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HONG
KONG
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CANADA
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EUROPE
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THAILAND
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Philippines |
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Practical Information on diving in the Philippines |
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Source: The Philippine Diver |
Author: Heneage Mitchell |
Date: 2000-03-15 |
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New divers to the Islands would be well advised to read this section carefully, as a bit of
attention now could save plenty of exasperation later.
You will find every type of dive shop in the Philippines, from one man shows to fully
equipped state of the art professionally run dive centers, with everything in-between.
For many visitors, diving is a secondary consideration and they will be constrained to
take advantage of any facilities available in the area they may be. In all probability, this
should present no problem. The experienced vacation diver may be somewhat
perplexed at the often relaxed attitude displayed by many facilities, but this is the way of
life here, so one should look further than the casual "let's suit up and go" approach
offered in many places.
First off, look at the rental equipment. Is is state of the art? Has it been well maintained?
If you are there when a dive group is returning, see how well the store washes off the
gear. Naturally, smiling faces and excited post-dive chatter will tell of an enjoyable dive
trip, but why not ask for the dive profiles of the returnees and evaluate for yourself
whether the Divemaster, if any, followed the dive tables sensibly.
A lot of diving is done from banca boats, motorized outrigger "canoes" ranging from 2
seaters to ocean going vessels. Some dive outfits have their own bancas, others hire
them from local operators. On no account should you allow an independant bancero to
supply you with equipment, even if he appears to be getting it from a dive shop. Deal
directly with the rental facility, and if possible, allow them to procure a boat. While most
banceros around beach resort areas do know the common dive sites, whether they are
competent at handling divers and their equipment is another story. There are awful
(true) stories of divers being dropped into water supposed to be of a known depth and
location only to find them-selves being swept away by currents that simply aren't
supposed to be there over bottomless abysses of featureless water, coming up to find
themselves lost and alone in the water for hours on end.
Another useful tip, while seemingly ob-vious, is worth mentioning here. Never pay you
boatman until you are safely back on shore with all your equipment accounted for, or you
may end up like the 2 U.S. Air Force Officers who spent the night swimming back to the
beach after their pre-paid bancero dropped them off on a night dive and headed home
as soon as they made their descent.
When in a banca boat, bear in mind that, despite the outriggers, they are not the most
Hstable of craft. Sit as far as possible in the centre of the boat, and follow the
instructions of the bancero as and when he may give them. When stowing gear, ask
where the best place for it is. On a smaller boat, the place to store items you want to
keep dry is often right at the front under the plywood covering. On anything smaller than a
6 man banca, expect to get wet frequently, and on larger ones ... well, less frequently.
Always seek out local divers, preferably qualified Instructors or Divemasters, before
planning any dive. In most coastal areas, you will find local divers who know the area to
some extent. Do bear in mind, however, that many of these divers may not have had any
formal training at all, and their ideas of a good dive site may not conform to yours, so try
to stick with professional sports SCUBA divers for advice and help.
There are awesome currents found throughout the Islands, so careful planning is
needed to avoid an unplanned out-of-country trip underwater. Tide tables are not readily
available for many parts of the country, and where they do exist, they should be treated
with caution as what applies to one bay will certainly not apply to it's neighbour. Once
again, local knowledge is the best source of safe information. The general rule of thumb
is, of course, to try to dive around the high tide when the currents are generally at their
slackest, but there are regional variations which you will only find out if you stick with
professional divers from the area.
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