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Dive Review of Sea Explorers Philippines/Pura Vida Beach and Dive Resort in
Philippines/Dauin/Apo Island


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Sea Explorers Philippines/Pura Vida Beach and Dive Resort: "Great Two Weeks in Dauin", Aug, 2023,

by Michael Gallay, NJ, US (Reviewer Reviewer 5 reports with 4 Helpful votes). Report 12519 has 1 Helpful vote.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A

Overall Rating
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Pura Vida Resort is essentially integrated with Sea Exporers. Rooms and beds were comfortable, with porch seating area and mini fridge. Plenty of electric outlets. Food was good and inexpensive compared to other trips. Breakfast was a buffet. Two pools including a smaller one directly adjacent to the dive shop and a convenient bar for after dive happy hour. My wife enjoyed the spa, which was also very inexpensive when compared to U.S. Everything at the resort was within 100 steps of our room, including the dive boats.

Dive operation is extremely well organized. Experienced divers are grouped together and dive with the same guide throughout the trip. Boats were large pangas which could easily accomodate the number of divers aboard each day. Access to the boats is up a gangplank from the beach. Gear is brought on by the crew each morning and taken off after diving, but divers rinse and hang their own gear. I don't think I have ever seen as many crew members on a dive boat and all were extremely helpful. Not a photographer, but there were dedicated tanks on the boat for cameras and a camera room on shore. 32% nitrox was available.

Close to the resort was predominantly muck diving. A perfusion of critters on each dive, nudibranchs, octopus, sea horses, pipe fish, frog fish, etc. During the course of the 12 days we had 5 day trips to Apo Island (40 minute boat ride-3 tanks trip), which features wall diving with very healthy corals-some drift (generally moderate currents) and some moored. Can't remember a dive where we didn't see at least one turtle.
Websites Sea Explorers Philippines   

Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Antigua, Bonaire, Cozumel, Aruba, Isla Mujeres, Nassau, Florida Keys, South Florida, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Providenciales, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize
Closest Airport Dumaguete or Cebu Getting There We flew from JFK to Singapore then to Cebu on Singapore Airlines, which was uneventful. Very long car/ferry trip back and forth to Dauin. Next time will fly into Dumaguete

Dive Conditions
Weather sunny, windy Seas calm, choppy
Water Temp 82-84°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 20-80 Ft/ 6-24 M

Dive Policy
Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions Stay within site of the guide. 60 minutes max
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw
Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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