The Cebu City Web Portal CEBU VISITORS GUIDE: ACTIVITIES: DIVING

DIVING IN CEBU 

There is some great diving in Cebu. Before going into details, a few words about safety. The Cebuano dive industry is not strictly regulated; the government has adopted a laissez faire approach. Essentially, the de facto situation is that anyone can operate a diveshop, but only those who voluntarily apply for accreditation are inspected and have their air tested by the government (specifically, the Philippine Tourism Authority, an agency within the Department of Tourism).

Therefore, the Department of Tourism recommends that divers patronize only those diveshops that are accredited by the PCSSD (Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving) and display the poster and sticker. This is definitely good advice to follow. However, since PCSSD rules prohibit spearfishing using scuba gear, the truth is that some excellent diveshops are not accredited with the PCSSD. Moreover, I found some PCSSD accredited dive shops to be subpar.

As with all things in the Philippines, there is some corruption in the industry. I've heard of instructers certifying aspiring dive masters or instructors for money. This brings us to the matter of training. Cebu is PADI territory; PADI dominates, though there are some shops that offer NAUI too. Now, PADI have 4 Course Directors in Cebu, but their job description does not include regulation or inspection. Apparently they do, however, report bad apples back to headquarters.

The bottom line is that those divers who are willing to pay top dollar are in safe hands; Scotty's is universally agreed to be the best and most expensive diveshop in Cebu. But for those who haven't got money trees in their backyards, or those who would like to go diving with a Filipino dive master, are left with a bewildering array of diveshops to choose from.

Philippine Scuba Diving Commission After having visited dozens of diveshops and talking to nearly a hundred dive masters and dive instructers, the advice I developed is this: Don't let a guide or driver persuade you to go with any particular diveshop. Walk into the shop, take a good look around, inspect the equipment, check out the compressor, observe the staff, and if you're not 100 percent happy with what you see, just turn around and walk out. Don't worry - Filipinos aren't naturally violent and nobody will come running after you with machetes. It is within your rights to look out for your own safety.

Some of the establishments we saw were pretty bad. The advertising may have been slick, but basic safety standards were not being met, or the staff clueless. Some of the staff were not even aware of the fact that Cebu has one of the three recompression chambers in the Philippines (at the VISCOM Hospital in Lapu-Lapu City). You don't want to put your life into the hands of someone who wouldn't know what to do in an emergency, right? So we've created my own blacklist of diveshops you should definitely stay away from. If you've had a pretty horrendous experience and the shop is not on the list, let us know.

DIVE SITES IN CEBU

There are largely three diving areas in Cebu. One is Mactan; specifically, the Hilutungan Channel between Mactan and the bird sanctuary of Olango Island. The other two are Moalboal and Malapascua. While Moalboal is a small but superb diving locale that has established itself over the decades as one of the premier diving destinations in the Philippines, Malapascua is a hidden sanctuary still largely unknown to most divers.

Moalboal is about 3 hours from Cebu City; you could really push it, go for just one dive, and make it back to the city the same day, but most people prefer to spend at least one night. Evenings in the village of Panagsama in Moalboal are relaxed and pleasant, as divers and locals mingle over cold beers. In comparison, Malapascua is a lot harder to reach, which is perhaps why it's remained unknown for so long. It takes half a day to get there and half a day to get back, so it would only make sense if you stayed at least two nights.

If you are serious about your diving (or snorkeling), you'll probably go for Moalboal and Malapascua. But Mactan can be fun too; the competition between dive shops is intense, and you get good value for money. A lot of diveshops include in the itinerary a picnic on an uninhabited island.

DIVING IN MACTAN

The Hilotongan Channel is about 300 fathoms deep, and you might consequently see some of the larger species such as 2-feet-long cuttlefish, manta rays, and, occasionally, barracuda or whale sharks. There are no wrecks in the Hilotongan Channel, but there's a cave in Marigondon with luminescent creatures that glow in the dark. Dive sites in Cebu are characterized by a rich variety of beautiful coral, such as brain corals, fan corals and gorgonians.
To find out more about the dive sites, get "Diving the Philippines" published by Periplus Action Guides.

If you can handle the idea of sleeping in primitive conditions, you might want to consider taking an overnight diving safari, covering several sites including Hilutungan Channel and dive sites off the nearby island of Bohol, such as Panglao.

DIVESHOPS IN MACTAN

The diveshops in Mactan are all located along the coastal road, and are featured here in order of proximity to the airport. The first one happens to be the biggest and most reputable of the diveshops in Mactan, namely Scotty's, which has on its payroll diving instructors of every imaginable nationality. Scotty's is the Shangri-la's concessionaire, and is also the 800-pound gorilla for water sports; most smaller establishments outsource parasailing and jetski rides to Scotty's. Not surprisingly, however, Scotty's is also one of the most expensive diving establishments in Mactan.

Near Scotty's is Paradive, which caters mostly to customers from Hong Kong. All establishments in Cebu have been hit hard by the drop in arrivals caused by SARS and the Iraq war; rumor has it Paradive sold some of their equipment to make ends meet. They do have, however, a nice beach and pool of their own.

Located inside Vista Mar is Angel Marine, a small high-end outfit. Since Vista Mar is frequented by local members on weekends, it might be more relaxing to go diving at Angel Marine on weekdays.

Diving in Cebu started at Buyong, still home to almost a dozen diveshops. The man who was there from the very beginning, 1975 to be exact, is silverback Booboy Manco, owner and operator of Liquid Assets. Booboy says he has trained 70+ instructors and certified more than a thousand divers. In fact, most of the proprietors of diveshops in Buyong used to work for Booboy.

One of them is the owner of Boyla, Simplicio Gilig, who has aggressively expanded his operation to include a small overnight facility and a fleet of boats. Next door is Aquafiesta Divers. A few yards away are Tropical Island Adventures, which advertises successfully, but which I definitely think you should avoid. Inside the modest Buyong Beach Resort are Emerald, run by a couple of Japanese. SSS, meanwhile, is run by a Filipino divemaster with many years of experience, who assured me he can take customers as far as Malapascua. He also operates island hopping tours, which accounts for his large fleet.

Next up are two one-man joints. There are no foreign diving instructors at Sea Horse. The guy who runs it is as Filipino as they come; I noticed a fighting cock tied to his hut, nicely decorated with palm frond mats. If you are an experienced diver and like Red Horse beer, Jhony Cases is your man. Next door is Jonjie's Aquaflight. Jonjie is an instructor with a military bearing who specializes in diving safaris lasting 3-4 days, covering all the major diving sites in Mactan and Bohol.

Now for the diveshops located inside the resorts in Maribago. Inside the Tambuli resort is Club Aquasports, a fairly decent and reasonably-priced operation. But PSQ Divers, inside the neighboring Cebu Beach Club, is on the Wa'y Blima! blacklist. We were not able to cover Coral Point, the concessionaire in Maribago Bluewater, because the security guard insisted on charging me a fee for entry into the resort. Presumably they get enought business from guests staying inside the resort. The diveship inside the charming Crispina Aquatics is tiny and informal, befitting that resort. Blue Coral, inside White Sands, is a large organization which seems to be focused on Japanese tourists, but divers of other nationalitity are welcome. Meanwhile, the upstart C & C, situated on the grounds of the Hotel Jippan, caters mostly to Koreans but welcomes divers of any nationality. Their rates are extremely affordable, considering that their equipment is brand-new (most new diving establishments in Cebu start out with second-hand gear). Pado, who relocated from Buyong to the premises of the former Coral Reef Resort, are also Korean-owned.

Yet another establishment aimed at the Korean market is Manta Aqua Sports, inside the Quantum resort a few miles from Buyong. I was impressed with their neat and professional operation, and since their services are of a high standard in relation to the rates charged, I don't see why you shouldn't go diving with them. Better avoid their neighbors Ocean Field, however, who are aimed at the Japanese market to the extent that all prices are quoted in yen only.

Inside the vast Plantation Bay are Scuba World Inc, a PADI 5-Star professional organization, which also has a branch in Cebu City.

Giving Scotty's and Scuba World some competiton at the top end of the spectrum are PC Divers and Kon-Tiki. PC Divers, located inside the Pacific Cebu Resort, is a PADI Gold Palm center and a favorite for certification. Kon-Tiki is equally professional - they offer specialized services such as nitrox - and run by a highly qualified German diver.

DIVE SHOP DATA

SCOTTY'S DIVE CENTRE
LOCATION SHANGRI-LA'S MACTAN ISLAND RESORT, PUNTA ENGANO, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1] [2]

PHONE +63-32-231-5060 FAX +63-32-231-5075

WEBSITE www.divescotty.com

STAFF 7 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 2 DIVEMASTERS

BOATS 6 POOL YES

AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$75, FULL SCUBA RENTAL $35, INTRO DIVE $125, CERTIFICATION $400-$500

PCSSD ACCREDITED

REMARKS THE INSTRUCTORS ARE OF VARIOUS NATIONALITIES. FREE PICK UP FOR CUSTOMERS NOT STAYING AT THE SHANGRI-LA.

PARADIVE SCUBA DIVING RESORT
LOCATION NEAR THE HILTON TOWERS, MACTAN

PHONE +63-32-340-9234

STAFF 1 DIVEMASTER

BOATS 1 POOL YES

AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 1 BOAT DIVES US$25

REMARKS ACCOMMODATION ALSO AVAILABLE, PHP 800 - 1,500. NO RESTAURANT.

ANGEL MARINE
LOCATION VISTA MAR, DAP-DAP, MACTAN

PHONE +63-32-493-7800

STAFF 2 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 2 ASSISTANT DIVING INSTRUCTORS

BOATS 3 POOL YES

AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$70, FULL SCUBA RENTAL $35, INTRO DIVE $100, CERTIFICATION $400-450

REMARKS FREE PICK-UP.

LIQUID ASSETS
LOCATION BUYONG, MACTAN

PHONE +63-32-492-0108

EMAIL liqass [at] hotmail [dot] com

STAFF 1 MASTER INSTRUCTOR, 1 DIVING INSTRUCTOR, 1 ASSISTANT DIVING INSTRUCTOR, 4 DIVEMASTERS

BOATS 2 AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES W/ GEAR US$25, 2 BOAT DIVES W/O GEAR $20, INTRO DIVE $80, CERTIFICATION $200-300, DIVE SAFARI $75+

REMARKS OPERATED BY BOOBOY MANCAO. BOOBOY ALSO OWNS A SCUBA GEAR SHOP IN CEBU CITY (CEBU GRAND HOTEL COMPLEX, ESCARIO STREET; +63-32-254-6359)

BOYLA DIVE CENTER
LOCATION BUYONG, MACTAN

PHONE +63-32-492-1823, +63-32-492-1800

EMAIL boyladiveresort [at] hotmail [dot] com

STAFF 2 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 5 DIVEMASTERS

BOATS 14 AFFILIATION PADI, NAUI

RATES 1 BOAT DIVE US$30, EQUIPMENT RENTAL $10, INTRO DIVE $40, CERTIFICATION (PADI/NAUI) $180

REMARKS OPERATED BY COASTGUARD AUXILIARY SIMPLICIO "BOYLA" GILIG. ACCOMMODATION ALSO AVAILABLE AT PhP 1,000-1,200

AQUAFIESTA
LOCATION BUYONG, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1] [2]

PHONE +63-32-495-8133

STAFF 5 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 2 DIVEMASTERS

BOATS 1 AFFILIATION PADI, NAUI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES W/ OR W/O EQUIPMENT RENTAL US$70, INTRO DIVE (2 DIVES) $70, CERTIFICATION (PADI/NAUI) $350

EMERALD GREEN DIVING CENTER
LOCATION BUYONG, MACTAN

PHONE +63-32-341-0299, +63-32-495-9372

FAX +63-32-341-0299

WEBSITE www2.mozcom.com/~emerald/

STAFF 4 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 2 DIVEMASTERS

AFFILIATION PADI, NAUI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$70, EQUIPMENT $30, INTRO DIVE (2 DIVES) $100, CERTIFICATION (PADI/NAUI) $300

REMARKS THE INSTRUCTORS ARE ALL JAPANESE. FREE PICK-UP.

TRIPLE S DIVE SERVICES
LOCATION BUYONG, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1]

PHONE +63-32-492-0111

STAFF 1 DIVING INSTRUCTOR, 2 DIVEMASTERS

BOATS 7

AFFILIATION PADI PCSSD ACCREDITED

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES W/ OR W/O EQUIPMENT $35, 2 BOAT DIVES W/ LUNCH $40, INTRO DIVE $35, CERTIFICATION $225

REMARKS 85 TANKS, 3 COMPRESSORS.

SEA HORSE MARINE DIVING CLUB
LOCATION MARIBAGO, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1]

PHONE +63-32-340-9420

STAFF 4 DIVEMASTERS

AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$30, EQUIPMENT RENTAL $10, INTRO DIVE (2 DIVES) $45

JONJIE'S AQUAFLIGHT
LOCATION MARIBAGO, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1]

PHONE +63-32-340-2034

EMAIL j_aquaflight [at] yahoo [dot] com

STAFF 3 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 3 ASSISTANT DIVING INSTRUCTORS

AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$30, QUIPMENT RENTAL $12, INTRO DIVE $65, CERTIFICATION $300

REMARKS SPECIALIZES IN DIVE SAFARIS

CLUB AQUASPORTS
LOCATION TAMBULI EAST, MARIBAGO, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1]

PHONE +63-32-492-1888 Ext. 1010/1016

STAFF 3 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 3 DIVEMASTERS

POOL YES

AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$35, EQUIPMENT RENTAL $34, DIVE AT OLANGO $40

REMARKS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE WATER SPORTS CENTER AT WHITE SANDS OF THE SAME NAME. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK.

CRISPINA AQUATICS DIVESHOP
LOCATION COSTABELLA TROPICAL BEACH RESORT, MARIBAGO, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1]

PHONE +63-32-493-5746

POOL YES

STAFF 2 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 2 DIVEMASTERS

AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$45, EQUIPMENT $15, INTRO DIVE $70, CERTIFICATION $300

BLUE CORAL DIVESHOP
LOCATION QUANTUM RESORT, MARIBAGO, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1]

PHONE +63-32-495-8063, +63-32-341-0247

STAFF 4 DIVING INSTRUCTORS

AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$50, EQUIPMENT RENTAL $50, INTRO DIVE $70, CERTIFICATION $275

REMARKS NITROX DIVING AND RESCUE COURSE ALSO AVAILABLE. ALL INSTRUCTORS ARE JAPANESE.

C & C SCUBADIVING CENTER
LOCATION HOTEL JIPPAN, MARIBAGO, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1]

PHONE +63-32-492-1851

STAFF 4 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 4 DIVEMASTERS

POOL YES

BOATS 2

AFFILIATION PADI

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$40, FULL SCUBA RENTAL $10, INTRO DIVE $80

REMARKS ALL DIVING INSTRUCTORS ARE KOREAN.

PADO DIVE CAMP
LOCATION MARIGONDON, MACTAN

PHONE +63-32-492-3380

WEBSITE www.padoscuba.com

STAFF 5 DIVING INSTRUCTORS [4 NAUI, 1 PADI], 7 DIVEMASTERS [6 NAUI, 1 PADI]

POOL YES

AFFILIATION NAUI, PADI

REMARKS ALL DIVING INSTRUCTORS ARE KOREAN.

MANTA AQUA SPORTS
LOCATION QUANTUM RESORT, MARIBAGO, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1] [1]

PHONE +63-32-495-2240

STAFF 1 RESCUE DIVER, 4 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 4 DIVEMASTERS

AFFILIATION PADI

POOL YES

HOURS 08:30 - 18:00 (MON-SUN)

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$60, EQUIPMENT RENTAL $30, INTRO DIVE W/ PHOTO $45

REMARKS ALL DIVING INSTRUCTORS ARE KOREAN.

SCUBA WORLD INC
LOCATION PLANTATION BAY, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1]

PHONE +63-32-340-5900 EXT. 1406

WEBSITE www.scubaworld.com.ph

STAFF 3 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 1 DIVEMASTER

AFFILIATION PADI POOL YES

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES W/ TANKS + WEIGHTS PhP 3,300, RENTAL: BOOTS PhP 200, RENTAL: FINS PhP 200, RENTAL: MASK + SNORKEL PhP 250, RENTAL: REGULATOR + BCD PhP 900, CERTIFICATION PhP 15,000

NOTE RATES ARE GIVEN IN PESOS; INFLATION MAY HAVE INCREASED PRICES QUOTED.

REMARKS TRIPS TO MOALBOAL AND MALAPASCUA CAN BE ARRANGED. SCUBA WORLD HAS OFFICES IN MANILA AS WELL AS CEBU CITY. THE CEBU OFFICE IS LOCATED ON MARIA CRISTINA STREET, NEAR CEBU DOCTORS HOSPITAL (PHONE +63-32-254-9554).

PC DIVERS
LOCATION PACIFIC CEBU RESORT, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1] [2]

PHONE +63-32-340-5982 EXT. 114

STAFF 10 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 15 DIVEMASTERS

AFFILIATION PADI POOL YES

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$40, EQUIPMENT RENTAL $15, INTRO DIVE $35-$80, CERTIFICATION $230

REMARKS PADI GOLD PALM DIVE CENTER

KON-TIKI [SEVEN SEAS AQUANAUTS]
LOCATION KON-TIKI RESORT, MARIBAGO, MACTAN

PHOTOS [1]

PHONE +63-32-495-2471

WEBSITE www.kontikidivers.com.ph

STAFF 1 MASTER INSTRUCTOR, 2 DIVING INSTRUCTORS, 2 ASSISTANT DIVING INSTRUCTORS

AFFILIATION PADI PCSSD ACCREDITED

BOATS 8 POOL YES

RATES 2 BOAT DIVES US$40, EQUIPMENT RENTAL $5 PER DIVE, INTRO DIVE $70, CERTIFICATION $300

REMARKS NITROX DIVING IS AVAILABLE.



CEBU DIVESHOP BLACKLIST
ESTABLISHMENT LOCATION
PSQ DIVERS CEBU BEACH CLUB
TROPICAL ISLAND ADVENTURES BUYONG
SAZANAMI MARINE SPORTS HADSAN COVE
AQUARIUS DIVERS FORMER CORAL REEF, MACTAN
CRITERIA FOR LISTING: Clueless staff; lying about PCSSD accredititon; lying about staff or boats; lying about anything else related to safety; irresponsible storage of equipment; discourteous attitude.

____
Cebu's primary diving destination Buyong
BUYONG, THE HEART OF DIVING IN MACTAN
Paradive in Mactan, Cebu
PARADIVE'S POOL
crew of a Cebu diveshop
THE BOYLA CREW
another diveshop in Cebu
AQUAFIESTA'S BOAT
dive shop in Cebu's Mactan Island
SSS
Club Aquasports in Mactan
CLUB AQUASPORTS
Crispina, another dive shop in Cebu
CRISIPINA AQUATICS
Korean dive shop in Cebu's Mactan Island
C & C
photo of diving instruction in Cebu
INSTRUCTION AT MANTA
PC Divers in Cebu's resort island
TAKING A RESCUE COURSE AT PC DIVERS







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