I made this open invitation last year for bloggers to start diving and through sheer force of will, convenience in the form of dive instructor/dive master friends and not-so-busy schedules,  some bloggers have already heeded the call to pick up the hobby. My good friend Angel of the now-widely popular travel blog Lakwatsero finally made good on his intentions to be a certified diver late last year. Jayvee also recently got certified while Juned was able to take a refresher course to revitalize his diving “career” that got it start in 1990.

Everything seemed to line up heading to last week’s dive. Schedules, finances and other logistical concerns seemed to be have been ironed out and to clinch it, resorts in Batangas had madly slashed deals that made it irresistible to not go. Angel was unfortunately out of commission so Juned, Jayvee and I had to troop to Lemery (as people claim) / Bauan (as it says on the resort’s sign) and be part of the biggest blogger dive party – this breaks the record of two.

It is really hard to put into words. Diving is akin to doing something that your body isn’t supposed to be doing. We didn’t evolve to breathe underwater; nor are we adept swimmers who can easily maneuver and turn on a dime underwater. The experience is surreal – it is mostly  a quiet stretch of time that is only interrupted by the sound of your own breathing (and bubbles).

We did six dives all in all and every dive was different – every dive was awesome. Jayvee was lent a nice camera by Sony so we also had a chance to shoot some photos underwater.

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My good friend and dive buddy Angel of Lakwatsero.com went to  Davao for a weekend of diving. Everything went well as far as his safety was concerned but the same couldn’t be said for a certain doctor who died while diving with the same dive operators that Angel had. The not-to-be-named male allegedly died due to a heart attack while he was still underwater – lack of air was ruled out since he had a dual-tank setup. This incident occured the same day that two tourists died in Cebu while diving. Scuba diving has  generally been safe in the Philippines so such a surge in dive-related fatalities may merit some further investigation. I only heard of one scuba-related death for the whole of 2008 so this disturbing cluster of deaths is nothing short of shocking.

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This was taken shortly after my open water dive at Boquete Island near Puerto Galera.

I was fortunate enough to be exposed to scuba diving at an early age. I took lessons as a teenager and since the license that PADI provides doesn’t really expire, I could theoretically keep diving as long as I practice regularly. My last dive was at Boquete Island in Puerto Galera. It wasn’t exactly as memorable as my earlier dives in Anilao, Batangas but the experience sure rekindled my interest in pursuing the sport. I saw a scorpion fish up close for the second time and I even hovered over a huge sea turtle!

Contrary to the belief of most people, one doesn’t really need to be strong swimmer to enjoy communing with marine life in their natural environment. There are diving organizations that oversee the certification of would-be divers. Almost all their programs include classroom sessions for didactics and practical exercises that students and diving instructors do in a confined body of water like a swimming pool. The cost for this type of training and certification may prove to be prohibitive. The cheapest rate I’ve seen is at 8000 pesos. Once you factor in that such training would open up a brand new world of experiences and sensations. Let’s face it, most people are curious to see what our seas hide beneath the waves. People try to romanticize it and even propel the places like Tubbataha to some new-fangled list even if they have never even seen it. Scuba diving allows one to see it for himself and have an experience that he will remember for a long time because of its sheer uniqueness relative to the rest of his experience.

For people who already have their certifications, I was pleasantly surprised that diving has become increasingly affordable. With recent studies claiming that Anilao is in the center of the area with the greatest biodiversity in the entire world, it’s even more mind-blowing that prices are still relatively reasonable. I checked out the listings at Unlimited Diving and I was ecstatic that they’re offering four dives for as low as 3500 pesos inclusive of everything for gear, accommodation, tanks and meals! FOUR DIVES. WOW. That’s quite a steal. I hope other bloggers would see this and go with me to check out the other sites that they have in Anilao.

Leave a comment if you’re thinking of going.

Translation: I need dive buddies! Let’s go!!!

Choice of any 1 of the 4
Dive Sites in 1 Day
Special Rate: $99.00 /person
Philippine Residents: P3,500.00 /person

Package includes:

• Batangas – Matuko
• Bonito – Chicken Feather
• Puerto Galera – Canyons
• Verde Island – Agapito Rock
• Overnight stay in an air-conditioned room (2 per room).
  
• 4 delicious meals
• Round trip boat transfers
• 4 Dives (Boat, tank & Guide)
• Booking/Reservation should be done at least one week in advance. Reservation fee is P1,000.00 only.

Of course, a lot of people would have reservation regarding scuba diving. The most considerable of course would be one related to shark attacks and other dangers. In everything that we do, there’s always a risk and sometimes, living is all about taking risks so that you get to experience things that you wouldn’t ever had had you not taken a few more chances. But then again, we’ve all crossed the road, drove a car and took other risks to supposedly better our lives. This one isn’t really that different – it’s just that that the payoff is much more memorable. And besides, I haven’t even heard of a scuba-diving related death in the Philippines.

So there.

Go for it, guys. It’s worth it.

 

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