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Why the Philippines Is Perfect

The Philippines is a marine life paradise! For beginners, places like Anilao and Puerto Galera are perfect—they have calm, clear water and friendly dive shops that make learning a breeze. After you’re certified, you can check out the famous sardine run in Moalboal, explore the walls and caverns of Pescador Island, or dive the awesome WWII wrecks in Coron. The best time to go is from November to April. And for the pros, Tubbataha is a must-do, but be ready for some serious currents!

Here’s a plan for your first trip:

• Start in Anilao or Puerto Galera for easy dives.
• Add Moalboal for the sardine run and simple walls.
• Consider Coron wrecks after you feel comfortable underwater.
• Keep Tubbataha on your wish list for later.

Choosing the Right Course

Finding the right course makes a huge difference. I did my PADI Open Water on a chill house reef, then added more skills as I went. The Philippines is the perfect place to start your diving journey, it’s super easy and fun!

PADI Open Water

Anilao is awesome for learning to dive! The calm water and mild currents make it super easy. Most spots are shallow and crystal clear, so you can really focus on your skills. Dauin is also great for practicing your buoyancy. Moalboal and Puerto Galera are perfect, too, you get all the colorful reefs without long boat trips. It’s all about making learning fun and easy! Making this one of the best dive sites in the Philippines for beginners.

Advanced, Nitrox, Drift, and Wreck Specialties

Ready to take your diving to the next level in the Philippines? I recommend picking specialties that fit the location. Try drift diving at Apo Island, or get your Nitrox certification to extend your dives in Moalboal and Puerto Galera. If you’re a history buff, the WWII wrecks in Coron are the perfect spot to get your wreck diver certification.

Seasonality, Visibility, and Water Temps for Student Divers

For the best diving, hit the Philippines between November and April. The seas are calm, and you can see for miles! Moalboal’s famous sardine run is a year-round thing, but it gets busier during the dry season. Tubbataha is a must-do for experienced divers, open from mid-March to mid-June, but be ready for strong currents. So if you are a digital nomad in the Philippines, remember to plan accordingly, so you can take some time off. You’ll probably only need a 3mm wetsuit, and visibility can range from a decent 30-40 feet in some spots to a stunning 100+ feet in others!

Travel Logistics From the United States

Getting to these dive spots from the U.S. is easy! You’ll probably fly into Manila first, then it’s a quick 2-3 hour drive to Anilao or a ferry to Puerto Galera. For spots like Moalboal or Panglao, you’ll want to fly into Cebu or Bohol and then it’s a short drive. For a full-on dive adventure, I’d suggest starting with calm dives in Anilao, then progressing to more advanced dives in Moalboal, and finally, getting your wreck diver cert in Coron! You could even plan this around the U.S Winter and find some Winter warmth in paradise!

Anilao Beginner Diving Near Manila

It’s best for new divers in Anilao because it’s close, calm, and confidence‑building. From Ninoy Aquino International Airport, you will be in Batangas in 2–3 hours, then on a banka within minutes. Visibility averages 40–50 feet, and I wear a 3mm full suit with booties year‑round. For Manila weekend diving, the short travel and gentle entries keep energy high for skills.

Why Anilao is Beginner-Friendly

The currents here are super chill, so you can really focus on getting your buoyancy and trim right without any stress. We do most of our lessons in shallow, sandy spots, perfect for practicing skills like mask clearing. Plus, the boat rides are short, so you spend more time diving and less time traveling. Since the sites are so close to shore, we can even sneak in some quick refreshers between dives. The conditions are so predictable that learning to dive in Anilao feels easy right from the start!

Top Training Sites

At Twin Rocks in Anilao, you’ll learn to navigate while checking out the colorful soft corals and schooling jacks. Secret Bay is awesome for practicing your buoyancy and patience as you look for tiny critters in the sand. And The Pier is perfect for mastering your compass skills and getting comfortable with slow, controlled descents. This is one of the best dive sites in the Philippines because it will teach you the vital skills you need to know in no time!

I like to plan a simple loop for each dive: a skill block, a relaxing swim to look at the marine life, and then a safety stop. Every spot helps you work on a different skill, whether it’s comfort, control, or navigation, so it never feels like a boring drill.

What You’ll See

You’ll spot cool stuff right away! I love pointing out nudibranchs, frogfish, seahorses, and pipefish. If you do a night dive at Secret Bay, you might even see a mimic octopus or a hairy frogfish! During the day at Twin Rocks, you could see cuttlefish, a turtle, or even a school of jacks swimming by. Every time you spot something cool, it’s a great chance to practice your buoyancy: just freeze, breathe, and enjoy the moment.

Resort Scene and Camera Support

Anilao is the perfect place to get into underwater macro photography! Places like Crystal Blue Resort and Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort are amazing. They offer workshops and have well-equipped camera rooms and rinse tanks, making it easy to learn the ropes.

I like to do a skill-focused dive in the morning, then spend the afternoon on a fun critter hunt. With easy travel from Manila, great visibility, and expert help with your camera, you can go from your first dive to confidently taking amazing photos in just a weekend.

Puerto Galera Dive Schools

I always pick Puerto Galera for my dives because it’s got beautiful beaches and lively spots right next to amazing reefs. It’s so convenient—most dive sites are just a 5–10 minute boat ride away. This gives me plenty of time to train, clean my gear, and watch the sunset.

The bay is full of dive schools, so it’s easy to find the perfect one. For beginners, I love starting at Coral Garden or Monkey Beach. You’ll often see turtles and on night dives, the marine life is super colorful.

For something a little more advanced, the Sabang Wrecks are perfect for learning about wreck diving, and the Verde Island Passage is a must-see for its incredible sea fans and marine life. You can even practice your current diving skills there. It’s the perfect mix of learning and fun!

Moalboal Sardine Run

Panagsama Beach is the place to be as a new student. It’s easy to get to the water, and the action never stops. Getting to Mactan–Cebu International Airport takes two to four hours. We review skills on the first day with you and then on the second day, we dive with the big schools.

Panagsama Beach Sardines

The sardines hang out right by Panagsama Beach, and the water is shallow and super clear, so it’s easy to keep an eye on your instructor. If you want to avoid the crowds, weekdays or the shoulder seasons (May–June and October) are your best bet. I’ll make sure we go over all the hand signals and how to stay together before we even hit the water!

Pescador Island

Once you’re a pro at buoyancy, you’ll hit the walls at Pescador, it’s super fun and a great place to practice depth control and finning. The soft corals and schooling fish make it an awesome sight! For some cool macro shots, you’ll head to places like Magic Point or Talisay Wall. The mix of wide-angle photography and navigation drills keeps every dive exciting and different.

Day trips to Oslob

A lot of people want to see the whale sharks in Oslob, and it’s a great side trip from Moalboal. We can go on a rest day or after you get certified. It’s about a two-hour drive each way, so we’ll bring snacks and plenty of water. When we get back, we can do a quick dive at the house reef to practice your buoyancy.

Best Months, Crowd tips, and Safety for New Divers

Diving is good all year, but November to April is best. It’s busier, you will dive early and take breaks. You will focus on skills like mask checks and gas management.

• Arrival plan: rest first night, skills refresher next morning.
• Sardines: shallow starts, short drills, then slow tours.
• Pescador progression: walls before any overhead features.
• Oslob timing: rest day or post-course, not mid-skill block.

For beginners, it’s all about simple steps. Breathing, buddy checks, and slow descents are key. With these basics, diving in Moalboal, Pescador, and Oslob becomes a great experience.

Panglao Bohol Dive Resorts

Panglao, Bohol is an awesome spot for new divers. The water is crystal clear and the currents are calm, so you can really relax and focus. The boat rides are short, which means more time for diving and less time on the water. For your first dives, head to Balicasag Island. It’s got gentle entries and you’ll see tons of colorful fish. After that, check out Doljo Point, the wall and abundant fish life make for great photos.

If you’re looking for a bigger adventure, Pamilacan Bohol is known for its clear water and the chance to see manta rays. And for those with more experience, Cervera Shoal, or Snake Island, is home to sea snakes and a fun challenge.

The best part about Bohol is how easy it is. The dive resorts handle all the gear, so you can just focus on having an amazing time!

Site	Typical Profile	Signature Marine Life	Best For	Coach’s Tip
Balicasag (Protected Sections)	30–60 ft, mild current, high viz	Barracuda, bannerfish, batfish, nudibranchs, flatworms	First post-cert reef dives	Hover over the slope and practice mid-water safety stops.
Balicasag (Outer Slope)	50–90 ft, occasional drift	Schools of butterflyfish, jacks, turtles	Buoyancy tuning and trim checks	Use a reef hook only when briefed; keep fin kicks small.
Doljo Point	25–70 ft, leeward wall	Pipefish, gobies, clownfish, cardinalfish	Photography practice	Stabilize with breath control before you touch your camera settings.
Pamilacan	40–80 ft, clear water	Manta rays, barracuda, bumphead parrotfish, humphead wrasse	Confidence-building blue water	Plan a negative entry if current picks up, then regroup at 20 ft.
Cervera Shoal (Snake Island)	70–100 ft, open shoal	Banded sea snakes, schooling reef fish	Supervised depth progression	Run frequent buddy checks and set a non-negotiable turn pressure.

Coron Wreck Diving Courses

If you want to learn wreck diving, Coron is the place to be! The bay is filled with huge steel ships from WWII. We take our time, learn how to navigate the wrecks, and talk about their history. This way, you get your Wreck Diver certification while really respecting the incredible WWII wrecks here.

Why Coron is Ideal

The 11 Japanese ships are at 60 to 100 feet deep. This is great for beginners. We start with the outside, then move to short dives inside. This builds confidence and is why Coron is perfect for first-time wreck divers.

Safety

Before we even get in the water, we’ll go over the history of the wrecks, their layout, and what to watch out for. We’ll talk about everything from air management to what to do if you lose your way. Inside the wrecks, we’ll always follow a line and keep our hands free. We stick to small teams to stay safe and focused.

If you’re short on time, you can even pair Coron with Apo Reef, it’s awesome to go from diving on old ships to exploring a coral reef in just a day! The currents in Coron are usually calm and the visibility can be amazing, but you’ll want to have some dives under your belt and good buoyancy control before you go. And a Nitrox certification is a huge plus, as it lets you stay down longer and dive more safely. Grabbing some travel insurance is also vital when doing complicated dives like this. So make sure to get some before arriving.

If you’re new to currents, we start on calm wrecks. This helps you get used to it.

Training Element	What I Teach	Why It Matters on Coron Wrecks	Pro Tip
External Survey	Superstructure mapping, hazard ID, route planning	Prevents wrong turns and reduces task load	Sketch the deck plan topside before the dive
Guideline Skills	Primary reel use, tie-offs, team spacing	Keeps exits obvious in low silt or surge	Practice tie-offs on the mooring line first
Light & Signals	Primary/backup light checks, hand and light comms	Maintains contact in shadowed corridors	Agree on abort signals before entry
Gas & Time	Rock-bottom calc, turn pressures, no-deco margins	Protects reserve for exits and contingencies	Use Nitrox for longer quality time on structure
Silt Management	Frog kicks, modified flutter, trim control	Prevents zero-vis moments in holds	Film your kicks to spot fin errors fast
Apo Reef Pairing	Switch to reef skills and navigation refresh	Balances steel with biodiversity and blue water	Plan a relaxed safety stop to watch schooling fish

Apo Reef

I pick places for checkouts where new skills stick well. The clear blue water helps a lot. After a tune-up in Coron, I go offshore for the Apo Reef open water course dives. The leeward pockets are calm for entries. You can practice for a long time without feeling crowded.

Why Apo Reef Suits Supervised Training Dives

You will about buoyancy and trim on the boat. Then, we use gentle slopes for controlled descents. On the sand edge, we practice mask clears and air-sharing. Then, we drift along the reef shoulder. Instructors can see everything clearly. Students learn to ascend safely with little surge.

Keep an eye out for whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, they love to cruise around the staghorn gardens! You might also spot big schools of jacks and barracuda swimming by. While we’re practicing our skills, I’ll point out the colorful anthias, giant clams, and glowing sponges. The water is super clear, so it’s all easy to spot!

Weather

From November to April, the seas are calmer. The late dry season is the best time. Offshore, visibility is often over 60 feet. This makes everyone feel more confident. I plan skills for the day’s weather. Start shallow, then go deeper as you get more confident.

Dauin and Apo Island From Dumaguete

I love planning my dive courses to be super chill and fun! Dumaguete is an awesome place to start. The dark, sandy bottom in Dauin is perfect for learning how to stay steady underwater, and you’ll see so many cool critters like frogfish, dragonets, and even blue-ring octopuses! The water is crystal clear, so nothing is hard to spot.

Once you’ve got your buoyancy down, we’ll head to Apo Island to dive with bigger fish and turtles. The water there is so clear, you might even spot a shark or a manta ray! The resorts in Dumaguete, like Atlantis and Atmosphere Resort & Spa, make everything easy so you can just relax and enjoy the diving. The best time to go is from October to June when the seas are calm and the marine life is popping. It’s a great combo: start easy in Dauin, then add some drift diving at Apo Island!

Here are some quick tips for diving in Dumaguete:

• Pack a reef-safe light for dusk critter hunts and night practice.
• Use a spool and DSMB early; it builds habits before currents kick in.
• Choose Dumaguete dive resorts with gear benches and camera rooms if you plan macro photography.
• Keep rest days flexible for weather and student energy levels.

Best Philippines Dive Sites for Certification

Pick dive sites that are easy to get to, whoever your instructor is should help you with this. This saves time and lets you dive more. For those who want to learn fast, I choose sites that match their goals. You might learn about macro life, how to stay buoyant, or dive the Coron wreck. If you’re ready for more, Tubbataha liveaboards are a great next step. This is one of the best dive sites in the Philippines for a reason. Let me show you how I plan it.

Anilao, Puerto Galera, Moalboal, Panglao

Anilao is close to Manila, just a short boat ride away. It’s perfect for learning the basics and spotting macro life. Puerto Galera is a bit further, but still easy to get to. It has different underwater landscapes for you to practice on. Plus, you can visit Verde Island for more dives.

When it comes to great dive sites in the Philippines, Moalboal in Cebu is a top pick, famous for its incredible sardine runs. It’s perfect for new divers thanks to its easy entry points. Once you’re comfortable, you can challenge yourself on Pescador’s impressive walls. Panglao is another awesome choice, offering easy access to stunning dives like Balicasag Island, known for its super clear water and gorgeous walls. These spots make learning to dive quick and fun!

Coron wrecks and Apo Reef

Coron is known for its WWII shipwrecks. It’s a great place to learn about history and dive safely. The wrecks are at a safe depth for beginners. Apo Reef is for those who want to dive in open water. It’s a chance to practice your wide-angle photography and learn about currents.

Tubbataha

Now, after getting your drift diving skills down in Puerto Galera and mastering the walls in Moalboal, you are now ready for the ultimate dive sites in the Philippines: Tubbataha. I booked a liveaboard trip from Puerto Princesa, and it was a true “graduation trip.”

Tubbataha is a UNESCO World Heritage site right in the middle of the Sulu Sea, a big part of the famous Coral Triangle. It’s a protected area teeming with life, from colorful corals to incredible pelagic species. While the strong currents at sites like Amos Rock and Washing Machine can be a challenge, they’re exactly what makes the diving here so rewarding. This is where you’ll see grey reef sharks and huge schools of jacks in what look like silver tornadoes. It’s an unforgettable experience for confident divers.

Seasonality

The best time for diving in the dive sites in the Philippines is from mid-March to mid-June, though February and early March can be good too. The seas are calm, and the visibility is fantastic, we’re talking anywhere from 32 to 114 feet, so you can see everything so clearly!

Remember cabins sell out quickly because the time is short. I book six to nine months in advance and check the moon for the best timing.

Pelagic highlights

This is a show of blue-water diving. I’ve seen scalloped hammerheads and mantas. Yellowfin tuna and barracuda are common too. At Washing Machine, grey reef sharks swim across the saddle. It’s a wild and unforgettable experience for those who stay alert.

Prereqs that help

Before heading to the dive sites in the Philippines, I’d aim for at least 40-50 dives under my belt. It’s also super important to have skills in drift diving and Nitrox. Practicing your drift diving in places like Puerto Galera and Verde Island will help you handle the currents. Getting your Nitrox certification is a huge plus because it lets you stay down longer and more safely. After you’ve honed those skills in Moalboal, you’ll be ready for a Tubbataha liveaboard!

Conclusion

Ready to start your diving adventure in the Philippines? Here’s my go-to plan for hitting the best dive sites in the Philippines! I always start with the calm waters of Anilao or Dauin to get comfortable and spot some cool macro critters. Then, I move on to the beautiful, clear reefs of Puerto Galera or Panglao. When I’m feeling confident, it’s off to Moalboal for the incredible sardine run drama!

After that, I head to Coron for some awesome wreck diving, and then to Apo Reef for some amazing wide-angle shots that really boost my skills. This plan hits all the key spots: from calm muck dives to classic reefs and historic wrecks. The Philippines is right in the heart of the Coral Triangle, with easy access from major cities like Manila or Cebu. I always aim for the dry season, from November to April, for the best conditions. If you’re ready for the ultimate challenge, save Tubbataha for mid-March to mid-June after you’ve mastered drift and Nitrox.

My best advice? Keep the travel short and the learning steady. Build your skills at your own pace, and soon the ocean will feel like your own personal classroom, full of amazing stories and memories.

Best Dive Site in The Philippines FAQ