Get a Diving License to Have More Chances of Fun-Diving!

Back in college, I had an ear injury and the doctor told me never to dive, or never to put my ears in strong pressure.

But I'm kind of stubborn.  I fly in pressurized cabins.  I also go swimming, above or under water.  I was kind of worried at first, but swimming is a life skill.  I set my fears aside and tried to learn the basics of swimming.  And even tried immersing myself under water for several seconds.  My ears didn't hurt.  That was the start of me thinking about trying out diving.

With a bad left ear, I made it 12 meters under the sea!  Coz I'm able to do it, you can, too, if you want to.  So here's some info on its how's and where-to's.


But Why Would You Want a Diving License?

I asked the same question to myself.  The answer is, if you want to have more fun-diving experience, you will need a license to get cheaper fee and to have real fun.  Without a license, you will need a personal pro-diver to assist you.  That would cost you.  The diver will be on your trail, and most of the time, holding you, may even just drag you under water, because you will not be allowed to explore under the sea on your own.  There will be a lot of limits in your exploration underwater.  And that is no fun at all. With  a license of your choice, if you really want to engage in this activity, you will experience the essence of fun-diving.

What to do?


First, find a diving academy to help you get a license.
Second, choose the kind of license that suits you.  The most common are open water and advanced. But  there are other types of licenses.  Your agency can explain this to you more.
Third, prepare yourself and your wallet;
Fourth, set the date and enjoy!


Find the right place to get you a license

        I'm not talking here about PADI or CMAS and other license-giving bodies of the diving world.  What I'm talking about are the third parties that can connect you to these license-giving bodies, agencies that will train and teach you the how's, the do's and the dont's of diving.  There are a number of them  in Mactan.

          In my case, I was recommended by a friend to register at FRIENDS DIVING ACADEMY.  It's just a small company and it's new.  So I like it there because most of their diving equipment and gadgets are new.   All the staff are super friendly and very eager to attend to your needs and requests.  The best part is, they serve  hearty yet healthy complimentary lunch and dinner!

         If interested, you may contact the general manager with this mobile number: +63-932-229-5756. His name is Joseph Flores.  He is all out to help you out.

Choose which license you need

          Because I am recommending you to register at FRIENDS DIVING ACADEMY, here's a list of the licenses (with corresponding fees) you can get through them.  If you only want to have some fun-diving activities in the future, I'd say an Open Water diving license is good enough.

Prepare!
     Preparation is the secret to any success stories.  You don't need complex preparation for this activity, though.  You only have to be ready for the sea, with the sun, and with your body condition.  So remember the following:

1. Make sure that you have your SPF with you during the activity coz the sun will not spare you on your way back and forth to the open sea.

2.  Get enough sleep before the activity because you will spend a lot of energy in lifting and carrying your oxygen tank as well as in  flipping your legs in the right way.  Right breathing is very important in diving, so be in a very good condition before engaging in it.

3.  Get ready for the license fee.  The cheapest license is between Php5500 and Php6000 averaging to Php9000 and even up to Php18000 or more depending on the license you want.  Refer to the list above for the details.

Get set, enjoy!

         Training to get a diving license can last from 2 days to a month, depending on your choice of license.  The first day is mostly about diving orientation and training in the pool.  Whatever is the designed training for your license, just enjoy, because the magical world under water is waiting for you there!!!

getting ready!

excited!

lesson

scene during the lesson (me)

scene during the lesson (where am I?)

scene during the lesson (me ahead of them)

and we're done for the day ^^

Great Things You Can Do on a Weekend in Oslob, Cebu: Whaleshark and More!

          I've heard of Oslob's whaleshark a few years back and thought these water giants would be gone from the place eventually, having some sort of temporary migration.  But they've stayed in the southernmost part of  Cebu's island up until now.  Last year around this time, I just had to see these sharks myself.  Many people I've known have been there and told stories of its awesomeness.  Just hearing about it is not enough. The stories have to be personally experienced.  

          Buy time and experience, I always tell myself if I'm double checking my budget already, signs that I might back out from travel plans due to financial constraints.  So I went there with a friend in a very tight budget, but with lots of convenience.  Here's to a great weekend for budget travelers like me.

Getting there and getting around

1. Most Oslob visitors prefer to take the early morning bus (like 3AM) from South Bus Terminal to arrive at their destination at around 6AM and head straight to the registration and debriefing area for the activity: swimming with the whalesharks.  The bus fare is between Php150-160 and the ride will last for up to 4 hours depending on how many stops the bus will take.

2. If you prefer to have enough sleep before swimming with the Butanding, like me,  take the bus at 3PM on Saturday and arrived at your destination at around 6 or 7 in the evening (buses seems to travel longer in broad daylight, must be due to several stops for passenger-picking).  

3.  Without any bookings, you can just ask around for a decent place to stay overnight.  That's what we did and we found this place called Ester's Place. There is air-conditioning in each of the Php900-worth room (there were four rooms) available in this house, and if you don't use the air-con unit, you only pay Php600 for the room.  If you are with one or two companions, you only spend 200 or 300 for the night. In this inn, there is abundance of water supply and the toilets are clean!

it's a house! It's Casa Bonita Inn (Ester's Place)

just ignore the mess of our  Php600 room ^^

4.  Ester's Place is just along the highway and across it are small stores and the seashore where you can take a free boat in the early morning to the activity's debriefing area. The debriefing unit is actually just 5-minute walk away from the Ester's.  So you can either take a walk or take the free boat ride.

Ambience

          Oslob is very countryside.  It's a coastal area, and the water a few meters away from the land is already very deep and tastes saltier than the seawater in other water areas of Cebu that I've immersed into.  This is maybe why the whale sharks like it there (this is just my opinion).  Southward, there are a lot of resorts of different sorts along its coast.  During the day, you can see men in uniform t-shirts, working for the local government unit to serve the tourists joining the Oslob whaleshark activity.  The moment the sun sets, the locals stay inside their homes and leave the place so quiet.   The people there are very friendly and accommodating.

         The lucky thing about our visit there was the October Fest they held on the eve of our arrival.  Funny because it was still September! So we were lucky to have spent the night there with lots of beer around and music.  Even if we don't drink, the atmosphere was really fun, with locals and foreigners jamming together.  We didn't experience  the boredom of a very quiet night in the country at all.   So it is a good idea to visit around October when they have this event there if planning to stay overnight.

October fest in September!

Oh, she looks drunk already. ^^

Things to do

There are a few things you can do when spending your weekend in Oslob.

1. Watching or swimming with the whale shark.  The fee  for the activity is Php300 for just whaleshark watching and Php500 if you want to swim and take photo poses with the Butandings. The activity lasts for 30 minutes only, which starts the moment you jump off the boat.  So there's no time to waste.  There's no need to worry if you can't swim because they will provide life jackets and personal guides.  If you have no underwater camera, there are Php550 for rentals there. You can get the soft copies immediately after the activity.  It's a good idea to bring your own USB if you are planning to rent an underwater cam because burning the photos in DVDs or CDs will take some time and will cost about Php100.  Here's some of the underwater shots of me and the whale sharks.

2. Have a side trip to Sumilon Island.  The island is very visible from the coast so most Oslob go-ers take advantage of the proximity by having their beach time in the soft white sands of Sumilon after swimming with the whale shark.  In most cases, because you have to pakyaw the boat, the ride will cost Php500 back and forth.  Beaching is not our cup of tea, so my companion and I went for the third option.

3. Chasing Tumalog waterfalls. It's more or less 30-minute motorcycle ride from the main road and will cost each of the two passengers Php100 for back and forth ride.  The motorcycle will not send you straight to the waterfalls itself.  You must walk along the wide cemented path of  winding

steep slopes in chasing the waterfalls.  It's an exhilarating walk to a refreshing shower! Oh, don't forget the Php10 entrance fee. ^^

4. Stopover at the Poblacion. It's just along the highway, so why not take a stroll before heading back to the city?  Its ambiance will take you to a feel of decades ago, decades you were not born yet. 

Enjoy!

Chasing Waterfalls in Southern Cebu

TLC says, "...don't go chasing waterfalls..." in their song, but I just couldn't resist.  Last summer was another time to enjoy the weather, nature, and the sun.  But instead of hitting the sands and seawater, I opted for something away from the shore, but still close to the waters and nature without so much sun.  My dark complexion doesn't need any additional tanning.

I googled for something to do in the summer and a list of waterfalls to visit in Cebu came out.  There was actually ten in that list. But with only 2 days of availability, my friend and I were only able to "chase" less than 10.

Though less than 10, chasing waterfalls was much more than the number.  So it wasn't about how many, it was about how it was.

So how was it?  How did we do it in 2 days?  

To avoid long hours on the bus, we took a what we call "cutting-trip" by going to the most accessible waterfalls, then to the farthest for the first day, so that the next day, we would be able to chase waterfalls while heading back to Cebu City.  Thanks to the brilliant ideas of my travel companion: Angelique Kaamino! 

Here are the details...



* We headed to the South Bus Terminal and caught the bus to KAWASAN in Badian.  
          I really dislike waking up so early when going on a trip.  I always want my trip to be as convenient as possible, especially with time (in the cheapest way available).  So my companion and I decided to be at the terminal at 9AM.  We had enough sleep and ample amount of time to enjoy breakfast, even if we are 40-minutes away from the bus station.

* After about 3 hours, we arrived in Badian and had lunch before going to the waterfalls.  Having lunch outside the waterfalls area is good for those without baon  or those with tight budget.  There's a small carenderia at the bus stop, so it isn't difficult to find a cheap place to eat.  And here's something from our short visit there:

       
          Walking to the waterfalls is a beautiful experience.  Some Kawasan go-ers would take a habal-habal (motorcycle ride) to get there for Php50.  But the waterfalls is not the only thing beautiful about the place.  The foot bridges, the rustling shallow waters that flow like a river from the top of the waterfalls, the local plants that you can no longer see in the urban areas, and the people of different nationalities walking past.  You can't miss them by taking the motorcyle.  So walk to Kawasan.  There were so many people at the foot of the waterfalls, so I didn't feel like taking a plunge.  It was like a crowded beach.  And it seems that you have to pay for almost anything you do there.  So after having enough of looking around, it was time to chase another waterfalls.

* We walked out of Kawasan and took the next bus to Samboan.  SAMBOAN  was like 2 hours of bus ride from Badian.  And this is what we found in Samboan: AGUINID FALLS

          Aguinid Falls  is accessible via motorcycle from the highway.  If taveling solo or just a pair of two poor wanderers like me and my companion, Php50 per person will be a good deal because the driver had to wait for you.  And there's a ten-peso fee to enter the area (but no one collected our fees at the time, so lucky!)
          The waterfalls has a small pool water at its base.  It was almost 4pm and the water was very tempting, but there was yet another falls to chase nearby, so we didn't take a dip anymore, nor did we check out the upper layer of the waterfalls.  If we had more time, we would have checked out the entire area.

*  Off to INAMBAKAN FALLS in GINATILAN
          The town of Ginalitan is pretty close to Aguinid waterfalls.  So we decided to take the whole trip there  via motorcyle.  Our hired driver agreed to tour us around, wait, and send us to Malabuyoc for the night's rest. (With three towns and two waterfalls he had to travel to tour us around, and with the hours of waiting, we paid him Php500.  If it is still too much for you, you can do the haggling.)

         Our timing in Inambakan Falls was just perfect.  The ride that almost took 30 minutes was really worthwhile.  It was the time when the waterfalls had just the right access to the sun to create the rainbows around it.  And 4pm was the perfect time for a cool and refreshing dip.

the water, the rainbow, and us

doesn't this look magical?

the water, the rainbow, and me

* Time to rest for the night.  We heard of a very cheap place to stay overnight.  It's this place: SAIVE MARIE PHARMACY in the town proper of MALABUYOC.  For Php50, you have a safe place to sleep already.  And because it's the town proper, it was very easy to find a cheap place to eat. There's a market nearby and some decent carenderias around.

This is the Saive Marie Pharmacy and
the decent rooms are on the second floor

*The next day at 9AM after a hearty breakfast, we're Cebu City bound already.  But still with falls to chase, we took the bus to another KAWASAN FALLS, but not the one in Badian. It's the Kawasan Falls of Batad-batad in MOAL-BOAL.

          This waterfalls was the hardest to get to.  The place was very remote and the roads were mostly under-developed.  And the waterfalls? There wasn't even a trail to easily find it.  Good thing we found two nimble little girls to guide us to the undeveloped Kawasan falls.

after the tiring trek, we deserve this pose. ^^

this is pretty much what we can take from our view

*The last chase (arriving there at lunch time) : MANTAYUPAN FALLS in BARILI

          

         This is contrary to Moalboal's Kawasan.  Mantayupan is well-developed, almost like the Kawasan in Badian when it comes to attention it receives from the local government.  But of course, in Badian, the body of water is bigger and the crowd larger.  So even with this seemingly overcrowding in Mantayupan, I still like it's ambiance.  For me, it's a simpler version of Kawasan in Badian and I would definitely come back here for a longer dip. 

* Time to go back to Cebu City.  And to reward ourselves for the successful chasing, we dropped off at the most amazing place to beat the heat of the afternoon sun: THE MILK STATION in Dakit, just before Carcar.  The station is just along the highway, so it is easy to spot!

And so before 6pm, we are back to our place in Cebu City!