Diving
Divinghe most important facts like dive conditions and climate, a list of dive operators (for places where there are more than 10 dive centers I have listed dive centers not anymore), dive safety (addresses of the hyperbaric chambers), and how to get to dive areas in Palawan and Mindoro (Coron and Sangat in Busuanga, Tubbataha Reef and Apo Reef) on one page and ready to print.
Look at my website about dive sites in Sangat,
Palawan, Apo reef
Click here to look at underwater photos taken in Sangat,
Tubbataha
www.shipwrecks-philippines.com by Tom Benett
Google maps / map of Palawan . Best time to visit the Philippines is November to June. Nearly no rain in April and May. Raining season is July to October. The water is colder in December to February (26 to 27°) and warmer in March to May (29°).
Yahoo weather now in the Philippines (list) - travelphil (Jens Peters) - lonely planet information about the Philippines - yahoo information about the Philippines - Jakes directory
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The Philippines |
To get there fly from Manila with a small airplane company (Seair, Air Ads, Pacific airways) to Coron on Busuanga island. The airport lies about one hour drive from Coron over a bad road. A small bus is waiting until all the airplanes reach Busuanga, then it leaves with the passenger, that don't go to one of the big resorts. Some dive resorts in Coron and Sangat will fetch you at the airport. Busuanga lies north of Palawan and belongs to the Calamian group. It can also be reached by ferry from Manila (no details available to me). Coron is a small city. If you have booked with the resort from Sangat island (or Tangat island), they will bring you by banca (small boat ) to Sangat island. This boat trip through the islands takes about one hour. |
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Sorry - but there are so many that I have decided not to list them anymore, it has become too much hassle to update all the information
- Diving all year around possible, best time is October to March
- December to January: water 25° to 27°C
- From March on: water 28 to 30°C
- Visibility is good, near to the pearl farms less so. During full moon the visibility can be bad.
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weather now (Coron) |
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| Highest temperatures (°C) | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Lowest temperatures (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Daily hours of sunshine | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Rainy days | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 9 | 13 |
| Precipitation (mm) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Humidity (%) | 79 | 80 | 79 | 77 | 86 | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 83 | 82 |
| Water temperatures(°C) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
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To get to Palawan the best way is from Manila to Puerto Princesa (daily flights) and then on with a smaller plane. Or fly from Manila with a small plane through Coron on to El Nido and Puerto Princesa. The Tubbataha islands (Tubbataha north and south, Bastreira reef, Jessie Beazley reef) lie in the Sulu Sea east of Palawan and are only accessible by liveaboard vessel from Puerto Princesa. There is a 70 minute flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa City. From the airport, have the dive operator arrange your transport to the dive boat or the resort. You need at least 9 or 10 hours by boat to get to the reefs from Puerto Princesa. |
- Diving possible only from late March to the end of June
- Water temperatures 25° to 27°C - use a 3mm to 6mm wetsuit!
- Visibility is very good up to 40m
- Expect a lot of current - only for experienced divers
Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park / Unesco / WWF Philippines / WWF reef virtual tour / World Hertiage Site / Palawan sustainable development and the book "Tales from Tubbataha" by Alan T. White and Yasmin D. Aquiza (perhaps out of print).
Best time to go to the Tubbataha reefs is from late March to the end of June
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| Highest temperatures (°C) | 30 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Lowest temperatures (°C) | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Daily hours of sunshine | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Rainy days | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 10 |
| Precipitation (mm) | 203 | 100 | 262 | 382 | 140 | 117 | 174 | 342 | 146 | 244 | 340 | 455 |
| Humidity (%) | 82 | 83 | 85 | 82 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 87 | 84 | 86 | 86 | 86 |
| Water temperatures(°C) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
List of dive operators in Mindoro / Dive sites in Puerto Galera
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Apo Reef lies off north of Palawan island and in the southwest of Mindoro.There are several liveaboards (starting from Coron in Busuanga or from Puerto Galera in Mindoro) offering trips to Apo Reef. You can also stay on Padang Island or Sablayan (Mindoro) and make daytrips. |
Resorts: Pandan Island Resort is a small island on the west coast of Mindoro Island.
Park information: NIPA / Pandang.com
Best time to visit the Philippines is November to June. Nearly no rain in April and May. Raining season is July to October. The water is colder in December to February (26 to 27°) and warmer in March to May (29°).
Yahoo weather now in the Philippines (list) - travelphil (Jens Peters) - lonely planet information about the Philippines - yahoo information about the Philippines - Jakes directory
Description of dive sites in the Philippines: Batangas Anilao 1 and 2, Bohol, Boracay 1 and 2, east Cebu, west Cebu, Palawan, Puerto Galera, Tubbataha
Phone DAN (Divers Alert Network) outside Australia +61-8-8212 9242
DAN (Divers Alert Network) in the Philippines phone 02-815 9911
For more information about dive safety look at the excellent site of Diving Medicine Online or look at the dive safety page.
There are 6 recompression chambers in the Philippines to treat decompression sickness
Manila (Quezon City): AFP Medical Center (V. Luna hospital), V. Luna Road, Quezon City. Contact: Dr. Jojo R. Bernardo
Phone: 920 7183 and 921 1801 (local 8991)
Batangas City: St Patricks Hospital, Batangas City St. Patricks Hospital Wound Care & Diving Medicine Centre
Phone: (6343) 723-8388 / Fax. (6343) 723-8388 Beeper: 150-611-169
Cebu City: Recompression Chamber Camp Lapu-Lapu Lahug / Doctor Memerto Ortega
Phone: (032) 310-709 or (032) 312-325 / (032) 746-652 loc. 2625
Coron (Busuanga, Palawan): Deco chamber at Seadive resort
Phone: 0920 9458714 or 0918 40000448
Subic Bay: Recompression Chamber Subic Bay Freeport Zone Zambales / Doctor Lito Roque
Phone: +(63-47) 252 2743 / 252 7052; 252 7566; 252 2751
Armed Forces of the Philippines Air and Seaborne Search and Rescue Facilities and Equipment
Phone: +(63-2) 833 7546 / 911 79 96 / 911 63 85
Singapore: The Singapore Naval Underwater Medicine Centre. Phone +65-6758 1733 (24-hours Emergency Hotline) / +65-6796 4197 (appointments)
Hyperbaric Medical Services, 1 Orchard Boulevard #08-05, Camden Medical, Centre, Singapore 248649, Phone: +65-6732 8552
Hyperbaric Medicine Centre, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Tan Tock Seng, Hospital, Basement 1, Singapore 308433, Phone: +65-6355 9021/2
www.hyperbaric-singapore.com / Medical Director: Dr Wong Ted Min
This page www.starfish.ch/dive/info/Palawan-info.html
. Copyright Teresa Zubi (write to
me).
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or any other off-site pages. Link to them at your own risk.
