Top 5 Dive Locations in the Philippines

[Spoon]

5. Ligpo
4. Sombrero island
3. Cabilao Island , Bohol
2. Mantique Island in Camiguin
1. Balicasag

i love sombrero

 

[partridge]

I would like to address the security issue first. My dad is an American and has been here since 1968. Most of my dive buddies are foreigners, meaning white. There is no security issue unless you go out of your way to make it so. I am half american and considered mestizo. We do not go into the mountains for whatever reason. I go out 2 nights a week to get my alcohol level where it is supposed to be. I have never had any problems. Yes we have political problems here and a lot of factions think violence is the way to solve it. But these people do not operate in the cities any more than anywhere else in the world.

My dive buddy here is a brit and just wrote the embassy that they should either take mindanao off their list or put London into the list also.

Bottom line is, the Philippines is a safe place to go to so long as you do not go to unsafe places. For a tourist, every place you go to is on the safe side.

Regarding the dive sites, give me 5 years and Sarangani Bay will be in your top 5. haha

 

[happybuddha]

I would like to address the security issue first. My dad is an American and has been here since 1968. Most of my dive buddies are foreigners, meaning white. There is no security issue unless you go out of your way to make it so. I am half american and considered mestizo. We do not go into the mountains for whatever reason. I go out 2 nights a week to get my alcohol level where it is supposed to be. I have never had any problems. Yes we have political problems here and a lot of factions think violence is the way to solve it. But these people do not operate in the cities any more than anywhere else in the world.

My dive buddy here is a brit and just wrote the embassy that they should either take mindanao off their list or put London into the list also.

Bottom line is, the Philippines is a safe place to go to so long as you do not go to unsafe places. For a tourist, every place you go to is on the safe side.

Regarding the dive sites, give me 5 years and Sarangani Bay will be in your top 5. haha

I've attached (hope it works) an article I had saved from Undercurrents a couple years ago which reiterates what is being said on the board here.

As for Paul's point about Sarangani, I dived Sarangani 3 years ago and enjoyed it. I was in GenSan and did several dives with Tuna City Scuba. The diving consisted of me and the shop owner, a large Brit named Chris, riding around Sarangani Bay in his pickup truck to the dive sites (all the sites we did were shore dives), some of which were quite far from GenSan. Here were two foreigners out in the middle of no where diving, we were in an area Chris said he couldn't get any locals to go diving. Maybe I'm stupid but I never worry about that sort of thing too much in the Philippines, in the 10 years I lived there I never had any trouble (well there was that night I ran my mouth after a few too many drinks and got a San Mig bottle across my head, but let's don't discuss that).

As we were driving to one of the dive sites a truck started following us full of gentleman that were obviously heavily armed, as we pulled off the road to go diving they followed us and we were unsure if they were friend or foe. Turned out to be a contingent of RP army troops that was securing our dive location for a colonel that had called Chris and said he might join us. Chris and I went out and did one dive and when we came back the colonel was there along with more gun-toting troopers and he and 3 other guys did the second dive with us.

I don't know if there is a point to my story, other than I actually felt a bit safer when it was just me and Chris driving around rural Sarangani alone than when we were surrounded a group of soldiers with M-16 and grenade launchers...kind of like you don't stand under a tree when its lightning (the tree attracts the lightning).

Drew

 

[jonix]

nice article

 

[Spoon]

I would like to address the security issue first. My dad is an American and has been here since 1968. Most of my dive buddies are foreigners, meaning white. There is no security issue unless you go out of your way to make it so. I am half american and considered mestizo. We do not go into the mountains for whatever reason. I go out 2 nights a week to get my alcohol level where it is supposed to be. I have never had any problems. Yes we have political problems here and a lot of factions think violence is the way to solve it. But these people do not operate in the cities any more than anywhere else in the world.

My dive buddy here is a brit and just wrote the embassy that they should either take mindanao off their list or put London into the list also.

Bottom line is, the Philippines is a safe place to go to so long as you do not go to unsafe places. For a tourist, every place you go to is on the safe side.

Regarding the dive sites, give me 5 years and Sarangani Bay will be in your top 5. haha

i agree. key is to be low key whrever you go. anyone who is excessively loud, rude and high profile is looking for trouble no matter where in the world that person may be. Philippines is generally a safe place. just act in your place and youl be fine.

 

[tboxcar]

I agree with Partridge above, this thing about safety is 'overblown', I visited South Point Divers in Sarangani Bay (near General Santos) just last month. When I told people I was going to Gen San to dive, many said I was crazy, 'don't do it', 'you will be the next American kidnapped'. Well anyway, I had one of the funnest dive trips I have had in a long while, and never did I feel unsafe, sure a few army checkpoints, but no big deal! You have to weigh your options in life, and measure your risk. Sure the Sipadan incident a few years ago was unfortunate and so was Dos Palmas. I have been traveling the Philippines off and on since 1990 and overall I feel it's alot safer place now than it was back then. When your number 'is up, it's up' look at the poor people in the London Underground, who thought that would of ever happend!

Anyway, I will be heading back to Gen. Santos and hanging out with South Point Divers next time I visit, not many people get down there as it's off the beaten track, but it's well worth it.

 

[jonix]

has anyone been to Sumilon Island, Cebu? would you know of any dive sites in close proximity to it?

 

[paolov]

let's bring this thread to the top again

 

[Kevrumbo]

I agree with Partridge above, this thing about safety is 'overblown', I visited South Point Divers in Sarangani Bay (near General Santos) just last month. When I told people I was going to Gen San to dive, many said I was crazy, 'don't do it', 'you will be the next American kidnapped'. Well anyway, I had one of the funnest dive trips I have had in a long while, and never did I feel unsafe, sure a few army checkpoints, but no big deal! You have to weigh your options in life, and measure your risk. Sure the Sipadan incident a few years ago was unfortunate and so was Dos Palmas. I have been traveling the Philippines off and on since 1990 and overall I feel it's alot safer place now than it was back then. When your number 'is up, it's up' look at the poor people in the London Underground, who thought that would of ever happend!

Anyway, I will be heading back to Gen. Santos and hanging out with South Point Divers next time I visit, not many people get down there as it's off the beaten track, but it's well worth it.

Well, there's a difference between "Unfortunate Happenstance" and "Blundering Boldness"; I vacationed in Sipadan despite US State Dept. warnings about "Insurgent Activity" in the Southern Philippines/Mindanao Region. I thought I was safe at the time because being in "Malaysia proper", I would be no way near the danger area. Long story short I luckily left just hours before the Abu Sayyaf Incursion, April 23 '00 (a Norwegian Couple I met were actually on a Night Dive below the Pier, totally oblivious to what was going on above them, and surfaced just as the raiding boats were departing). Lessons learned: Err on the side of caution now when traveling to places with ongoing political/civil unrest or infectious disease risk. Don't glibly rationalize away your welfare & safety all for the sake of fun & adventure. . .

 

[ScubaV]

1.apo island dumaguete
2.tubattaha reef palawan
3.balicasag bohol
4 pescador island
5 sipalay wrecks

We are from dumaguete