Dive Review of
Club Atlantis in
Philippines/Dumageutte

Indian Ocean, Pacific, Carribean

Dive Conditions

Mandatory check out dive with out camera  

Good camera handling by all staff.
Rubber liner camera rinse tank.
Provided replacement HP hose.  

Overall Rating

We spent 10 days diving at Club Atlantis, Dumageutte.

It was a good trip with average diving (we are normally live aboard divers
in PNG - Raja Ampat).

It was good from the stand point that this was our first time in the water
with our new digital rigs - Subal/D200/Inon and the diving allowed us to
concentrate on the 'learning' aspect as opposed to hunting for critters.

The resort is very well maintained with about 38 rooms.  Each had a TV, A/C
and mini bar.  There was a very nice fresh water pool and beach front bar
and dining.   The dive shack had some of the best custom made rinse sinks
for gear - separate units for suits, B/C, booties, etc.  A separate camera
tank was foam rubber lined - a nice touch!  Storage cubicles are assigned
to each diver and there are ample hangers for suits. You take your camera
to your room each night.  The dive shack is locked each night and the
grounds are patrolled by security.

There are four dives offered each day- extra charge for night dives.  Every
one does a check out dive, with out camera. Diving is done from several
wooden boats holding a maximum of 14 divers.  We lucked out and were there
between groups and had only 6-8 divers in the resort.  You enter with a
back roll and are handed your camera.  The exiting procedure was to slip
off your rig and the boat crew pulled it up.  You then climbed a good
ladder. 

Most of the diving is a mild muck variety from the boats along the shore.
Depths averaged from 10 to 85 ft.; water was a consistent 84* with vis
about 30 - 50 ft. With the low number in the lodge, my wife and I had a
guide assigned just to us.  On 2 days we were able to dive a commercial
pier with good critter life.  All of this was 60 mm macro.  

A 45 minute boat ride away was Apo Island where there were walls and hard
corals.  Most colors here were crinoids with very few soft corals or
sponges. Here, we tried out our new Nikon 16 mm fish eye and 10.5 mm lens.
A nice lunch was provided and we did 3 dives here for the day.

While we thought the diving was mild, we did see 3 new critters for the
first time: white ornate pipe fish, Chlamydatus moray eel and a saw blade
shrimp.  

The dining and food were the best we have had in 29 years of diving.  Since
the attendance was low everything was cooked to your order.  At our
request, chili mud crab was secured in the market and prepared for us.

We flew Philippine Air from Los Angeles to Manila and then Air Philippine
from the domestic area. Note Air Philippine does not charge for excess
baggage!  On our return we had to fly Air Cebu back to Manila and they do
charge for baggage over 40 lbs/person and it landed at a different airport
requiring a short taxi ride. Departing Manila required 5 separate security
inspections and they were very thorough!

We booked through Dive Discovery, San Carlos, CA who in turn used Teresa
Montilla, jun_monty2004 @yahoo.com in Manila for local tickets and transfer
assistance.  She is extremely efficient.
 

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