Puerto Galera tips, answers, advice

[bjexpat]

A friend and I are considering a trip to Puerto Galera on July 30. Couple of questions...

Is this a decent time of year to dive there? Typical conditions / visibility / currents ?

Best sites for 2-3 days of diving?

What's the best wetsuit to wear?

I saw in a different thread some discussion about transportation from Manilla. What's the best option / costs?

 

[kosmonooit]

That time of year is typhoon time, so good luck!

Theres lots of postings here on PG, the conditions, etc perhaps a search will help with some answers?

 

[bjexpat]

Theres lots of postings here on PG, the conditions, etc perhaps a search will help with some answers?

Sorry for the ambiguity. Except for the transport question, I was asking this in the context of late July and searching didn't yield useful information for that time of year.

I was just looking for opinions / details like "dive site xxx typically gets mantas at that time of year etc. etc". I went to Koh Tao recently and the DMs talk about when whale sharks are typically at Chumphon or Sail Rock and warned of thermoclines which make diving a shorty cold etc. etc. I'm just trying to be make plans and be prepared and was hoping someone who has experience in PG that time of year could respond.

 

[Babydamulag]

Since you seem to be based in China you can afford to experiment with a couple of trips.....
We are rapidly moving into the "Typhoon Season". Remember Typhoon Frank last year? That hit the first week of June and ruined the weather/diving through mid-June. So, roll the dice. As for where to go. Anywhere in the Philippines will rock your world. If you are into muck diving go to Anilao/PG. If you are a wreck diver then it is Coron or Subic. If you are into monster pelagics go to Donsol, Malapascua, Western Visayas. If you want tech diving go to PG. If you want recreation training/tech training go to PG as well. Bring lots of money. It is diving! Who cares how much it costs? it is like breathing....you gotta do it!! Good luck on your trip. You have made an excellent choice in dive destination.

 

[namabiru]

Transportation. Well, you can either get a package deal which takes you from Manila to Batangas via public transportation (I forget who exactly, but I think you can find out about it in the Lonely Planet), and then the ferry.

Better yet, though, why not just ask the resort to arrange this for you? They'll do it, and it really doesn't cost you that much, especially as there are 2 of you. Far better than shlepping kit around. Most places will have a car meet you at the airport, take you to Batangas (car vs. bus on the high speed road... hmmm...), and then you go over straight away on a speedboat.

 

[Live_in_Sin]

Transportation. Well, you can either get a package deal which takes you from Manila to Batangas via public transportation (I forget who exactly, but I think you can find out about it in the Lonely Planet), and then the ferry.

now what happened.... choose the boat/Ferry wisely!



Twelve dead in Philippines ferry accident
AFP - Sunday, May 24MANILA (AFP) Twelve people, including a Japanese national, were killed and 57 rescued after a ferry sank in waters south of the Philippine capital on Saturday, the coast guard said.
The boat, the MV Commander 6, was carrying people from Batangas to a resort beach on the island of Mindoro when it was hit by large waves which cracked its hull, causing the vessel to sink, the coast guard report said.
Among the dead was a Japanese identified by survivors as Shoji Hosotani, said local police Chief Superintendent Luisito Palmera. However he said he could give no further details on the deceased.
Coast guard rescue vessels and private boats rushed to the scene to rescue people after the boat sank. There were no immediate reports on whether any of the people on board were still missing.
The boat had only 42 people on its manifest, indicating that many people had boarded without being listed, coast guard officials said.
Small, poorly-maintained ferries are the backbone of inter-island travel in this archipelagic country and many ferry owners resort to overloading their vessels, leading to frequent maritime mishaps.

 

[boljakool]

:signofcross: nice post to reply to someone asking for help info.

i should try that sometime - scare off anybody who wants to visit my country.

 

[Live_in_Sin]

am not scaring him off... just telling him to watch out the boat you are taking.....it's the reality. it wasn't between Batangas - PG but once from Boracay to Caticlan, the banca boat we took, kept loading people.... so we had to tell the boat man to stop picking up people at each boat station !!!!!

 

[okamiotoko2004]

I took the Ski Kat from Manila to PG. It is a package deal with a bus to Batangas and then a ferry over to Sabang. It was convenient and not all that bad priced. I can't remember all the details but I did put it one of my old posts for trip report to Sabang.

 

[Rhoody]

so here some diveite-suggesions:

Sinandigan (for Nudis), Atoll, Canyons, dry dock, daytrip to verde Island, nightdive wherever, Kilima drift when full moon.

hope it helps a bit

cheers

Rhoody