Purto Galera in end of June/early July?

[shugar]

highly recommend the aussie breakfast... mmmmmmmm... makes waking up early worth the effort... especially since you want time for it to digest properly before your first morning dive hehehehehehe

el galleon's a good spot, have stayed there already before my diving days... The Point Bar is a wonderful and fun hangout

Jag

 

[Scuby Dooby]

I have to disagree with you guys a bit - there are big differences, especially in planning a dive trip from far away, during the rainy season. I also fly down from Hong Kong for my diving and I have to say that planning a weekend trip with set dates during rainy season is a hit and miss proposition. During the dry months (roughly, november - may) it is generally not a problem, you can be sure that you will be able to dive even if the conditions aren't pristine. But during the rainy season there is a double whammy that can keep you from diving.

1 Storms. It's typhoon season and any big storm, especially a slow mover will ruin a weekend of diving. the viz is bad and the winds are up - even if you want to dive the boatmen are usually sane enough to not let you.

2. Habagat. This is the tricky part, there have been plenty of weekends i've had to cancel or postpone during this period even when there isn't a drop of rain due to the prevailing winds at this time of year (I believe they are south west). When the winds are strong the surf is high and, again, the resorts pretty much shut down because the boats are unable / unwilling to take you out. Even if you do try to find a sheltered spot during this time the conditions are pretty bad - viz, chop, etc.

I do plenty of diving in the phils during the rainy season, it's an easier time of year for me to get away than summer unfortunately, but i have to be very flexible with my plans. As an example last year I had 4 separate weekends postponed from July to August because calls on thursday night showed that the conditions were too bad and the bancas weren't willing to go out.

If the conditions are ok the diving is fine, but it's much less predictable than the dry season - good luck, i hope the weather holds out for your trip!

 

[paolov]

right you are scoby dooby, Flexibility is the key especially Habagat

 

[happybuddha]

pakman,

El Galleon/Asia Divers are excellent and The Point Bar (conveniently located over the dive shop) can be a super fun place when there's a crowd there. Enjoy!!!!

Drew

 

[happybuddha]

1 Storms. It's typhoon season and any big storm, especially a slow mover will ruin a weekend of diving. the viz is bad and the winds are up - even if you want to dive the boatmen are usually sane enough to not let you.

2. Habagat. This is the tricky part, there have been plenty of weekends i've had to cancel or postpone during this period even when there isn't a drop of rain due to the prevailing winds at this time of year (I believe they are south west). When the winds are strong the surf is high and, again, the resorts pretty much shut down because the boats are unable / unwilling to take you out. Even if you do try to find a sheltered spot during this time the conditions are pretty bad - viz, chop, etc.

Joe, I think this is more of a problem in Anilao than PG. There will be occassions when bankas can't make night crossings from Batangas to PG (and rare occassions when they won't go during the day) but once you are there its very rare that boats can't get out to a dive site. There is always a protected side in the PG area no matter which way (habagat or amihan) the wind is blowing.

Cheers,
Drew

 

[Scuby Dooby]

Hi Drew, you've spent more time in PG than i have so i'll trust your opinion. I must say that I have never had a dive cancelled there, even during rainy season, so you are probably onto something.

Definitely right about the ferry though, I had the not so pleasant experience of having an outrigger support break during a crossing to white beach on one of the super big bancas. Wow, sounded like dynamite going off! And curiously this happened in January, strong wind and big waves in the channel. That is truly a bad piece of water sometimes.

cheers, Joe

 

[happybuddha]

Hi Joe,

I have heard a few outriggers creak like they wanted to pop, but never been unfortunate enough to be on one when it goes. However, 3-4 years ago a friend, his 5 year old son and I were making a crossing back to Batangas on a rough Sunday afternoon, we hit a wave (or a log or something) and there was a loud thump, the banka kept moving and I didn't think anything about it until I saw one of the bangkeros look over the bow and turn to the captain and make a round shape with his arms. Normally when you see that sign it means you are at about 14m and about to go through Hole in the Wall, however being well into the Verde Island Passage and not under the water I thought to my self "oh $#%+". The captain immediately turned the boat 180 degrees and headed back to PG keeping the power to it to keep the bow up.

We got back to PG and the captain ran the boat up on the beach in Small Lalaguna, when we disembarked we saw the problem, there was a hole in the bow about the size of a large garbage can lid just below the name of the boat. We proceeded directly to The Point to take a few bottles of courage before trying the crossing again.

This is off subject but are you Dragon Boat Racing this weekend in HKG? Wish I could be there but I'm off to Cambodia and Vietnam on Monday and need to work tomorrow.

Cheers,
Drew

 

[shugar]

the variety of bottles available at the point is amazing!

courage, strength, love, forgetfulness hahahahahahaha as the barkeep always says: choose your poison

Jag

PS
scuby: you dragonboat? i used to do that years ago... loads of fun, just hated waking at ungodly hours to train...

 

[pakman]

Happy Buddha - yes reason we're going with Asia Divers is that my old friends who are expats in Tokyo have used them frequently and have strongly recommended them. Also - yes the Dragon Boat races are today but skipping them as its just a nightmare taxi ride back from Stanley after the races...

Shugar - 5am dragon boat training is not my cup of tea... My colleague had a few of them this year... didn't envy him at all...

As for the weather in PG - I'll hope for the best. And if by chance the weather is that bad that even the bancas dont sail, I guess I'll be sampling the grog collection at The Point and catching up with some old friends who I haven't seen in a long time.

 

[gaudencio]

Hi packman,
I just came back yesterday from a ( June 11-13) 3day diving at Puerto galera. Weather is very good. Surf is still calm. visibility not as good as May 15. The currents are strong in the afternoon. We have to do canyons and horse head only in the morning. Though the schooling fishes at the canyons are not around. But the big groupers and sweet lips are there near the canyons Fishbowl. My guide said that there have been local spearfishing activities during the evening. The reason why the fishes seems to be a little scared of divers. especially the jacks and tuna.
But the diving was great and I think the weather might hold on like this till the end of June. We might be going back to PG by ist week of July.
Hope this helps.