3 Days, 7 Dives Puerto Galera Dec 05

3Days, 7 Dives = 1 Open Water + 1 Advance Dive Certification
(or “How I spent my Year-end Vacation”)…

DM Allan Umali (ScubaWorld), put together a Puerto Galera dive package for Php 5K (per Diver) inclusive of 6 fun dives, air tanks/fills, boat, and accommodations for 3D/2N (transfers, meals and other gear rental not included). As the family planned to go to Puerto Galera this year-end, and Dec 30 was declared holiday, the package could not come at a better time. I got my wife Baby to take the 2-day Open Water crash course classroom/pool sessions a week earlier and then do the check-out skill dives in PG. I was also scheduled to complete my remaining Advance skill dives (Deep + Night Dive)



For those who haven’t been there, its about 2.5 hours drive from Dasmarinas, Cavite to the Batangas City Port through SLEX then Star Tollway…another 50-60min ferry ride (around Php 150/person 1-way)…the ferry is actually a BIG banca with outrigger but pretty fast…faster boats include the Supercat speedboats. Expect to spend Php400+ on 2-day parking at the port if you bring a car…plus some small amount on porters’ fee if you are lugging some heavy gear…

The “boat terminal” in Sabang Beach is about 10 minutes walk to the ScubaWorld Diveshop and another 10mins to the Trellis & Garden Apartelle …(rooms are sized just right, clean with aircon, electric fan, personal ref with minibar…don’t expect 5-star luxuries though…you’re here to dive/swim not to stay indoors), twin sharing bed, and a balcony with a view. There’s also a pool.


There are other options (more/less expensive perhaps, depending on preference with some resorts (Captain Gregg’s, Atlantis Resort) even offering internet access…for those who bring laptops (“work”) to vacations…). For Php 1500 per person (3D 2N), the accommodation is fine by me. Same goes for food…go “sosyal” or “koboy” with various choices along Sabang Strip…from Php150-500/meal to as low as Php50-75 at the local “carinderia” (mini-food stalls a few steps from Scubaworld) who serve a mean & hearty power breakfast (tapsilog/coffee) that you find even some expat customers sitting with the locals. Hey…and there’s your share of “honkytonk” bars for those who want to sample “nightly cultural shows” or simply drink beer, but I’m not supposed to talk about that! (See…no pictures)…


Joining us are Allan’s assistant DM Modic, two expats (American Robert, German Arthur), and a Fil-Am couple Jeff/Abby based in California but spends vacations back in Phils. A French couple rescue dive students joined us on Day 3.

Day 1
- Dive#1: Deep Dive+2 Wreck Dives; strong currents require line descent to 100ft…some deep dive skills then exploring Almajane and St. Christopher ship wrecks…ala “Into the Blue”!
- Dive#2: Sabang Wrecks…dive around smaller boat wrecks at 60-80ft where we spotted a moray eel comfortably nestled within the corals…and fish feeding (big butterfly fishes among others…my pack of breadsticks was gone in seconds!)…
- Dive#3: Night Dive…exploring Sabang Wrecks…lots of other night divers though diminishing the thrill of my first night dive with the many night lamps stabbing the darkness of the underwater. The moray eel is no longer there…probably out on prey…

Day 2
- Dive#4: Hole-in-the-Wall + Canyons ~ drop-off amidst strong currents turned this to a fast drift dive…an adrenaline rush!…imagine shooting the rapids at Pagsanjan but only underwater! Temporary relief at Hole-in-the-Wall where undercurrent is ZERO (no wonder all the big, really BIG fishes are there!)…then its another fast drift up to 100ft at Canyons…the daisy-chain ascent/safety stop/exit in Blue Waters look perfect to me…Art says it was one of his best dives to-date~ “a great ride”, same with me…truly an adventure dive with 41mins bottom time…(too bad Rob/Jeff/Modic got separated at drop-off and they have to cut short their dive @ 14mins)
- Dive#5: Pink Wall ~ moderate current with maximum depth 80ft
- Dive#6: La Laguna ~ almost no current with maximum depth 60ft ~ visibility not that good.

Day 3
- Dive#7 (my extra dive!): Hole-in-the-Wall ~ I joined/witnessed a Rescue skills dive exercise with DM Allan, Robert, DM Modic + French couple (just arrived that morning and rescue diver course students)…and got a sneak preview of what to expect when/if I sign up for the Rescue Dive course (but that’s still some time in the future…after I perfect my own buoyancy and skills…)…


Whew! As we take that boat ride back to Batangas City, I savored the WLE the past 3 days…and most importantly, the quality time with the family to ease a year’s worth of Intel workload (my kid CJ though complained there was no Jollibee in Puerto Galera and was ecstatic as we headed home!)…


Similar to a diver’s controlled ascent wherein the surface approaches, Intel in its various forms (emails, FOCAL, Spends Forecast, MSR, SLAs, MRCs, CPAs, Site Monthly Close Review, Delinquent AUCs, IA and OA ARs…) slowly but surely made their way back to my consciousness…and I have to switch back to work mode.

”Back to work! Back to work! Back to work!” ~ the little angel on my shoulder whispers…

Welcome Back to Intel and PCG! And Welcome 2006! Happy New Year!