recommended malapascua dive ops?

[xrcjdx]

posted similar question in october but no replies, so going to try one more time. arriving in malapascua in a week for a week. trying to save myself some leg work if possible. i see some extraordinary (i.e. ridiculous) prices out there - 1750 php per dive, for example - that i am not willing to pay. any recommendations, perhaps a filipino owned business, with more down to earth, reality based prices?

 

[marku]

1750php doesn't really sound ridiculous; sounds reasonable. Any cheaper and the operator probably has to cut corners where the quality and safety of the dive may be compromised.

Evolution has my vote in Malapascua. Matt Reed always runs a tight dive operation. Or at least he did while he was with Atlantis...

 

[Centrals]

1750php doesn't really sound ridiculous; sounds reasonable. Any cheaper and the operator probably has to cut corners where the quality and safety of the dive may be compromised.

Can't remember how much I paid when last dived at Malapascua. But as far as I experienced there are many places in the country charge a lot less than P1,750.00 per boat dive without compromising on quality and safety eg Nelson in Moalboal(P900.00) and Johan in Subic Bay(P1,000.00).

 

[nudisusie]

Hi xrcjdx

Highly recommend Thresher Shark Divers. I was looking at adding some dives in Malapascua onto my Philippines trip next year and the owner Andrea quoted me 1350 php (30US$) per dive or for 5 days unlimited diving 27,000 php

That doesn't include kit (i have my own) or nitrox (350 php per fill) or park fees which are 150php per day + 50 php for each dive at Monad Shoal but they don't charge any extra for Gato Island trips.

Great team, well organised set up. They are just celebrating 10 years of operation so well established in the area.

pm me if you'd like me to put you in email contact with Andrea

All the best and happy diving!
Susie

 

[ElGaucho]

I was going to tell you right out of the bat that Evolution diving is the best dive shop in the world. Great little shop, great management, awesome dive guides that actually know how to dive (in trim, in control, showing badass technique), who know not to bang on stuff and just point calmly at the stuff they wanna show you so you can enjoy the dive, with badass instructors and badass technical diving facilities. And I could probably recommend another two dive shops Ive dived and liked over there.

But then you decided to state you want to pay whatever YOU feel is fair to pay. You don't give two craps about the costs of operating a business where you are going, or the effort put into having well trained staff, or good boats, or a fantastic compressor setup. You just care about what YOU believe in your head a fair price should be. In that case, I can't recommend ANYONE, at all. You just have the wrong attitude. I really would love to understand what "reality" is according to you? Whatever pleases you?

Good luck.

 

[Kenr]

Seems like some of you are a little hard on the poster. There are a few good dive shops that charge less than Evolution. I'm not saying Evolution isn't worth what they charge but there are other options.

Seaquest has a dive shop in Malapascua. I have dove with them there and their shop at Alona Beach. they charge 1350 for one dive or 12,500 for 10 dives, that's $28 usd per dive. Also I recall when I stayed at their resort i got another 10% off. I think Seaquest is a fine operation and I would dive with them again.

Ken

 

[Mucksavage]

Evolution is cheaper then P1750 per dive! Feel free to email or PM for full pricing.

Just a bit go background info for SBers - Malapascua is a bit more expensive then many areas for good reason. We pay P29 per kilowatt compared to P10 or less in most other areas. Running compressors on that tariff adds up very quickly. We can of course invest millions in generators (and many of us have) but that still needs to be paid for. Add to that we are very remote and most items, from lightbulbs to compressor filters, from O rings to Helium are coming from Cebu and that is not cheap either. Diesel etc all has to come from Cebu Island so there is a never ending logistical factor in our location. And that is reflected in prices.

Places like Dauin, Panglao, Moalboal or Subic Bay mentioned above are all serviced by road and that certainly saves a buck also.

 

[Centrals]

1750php doesn't really sound ridiculous; sounds reasonable. Any cheaper and the operator probably has to cut corners where the quality and safety of the dive may be compromised.

Evolution has my vote in Malapascua. Matt Reed always runs a tight dive operation. Or at least he did while he was with Atlantis...

Evolution is charging less than P1,750.00 per dive!!
But you recommended this place.
So are you contradicting your statement that chargeing less than P1,750.00 per dive means compromising on quality and safety?

 

[Kenr]

this thread is turning into a bunch of BS. There are some dive shops on the island that charge a lot less than Evolution. I don't believe that any shop that charges less than Matt is compromising quality. Don't make this guy sound like he is a cheap skate. I have been there 3 times and I didn't want to pay Matt his 40% premium so I dove with another operator. If you want to pay the extra and feel you are getting value for it then so be it, its your money to spend.

I have nothing against Evolution. I am sure they are a good dive shop. I know there are other shops on the island that do a great job too. For me I wouldn't and didn't pay their premium.

 

[xrcjdx]

yikes! i appreciate the flame, and the defense as well, not to mention the good, helpful info! those of us who are frequent and traveled divers in the philipppines know what we expect to pay for a dive, and what to expect for our pesos. to the extent that there is or may be a premium attached to malapascua diving related to unique overhead is a point well taken. what that premium is or should be is a point worth considering.
rc