Guys...I've been diving in the Philippines the last 5 summers and winters.. twice I have not been able to get a ferry due to typhoons in the summer....but once in Balicasac a day or two after a typhoon I had amazing diving which put the winter - am I down here during rush hour in Manila? - diving to shame...weather and the typhoon potential are part of the mix for decisions about summer diving, but I'm not going to stay home because of it....that being said, close to the departing flight from Manila - as in Subic - is a plus....I'd like to hear more about Subic....is the daytime diving worth the visit?
Subic is 3-4 hours by bus from Pasay/Manila, depending on what time you travel (the bus goes up EDSA...enough said). It costs 218php each way (via San Fernando) or 250php (via Angeles/Dau). Alternatively, you can get a private car, which costs about 4000php/$100USD each way.
There's a great variety of diving in Subic, as each wreck has its own flavor and vibe. Most divers who visit there on daytrips don't get past the USS New York... which has bad viz and encourages the rumor that the whole of Subic is a right-off visibility wise...
The New York is an amazing wreck. It's not great for viz, as others have mentioned, because it lies directly in the path of the Olongapo river exit... which feeds silty water from the surrounding hills/jungles. Apart from some nice soft corals on the upper hull, there isn't a lot of color either. The real vibe of the New York is the size, historical significance and sombre atmosphere of the dive. Big slabs of thick metal, twisted girders, giant propeller and enormous primary guns... casting giant shadows and emerald streams of light through water. You can drop 15m into the inky blackness of a cavernous coal bunker through a hold in the lower hull... a real adrenaline experience for most novice wreck divers. Despite the bad viz, most divers are very eager to return and repeat the experience.
Landing Ship Tank has much better visibity (much further from the river)...typically 15-20m Lots of marine life on this and the occasional pelagic crossing overhead. It has historical value and serves as a cleaning station for many passing creatures. I've seen large bull sharks and eagle rays here on several occasions. Despite being a deep dive (30-36m) it is very tranquil. The photo in my avatar (see right) is the penetration through the vehicle deck at 32m.
San Quentin, Barges and the coral reefs around Grande Island are good for photography. Unless there has been heavy rain/storms, the visibility should be 15-20m+ Lots of reef fish, occasional turtles, decent macro subjects and, if very lucky, blacktip reef shark. I've seen frogfish, pipefish, ribbon eels, many nudibranch varieties and various species of octopus on these sites. Barges has (this year) a huge resident school of Jacks... tornado-like swirling of (literally) hundreds of these large fish.
El Capitan is a heroic WWII vessel, that sank shortly after the war due to a typhoon. It lies in shallow water and can best be described as an 'underwater playground'. It's perfect for any divers first taste of wreck penetration - as the accessable inner areas (two giant cargo holds and the boiler room) have many exits, lots of depth (away from the silty bottom) and are relatively well illuminated. You can penetrate from the forward hold to the rear hold (virtually the entire 90m length of the ship) in one dive...and enjoy finning through the cathedral-like inner spaces, enjoying the atmosphere of light shafting into the darkness around you.
LCU and Japanese Patrol Boat are smaller wrecks, but have unique characters. The japanese wreck has a nice collection of marine life and has a flourishing coral growth. LCU (landing craft utility) has some nice swim-through rooms.
There are also coral reefs at Nabassan and Light House. These aren't on a par with the best that other Philippines locations have to offer - and the visibility is entirely dependant on recent weather.
More information on the Subic Bay dive sites here:
http://www.scubatechphilippines.com/scuba_diving_subic_bay.html
Photos here:
http://www.scubatechphilippines.com/gallery.html
I am also currently working with a dive operator/charter in Subic to develop some trips that will go outside of the bay...probably overnight expeditions (camping on a beach, with BBQ etc). These are likely to open up some new, spectacular off-shore dive sites
I just got back from running a day-trip to Subic. It was a long day, but everyone had fun. Departed Manila by bus at 5am, enjoyed 3 dives (USS New York, Barges and El Capitan) and was back in Manila by 9pm.
