Need Some Newbie Help

[kommisarrex]

First of all, this forum has been really helpful. My wife and I just moved to Manila last month for work and the plan is to be here for about two years. She's never dived before (just snorkel) and I have my open water, but haven't been in a number of years. We would very much like to get her certified while we're here and I'd like to get back into it as well. We are both in our late 20s. I'm having a little trouble with the first steps though.

Ideally, we'd like to have her do the classroom and pool sessions here in Manila/Makati and take advantage of a three day weekend at the end of August to do her check out dives in Anilao (or Subic maybe?). I don't want to cram everything into one weekend. I'd also like to maybe do a pool session or two or some kind of refresher class.

Does anyone know of any local (Manila/Makati) dive shops or instructors who operate this way or have suggestions of where to start? Or suggestions on resorts to contact for help? For the resorts, we don't need anything super fancy, but a knowledgeable,staff and professional operation would be ideal.

Thanks again for all your great posts. Hope you can help.

 

[clgsamson]

You may want to consider these guys here, friends of the PPD, Scuba Diving Philippines - Scuba Dive - DiveNet Philippines

Ps - and we.re diving on that 3 day weekend in august : ).

 

[Babydamulag]

Also try PACIFICA DIVE SHOP in Alabang. Torben Bohn is an instructor/owner there and can help you with local training.

 

[Imelda Subora]

Hello,

Welcome to the Philippines first of all. I'd like to give you the following info about my instructor. I recommend them everytime I come across diver/s or soon-to-be-divers.

The instructor's name is Igor Subora, here's his number as well 09291069061. He taught me EFR course and I am on my Rescue course with him. He is very flexible with the student's requests or concerns, not to mention his unbelievable patience in teaching. He is very professional with his work and is easy to talk to.

You can visit them at triple w dot oceanzoneexplorers dot com


Cheers!

Thank you.

 

[kommisarrex]

Just an update on how things went with the O/W cert. To recap, I had been certified about ten years ago and out of the water for about seven. My wife has never dived before. Thanks to some advice on ScubaBoard, we ended up doing a pool session in Manila and then the course at Portulano with Arnel as our instructor. Arnel was great and very patient (also very safety-focused). Unfortunately, my wife only made it through the first two pool sessions and the first open water dive before calling it quits. She was really struggling and, if I'm realistic, she was probably doing it more for me than anything else. So I felt pretty bad for her. Arnel was totally cool about it and I figured I'd just take the rest of the class myself and call it a very thorough refresher. Anyway, the diving on Sunday was OK, mostly skills focused. Today, Monday, was great. I started to feel my buoyancy coming back and feeling comfortable again. We saw all kinds of interesting macro life and the reefs were incredible. I remembered today what I loved so much about diving. Just have to do it as a solo hobby I guess!

As for Portulano, it's a dive resort for divers and I think non-divers may get bored. It's a little isolated and once you're there, you're there. There's a good house reef right in front and the dive assistant (or whatever the guys who help with tanks and stuff are called) were really great and hard-working. I felt spoiled coming back from a boat dive or shore dive and just walking from the pier to the resort while someone else carried my BCD.

At Portulano, the food is pretty simple, but good and filling and served buffet style in an outdoor, covered dining area. The rooms are pretty basic, but some with aircon and all with hot/cold water. It almost felt more like I was staying with a big family than at a "resort". Maybe that's typical at a dive resort? Anyway, if you go in with the right mindset, it was a very enjoyable stay. Just keep your expectations realistic. The guest mix seemed to be 100% weekenders from Manila and was a 50/50 mix of Filipinos and expats.

That was my experience. Looking forward to discovering more of the Philippines during the two years I have left here. Thanks to everyone on Scubaboard for their advice and sharing their experience. It's a great educational tool.

 

[boljakool]

glad to know that you had fun, but sorry for your wife not enjoying the lessons. anyway, most of the diving in anilao is like that..."when you're there, you're there". 2 years will be a long time to experience most of the great diving around the country. enjoy your stay!

 

[sublimer]

totally down with "when you are there, you are there.", bojakool!! u can enjoy the "manila based diving trip to Anilao". it's got variety of diving points from o.w.d to hardcore drift with full of marine life. u can also enjoy the sucess of MPA(marine protected area) with many diving points like twin rock point with full of jacks and often mantas n reef sharks in mainit point. from macro to wide, variety of diving sites are fulfilling my heart every time i'm there.
i'm sure u will enjoy the luxury of marine life here in philippines just like me. have fun.
cheers.

 

[boljakool]

@ sublimer: i don't mean to say that Anilao is not a nice place to visit for diving. i go there myself almost every weekend. sometimes i even stay there longer than here in manila.

i think what kommisarrex means with "when you're there, you're there" is that when you're in Anilao, there's nothing else that you'll have think about but diving and diving only...unlike in PG or in other dive destinations where you can go to all the bars to party after a day of diving.

it's great to know that you've seen and have been enjoying the attractions of Anilao ...especially the mantas @ mainit.

i love Anilao and i won't get tired of diving there....even if i'd have to dive the same dive sites every time. well.... of course there's more than 30 dive sites around Anilao to choose from!

cheers!

 

[DevonDiver]

The instructor's name is Igor Subora, here's his number as well 09291069061.

I know Igor...he's a great guy and a solid instructor. Works in the Manila area.

 

[sublimer]

@ sublimer: i don't mean to say that Anilao is not a nice place to visit for diving. i go there myself almost every weekend. sometimes i even stay there longer than here in manila.

i think what kommisarrex means with "when you're there, you're there" is that when you're in Anilao, there's nothing else that you'll have think about but diving and diving only...unlike in PG or in other dive destinations where you can go to all the bars to party after a day of diving.

it's great to know that you've seen and have been enjoying the attractions of Anilao ...especially the mantas @ mainit.

i love Anilao and i won't get tired of diving there....even if i'd have to dive the same dive sites every time. well.... of course there's more than 30 dive sites around Anilao to choose from!



cheers!

Bojakool, please don't get me wrong either. we both love anilao and that's what brings us together here, haha. i know it's really nothing but diving in anilao.. still it always remains my all time favorite sites as a dive-holic hope we get down together and dive in anilao sometime.
cheers