Which dive location in the Philippines in December?

[CODMAN]

yeah, PG does have a special place. But in all honnesty (emotions asside), the diving there is excellent. It's good vis, very varied diving (Drift, wreck, deep, muck, macro, Tech... it pretty much has it all) and you can find there pretty much every funky crtitter/ fish that makes diving Asia so spectacular (at least to me and marine life lovers). And from what I've read, the other renown dive destinations in the PIs have just as good, if not sometimes better, although apparently not as much variety... So in all, no matter what destination you choose, you're going to love it...

I handled the 27 hour transit to Manila remarkably well. Basically, I didn,t go to bed at all the night before my flight in order to force my body into sleeping on the daytime flight... Didn't work, hardly slept on the flight... But it did help with the transition into the new time zone! I arrived at ther dive shop in Sabang about 40 hours after leaving home, after 3 hours of sleep in Manila, and went straight for a dive with my instructor at canyons (that was his checkout dive to see how I was under water)... What a way to start a vacation...

Codman, it's obvious PG holds a special place in your scuba heart and I think I can understand why. Bali Hai and all that. Some places can have that effect on you.

Tannebil, thanks for the info. We would be arriving in mid-December and staying through Christmas (although not New Years) so we should expect crowds, yes?

cim72lando, I know the diving in the Pacific must be superlative to anything I've experienced, but what's a poor Eastcoaster to do? Take that $1500+ airfare and multiple it by three. Yikes! And it's at least 24 hours traveling--most likely more! How do you guys manage that, btw? Drugs? Meditation? Hypnosis? I love to travel and I love to dive, but every year I hate flying more and more.

 

[cim72lando]

Codman, it's obvious PG holds a special place in your scuba heart and I think I can understand why. Bali Hai and all that. Some places can have that effect on you.

Tannebil, thanks for the info. We would be arriving in mid-December and staying through Christmas (although not New Years) so we should expect crowds, yes?

cim72lando, I know the diving in the Pacific must be superlative to anything I've experienced, but what's a poor Eastcoaster to do? Take that $1500+ airfare and multiple it by three. Yikes! And it's at least 24 hours traveling--most likely more! How do you guys manage that, btw? Drugs? Meditation? Hypnosis? I love to travel and I love to dive, but every year I hate flying more and more.

I, too have to work to be be able to enjoy this hobby. It's just the luck of the draw that some of these dive destinations are in the other side of the world from you, so ultimately you have to decide for yourself whether it's worth the time, money, and effort for such a trip. I found out airlines charge the lowest prices the earlier you book and the Philipppines is the most affordable destination among the top 5 in the region.