TJE 29: The right timing: Obtaining my Open Water Diver’s License

Feb 2, 2015

Sticking to my battle against procrastination, I once again finished another travelogue. This is a short video showing how I obtained an open water diver’s license.

It had been my dream to obtain a certification in SCUBA diving since trying it for the first time in July 2009. I did not have money to spare, which made me delay the plan. A couple of years later, I already had the money, but then I could not (or did not) prioritize it. Finally, about 5 years since that first trial, I was able to allot time for the open water diver course. I was quite delighted with that!

So, when will my first diving trip (as a licensed diver) be?

Anilao in Mabini, Batangas is a great place to go SCUBA diving. And if you’re coming from Metro Manila, it’s a convenient option, being within 3 hours drive away. One should not expect fine sand in this area. But the rocky coastline also has its charm.

I said in the video that there was a typhoon, which caused some guests to cancel their reservation. Even without the typhoon, there will not be a lot of guests as it was the lean season. Winds coming from the west (probably the habagat or southwest monsoon) were predominant, which caused strong waves going towards the coastline of Anilao (facing the west).

I was still lucky since for most of my dive, the water was clear. During my last dive however, there was a strong undercurrent. It was quite challenging, and it tired me. 😀

One thing I was happy about was achieving neutral buoyancy through breathing. In my two intro-dives a few years back, I had difficulty with buoyancy. I remember being provided with about 4 lead weights, since I was thin and was expected to find it difficult to sink. During my certification course however, I was only given 2 lead weights. The instructor told me that I should be able to learn buoyancy control through breathing, and should not be dependent on lead weights to sink. It was a good call for him.

I reserved the course through Anilao Diving and Resorts, headed by Mr. Ronnie Corpuz. And I got the cheapest package I found at the time, which was arranged with accommodation and buffet meals at Aquaventure Reef Club Resort. Thinking it was the cheapest package, I did not expect too much. However, the resort was actually nice – good value for money. My only comment was that the food tend to be salty. 🙂