PADI courses on Boracay and dive sites
PADI courses on Boracay are great fun!
With numerous dive sites all around Boracay, including incredible coral reefs, wrecks and sheer walls, there is something for every kind of diver. Dive centres are located all throughout the island – with the majority being on White Beach - and offer a range of PADI courses, catering for those starting from scratch to advanced divers looking to take the PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor course.
The PADI Open Water Diver course is what the majority of recreational divers will be looking to take to enable them to get out there and enjoy the vibrant marine life. The course can be completed in three days and teaches knowledge development sessions, confined water training and open water dives.
Upon completing the course, divers will be able to perform dives to a maximum depth of 18 metres. Along White Beach, Calypso Diving School – the most renowned dive centre on Boracay - and Fisheye Divers are among the best places to enrol for this course. More on Boracay diving schools.
One of the most popular dive sites to visit upon completion of the Open Water course is Crocodile Island, named so because of its shape. The site is suitable for divers of all levels and boasts a sloping coral reef and an abundance of marine life including angelfish, eels and sea snakes.
Another site which is excellent for beginners due to its shallow waters is Angol Point. Here divers will get a perfect introduction of what Boracay has to offer, with a number of large coral heads rising from the reef, interesting micro finds and plenty of fish such as butterfly fish, morays and the ‘Nemo’ clownfish.
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver – available at many dive shops including Blue Mango Dive Center and Free Willy Diving - can be completed in just two days. Those taking the course will take two core dives and three elective dives; for example, a wreck or night dive. After completing the course you will be qualified to take further courses including the PADI Specialty Diver or Rescue Diver.
Once qualified to an advanced level, the options on Boracay are even greater. Yapak 2 is an exhilarating deep wall dive at depths of more than 30 metres. The wall begins just below the 30-metre mark and then drops off sharply, while the area is teeming with various species of marine life, including white tip and grey reef sharks as well as stingrays. Tuna, barracuda and triggerfish swim in the current around the edge of the wall, while sharks can occasionally be spotted sleeping on the wall plateau.
Boracay is blessed with countless reefs
New Wave Divers is another popular scuba shop where a wide range of courses are offered. The centre specialises in taking groups with small numbers and offers free trials for those unsure if they want to take up diving or not. New Wave Divers is particularly popular among beginners looking to take the PADI Open Water.
For international tourists looking for PADI instructors who speak their language, the best option is Watercolors Diving Adventure. The dive shop has instructors who speak various European languages including English, Dutch and Swedish, and boasts five-star equipment while offering courses such as the PADI Rescue Diver and Advanced Open Water. More on activities.
Victory Divers is one of the oldest scuba shops on Boracay and offers courses for both recreational and professional divers. They have introductory and advanced courses, including options such as the PADI Master Scuba Diver, Emergency First Response and Photography Diver. The latter would be great for those planning to do the wall dive at Laurel, an extremely popular site among macro photographers due to its coral varieties, feather stars, sponges and nudibranch.
Wreck Diving is one of the other many diving options available on Boracay, with the PADI Wreck Diver course being offered at the Calypso Diving School. The course will provide you with the skills and knowledge to safely navigate a wreck dive to the full capacity. Experienced divers should certainly consider this option as it will enable them to explore the Camia ll Wreck.
This ship sank in January 2001 and is now inhabited by a variety of marine life. At 29 meters below the surface, the wreck remains intact in an upright position and is home to batfish, lionfish, snapper and many others. The engine room is regularly filled with copper sweepers and the masts are covered with interesting micro life.
Another excellent PADI centre is the Safari Divers. Like many of the others, it is located on White Beach and boasts customised speed boats which it uses for the diving lessons. The center offers the majority of the most popular courses and provides some of the best rates, making it a good choice for travellers on a tighter budget.
Among the many other superb dives offered around Boracay is the Night Adventure Dive. This shallow shore dive can be enjoyed by divers of all abilities and is spectacular at night. Divers are likely to spot snake eels, a variety of shrimps and crabs, and colourful cuttlefish.
Boracay is regularly voted as one of the world’s finest spots for diving, and with a wide range of PADI courses offered at reasonable prices and a numerous first class dive sites, this is one place which enthusiastic divers, or those wanting to take up the sport, should not pass by.
blog comments powered by Disqus