Need help with 3 week diving itinerary late March

[MV Dive]

I used the Discovery fleet for the past couple of trips, they run 6 night trips out of PP. very large boat, good cabins with great food and service. Diving rules are strictly enforced, no gloves, no pointer sticks and if you are seen to be touching the reef then you can get banned from diving. I have only been there in April and May and wore only a rash guard and board shorts. I think a 3mm will be good in late march.

 

[RedFishBlueFish]

I used the Discovery fleet for the past couple of trips, they run 6 night trips out of PP. very large boat, good cabins with great food and service. Diving rules are strictly enforced, no gloves, no pointer sticks and if you are seen to be touching the reef then you can get banned from diving. I have only been there in April and May and wore only a rash guard and board shorts. I think a 3mm will be good in late march.

We had very little choice when choosing dive operators because of our trip dates. Most of the dive operators first trips of the season come back too late for us . Hopefully, M/Y Sakura won’t disappoint. It’s a budget liveaboard, not at all like the other bigger ships but they have fairly good reviews on Trip Advisor.

 

[Centrals]

Tubattaha Reefs is the BEST in Philippines and will rival most places in Asia.
The Reefs is huge and very deep so enjoy the coral and the chance meeting of big stuff eg. whaleshark, manta, eagle ray, sharks etc etc.
I never enjoy staying on a banca(outrigger) on open water and if the sea is rough......hope you have strong stomach. Sea sick pill could be useful.

 

[Makhno]

Correction: "We are not that into wrecks yet, but we will be after Coron …" ;-)

 

[Titatom]

Which liveaboard operator did you use? Also, is a 5mm wetsuit suitable for that area in late March?

3mm is enough unless you get cold easily, then 5mm should be plenty.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I used the Discovery fleet for the past couple of trips, they run 6 night trips out of PP. very large boat, good cabins with great food and service. Diving rules are strictly enforced, no gloves, no pointer sticks and if you are seen to be touching the reef then you can get banned from diving. I have only been there in April and May and wore only a rash guard and board shorts. I think a 3mm will be good in late march.

It’s great to hear they are so strict. It’s tough but is the one way to ensure our reefs stay as healthy as possible within our immediate control. I’m booked on the MV Discovery Palawan in late April and am looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing your comments!

For the OP - I just finished planning a trip for mid April to mid May. El Nido is supposed to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. You can do some beach hopping and beach bumming on a tour - shared or private bangkas. You can then do a dive safari between El Nido and Coron that is 4 days 3 nights where you eat and dive on the boat and stay in hotels at night included in the cost. It’s about $580 with your own gear through Submariner Diver Center. Nitrox is available and is $7 per tank, if I remember correctly. You skip the long ferry ride and get to enjoy diving along the way. It’s 12 tanks.