Here’s How To Learn to Scuba Dive in the Philippines
Are you dreaming about learning to scuba dive in the Philippines?
In this post, I’ll take you through my incredible journey from being a complete newbie to becoming an advanced diver in just two weeks while traveling in the Philippines.
This is your ultimate guide to learning to dive in the Philippines, including all you need to know about diving courses, the best dive shops, gear recommendations, and my personal experience.
Why the Philippines is the best destination to learn to scuba dive
- Affordability: The Philippines rank amongst the cheapest locations to become scuba certified, and I found the cost of PHP 15,000 (~USD 260) for a PADI Open Water Course to be less than half of getting certified the USA!
- Ocean conditions: warm waters with incredible visibility make the Philippines the perfect place to learn to scuba dive — an aspect I came to appreciate even more after diving in the colder waters of Brazil and Mexico
- Language: The Philippines are a English-speaking country, making communication with dive shops and instructors a breeze!
- Local Culture: The warmth and kindness of the locals were paramount for my learning and comfort under the sea! The delicious food was another nice plus.
Diving Courses: What You Need to Know
How to choose a good dive shop to get scuba certified
To start our open water diver course, we chose a dive shop called Sidive in Cebu City. Cebu City is one of the most common and affordable ways to get to the Philippines and presents ideal diving conditions for beginners.
Pre-Course Communication: I found Sidive online and chatted with them via WhatsApp and email about the course. We provided a payment of about 100 USD per person as a guarantee and received the PADI e-learning the same day. Since I had a depression diagnosis and was on medication, I needed a doctor to fill out a form stating I was fit to dive. Simon at Sidive guided me through this straightforward process.
If you want to learn to dive in other locations in the Philippines, make sure to:
1. Check the Dive Shop’s Certifications and Affiliations
Ensure that the dive shop is affiliated with reputable agencies like PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), SSI (Scuba Schools International), or NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors). These certifications guarantee that the instructors are trained to international standards.
2. Read Reviews and Testimonials
Online reviews and word of mouth are invaluable when choosing a dive shop. Look for feedback on customer service, teaching methods, and overall experiences on platforms like google reviews or TripAdvisor.
3. Location and Dive Sites
Priotirize locations with little to no current and warm waters so that you can feel more at ease while learning to dive.
4. Ask About Group Sizes
Smaller groups often mean more personalized attention. Look for a dive shop that limits its class sizes to ensure better learning and a safer experience.
It is best when class sizes are limited to 2-4 students.
How Is It Like to Learn to Scuba Dive in the Philippines?
The PADI Open Water Course has three main sections:
- E-learning: Even before going on your diving trip you can complete required readings and quizzes to learn the basic concepts about scuba diving!
- Confined water training: In a pool or calm and shallow area of the ocean you learn basic diving skills
- Open water training: In real open-water diving conditions, you test the skills learned in confined water
Let’s deep dive into my experience with each of these sections as part of my scuba diving training in the Philippines!
Working from home: The PADI E-learning Experience
The PADI e-learning is the classroom section of the open water diving course. We learned a lot of important concepts from home before even flying to the Philippines.
Given how dangerous diving can be, this e-learning must be taken seriously. I recommend you give yourself at least two weeks to work on it a bit every day.
If you’re in a rush, you could complete it in a day or two, but remember: it contains life-saving information, so it is best to take your time!
First time scuba diving in the Philippines: confined water training
Once we arrived in Cebu City, the only theory thing left was a quick multiple-choice in-person test to ensure we grasped the most important concepts. Then, we started learning how to set up gear and went to a shallow, waveless part of the ocean for our “confined water” training.
In the confined water training, we learned all the essential skills for diving, such as:
- Taking out water from our goggles while underwater (mask clearing technique)
- How to breathe underwater
- How to equalize our ears (the hardest part for me!)
- Using the BCD (the diving life jacket) to go down and up
- Using alternate oxygen sources
- Safely surfacing if we run out of oxygen
- Underwater communication
- Rescuing a troubled diver
- … much more!
Seriously Becoming a Scuba Diver During Open Water Training
After learning the skills in confined water, we swam into the open water to practice these same skills.
The course was surprisingly easy. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to dive, but pretty much anyone can do it!
Even if you don’t know how to swim, you can still dive.
Diving terms and internet forums make it sound more challenging than it is. Trust me, it’s easier than learning to ride a bike—I still can’t ride a bike, but I became a certified diver after just two days of training!
Fun Dives after certification
We loved learning to dive so much that we scheduled a few fun dives during our stay in the Philippines. Fun dives are just regular dives that you can do after becoming certified!
Though being scuba certified allows you to rent equipment and dive independently with a friend, most divers, including myself, choose to exclusively join guided fun dives.
After about five fun dives (including two in Oslob), we saw a significant improvement in our skills and felt confident enough to try out the advanced diving course just a few days after our initial certification.
Joining an Advanced Scuba Diving Course in Coron
For our advanced diving course, we headed to Coron. Diving in Coron was unique due to the numerous shipwrecks from World War II.
It was fascinating to see how these ships turned into beautiful homes for marine life. Some shipwrecks are in deep areas or have strong currents, making Coron an excellent place to challenge ourselves and earn our advanced diver certification.
There, we found the coolest dive shop: Reggae Diving. Reggae Diving is absolutely the best dive shop in Coron (and I’d not be surprised if they happen to be the best in the world)!
Their reggae-themed decor, playlist, and even their transportation were all good vibes. They picked us up in a red, green, and yellow tuk-tuk, took us to a similarly themed pier, and then to a boat called “Three Little Birds”. They even gave us cool reggae-themed t-shirts!
PADI Advanced Diver and Nitrox Courses
We booked a combo of the advanced diver course and the nitrox diver course.
Nitrox is a different mix of air that allows you to stay longer at larger depths, but due to life-threatening risks additional training is required to be able to use this mix.
We booked our courses at the last minute and had to complete the e-learning during our entire time in Coron, even on boat rides with the internet.
Though rushed, we were able to complete both courses in just two days!
What Gear Do You Need for Diving?
Do I Need to Buy Any Gear Before Heading to a Diving Course?
The answer is simple, especially if you’re diving in the Philippines: No.
All the dive shops we encountered had equipment rental included in their costs. While this isn’t true everywhere, I recommend using the dive shop’s equipment during your open water course.
The PADI e-learning will try to sell you lots of gear and courses, but remember, PADI is a business.
Scuba Diving Purchases that Are Worth It
Though I passed on purchasing expensive and heavy scuba diving equipment, like BCDs and scuba tanks, I did invest in a few travel-friendly items that I consistently use on summer trips:
- Snorkeling gear: A good set of tempered glass snorkels is a staple for every scuba diver. Prescription goggles are a lifesaver if you wear glasses.
- A Wetsuit: Good wetsuits coat about $100. I invested in one because I was grossed out by soggy and used wetsuits. If you decide to buy a wetsute, just make sure to check with your dive shop what thickness they recommend for the local water conditions
- Diving Boots: Soggy, used boots can be unpleasant. A good pair costs around $30 and is worth it.
- An action camera: We spent so much on GoPro rentals that we could have bought one! In the Philippines, rentals are about $50 a day. We already purchased a DJI Osmo Action 4 to take on our next diving trip!
Why I Started Diving
My journey into scuba diving started with a quest to find a new hobby to help me recover from depression. Two of my happiest memories involved swimming with marine wildlife—whale sharks in Cancun and dolphins in Egypt.
Therefore, scuba diving became the obvious choice. One late night, I found the energy and courage needed to book a PADI Open Water Course and a trip to the Philippines.
Important Considerations
Health: Before starting your diving journey, it’s crucial to know that if you have any health conditions, you might need a doctor’s note. Check out this form to see if you need to see your Dr. before diving with a PADI dive shop.
Payment: In the Philippines, we had trouble paying for diving courses with a credit card, so we typically had to use PayPal or Wise, which incurred fees. Be mindful of this payment limitation, and make sure to bring cash or set up PayPal and Wise accounts before you go on your trip!
The Wrapup: Learning to Scuba Dive in the Philippines
Diving in the Philippines was an unforgettable experience, transforming me from a newbie to an advanced diver in just two weeks.
f you’re considering learning to dive, the Philippines is an excellent place to start. The affordability, warm waters, and friendly locals make it a top destination for aspiring divers.
Remember, the journey is as important as the destination, so take your time, learn thoroughly, and enjoy every moment underwater.
To plan your Philippines diving trip, check out other helpful posts:
