Korean Job Discussion Forums

RnH · Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Location: Korea

Hi there, We've done a search on the forum but cant seem to find anything about diving in the Philippines, so we hope someone can help! We are going to the Philippines in April/May when our contracts end, and we are really interested in doing some diving. But we cant seem to find anyone that can recommend top diving spots for beginners (We are going to do an open water dive course when we get there). Everybody seems to have different opinions about where to go, so we havent been able to make up our minds yet! Can anyone clear this up for us? We will have quite a long time so we dont mind a bit of island hopping to get to the best spots. Also, if anyone can recommend a good place/company to do our dive course with, that would be great too. Thanx!

mumblebee · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Location: Andong

I did my cert with Action Divers in Puerto Galera. PG is a great place to learn to dive...there is a huge variety of sites, all within a few minutes boat ride from the dive shops. You will do your confined dives in the shallow water off the beach, much more fun than a pool! PG is really nothing but diving, however; there isn't much beach to speak of, at least not without boat travel. It can also seem a little bit seedy, but not too bad. There are a few nightspots, and a good variety of restaurants.

Anyway here is the link to Action Divers: www.actiondivers.com

Another place I was checking out for this year is Calibao, a really small island that has apparently good diving, and a nice beach as well. The place with the dive shop is a family-run resort, and it looks really nice. Not much nightlife/restaurant choice, but much more family-style. You would fly in to Cebu for this one.

Check it out here: www.laestrella.ph

ThePoet · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:10 am Post subject:

Last February, I went to Sabang beach at Puerto Galera and I certified in PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, and Underwater Photography. I went back in June to certify in Deep Diving, Wreck Diving, and Nitrox. I will be going this February to get my Night Dive certification and have some fun dives.

I really recommend Frontier Divers at Sabang Beach. A lot of ex-pats have used Frontier and it was recommended to me. I can see why. The staff is super friendly, accomodating, and helpful. You can visit their website at: http://www.frontierscuba.com/cf/c-cont.html

Rick at Frontier can arrange accomodation for you but right next to Frontier Divers is a hotel called the Triton. And if you go there for a month, you can have an air-conditioned room with hot showers for 16,000 pesos (320$) for the whole month. Other than that it is about $1000 pesos a day (20$). There are lots of great places to eat...just down the beach from Fronteir is Captain Greggs. They have a barbeque every night...you can get a one pound ribeye or T-bone with an AYCE salad bar for around 10 dollars. There are lots of good places to eat western or filipino.

You can get to Sabang very cheaply. If you go to the Swagman hotel and get their "Fly the bus" package, you can go from the swagman to Sabang for 500 pesos (10 dollars) and back for the same price. But I would not recommend the Swagman to stay if you stay for a night or two in Manila...overpriced. There is a hotel about 3 blocks away called Cherry Blossoms which has aircon rooms for 28 dollars a night. Check out the "fly the bus" package at: http://www.swaggy.com/swaggy/hotels/travel2.htm. For some reason they do not list the Manila - Sabang route, but it is still there.

If you want to see pictures of Sabang and some underwater creatures, go to my photos at: http://www.casey-allen.net/photographs.htm and click on Philippines 1 or Philippines 2

I hope that helps with your decision...

Poet

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Sabang is a great place to dive. Cheap hotels, cheap food, great diving, cheap diving, and dive sites less than 5 minutes boat ride from the resorts. However, a lot of divers get recommendations to go there and show up completely unaware of what the atmosphere is like, which is why I feel the need to offer you this caveat: It is incredibly sleazy. The place is awash with .. ahem .. women of easy virtue, and 50-year-old Scandinavian dudes looking for women of easy virtue. A bunch of older European divers at my hotel were actually staying there with younger local women they had rented for the week. If you stay in a more upmarket hotel, you may be able to limit your exposure to this side of Sabang.

I spent a few days there diving a year ago and will in all probability end up back there at some point in the coming year or two because it is indeed a great and inexpensive place to spend some time diving. However, don't expect a family-friendly, wholesome environment. I felt sorry for the unaware divers who brought their kids there.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Boodleheimer · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:33 pm Post subject:

Free Willy Diving on Boracay. very, very cool.

RnH · Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Location: Korea

Thanx so much for all the advice and links..it has been a great help!

refikaM · Joined: 06 May 2006 Location: Gangwondo

Hey... been reading these posts as I am headed to Bohol in Feb and will do some diving.. Is there a particular dive center there that someone can recommend? I know there are several to choose from and would like to know which are reputable.... Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

I am on Panglao Beach right now and I just finished my open water course. It was fantastic and I saw a lot of stuff. This is one of the top destinations for diving in the country and it also has a great beach and lots to see otherwise. I am here because of Ttompatz's advice, It was good advice. I had two instructors just to myself, everything has gone at my pace. We are going to go somewhere else in about 3 days, so I will probably dive there as well and I will let you know how it is. It is an 'older' crowd, but there are plenty of young people here as well. Anyways, my dive company is called Sea Explorers and they have 6 branches throughout the Visayas and are one of the only companies to actually give you all the equipment including the underwater computer to use. You should try them.

RnH · Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Location: Korea

refikaM · Joined: 06 May 2006 Location: Gangwondo

Hey thanks y'all for the dive center info... However, I already have my diver cert. card and want an outfit that will provide me with reasonable quality equipment and take me to some cool spots. Is there much of a difference in cost for dive excursions or are they pretty much the same? I will be staying at the Alona Tropical. Good enough? Thanks again in advance.

refikaM · Joined: 06 May 2006 Location: Gangwondo

Hello adgeddes! Since you are in Bohol now and are diving where I will be in a couple of weeks, I hope you don't mind that I ask about how it is there. How is the Sea Explorers diving outfit? I don't need certification but just want some scenic diving excursions. Also, I will be staying at the Alona Tropical, but I haven't been able to contact them by phone for a couple of weeks to change my booking with them. I have talked to them once so I know I have the right number. Are there phone problems down there presently? Thanks in advance. Sorry this is so long.... Have fun!

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

I am staying at Alona Tropical right now and Sea Explorers is right at the resort. There are no problems down here right now, but the internet is rediculously slow. This area has some of the best dive sights in the Philippines, and within a 25 minute boat right you can be at 25 different dive sights. There are about 25 sights all around Panglao island and some you can actually do shore starts from Alona Tropical. They are extremely professional and super nice. My one instructor wants to take me on a night dive tomorrow, so we are doing that.

My spelling here is wrong, but look at Balicasag island which is right off this island and there is some of the best diving. You can take short trips there everyday. You can see it from Alona beach.

It is a good idea to make a reservation beforehand because we didn't and we have had to switch rooms every two days.

Also, all the decent dive outfits down here more or less charge the same rates, so no worries with that. Sea explorers has a website so just google it and you can take a look at it. Anymore questions, just ask.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

I'm envious.. I feel like I'm at Alona Beach just thinking of someone being there now.

Bohol has so much to offer.. Chocolate Hills.. the tarsier.. really unique place. Alona Beach was gorgeous. I didn't appreciate it the first time, thinking that most beaches must have been like it and Boracay.. realized the more I traveled around how gorgeous and ideal Alona Beach really is.