In case anyone else is looking to dive with MD

DMs and instructors always cabut after a season so the experience is always different. It's ridiculously cheap (seems to get cheaper and cheaper with time and I have no idea how) and everybody who works there is super nice but the gear isn't particularly well maintained... my guess is lack of money. Also... the dorm has bedbugs omg

Alternatively there is a DM Amir who constantly moves from dc to dc on Perhentian Kecil, and he's a pretty cool DM to dive with, good at IDing stuff and carries a camera so you can get selfies, so just dive wherever he's diving lol

This post has been edited by thesnugbug: May 8 2019, 03:13 PM

That is a crazy schedule lol

To answer your question about dc recs, 1) Fun & Sun Malapascua is extremely affordable. Food is meh but they have a guy named Tata who is the best guide I have ever dived with. 2) TSD seems to visit more sites than the other DCs so if you were looking to hit some of the less visited sites they might be a good option.

I will be diving with Evolution later this year so I can make a comparison once that trip is done.

If you already have to fly out of Manila, why not skip Donsol and just head to Anilao? There are some pretty nice sites in Malapascua that require day trips and it’s worth staying a bit longer there to check them out. It seems a shame to spend so much time travelling only to have so few dive days...

Also consider that flying into Manila means you won’t be able to dive the day before

This post has been edited by thesnugbug: Jun 21 2019, 01:11 AM

I was just there too! It really is one big beautiful garden. Had a very lovely 60 min dive. If you weren’t already on nitrox, maybe consider diving it next time you’re there

Hoods are all decent; what's important is whether it fits, and whether you have specific requirements like zipper and neck length. Bare and Aqualung do pretty affordable hoods, but you can find even cheaper ones by various Taiwan brands on Lazada (dunno where to physically try them on though). If you hate the way neoprene feels, there are also non-neoprene options (Sharkskin, Lavacore, 4th E etc). Go try them all on!

Haven't been but might be going next year as well. From what I've been told, whale shark sightings are more common during the new moon, but manta sightings are more common during full moon. The whale sharks move closer to mainland between June-Sept.

Well Talisayan is smack on the coast of Kalimantan so that's probably what he means by mainland. It's all word of mouth from a friend who's been diving for 30+ years; looking at the website you mentioned it doesn't seem like he's wrong. At any rate it's always about luck ^^;

Similan season opens soon. There are lots of affordable options for Similan and you can get a 4 day itinerary (approx 12-15 dives) in the ballpark of 3-4k. There are also day trips or short itineraries (2-3 days) but that kinda defeats the purpose of a liveaboard.

The swollen eye could be an allergic reaction or just a bacterial infection.

Everyone's face is different so I suggest going down to a few shops and trying a whole bunch of masks to find one that fits/seals well. Move your head around as well to make sure it sits nicely and doesn't dislodge easily. Couple of things to consider:
1. Double lens masks will typically be lower volume (easier to clear and equalise) at the expense of a narrower field of vision; single lens masks are the opposite
2. Transparent masks will get yellow over time

Since this will be your first pair of fins, avoid split fins... too expensive for a fin that doesn't do much lol. Mares Quattro and Superchannel are really popular in this region; if you want a shorter fin that's easier to pack maybe look at Mares Excel and Scubapro Go, and, if budget allows, Deep Ocean Supplies (a lighter/softer Poseidon Trident clone that's about SGD160?)

Nothing in diving is cheap. I think what's more important than price is making sure you get a quality education.

It kinda depends on the wetsuit, its material and fit. For instance I find the older generation Bare Velocity wetsuits annoying to put on (lots of friction) but the newer Bare suits are extremely smooth and glide on very easily.

Some suits like 4th E Proteus have a lot less give and may be very unforgiving to people who don't happen to fall in their narrow size range (like me T_T) but there are so many brands out there and new advancements every year, there's bound to be a wetsuit for every person

Scuba Warehouse sells IST and Seacure mouthpieces but you can get them cheaper on Lazada

This post has been edited by thesnugbug: Oct 22 2019, 04:42 PM

It can be... I probably wouldn't recommend it to someone with only 20 dives; they might end up struggling and not really enjoying the experience Richelieu Rock in particular (the highlight of Similan) frequently has current. I consider myself a decent swimmer but I got smacked around quite a bit by a washing machine and it got a little disorienting.

Of course, you might luck out and get very nice conditions! But the potential for it to get annoying is probably why some operators mandate a 50 dive minimum.

I'll attach my log of my recent Similan trip:




On this particular trip the current at Richelieu was so awful the boat decided to detour to Surin in the evening.

On average water temp was about 28C but we did run into some thermoclines, you'll see them reflected in the temperature discrepancies.

Bring along a SMB and a reasonably bright light for signalling!

This post has been edited by thesnugbug: Oct 28 2019, 01:21 PM

I suggest contacting dive centres in the area to find out about recent sightings (start to end period, frequency etc).

Leyte is much quieter than Donsol, I was thinking of diving Padre Burgos this December actually (but changed plans). When I asked one of the DCs there they said the window for sightings is getting shorter, i.e the whale sharks have been leaving progressively earlier each year.

Waikiki and Orpheus are authorised service centres in Singapore. Battery change with chamber test is around sgd80-90. If you're reasonably handy you can change it yourself; all you need is a battery, o ring and a little grease.

I am going to Subic Bay.

I guess it depends on what kind of diving you want to do and what your budget is? Flying into Manila isn't terribly expensive and you have a bunch of options there – PG, Subic, Anilao. You could also do the Gilis. Or just get on an LOB (look for the ones without single surcharge)

This post has been edited by thesnugbug: Nov 4 2019, 12:51 PM

+1

not that I have been xD but I’m looking at maybe doing Palau and/or R4 from land just cos it’s so much cheaper and honestly the resorts look super nice :3

This post has been edited by thesnugbug: Nov 4 2019, 05:23 PM

gotta have bad vis now and then to appreciate good vis!

Some reefs and wrecks. The reefs are in okay condition but nothing special if you've been to other places in SEA. The wrecks are pretty cool, Cement Wreck is super gorgeous and covered in a forest of growth. Good vis is rare though.

Oh man, when I was there it was just one massive dust cloud and I could barely make out what I was looking at

This post has been edited by thesnugbug: Dec 2 2019, 12:49 PM

Philippines has a bit of a reputation for not liking regs in carry-ons, so if you're going to Phils you may wanna check them in instead. For other destinations people carry them on frequently and no problem

Have you tried Rainbow Runner?

fwiw for regs I currently just use a towel-lined packing bag (those zip ones for putting in luggage) in a tote. Might look for a cheapo bag online just so I don't have to keep doing this 3 layer packing thing lol