Dives #77 (Coral Garden) and #78 (Heaven's Gate), Southern Leyte (off San Roque), Philippines (Nitrox EANx34)

OK, the game is on! I was invited to a private safari tour, since by instructor had to collect some cylinders and equipment, he asked a few fellows to join him for the tour with minimimal cost. It was a 5 and a half hour boatride from Mactan Island off Cebu, so lots of time to get close and personal with (nobody but) my new Suunto Zoop. Entry level [ dive computer ] it may be, but serves percetly to my current needs and allows a nitrox mix from 21 (obviously) to 40% oxygen, has visual and sound alarms, waterproof to 100 meters (not like your "waterproof 100m" watch), divelog and planner. This all for less than 200 euro by the way, thanks Suunto! This rare moments of pride for being a Finn!



After getting to know the people onboard and having a rough not-very-urban lunch, it was time to get to the business. We started from Coral Garden and continued with Heaven's Gate. Both interesting dives, and you can really tell these corals are very untouch EVEN THOUGH reports on dynamite fishing do exist. (But at Mactan I heard the blasts on myself, so this could not be worse for sure.) And yes, the virgin corals gave enough feeling of satisfaction and made a long and rough boatride worthwile. Actually at the time of the dives, I considered these very good ones (compared to Mactan at least) but now when I know better - read the future posts to come - these two were... well, just ok.

But it's woprth mentioning that these were my very first enriched air / nitrox dives, giving almost double no deco time underwater. Is this very useful given the same tank size can be questionned, but I think diving with enriched air with more oxygen has also other benefits. It's the nitrogen that really makes you tired after the dives, and having less of it (due to higher concentration of oxygen) really keeps you fresher after the day is over.

Coral Garden: entry time 14:00, divetime 35min, max depth 25m, water temp 28 celcius, gas mix EANx34 (34% oxygen / 66% nitrogen)

Heaven's gate: entry time 17:01, divetime 40min, max depth 25m, water temp 28 celcius, mix EANx34

Dive #76 : Rescue Diver Session 4, Mactan Island (Off Marigondon Beach), Philippines

So this was the last session of my course, including once more a "real life" scene where a diver started to signal for help from the distance, while I was chilling at the beach with no gear on. Then in split seconf you are supposed to think and act, whether it's smart to spend time gearing up, or would it be better just to gear up with fins and mask only and then go for help wuth some sort of floating device. Since it was a deeper spot (I supposed) and the dude could be sinking, I geared up with full gear and decided to make an underwater approach due to heavy waves and waterjet traffic on the surface. Off we go, the "tired diver" was sunk to the bottom, dragged him up, and started immediate rescue breath on the surface. This had to be done every five seconds, and in the meanwhile towing the diver to the surface as well as I could possibly could.

This had to at least look like real, since a couple of guys rushed from the shore to help me out. The victim had then to explain that this was just a simulation!

Overall a good course, even though I would have wanted some more unpredictable surprise scenarios. Now everything was explained beforehands and there was no real element of surprise. Yes, the scenarious were close to real life situations, but in reality nobody is going to explain you beforehands that hey, I will soon panic and sink, would you please rescue me?

However it feels great to advance as diver and I am looking forward to my nitrox and divemaster certifications.

Dive #75 : Rescue Diver Session #3, Mactan Island, Philippines

Rescue diver sessions continuing with more rescue scenarios and missing diver search patterns. First however for of mentioning that scored full 50/50 points from the theory part, guess I really had time to study my book due to a couple of weeks delay of the course. I picked the book two weeks before, fell with a strong flu and had to postpone the practical sessions. Seems like the studying paid off!

We started with another missing diver search patterns, practicing the expanding square, U-pattern and the expanding circle with a line. Then to the most useful stuff, a diver panicking in 20 meters depth, surging to the surface full speed holding breath. So what ya do, let the sad bastard go an experience the free thrills of lung expansion combined with the joy of decompresson sickness? I mean those nitrogen bubbles in your bloodflow cant be that bad right! Oh well for the sake of the course the poor fellow had to be saved, so grabbing and controlling the dude underwater, providing you air supply and taking him calmly to the surface with safety/deco stops. This was great stuff, we actually should have more this which I think is closer to a situation that might happen (and did happen in Belize) in the real world. However we also concentrated quite a bit to rescuing unconscious diver from the bottom, something I dont see THAT common. Anyway, a crapload of time was spent to on-the-surface rescue breaths and ventilations, oxygen masks usage and towing the victim onto land. Pretty good, and tirening, stuff. The burning jellyfish patrolling the area didn't make it much easier, neither the zillions of locals who were spending their sunday afternoon playing at the beach. Once when we surfaced, a waterjet roamed about 5 meters from us...

Ended the session with some free diving excercises, to approximately 3-4 meters and swimming around without equipment.

Dive #74 : Rescue Diver Session 2, Mactan Divers (Mactan Island, Philippines)

Continuing the rescue course with missing diver search patterns and rescue breathing and other first aid on the surface.


- Missing Diver Procedures
- Surfacing an unconscious diver
- On the surface first aid equipment and first aid procedures.
- Towing unconscious diver to the shore while simulating rescue breaths

This stuff gets quite tirening at times, so it really pays off to exercise regularly. Its still the haunting experience from the Belize Blue Hole that motivates me to do this stuff. After seeing a panicked (buddy!) diver in 35 meters launching for a vigorous emergency ascent leaving u speechless incapable for proper reaction is something I DONT want to experience again. And indeed, next time I know what to do.

To be continued tomorrow.

Dive #73 : Rescue Diver Session #1 (Mactan Island, Philippines)

Allright the first rescue diver session started with some refreshing of the basic skills such as swimming in the bottom of the sea without mask and air.

- Missing mask or extended mask removal
- Out of air, finding loose octapus without mask
- Excessive feeding regulator (not in mouth) or "breathing bubbles"
- Overexertion and ascents on alternate air source


Plus on the surface
- Towing distressed diver
- Approaching panicked diver
- Getting rid of the panicked diver (exit)

Quite meaningful stuff especially the self rescue and stress management parts. How can u handle emergencies if u can't handle yourself in one?

Dive #72 : Gilutongan Marine Resort, off Mactan, Cebu, Philippines

Allright now this one was definately all worth it. A good wall at around 5-25 meters, with shitloads of hard and soft corals plus an amazing variety of coral life including a school of giant spadefish, groupers, and a lot of smaller, typical stuff such as parrotfish, morish idols, at least twenty triggerfish chasing each others as maniacs as they are, variety of wrasses and flutemouths, trumpetfish etc, a few shrimps and pipefish but no nudey branches this time.

Even though the site was great, a few dynamite blasts shocked us underwater. It really feels like someone throws the explosives right next to you, such strong is the shockwave underwater. Everyone were staring at each other in disbelief, however relieved that no-ones tank had exploded and that wach one of us were fine. So we continue the dive only to experience the second and the third blast in the moments to come.

This is exaclty the kind of bullshit that greedy attitudes bring up in people. You can easily make the buck by killing all the fish around with a few explosives, then pick the fish and sell it to the market, restaurants, or even worse the chinese morons who buy the fish after not much is left in their own country. Then you leave the corals destroyed and you must hunt the fish further and further away. Also the dive tourism which brings way more money to the local economy than fishing, will diminish. Of course, the fishermen dont get much benefit from divers, but they really must sort themselves out somehow. What the @#@# is the point to first to pay a speacial entrance fee to eneter a marine reservoir and still discover people dynamite fishing in the area. F U all greedy money blinded wankers who are just too lame, dumb or both to understand anything further than short term income.

It was still unclear how far the dynamites were detonated. In the water the shockwave is obvious, however people on the deck of our boat had not heard anything.

Weights 10kg ( because long thick 5mm wetsuit plus gloves), vis 25m, depth 25m, divetime 47min great one.

Dive #71 : Tambuli reef, Mactan Island, Cebu, Philippines

Took off with a few people from work, including my current boss who is an enthusiastic diver. After playing around with waterjets (surpsinigly quite fun!) time to get serious and put the divegear on. We rented quite a large boat, and started patrolling the reefs. Water turquise and crystal clear as the standard in the Philippines seems to be.

Fisr stop was Tambuli reef, where we faced some strong currents and a sea snake was immediately waiting for us. Another interesting thing here was the sunken airplane, a wreck to fool around with was quite unique. However it was a turnoff to realize that it was deliberatly put there for the divers sake. Thats really lame! Not that it's that new of an idea, in the gulf of Mexico they sunk a whole 250 meter long (888 feet) aircraft carrier the USS Oriskany just for the divers. Read more.

So, this was just a small plane, actually just a reminder of the stuff waiting at the Coron Bay, and those wrecks are the realk thing from WW2.

So yeah lets face it, it was a boring dive and diving with your boss is never a great idea since it definately takes some elements off the thing. Also visibilitywise, even Philippines do have good visibility, after Cozumel Mexico, nothing really is the same!

Wetsuit 5mm long, weights 8kg, divetime 35min, vis 20m