Dive Review of Agos Scuba in
Philippines/Apo Reff, Busuanga, Plawan

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Agos Scuba: "Reasonable diving on very basic liveaboard", Apr, 2024, by Phil Johnston, Bayswater, AU ( Sr. Contributor 28 reports with 28 Helpful votes). Report 12924.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	The good: diving operations were well run although only 1 of the 2 dive guides was fully proficient in English. Dive briefings were quite good & rental gear was newish & in good shape. Boat staff were very helpful in returning to the boat & assisting with putting on / taking off dive gear. I had been advised that Apo Reef was a "mini Tubbataha' but I would not rate it that highly. Others had spoken of seeing hammerheads, thresher sharks & mantas but I did not see any large marine life until my 10th & last dive when I saw 4 mobulas on Ego reef (the other group of divers saw 4 mantas). Occasional white tip reefs were seen at most of the 5 sites we dived. Corals on all sites were healthy & unbleached, particularly the fringing reef on Apo Island, although I was more impressed by the hard corals at Sangat & even at Coron Town's local reefs. Fish life was reasonable & better than other less remote sites, likely due to less local fishing pressures. Visibility was consistently very good as would be expected at an oceanic atoll. Macro life was generally good with some nudibranchs I had not seen previously. Overall I would rate Apo Reef as good but not outstanding. My last dive was excellent, a dawn dive on Ego reef with mobulas, bump headed parrot fish, napoleon wrasse, a large turtle & a couple of white tip sharks, a lovely dive in early morning light. Currents were at times quite brisk, although the dive master advised me currents were strong due to the full moon at the time. The bad: Agos website describes the vessel as "not luxury, but does have the basics, comfort & safety", & that cooling is via fans, not AC. I found the vessel uncomfortable, even with 2 fans in the dorm style bunk cabin some passengers slept on the roof of the cabin due to the interior warmth & humidity. I myself tried to sleep in an outside hammock rather than sleep in the cabin. The cover on my bunk mattress was torn in places, & really needed replacement. Lavatory facilities were extremely basic - toilets manually flushed with scoop from a water barrel, & no wash basin, hand help shower in the combined toilet / shower, & an outside fresh water tap. There is no salon, & protection from the sun is limited to either the bunk cabin or the open air dining area. The floor of the latter was constantly damp & needed a non-slip surface (I myself slipped on the dining area floor & needed dressing for the resultant thumb laceration). The Agos does need some renovation & refitting, the port deck railing was quite wobbly & the starboard outrigger came a little unstuck on the cruise back to Coron Town, resulting in reduced speed. The Agos's website does advise that it is a budget option, potential customers should understand exactly what that means. Food was basic but reasonable, soft drink & alcohol is bring your own. My overall assessment is that Agos is indeed a budget operation & the least comfortable liveaboard I have been on, the quality of the diving only just made the trip a positive experience. Although this would have different had I seen larger numbers of larger marine life.
Websites	Agos Scuba
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Australia, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia (Bali, Komodo, Rajah Ampat, Lembeh, Manado, Ambon) Cocos Islands, Mexico (Cozumel & Soccorros) Tonga, Galapagos, Tahiti, Maldives, Mozambique, Bahamas, Red Sea, Roatan, Philippines, Hawaii (Kona, Maui)
Closest Airport	Francisco B Reyes	Getting There	Via Francisco B Reyes Airport. Cruise commences Coron ferry terminal & ends at Maquinit Village, outside of Coron Town
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	27-29°C / 81-84°F	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	18-22 M / 59-72 Ft
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	The usual - no Deco diving, return with 50 bar
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	No rinse tub & no dedicated facilities for cameras.

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Dive Review of Agos Scuba in Philippines/Apo Reff, Busuanga, Plawan

Agos Scuba: "Reasonable diving on very basic liveaboard", Apr, 2024,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Agos Scuba in
Philippines/Apo Reff, Busuanga, Plawan