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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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To find out more about the dive sites, get "Diving
the Philippines" published by Periplus Action Guides.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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| 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.
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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.
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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)
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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
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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
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| 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.
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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.
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| 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
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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
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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.
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| 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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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
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| 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.
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| CEBU DIVESHOP BLACKLIST |
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ESTABLISHMENT
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LOCATION
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PSQ DIVERS |
CEBU BEACH CLUB |
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TROPICAL ISLAND ADVENTURES |
BUYONG |
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SAZANAMI MARINE SPORTS |
HADSAN COVE |
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AQUARIUS DIVERS |
FORMER CORAL REEF, MACTAN |
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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.
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BUYONG, THE HEART OF DIVING IN MACTAN
PARADIVE'S POOL
THE BOYLA CREW
AQUAFIESTA'S BOAT
SSS
CLUB AQUASPORTS
CRISIPINA AQUATICS
C & C
INSTRUCTION AT MANTA
TAKING A RESCUE COURSE AT PC DIVERS
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