Choosing the best dive shop

By Paul Leggott

When taking a vacation, we all probably take a lot of time considering where we want to go for our holidays, It costs a lot of money and our time is limited so we want to make sure we choose somewhere that we think we will like and with so many places in the world on offer, somewhere we feel we have got good value and good service and of course great diving..

We probably spend many hours looking at finding the right accommodation, we don't want a dirty hotel room that's situated in the wrong location or is next to a huge construction site. Yet when it comes to activities It always amazes me how people give little thought to who's operating them, how safe is it, and how well they will be looked after, especially when you consider that its these activities we spend so much of our time engaging in and spend so much of our holiday budget on.

When it comes to water activities such as diving people should take their time choosing the right operation, take your time to consider the options so you can choose the one that best suits your requirements. If I plan a vacation it might be that I would do some online research first, look at reviews, blogs and websites, get a feel first, I always ignore the worst and best review and try and and judge the middle ground. Depending on where I go and, if I can get better value by booking in advance, I may choose to book my diving before I go, this can have advantages in terms of advance booking discounts or scheduling. Sometimes I will wait until I arrive in an area, take a look around and chat with the staff of one or two dive shops that I would have short listed first. Or maybe speak with other divers about their experiences.

What would I want to know? Well first the most important consideration and above everything else is safety. I want to be sure first that I am minimising any risk in my diving and to make sure that if the worst happened and anything did go wrong, that the dive shop have a full emergency action plan in place and they could get me the treatment I might need. Ask what are the emergency evacuation procedures, Its OK to ask these questions, have they had any major diving incidents? You don't want to dive with anyone who has a record of several DCS incidents or missing divers. What is the shop policy on briefings and safety reviews?, I don't want to turn up, kit up and go straight to the dive site without any information about the dive! Does the shop have an oxygen kit and trained personnel to operate it? so many dive shops don't? Its about getting a feeling that the staff are professional and competent, that they take safety seriously and know what to do if something does go wrong.

Size is important.....I personally don't want to dive with a big shop, too often the big operation is more interested in making money than providing the best diving for its customers, I'm looking for a more personal service, where I can dive in small groups and the diving is best suited to what I like to dive and my abilities. I don't want to end my dive with 150 bar left in my tank, because the dive centre has buddied me with a 5^th time diver with poor buoyancy control who blows his air off in 25 minutes. My experience is that the smaller dive shops usually give a more personalised service and will try to put the customers experience and ability first when choosing the dive locations and putting the dive buddy groupings together.

Most dive centres use equipment from about six or seven major manufacturers and at the average level of shop equipment there really is nothing to say any one manufacturers equipment is better than any other, it is more about what the dive centre does with this equipment, How it maintains and services it that counts, Take a look, Is the dive centre tidy and does it look organised, if equipment is scattered around the floor and not hung up, the chances are the shop doesn't look after its equipment, A tidy well organised shop is a sign of an organised operation that looks after its equipment.

What does the equipment look like, fading BCD's or older regulators are not always a bad sign, even BCDs less than 12 months old can fade badly and look old, but if the BCD's are torn and look worn out or the regulator hoses have obvious splits and cracks, then this maybe a sign that the equipment servicing is not up to scratch. NEVER accept any equipment you are not happy to use, ask for it to be changed for another set.

So the dive centre is tidy, the equipment looks OK, they only take small groups and personalise the service, they appear to take safety seriously, so what else am I looking for, well I'm on holiday, I want to be relaxed, have fun and if possible get to see the best dive sites in that area. So I ask, What are the best dive sites here and why? Is it possible to dive them? I don't want to dive some mediocre dive site just because its close to the dive centre and the owner wants to maximise his profit by using less fuel, I want to see the best the area has to offer as my holiday time is precious. I want to dive with a shop where there's lots of smiles and a bit of fun I want to enjoy myself not feel like I am part of an army training course. Although I want a relaxed environment and fun, I also don't want to dive with a guide that smells like a brewery in a morning, or says its OK for a beer between dives, Alcohol and diving don't mix, one unit of alcohol in your system on the surface can have the effect of 5 units at 40m. I want to dive with someone who thinks about his responsibility to others and preferably a guide that won't rush things and goes out of his way to show you what's special on each dive site, not one who is hungover from the party the night before.

It always easier to get a feeling when face to face, but sometimes its wiser to book before you go, there might be big discounts available to book online or in high season you may wish to arrange a schedule ahead of time that suits you, so don't be afraid to email a lot of questions, and be very wary if all the dive shop appears to offer is discounts and doesn't a fully answer all your questions. Even when emailing a dive shop you can get a good idea of all the things that should make you feel comfortable, Don't be afraid to ask those questions, When a diver emails me a lot of question I love it because it gives me the opportunity to tell him about our shop and how we operate, how we will look after him and what we can offer him to meet his personal needs. Any of the following questions could be included and would should receive interesting answers;

Hello,

I will be on vaccination in July and would like to do some diving, I would like to get a feel for your dive centre so I can make an informed choice. I am a (diving Level) with (number of dives) and my last dive was on (date of last dive).

• How many Instructor/divemasters do you have?
• What is your normal dive group size?
• How many boats do you operate
• On average how many dives do you schedule each day and how is this organised, single dives or multiple dives on each trip?
• Do you have a full Emergency procedure?
• Do you have Oxygen and trained staff to administer it?
• Do you service your own equipment and is all the equipment in good working order?
• What is your policy in regard to the environment?
• Do you have any pictures of the dive shop and the equipment?
• What best describes the way you operate?
• What in your opinion are the best dive sites in the area?
• Do you have any advantages over other dive shops in your area?

I look forward to hearing from you soon

Regards

xxxxxx

Although budget will always be part of your informed decision, it should not be the most important factor, choose your dive centre based on value, what are you getting for the amount you pay This of course might be number of dives in a package or the cost of a course, but it should also include all the factors I mentioned above, Never make your choice based on price alone. Three great dives that are safe and fun are better than four poor dives with 20 other divers at the same time.

Enjoy your next dive vacation, have a great time and stay safe

Diving Boracay, some of the best scuba in the Phillippines

Why is scuba diving in Boracay so special, well apart from the fantastic white beaches, clear and warm sea, great food, fabulous night-life, superb climate and beautiful scenery, the diving is simply awesome with something for every type of diver and ability level. Because Boracay has so much to offer it is sometimes overlooked as as a primary dive destination with the misconception that Boracay is just a holiday Island.

There are 25 dive sites around the island and several more a little further out. The verity of scuba diving is excellent including deep walls, drift dives, soft corals, hard corals, wrecks, macro and big stuff, Boracay really does have it all and should be at the top of every divers list when looking to dive the Philippines.

A bit of background on diving the Philippines first, the Philippines is situated in what is know as the coral triangle, an area which also includes Indonesia and east Malaysia. Scientists believe this region of south east Asia is probably where all life actually began. The Coral Triangle has by far the highest marine bio-diversity and highest concentrations of marine life than anywhere else, Interestingly the Philippines has the highest marine bio-diversity per kilometre of coastline than anywhere on earth so all over the Philippines great diving is to be had. The type of diving in the Philippines can be split into two, one that is usually only accessible by live-aboard charter such as Apo Reef and Tubbatttaha Reef and dive sites easily accessed by short boat rides from the shore that include Puerto Galera, Malapascua, Moalboal, Dumagette, Southern Bohol, Coron , Subic and Boracay. The dive shops in each area will claim for different reasons that they have the best diving, but that is very subjective depending on the diver and the type of diving they prefer.

So coming back to Boracay as I said earlier, this Island has outstanding diving for every level and ability and can offer such a full range of diving types that it is hard for other diving destinations to beat. 

Learning to Dive

For the beginner: safe and calm conditions are to be found all year round with four dive sites perfect for those entering the water for the first time. Angol Point and Coral Garden on the west side about 800m straight out from the south end of white beach are just about the best dive sites for first time divers you can find anywhere, clear water, no current, shallow entry points with buoy lines, sandy areas, fantastic hard corals and colorful marine life in abundance. On the west side off the north end of Boracay is Santos and Ballinghai where hard corals flourish and marine life if excellent with a sloping wall perfect for open water students to experience dives to 18m.

For the wreck Diving enthusiast the names of Coron and Subic will come to mind but again Boracay excels, with two superb wrecks that are easy to dive.

Camia 2 is fully in-tacked with engines, generators and propellers all in place. It sits perfectly upright on a sandy bed surrounded by hard corals and rises from 29m to18m making it the perfect depth to get the most out of your dive. The ship is 37m long and 8m wide with several easy penetrations, covered in both hard and soft coral Camia attracts everything form macro to big stuff, Flat worms, Nudibranchs and Ghost Pipe fish to schools of large Snapper, Emperor Fish and Fusiliers circling the top together Having dived around 40 wrecks throughout the Philippines, in my opinion is this is one of the best if not the best wrecks I have dived. 

Camia 2 Boracay

Tribird;, only Boracay has a commercial jet liner wreck, a three engined jet plane is an unusual sight underwater. The Russian Yak 50 sank in April 2012 and has been steadily attracting marine life since. Before it was sank the dive centres on the Island cleaned the aircraft to make it environmentally friendly for its new resting place and removed the seating and fuselage doors to allow divers safe access and exit to explore the inner space. Bat fish, Trumpet Fish and many damsels congregate around the outside whilst inside small cleaner shrimp and sweeper fish are found in abundance.

For the experienced divers Boracay has three truly world class walls, Punta Bunga, Yapak 1 and the more well known Yapak 2. All three of these dive sites are free descents without reference in current with the tops of the three walls starting at between 29 and 32m. This is where divers see the big fish and pelagic's visiting Boracay.

Yapak2's rated in the top three dives in the Philippines, a wall which starts at around 32m and plunges down to 100m, as the currents take you along the top of the wall its is almost guaranteed to spot White Tip and Grey Reef Sharks, Tuna and Jacks. The wall itself is covered in superb corals (take a light with you to see the amazing colours) with huge schools of Red Tooth Triggerfish, Butterflyfish, Bannerfish and large Sweetlips. Often spotted here are also Marble Rays, Turtles and other visiting large pelagic fish. Because this is a deep dive the no decompression time limits the dive and always has divers wanting to go back for more.

Yapak 2 Boracay

Yapak 1 is similar to Yapak2, but dived the opposing way on a rising tide. The marine life is not in such great numbers as Yapak2, but it does attract Eagle Rays which are a common sight. For those who like diving deep there is a superb chimney about half way along the wall. Through a large hole at 30m metres you can descend to 42m and exit through the wall. Always full of bigger fish as you swim through you maybe lucky to see the dark contrast of the edge of the hole like a picture frame while passing Eagle Rays appear as if they are painted on the blue canvass of the open ocean.

Punta Bunga with a sandy top that slops down to the edge of the wall at 30m this is the easiest of the walls at the north to dive as you can drop in a little shallower and swim along the gentle sandy slop gradually descending to the edge of the wall. Although shorter than the walls at Yapak, Punta Bunga is home to White Tip Reef Sharks, Eagle Rays Jacks and Tuna which can be seen on almost every dive

In addition to the drift dives on the walls at the North, the channel between Boracay and Panay to the south is the dive for the Adrenalin junkies. The Channel can be dived at varying depths from 20m to 34m and can be as long as nearly 4km on a full moon tide, when currents are very strong and can reach as much as 4 knots. The experience feels like you are flying through the water. The dive site is often refereed to as the Channel steps due to it series of dropping ledges and small overhanging caves along the side contours, Sweetlips, Trigger Fish, Giant Puffer and Fusiliers can be seen, whilst some times White Tip Reef Sharks can be found sleeping under the ledges and Marble rays sit on the bottom in the sandy patches. As you wiz along the bottom large Fan Corals and Barrel Sponges come towards you at speed.

Channel Drift, Boracay

Colorful soft corals, great macro and large schools of fish are to be found at Crocodile Island just off the south east. Again a dive that is rated as one of the top ten in the Philippines. Starting at just 5m with a gently sloping reef that gets steeper and forms a wall the further east you go. Crocodile Island is a dive for all ability levels so long as the tides are checked and current not two strong, the maximum depth is usually around 18 to 20m although 28m is possible. There is so much to see here that it would be boring to just list it, but the most common marine life of interest here are Frog Fish, Pipe fish, Pigmy Sea Horses, Turtles, Titan Triggers, Oriental Sweetlips, Nuibranchs, Fuslieers, Puffer Fish, Emperor Fish and a whole aquarium of colorful Damsels, Wrasse and Clown Fish. If you dive here don't forget your camera as you are guaranteed some good photography.

Two dive sites that I find very interesting are Fridays Rock on the west side and Laural Valley to the south east. Fridays probably has the best Macro around Boracay and is a must dive for underwater photographers, the site slopes from 12m to 18m east to west with a long reef along the eastern edge. The rock itself rises from 16m to 8m and is home to larger fish, Napoleon Wrasse, Giant Grouper, large Bass and a lot of Snapper, especially over the top of the rock where large schools of Surgeon Fish, Angel Fish and a huge number of Damsels swirl around. But it is the coral patches and outcrops in the area that have the stuff that the photographers love. Each of the small coral patches seams to be home to different verities of marine life, one has many sweeper fish, Morays and Shrimp, one is full of Lion fish and Ghost Pipe Fish. Other areas have Frog Fish or many types of Moray Eels all living together. All very different to the other diving found here.

Fridays Rock Boracay

Laurel is literally an under water Valley between two Islands, usually dived with no current or as a gentle drift, the dive starts at just 4m with a cave that cuts through the corner of the Island, open at both ends. After the cave you gently descend to the bottom of the Valley 18m to 20m which is totally carpeted with barrel sponges and fan corals, Giant Puffer, Lion Fish, schools of small Fusiliers, Damsels, Clown Fish and Nudibranchs are always seen here. The Barrel Sponges here are simply breathtaking, some very large and so many, it makes me wonder how many litres of water is being filtered here each hour.

We are blessed with diving available all year round in Boracay, with the dive sites sprinkled all around the island there is always sheltered sites from the prevailing winds. In the months October to June the dive boats usually depart directly from the beach on the west side of the Island, in the months from June to October westerly winds can occasionally make the sea too rough for the boats to land on White Beach so the diving boats depart from the beaches on the East side of the Island, most of the dive sites are accessible all year round but as the prevailing wind swings around and comes from the west the diving at Luguna de Boracay, Tambisaan and Tulabahn also opens up.

Day Safari trips are also often run to the nearby dive sites on neighboring Islands of Panay and Carabao and a little further away at Maniguin Island where some spectacular and largely untouched diving is to be found.

So if you have not yet dived in Boracay and are looking at diving in the Philippines, I strongly recommend you consider coming here, where the diving is great, and the Island has everything else to offer to make your vacation special. “Its awesome.

For more information got to www.scubadivingboracay.com