was nice and they promised us to pick us up at the airport personally. Also they said that we get 2 dm's in our group of 4 so that nobody has to go up if someone has drained a tank. It is a divecenter with only Philippines as employees and runned by 1 person.
The divecenter in Malapascua is bigger, but some divecenters are not that good in communication. So we have choosen for one that answers quite fast email or whatsapp. And of course it is important that I don't have to go up if others have drained their tanks. Here also we have discussed this. They also do offer bigger tanks if needed. And here we also get 2 DM's for 4 people.
Of course we have read google reviews too. But they are all between 4 and 5 stars. So you have to read about the special wishes customers had and if the divecenter wanted to organise such things. Reviews about rental equipment are unimportant, we have our own. But for a beginner, this can be more important than special wishes.
There is a big difference in pricing for diving. Some ask 24 euro as basic price for a dive, others ask 37 for the same. So it is worth to ask around for this also.
If we made the right decision, we don't know yet. But some divecenters really get a big + for the communication.
It is nice to read about the advice to rent a local DM from a diver with less than 100 dives, but if you have over 3000, and are instructor in everything, then the opinion will be different of course. For beginners, yes, a guide can be usefull. For some critters to find, a guide can be usefull. I have rented a private guide on 2 dives on Bali last december. But have also done solodiving there. So we have asked a lot of questions about the guiding, because we don't want to be limited. I am a photographer, so sometimes I want someone that helps me searching for things. But not to be a babysitter. The divecenters that gave the answers that we are not limited with a required guide, they came on a shortlist. I have contacted in both places between 6 and 8.
For Moalboal we have choosen for a small divecenter, the contact was nice and they promised us to pick us up at the airport personally. Also they said that we get 2 dm's in our group of 4 so that nobody has to go up if someone has drained a tank. It is a divecenter with only Philippines as employees and runned by 1 person.
The divecenter in Malapascua is bigger, but some divecenters are not that good in communication. So we have choosen for one that answers quite fast email or whatsapp. And of course it is important that I don't have to go up if others have drained their tanks. Here also we have discussed this. They also do offer bigger tanks if needed. And here we also get 2 DM's for 4 people.
Of course we have read google reviews too. But they are all between 4 and 5 stars. So you have to read about the special wishes customers had and if the divecenter wanted to organise such things. Reviews about rental equipment are unimportant, we have our own. But for a beginner, this can be more important than special wishes.
There is a big difference in pricing for diving. Some ask 24 euro as basic price for a dive, others ask 37 for the same. So it is worth to ask around for this also.
If we made the right decision, we don't know yet. But some divecenters really get a big + for the communication.
