Dive Master Requirements

[santelmo]

@ lars2923: the most popular dive destination is Anilao, Batangas and Tubbataha reef in Palawan.

also, try to visit El Nido (Lagen & Miniloc Island Resort) and Coron in Palawan. also try Boracay, Puerto Galera, Bohol, Cebu and Dumaguete.

@ Diverep: did i miss anything? care to suggest other vacation/ dive spots?

[MimpiIndah]

Hi,

Another great location is Bangka Island in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. This is superb diving with spectacular animals like the pygmy seahorse, and the dugong.

I have been diving with the dugong for a number of times now around Bangka and this is an absolutely amazing experience!
Just check my website for more information: www.MimpiIndah.com

---
Mimpi Indah means beautiful dreams, which is true for both the resort as the diving...

[jeff98208]

ok, after 2 years of diving, and 64 logged dives. I AM GOING FOR MY DIVE MASTER CERT!!! the bridal unit said to give her a few months, and i can start it up. i can't wait that long... but the bank says i have to!

[lars2923]

Yea,

I use to live up in Washington.. Right off Sand Point Way.. lake view..
I sure do miss that state...
The issue of Advanced Diver Magazine #25 that was just released has
an article on diving Lk Washington. Also if you know Mel Clark, tell her
I said Hello.. Shes so hot in that tec gear...
Which Organization are you getting certified through?
Good Luck...

[lars2923]

To visit the Phillipines?
I live in the SE of the US.. What season is a good season to visit the Phillipines? I mean weather and diving wise..?

Time to start planning on a dive trip. When I say dive trip, I mean maybe 10 days in the Phillipines with 7-8 days of diving.. as many dives a day...

Thanks,

[santelmo]

summer time! now is the time.... go dive here now! tubbataha season is still open.... PM diverep for more details. im still in the Palawan Islands...

[PinayDiver]

To visit the Phillipines?
I live in the SE of the US.. What season is a good season to visit the Phillipines? I mean weather and diving wise..?

Time to start planning on a dive trip. When I say dive trip, I mean maybe 10 days in the Phillipines with 7-8 days of diving.. as many dives a day...

Thanks,

Hi Lars,

Considering that you’re traveling a long way, I would recommend a liveaboard’s single-minded intent (dive, breakfast, dive, lunch, dive, dinner, night dive ) and Tubbataha of course gave me the best time. To give you a picture, this is how it went for me:

Day 1- fly from Manila to Puerto Princesa; all aboard!

Day 2- 10:22 a.m. J Beazley West (first sharks of the trip, close enough to make out the white on their tips); 2:50 p.m. J Beazley South (more sharks on active patrol, grey reef in there too); 4 p.m. J Beazley North (noticed pregnant sharks, bulging on their sides; fertile seas indeed); 7:49 p.m. night dive at J Beazley (let ‘er rip! I still remember that shark tail sticking out of the table coral flushed soon enough by our drifting group)

Day 3 - 7:52 a.m. Shark Airport of North Tubbataha (by now circling jacks were a more interesting sight than staple sharks); 10:33 a.m. North of North tip Tubbataha (giant napoleon wrasses; 6-foot teeth-baring tunas scared more than the mostly dozing sharks); 1:50 p.m. Sandy Area of Shark Airport (8-footer nurse shark); 4:43 p.m. Leopard Ledge of North Tubbataha (an impressive tower of circling chevron barracudas; at arm’s length at one point); 6:54 p.m. night dive at Shark Airport (8 turtles in one dive!)

Day 4 - 7:22 a.m. Black Rock, South Tubbataha (marble ray and another pregnant shark sharing one ledge); 10:30 a.m. Black Rock (watched octopus change colors and textures as it moved; more turtles, more sharks); 1:47 p.m. Sweet Lips City (oriental sweetlips that weren’t shy at all; green moray “harassed” by cleaner wrasses – why else would it slap its own cheek on the ledge?; 4:25 p.m. Black Rock (more tuna, more sharks); 6:47 p.m. night dive at Black Rock (moray undulated across sandy bottom; spiny lobsters; polyclad flat worms – by now, the tinier creatures fascinated us more)

Day 5: four dives at Delsan Wreck in search of a manta (7:20 a.m., 9:47 a.m., 1:48 p.m., 4:20 p.m.) that showed itself on the last dive—sealing it, in my mind, as a n officialTubbataha trip!

Day 6: “no fly” so billeted ourselves at a resort in Puerto Princesa to supposedly go hiking to some waterfalls but I was outvoted by the rest of the group members who opted to just get massages by the poolside, hmmm

Day 7: fly back to Manila (while other foreigners, having traveled all that way already anyway, opted to fly to Cebu for more diving in Malapascua)

The transfers from one site to another happened as we slept. I rather enjoyed the lulling and my dreams were still of diving along the drop-offs. I loved every minute of it!

We’re planning a return trip in the summer of 2008 (April to early May is the recommended window). Last weekend, there was even talk of chartering a boat. Feel free to email our DM-organizer (jaydiver1@yahoo.com) if you want. Say I said so . Let’s all go!

[lars2923]

I will begin researching your recommendations. Unfortunately, I will
not be available for the long distrance travel until around August
my time of the year. Your earlier post mentioned THIS is the time
to come. What't it like in August?

Thank you for your time and posts....

Sincerely,

[jeff98208]

all my certs have been thru padi. the dive shop i'll be going thru is smokey point dive center. although i don't know mel. but if i do end up meeting her down the line i will tell her you said hi. and one of these days i'll venture over to lk washington and dive it. i hear its a good dive site.

[lars2923]

Sweet.. PADI is a great organization... As you are well aware of.
When I lived there I never dove Lk Washington. I dove out of Lynnwood area.
There is a site just N of the ferries. You may know the site. Also across from
Downtown Seattle. The name escapes me. I left Seattle in 86.

Mel is with Silentscuba out of Seattle -or- is it Everett... Hmm..

Good luck on your DM.. I found it to be very rewarding... You'll learn a lot..
If I can help in anyway, just write.... I'm a PADI instructor.

Cheers,