Where to stay and dive in Balicasag sep 8-12

[kenz0]

Gonna dive balicasag with friends, sept 8-12 and we are lookin for a cheap place to stay so we can spend money on diving, choosing between Panglao or Balicasag island itself. Got no gears, so i need to rent stuff.

*How long does it take to Cabilao from there?
*What are the "Must dive" sites? (esp for underwater photographers who plan to shoot pelagics or schooling fish)

SALAMAT!
:cool2:

 

[h2odragon1]

Balicasag is more expensive!
Where are your friends staying?
If you go in on a room with them you could still save money.
Otherwize; Welcome to Flower Garden Resort
Isis Bungalows - Welcome to Isis Bungalows
The 'Black Forest' is a great dive! You can't go wrong.

 

[kenz0]

Balicasag is more expensive!
Where are your friends staying?
If you go in on a room with them you could still save money.
Otherwize; Welcome to Flower Garden Resort
Isis Bungalows - Welcome to Isis Bungalows
The 'Black Forest' is a great dive! You can't go wrong.

Thank you for the links!

Im staying with friends wherever it's cheap

Ok, blackforrest it is, got one now thanks! Any idea how long it takes to get to cabilao.

 

[mikeng]

panglao to cabilao i heard is about 2 hours away...

 

[Karl_H]

*How long does it take to Cabilao from there?
:

It's usually 3 hours on 'normal' seas from Alona Beach, or 2 hours from Mactan - you should check with the weather before hand though as at that time of year the afternoon winds will make it a wet 4 hour plus journey back to Alona if the water surface becomes choppy.

Karl

 

[kenz0]

It's usually 3 hours on 'normal' seas from Alona Beach, or 2 hours from Mactan - you should check with the weather before hand though as at that time of year the afternoon winds will make it a wet 4 hour plus journey back to Alona if the water surface becomes choppy.

Karl

KARL!!!!!!!
You were the one who gave me tips on shooting underwater in lemery with TOM and luis while u guys were doing an extended range dive i think. I was with the s2000 if u can't recall. Do you have flickr now? lol i wana see em pics

 

[Karl_H]

Hey Kenz0,

Yep, I remember that - about 3 or 4 moths ago right?

How's the set-up going with the S2000?

Sadly most of my pics seem to live only on my mac hard drive - I'll let you know when I get a flicker site sorted out

Karl

 

[jbb]

Gonna dive balicasag with friends, sept 8-12 and we are lookin for a cheap place to stay so we can spend money on diving, choosing between Panglao or Balicasag island itself. Got no gears, so i need to rent stuff.

*How long does it take to Cabilao from there?
*What are the "Must dive" sites? (esp for underwater photographers who plan to shoot pelagics or schooling fish)

SALAMAT!
:cool2:

I dived with Philippine Fun Divers on Alona Beach. They showed me a place up the hill away from the beach for 700php a night, fan, and own shower. It was right for me and the hill put it in shadow in the afternoon so it was a little cooler by night time. I heartily recommend the night dive where ever along the beach. Great eels, most eels I've seen since Apo Island. If you stay at Alona Beach you are only a 30 min. boat ride from Balicasag. I saw my first anemone pipefish on Alona. I dived Cabilao a couple of years ago and much prefer Alona Beach.

I got four dives at Balicasag and there was a school of jacks and of baracuda. Didn't get any good shots though. As you dive the wall areas there are a number of big fish swimming by in the deep.

 

[kenz0]

I dived with Philippine Fun Divers on Alona Beach. They showed me a place up the hill away from the beach for 700php a night, fan, and own shower. It was right for me and the hill put it in shadow in the afternoon so it was a little cooler by night time. I heartily recommend the night dive where ever along the beach. Great eels, most eels I've seen since Apo Island. If you stay at Alona Beach you are only a 30 min. boat ride from Balicasag. I saw my first anemone pipefish on Alona. I dived Cabilao a couple of years ago and much prefer Alona Beach.

Will do. For Eel's sake

Hey Kenz0,

Yep, I remember that - about 3 or 4 moths ago right?

How's the set-up going with the S2000?

Sadly most of my pics seem to live only on my mac hard drive - I'll let you know when I get a flicker site sorted out

Karl

I freakn got my Oring squeezed inside my housing. lol, havnt taken shots eversince. Will do in Balicasag though, with a whole new wetlens line up

 

[pughio83]

Staying on Alona beach i think is better as you can still dive balicasag, but you get a nice house reef where i saw lots of nice macro, plus there are a few bars and restaurants where you can socialise and enjoy a relaxed evening. I dived with alona divers on one trip and scubaworld on the second, i advise scubaworld as a good setup. I think the guy that runs it is called Manou.

There are cheap options to stay in alona. Plus there are day trips also or half day trips to see chocolate hills and the tarsiers if you wanted a land option.

Balicasag was nice diving, though i didnt see anything spectacular in terms of pelagics or macro. The sloping walls were very healthy, lots of fish life. Black forest was the best but the currents when i dove in august were strong and the fast drift limited photography options but i think the currents are variable.

However a bit further (hr by boat) we also dived at pamilican island. Very unusual place, scattered corals and sloping sands but excellent visibility with a chance of manta rays and some passing sharks (hammers have been seen app). We saw a very distant glimpse of a manta with sped past in the blue, but we did see barracudas, napolean wrasse, bump headed parrots and some rays on the sandy regions. lots of massive barrel sponges made it look like an alien landscape underwater!! Plus we also saw the resident spinner dolphins on the way to pamilican.

Not sure re cabilao, its quite bit further but i have heard the diving re pelagics is v good.

I do recommend doing some snorkelling at alona beach house reef as you can see some nice things if you look close.