Turning Boholano: diving

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Boat Rides

The bancas, or motorized outrigger boats, are commonly used here in Bohol for inter-island hopping adventures, as well as for dolphin and whale watching trips. Renting one can be arranged with any resort offering island tour packages, or directly from boat operators

Bohol is well-known in the Philippines as a haven for divers and snorkelers; thus, most diving operators also have their own bancas for their respective diving trips.

Locals make use of the banca like a water taxi; that is, to take them to a neighboring island such as Sequijor. Tourists can also rent one to cruise the different rivers of Bohol, such as the Loboc River.

Incidentally, only just a ten-minute boat ride from Panglao Island is the pristine white sands of Virgin Island, a perfect getaway if one desires a quick respite from the usual resort offerings. Technically, it is not an island but a mere sandbar.

At low tide, the center part of this crescent moon shaped islet is submerged under 6 inches of water. This flooding divides the island into two islets. Photography buffs can get a kick out of the submerged part of the islet, because it gives an illusion of walking over the water. Virgin Island is only open for day trips, for there are no hotel accommodations on this island, or islet, or sandbar.

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A noteworthy read: Boatmen make good money

Saturday Sareenity

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Saturday, December 10, 2011

Dive Shops along Alona Beach

There’s probably more shops in the Alona Beach area I might have missed because they’re tucked inside some resorts’ lobbies, but will add as I discover them. For those featured on this post, I had added the links to their sites where available. As for all the open water diving articles online, the excerpt below is my favorite:

Zen and the Art of Scuba Diving

There are many skills required to dive. The basics are the mechanics, such as the assembly of the equipment, and the physical, such as swimming, etc. However, the real art of scuba diving comes from the effortless gliding through the water, being one with nature, and the vivid experience of the dive. We refer to this as the zen of diving.

Many people think that the best diving experience is when the conditions of the dive are perfect, flat sea, good visibility, and sightings of a variety of marine life. But some of the best dives we have had were in less than best conditions. The dive was a realization of what we have visualized, where we were at ease and controlled the dive rather than the dive controlling us.

Many people ask us how to get to the next level, to reach the ultimate plateau of the Zen of Diving. One of the first steps is to achieve good buoyancy. Perfect buoyancy is a pillar of the zen fundamentals of diving. One way to learn good buoyancy is by taking a course such as the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course. The essential skills of proper weighting, streamlining and trim, as well as more advanced skills such as breath control and visualization are covered during the course.