Dive-Monster Rhoody

Mike an UPS-pilot from the States gave me a short notice call and asked about diving. He is a friend of my partner on Dumagueteinfo and visited Dumaguete to get certified as an Open Water Diver. He explained me his phobia with a near-drowning experience and that he has a phobia. Each time he has water around his nose he freaks out and panics. Being warned I could prepare myself.

As a freelancing Scuba-diving Instructor I am in the lucky position to teach small dive-classes. In this case a one-by-one course. I like challenges and to make students overcome their problems.

Mike arrived on the Cebu-Pacific flight on Wednesday afternoon. After he checked in at Coco-Grande Hotel he gave me a call and we met at Mikes Diveshop, the facility I use when teaching classes. At 5 pm he came with Lyka, his lovely girlfriend. I tried to convince her to try a Discover Scuba Program, but she didn’t wanna do it. He came with filled in knowledge-reviews and well prepared. I gave him the typical forms and paperwork and we made the schedule for the next 3 days.

Thursday morning I packed the gear and picked him and Lyka up at the Hotel. Knowing about his Problem I decided not to go to the ocean for his Open Water dives. Instead of that we went to WellBeach-Resort near to Malatapay where I wanted to finish all confined water dives in one go. After a cup of coffee we started to assemble our gear and I briefed Mike what we gonna do under water. All skills went completely fine and I saved the “partial flooded mask clearing” skill until the end of the confined water dive one. Mike did a great job on that and had no problem on the second try. While he was doing that I watched him very closely, being prepared to pull him to the surface (from 4 feet depth) if any problems occur. His self-discipline was amazing as I could see his eyes very focused and listen to his concentrated breathing. After clearing the mask a couple of times we finished some more skills and confined water dives 1, 2 and 3 were done. I was not less happy than him after surfacing and we both laughed and smiled in our lunch break.

After lunch we finished confined water dive 4 and 5 with some minor hick-ups. This dives included mask clearing and no mask swimming. At the end of the dives I took away his mask and let him swim alone in the pool without any physical control. I threw the mask in the pool and he searched for it at the deep end, replaced it and cleared it. That was the sign that he is ready for the “big pool” the next day where our plan was to have Open Water Dive 1 and 2.

The story continues tomorrow. Than you can read about “teaching Scuba diving in a Typhoon”

Thanks for now and cheers

Rhoody

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The waters around Dumaguete are famous for their marine life. Apo Island is mentioned as one of the world’s top-divesites, not only in South East Asia. The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago (a leader in the zoo and aquarium profession for more than three-quarters of a century) used the reefs of Apo Island as a model and rebuild some parts of it for their own “Clownfish-City” in Illinois. Professional Underwater Photographers coming to Dumaguete to take their shots of the famous Mandarin fishes and all the other Critters in the Bohol Sea (the official Name of the ocean here in the Central Visayas).

Especially in the area around the municipality of Dauin (15 km south of Dumaguete) are many well known beach and diving resorts who are hosting international guests from all over the world to show them the best Scuba-diving around Negros Oriental. Dauin has 8 marine sanctuaries and is also the departure point for dive-trips to the surrounding islands like Apo, Sumilon, Siquijor or Balicasag Island.

Most of the Instructors and Dive-Master in this region are Dumaguetenios with some thousand dives under the belt who know the reefs here like their own pocket. They are one of the main-reasons why most of the guests leave Dumaguete with the promise to return.

On March 27, 2008 many of them met at the Waterfront Café at the Boulevard in Dumaguete to found a new Association: The NEGROS DIVE PROFESSIONALS (NDP). The NPD members are all diving and tourism related and work in different resorts and positions. Diveshop owners, Tour-Operators, freelancing Dive-Masters and Instructors as well as employees of dive resorts founded this association to work together for the benefit of the local diving-tourism.

The goal of the NDP is to work hand in hand with the officials of the region to secure the success of “Diving in Negros”. The first public appearance of the NDP will be at a regional meeting in Dauin where their goal is to provide a better solution and give suggestions for a better system regarding all different, sometimes unpredictable fees and regulations for diving around Dumaguete.

Future goals include conservation projects in a joint venture with different Marine Biologists and Universities as well as the operation of a Recompression Chamber in Negros Oriental.

Diving in Dumaguete and Negros Oriental is one of the best of its kind in the Philippines and South East Asia. The NDP want to ensure that it will stay like that and even improve its status worldwide.

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Puerto Galera is since 20 years the most famous SCUBA destination in the Philippines and many tour-operator offering Puerto Galera as a single trip or a combination with other nearby destinations. Puerto Galera is around 150 km south of Manila in the province of Mindoro Oriental . Going to Puerto Galera you fly to Manila. From there you have a two hour drive to the city of Batangas where you catch a ferry to Sabang, where the most Resorts and dive-shops can be found. If you travel on a package-tour your Resort will organize all of that for you and picks you up at the Manila International Airport.Puerto Galera is famous for its diversity of different dive sites. Shallow colorful easy diving for beginners, ripping high speed drift dives or deep Tec-diving, there is almost no limit in Puerto Galera. Most of the more than 30 dive-spots are just a short boat ride away. Most of the diveshops are also offering daytrips to the nearby Verde Island with usually two or three dives.
Diving is good all around the year with the hot and dry season from March to June. With many diveresorts and shops located in Sabang, Big and Small LaLaguna there is always something available in your budget.

There are simple rooms available from US$ 7 per night. Guided dives can be booked for US$ 20. If you are are “hardcore” diver look for the valuable non-limit-packages with up to 5 dives per day.

The Canyons, Sinandigan Wall (Nudibranch-city) or Hole in the wall are only some of the “must-do” dives. Who wants it a bit more thrilling can take a ride at the Kilima Drift and get rocked at the washing machine at Verde Island. Most dives in Puerto Galera are gentle drift-dives. Your diveboat will follow the group. you guide will use a Surface Marker Bouy at the end of the dive and after a safety stop the group ascents together and goes back on the waiting boat. Don’t miss the world class night dives at the Sabang-Wrecks and join the hunt for the colorful Mandarinfishes at LaLaguna Point and The Hill between the Batangas and Manila channel.

Most dive operators offer very valuable Nitrox packages, and if one tank is not enough you will find some very well equipped Tek-shops in Sabang and Small LaLaguna.
uncountable bars and restaurants invite you for a drink after the last dive. Many resorts also offer great sunset-cruises to one of the white-sand beaches in one of the bays of the neighborhood islands. Make a trip to the Tamaraw Waterfalls on your off-gasing day and enjoy the relaxing Massages in one of the SPA-center or offered directly at the beach. As there is no real nice beach in the Sabang Bay, go for a ten minute walk to Big LaLaguna or rent one of the local bancas for a picturesque boat ride along the beautifully coastline to reach Whitebeach or Talibanan Beach.