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Written by Rod Anthony Arriola
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Saturday, 16 May 2009 |
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I have been to Samboan several times, and on three occasions, I was there to dive. The first time was to explore the reef in Kulasi with a group. Kulasi was a newly declared marine sanctuary back in early 2000, and we went there upon the invitation of then Mayor Peter Calderon through Atty. Mark Tolentino (who was still a non-diver back in early 2000). In 2007, I went back twice - in August to explore Bato, Samboan, and on late September, upon the invitation of Samboan incumbent Mayor Raymond Calderon through his brother Dr. Tito Calderon, to check out Kulasi marine sanctuary again.
Nobody had underwater cameras back then when we first went to Kulasi. Fred Q, John M and Toby were in that dive, along with several other divers. We all remembered a healthy growth of corals, lots of squid, but that was it. We did, however, remember the current. more»  Comments (2) |  Quote this article | Views: 1431 | Read more...
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Written by The Old Wolf
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Tuesday, 21 April 2009 |
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As how most things start in the Philippines, I got a text message.
“North 10deg 17min 54.9sec East 124deg 11min 2.4sec. d info s nt dat accurate acordng 2 dr.Amores bt its always fun 2 luk 4 it”.
Now that’s my kind of text message! Finally, we have the coordinates. We’ve talked about this location, and thought that if we have any reasonable lead, then we’ll give it a shot. I suppose things must have moved pretty quick, as the next message I received held more cheery news – we have a boat, crew, and a guide!
Despite the hazards of driving in Cebu, I was still in a very good disposition upon arriving at the rendezvous place in Punta Engaño. As I maneuvered the gravel path, into a reclaimed parking area, more» Be the first to comment | Quote this article | Views: 916 | Read more... |
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Written by Bernil Gastardo
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Thursday, 05 July 2007 |
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That afternoon, we were to do the final dive for my IANTD Cave course. Doing the training with me was my tech dive buddy and employer, Scott Livingston. The dive objective was to penetrate “Paul’s Peril”. This tunnel goes further and deeper into Pawod Cave. Running 30 meters farther from the main chamber, its maximum depth reaches 18 meters/ 60ft. Only a handful of men have previously penetrated this tight restriction. I was to be the 5th one allowed the privilege. The Pawod Cave was discovered by Dr. Alfonso Amores. Trained in cave diving techniques in the freshwater caves of Florida, he is the first diver ever to shine his light into the cave and lay a line around the main chamber. In his childhood years, he was one of the many kids that used the cave’s main pool as a swimming hole to ward off the summer heat. more» Comments (3) | Quote this article | Views: 3815 | Read more... |
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Written by Bonita Marie Cabiles
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Wednesday, 04 July 2007 |
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Falling Issues “Do you have falling issues?” This was the first question that my dive instructor, Mike Lazaro, asked me during our debrief after my last dive as a student. Although he caught me off-guard, I just laughed at his question. Laughing, of course, has always been my best form of defense. It was my final dive lesson, and again, I requested to practice my hovering skills. Despite Sir Mike’s assurances, I still felt that if I were to rate myself, I would fail on this skill. One minute, I’m perfectly still and nearly upright underwater. The next minute, I’m fluttering my hands trying to cling to some semblance of balance. Sir Mike would signal me to keep my hands close to my body. I would eventually hover, but then start to feel as if I’m falling again. My inability to hover notwithstanding, I realized that beyond the theories I read in the manual and the skills I was taught by my instructor, I have definitely gained a lot of interesting insights from my PADI open water course. Comments (1) | Quote this article | Views: 2648 | Read more... |
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Written by The Old Wolf
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Thursday, 26 April 2007 |
The Trip Back
It seemed that the trip back was not as rough as the morning voyage. Passengers now knew what the journey was going to be like, and were content with just the trivial things - filling in details in their dive log, relaxing with a cup of coffee or tea, and chatting with other divers. It was a relaxed, tranquil mood, in spite of the apparent violence caused by the powerful aluminium vessel slicing the waves. Comments (11) | Quote this article | Views: 4798 | Read more... |
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