TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
Congratulations to Malcolm Hammer for becoming a PADI Divemaster and doing the snorkel test in fine style at his celebration party. Malcolm did a great job with Pete and has been a pleasure to have around. As Malcolm is living in Manila, we hope to see him come down more often.
Category Archives: News and Events
It was great to host field editor, Gerald Kong and Larry Tan recently from SoScuba.com, an official media representative of “Diving Magazine” registered in the Singapore – a diving magazine in China with close to a 100,000 subscribers and growing: http://e.weibo.com/prodiver. We’re looking forward to seeing us in the magazine real soon!
If you’ve been here over the past couple months you’ve most likely noticed a couple new faces here. Miumiu and Andy are two instructors from Shanghai China who are now living here and looking after our Chinese students. So, if you need Mandarin speaking instructor, just let us know!
It was a very quick visit for Stephanie Scawen and her team as she came here on a mission for only one day. The mission was to do two dives and get it on film…mission accomplished…with smiles all around! This is by Steph: “I’ve been coming to Puerto Galera and Asia Divers for over 13 years. Sam taught me to dive. Alli helped me through my Dive Master and then I completed my Instructor rating. In that time I’ve always worked in TV, but I never imagined I would come here to film part of a documentary for Al Jazeera television about me and what it is like to be a disabled diver with Multiple Sclerosis. But here I am. Diving with MS is possible! And thank God it is because it keeps me sane. I have to thank Francis for his brilliant way of getting me on and off the dive boat. Hope I haven’t crippled him 🙂 You can see MS & Me, the Search for a Cure on Al Jazeera later this year as part of the Correspondent series.”
It’s great to have Ken Knezick and his group of 38 here with us this week to enjoy the perfect weather, 25-30 meter vis, warm water and wonderful diving!
“So far so good. When the guests are happy…I’m happy. Big fun in the Philippines!
Philippines Dive Report – I’m writing at the front end of Island Dreams’ group tour to El Galleon Dive Resort in Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines. We have completed our first two days of diving and I’ve been enjoying more than four hours per day underwater. Weather conditions both topside and below have been excellent, with visibility the best I’ve yet to experience in this region. We have already encountered a wonderful array of unique marine life, including a blue ring octopus, various frogfish, ornate ghost pipefish, a pair of halameda ghost pipefish, sea horses, pipe horses, plenty of reef fishes, jacks, tuna, a nice spotted eagle ray and some small black tip sharks. I’ve already investigated at least 50 fire urchins – no resident Coleman shrimp yet so I’m still on the hunt.
El Galleon Resort is operating even better than ever, with a topnotch staff, friendly and motivated to please. The Asia Divers operation is one of the best I’ve seen, with special kudos for the way they have streamlined Nitrox analyzing, plus the expert ministrations of equipment repair wizard Andy Norman. Chef Anton is still master of the kitchen and the guests are very appreciative of his cuisine. I personally am grateful for how deliciously well he accommodates my vegetarian diet. Top all of this off with happy hour at The Point Bar and El Galleon Resort is the place to be in Puerto Galera. Luckily, right now that’s where you will find me and Island Dreams. Let’s go diving!”
Look at the cool critters that have been spotted recently
With much excitement we are very proud to launch our new website. This has been in the process for a long time and we’re all thrilled to get it out there. It’s been a collaboration of many people with many ideas and many thoughts of what needs to be included and what needs to be eliminated.
A big thank-you to Jeffery Hutt and his team at CrossStep for coming up with a very dynamic and easy to navigate website. CrossStep is a productions company led by creative entrepreneurs who’ve designed numerous award-winning interactive products and user experiences. For more info, please visit http://crossstep.com.
With much excitement we are very proud to launch our new website. This has been in the process for a long time and we’re all thrilled to get it out there. It’s been a collaboration of many people with many ideas and many thoughts of what needs to be included and what needs to be eliminated.
Dubai American Academy week at the resort
It’s been an exciting time with the Dubai American Academy here for the 6th year in a row. 50 kids, 5 teachers and what they did: 34 newly certified PADI Open Water divers, 10 newly certified PADI Advanced divers, 16 trained sailors with the Puerto Galera Yacht Club, community service work at local schools, sunset cruise to Talipanan, day trip to see some of the island, lots of fun dives, fiesta night grand finale with fireworks and a fire dancer to keep it hot…
Thank you once again to Ralph Russell and his team for his continued support. We are all ready for you in 2014!
34 students and 3 teachers from the Dubai American Academy, along with the whole staff at Asia Divers/El Galleon Resort, in Puerto Galera, Philippines say that extinction is NOT an option!! Project AWARE is pushing forward with Calls to Action to secure protection for sharks and rays at CITES. Extinction is NOT an Option! To learn more about the coalition visit www.cites4sharks.org
Jamie gives a talk to the kids on how important it is for us to take a stand for “Extinction is not an option”.
The kids were busy doing some painting at the Talipanan Mangyan school as part of their community service work.
Travel
Komodo
Pete is organizing a Dive trip for Asia Divers aboard the Komodo Dancer 11th to 18th Nov 2013. Komodo is famous for its Komodo Dragons but has some fantastic diving including Komodo National Park. There are five spots left. For more information, send him a message on Facebook and/or contact him at peteeaton@hotmail.com or instructors@asiadivers.com
Easter trip to Apo/Coron
You have not been diving at Apo Reef or Coron yet?
Rags II has a few free slots on a trip just before Easter available!
March 23-29, 2013: Five slots available for five days of diving/six nights at Coron Wrecks and Apo Reef for 1225 US $ per person! Everything included (fuel surcharge, nitrox, beer etc.) except the Marine Park fee of 1700 PHP.
Contact instructors@asiadivers.com for details please
OZTek 2013
Dave Ross and Steve Cox along with Allan Nash and Ralph will be in Sydney this coming weekend. Tech Asia will have a booth at the show, so drop by and say hello if you’re in the hood! Below is the preview to a talk that Dave and Steve will be doing there on Sunday 17th. See http://www.diveoztek.com.au/previews.html
January 31st saw us with another group of 6 taking the Cressi Sub service seminar that was conducted as Asia Divers in Lalaguna beach Puerto Galera by Andy Norman.
This time there were three students continuing on from completing their instructor training through Asia divers instructor IDAP collage, two from Blue Ribbon dive resort in Small Lalaguna and our own Brad that’s seen on the platform working with us.
After the course, Brad threatened to overtake the workshop to do his own regulator… think I’ll be a fly on the well to watch the parts scatter across the floor….
For any of you interested in the course…… ‘This course is primary designed for the student to fully understand the theory and working practice of the Cressi- Sub regulator, and by understanding that theory can now go on to correctly diagnose problems encountered with proper procedures to correct those faults’.
Not forgetting….. There was that little word called maintenance, proper periodic service procedures and the obligatory record taking per each piece of equipment that was discussed as part of the course… so not all was practical with a spanner in your hand… however still was a very important part of the seminar.
If interested in taking this free one day course, either in Puerto Galera or an area close to you then please don’t hesitate to email andy@asiadivers.com
Congratulations to those that completed the one day service on the Cressi-sub AC2, MC5 first stage and the XS 2 and ellipse second stage.
David larbalester, Ramona Stilzer, Roger Wingate, Barrie Brigden …. Blue Ribbon dive resort, Chris Easton……..Blue Ribbon, Bradly Bynum Asia Divers.
iDAP College news
A big congratulation goes to Ramona Stelzner and David Larbalestier for becoming PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors! On the picture above you can see them at their IE Graduation Ceremony. True to our strong commitment and hard work for our IDC candidates they easily passed their Instructor Examinations. Between them they have also managed to put in a great effort and becoming Specialty Instructors in 12 areas.
Next IDC start’s the 1st of March. If anyone is interested just let us know and we’ll send you all the details. We are probably the only IDC/ CDC center in the Philippines that has a 100% passing rate with all our candidates passing their first IE appearance with Kenneth, our Course Director in charge of iDAP College. Many wish to have that passing rate but we actually have it!!
It’s been an action packed year here at El Galleon and Asia Divers and we’ve had lots of great times with many old and new friends. Farewell to our 25th Anniversary year and hello to the next 25 years! Thanks to everyone for your continued support and we hope that you all have a most wonderful 2013.
December 31st was Josh’s final day on the job…so he went out with a bang by doing six Discover Scuba courses! It’s been seven years since Josh arrived on the beach. He did his Divemaster and Instructor courses with us and went on to become a valuable member of the team. Josh will be around for the next month so if you want to catch up with him here you still can. We wish him well in his next adventure
Asia Divers in Bohol
Asia Divers Alona has now opened their doors and has already turned into be a busy shop.
Located on Alona Beach Road less than 100 meter up from the beach, the store is ready to serve the many dive centers at Alona Beach and entire Bohol area as well as holiday makers on the beach. Ivy from our Cebu branch worked very hard the last 2 months or so to get this
up and running and will now be there to train our new staff Odette and Juliet.
Allan, Tommy and Alli went to the DEMA show in Las Vegas recently. It’s the world’s only international trade-only event for the diving industry. It was a great opportunity to do some business, learn a few new things and to see some old friends while we were there. It was fantastic to catch up with Ray and Karen Hopton who used to work at the Canadian Embassy in Manila. Ray and Karen spent a lot of time here in the early years of Asia Divers and have done over 300 dives with us, and about 740 dives around the world. There was a lot of time spent reminiscing about the old days and all the fun times we shared together with good friends, Tanduay rum and San Miguel beers…. Ahhhhh. Looking forward to seeing you both again in 2014!!
Congratulations to Alex Suh for winning first prize in the Overall category in our photo competition. He has won 10 nights in Seaview room with breakfast, and un-limited day dives at El Galleon/Asia Divers.
Congratulations to Beth Watson for winning first prize in the Macro category in our photo competition. She has won a World Wide Dive and Sail Voucher of €1,000.
Congratulations to Sue Goodman for winning first prize in the Point and Shoot category in our photo competition. She has won a complete set of the Waterproof Sport Series (W30 fullsuit, W30 shorty, U30 vest, H30 hood, G30 gloves, S30 socks, T30 shorts and T30 Sport Top)
Thanks to everyone who entered. You can see the second and third prize winning shots at http://www.asiadivers.com/photocom/winners.html