Thoughts on choosing among the South Leyte dive ops?

[FT]

Thanks all! Peter's is booked. Now for the Cebu Pacific flights with added baggage... and yes, there will be a trip report.

 

[Luko]

A private place to pee that doesn't require a jump off the side being only one of them.

Really? C'mon... don't go diving Indonesia then, I don't even remember a land operation who provides toilets on their boat.
Gangga island resort maybe, other than that...

Besides that any comments on the dive organisation (quality of dive guides, limitation on spots they're going to, etc.)?
Oh yeah, I also remember a dive operation in Anda with such stairs going down to the sea, they were asking the customers to bring their tanks and BCD up and down. Do they as well?
And me with my 10kg camera : No way, not anymore!

 

[dirtfarmer]

Really? C'mon... don't go diving Indonesia then, I don't even remember a land operation who provides toilets on their boat.
Gangga island resort maybe, other than that...

OMG a chance to best @Luko...sorry buddy but here is a list that I can remember off the top of my head (pun intended), maybe your encyclopedia like knowledge is fading. Or you haven't been day boat diving in Indo for quite a few years. I'll bet it's the former.
Land based operations with bathrooms on their day boats in Indonesia, that I have personally taken a wizz in.
Two Fish, Scuba Junkies, Lembongan Dive Center, NAD, Bastianos. The only one that might not have had a head might be 3W dive on Gili Air.
Do I get a prize? Please don't Me. Or The messenger. I couldn't help myself

 

[Luko]

OMG a chance to best @Luko...sorry buddy but here is a list that I can remember off the top of my head (pun intended), maybe your encyclopedia like knowledge is fading. Or you haven't been day boat diving in Indo for quite a few years. I'll bet it's the former.
Land based operations with bathrooms on their day boats in Indonesia, that I have personally taken a wizz in.
Two Fish, Scuba Junkies, Lembongan Dive Center, NAD, Bastianos. The only one that might not have had a head might be 3W dive on Gili Air.
Do I get a prize? Please don't Me. Or The messenger. I couldn't help myself

I give you that Lembeh ops usually have toilets, i might have forgotten Lembeh Resort or Murex in the lot.
Looks like onboard loos are a Lembeh speciality, probably because they're afraid the divers might pollute the water quality of the strait.

Apparently we're not using the same ops in the same conditions, it's been a long time I haven't seen a toilet on board except for really big (and slow) day boats, I prefer to jump overboard than crouching/half peeing on myself so I don't care much for onboard toilets as I usually dive on speedboats or privately hired boats, this probably explaining that .
I am reviewing in my head some of the ops I've been with, N/Sulawesi excepted, all around Bali none (speedboats or jukungs), Komodo neither (fast speedboat), Kalimaya might have been but too cramped I prefered to jump (speedboat) Alor certainly not (small speedboat), Raja Ampat noway (speed boat as well), Pulau Weh kidding me (local boat), Ambon clearly not (speedboat).
Phils even in Anilao, Dauin, Cabilao or Alona I've never used toilet equiped speedboats. Only for Apo island, Balicasag or Pescador daytrips on big bangkas.

In fact I realize that toilets means more divers on the boat each time, so I will try to avoid boats with toilets, then.

Another reason why you've always had toilets is that you might be filtering your selection on that single criteria before booking with the operations.

 

[frank707]

Toilets in Ambon : dive into Ambon

 

[FT]

I too prefer small boats, and also short rides. Struggling to remember a Philippine operation with a toilet on the boat, ditto the Caribbean for that matter.

 

[dirtfarmer]

Maybe they should call them seapeed boats.

 

[FT]

Where does the pee go from the one-holer on board a boat that is so equipped? Into the same sea.

I am reminded of the folks who chided me for riding my bike in Manila. "How can you breathe that polluted air?" Where did they think the air came from inside their cars? Teleported from Alaska?

 

[waterbubble]

Hi we were looking to go to Leyte with Pintuyan Divers. They have excellent reviews on the german diver forums and they offer Nitrox for free.

 

[Rickk]

I too prefer small boats, and also short rides. Struggling to remember a Philippine operation with a toilet on the boat, ditto the Caribbean for that matter.

I have just dove with Philippine Fun Diver in Pangalou and Liquid Dumagete in Dauin. All their boats, including several charters that were used had toilets. Most of the other boats that I looked at in passing had them as well.