Best Dive Sites in Asia

We all have our favorite dives sites in Asia. It´s also easy to find many 'Best dive sites in Asia' in internet. Like always the result of the list depends of course who has done the list.

Here are few Best of lists:

• Sport Diver: Asia Pacific - Top20 Iconic Dives
• CNN Travel: 10 Best Dive Sites in Asia
• PADI: 10 Great Scuba Diving Sites in Asia
• Ambersand's Travel: 12 Best Sites to go Scuba Diving in Asia
• Go Asean: Best Dive Sites in Southeast Asia
• UW Photography Guide: Best Diving and Photography Locations in Southeast Asia

The lists include many great dive sites where I have dived also. Komodo in Indonesia, Similan in Thailand, Tubbataha in Philippines, Mabul and Sipadan in Malaysia and many other awesome places.

What do you think? What are your favorite dive sites in Asia?

Regards,
Mika

DRT Dive Expo Philippines 2015

Last weekend 11-13 of Sep 2015 was held international DRT Dive Expo Philippines 2015. DRT means Diving, Resort and Travel. The venue was in SM Megatrade Convention Center in Ortigas. I visited in DRT on Saturday.

One big group of the exhibitors were local dive shops. They were selling all kind of dive gears, camera equipments, dive trips, etc. In practice everything from the basic equipments to advanced tech diving and all levels of underwater photographers.

Another big group in the event were dive resorts. Most of the dive resorts were from Philippines, but also other countries like Indonesia and Thailand.

Almost immediately after I came to the exhibition hall I met coincidentally Finnish Saila, who was promoting Atmosphere Resort in Dumaguete. Apo Island is very well known diving place near Dumaguete and the resort have dive trips also to the island. Sea turtles are very common in Apo area.

I met also Finnish couple Pekka and Tiina in the Expo, who were promoting totally new dive resort in Tablas called First Buddy. They have already dive shop in Phuket Thailand, but they will open now new one to Tablas in Philippines. Grand opening will be 19th of Sep 2015, if I remember correctly.

Pekka told the area is new for diving and the reefs are still totally untouchable. They have also accommodation available. New places are always welcome and would be interested to visit.

For me the most interesting thing in DRT was the underwater photography seminars. This was the program for all 3 days.

First seminar on Saturday was Jerome Kim´s (South Korea) topic Romblon: The New Macro Heaven.

Jerome has specialized for UW macro photography and the shots were simply incredible. The creatures can be super small. The smallest are only 1-2mm long and can be partly transparent. This means it´s also very difficult to take photos. He told sometimes he had to use the whole one dive to get only one good shot of one creature.

He showed very cool pictures of tiny nudis, flatworms, etc.

More Jerome´s amazing UW macro photos in his gallery.

Amanda Cotton (USA) had totally different kind of seminar topic: Diving with Dinosaur - Encountering the American Crocodile.

Amanda told her project from Banco Chinchorro in Mexico, where they have studied the behavior of Amarican Crocodiles. The idea of diving or snorkeling with crocodiles sounds totally crazy, but according her presentation it can be possible.

The place in Mexico is very shallow and the water is crystal clear. The biggest crocodiles can be more than 4 meters, so the safety is very important.

Scott Gutsy Tuason (Philippines) was the next one and he told about Black Water Photography in his relax way.

Basic idea of the Black Water Photography is to go to the middle of open sea after sunset, where the sea is deep enough. First the lights will be set to the 20m long rope with the weight. The lights will create a light tunnel, which attracts the fishes and other creatures to near the rope. Gutsy told the best time for the Black Water Photography is starting around 10PM. At night there come lots of creatures from the depth, which never comes near the surface in the day time.

Gutsy´s photos are very impressive.

Some creatures are extremely rare to see.

Great UW photos around the Philippines.

Diver with Jacks in Tubbataha - Photographer: Alex Mustard (UK)

I met in the Expo also my dive buddy Romel from Puerto Princesa, Palawan. He is very experienced dive instructor and knows the Puerto Princesa dive spots very well. You can contact him via his web page Dive Puerto Princesa.

DRT was very good event and must visit for all who are interested about diving, snorkeling or just marine life. I really liked the seminars. Hopefully DRT it will be also next year 2016.

Regards from DRT Philippines,
Mika

Canon PowerShot G15 + Ikelite Housing

I have had for a while on my mind to buy a new pocket camera and housing for it. My latest pocket camera has been Canon Ixus 120 IS and Canon´s own housing since May 2010. Anyway especially during last few months there has been every now and then some function errors. Last time I dived in Mactan area near Cebu City, Philippines. On the first dive I tried to take a pictures and I got only white screens in my camera. The same happened also in the evening without housing. After that it was easy to decide now it´s time to move on. I have used camera on diving almost from the beginning when I started to dive in 2002, so I just don´t want to go water without camera. Camera just belongs to my diving equipments.

I had in my mind mainly Canon´s PowerShot G1X and G15. I really wanted as good picture quality as possible from the pocket camera. I have also Canon EOS 60D, but the housings for DSLRs are unfortunately totally out of my budget. Good point in G1X ofcource is big frame and in all the test have been mentioned "DSLR picture quality".  That sounded very impressive and I was already ready to buy one. Unfortunatelly there was also in every test mentioned G1X doesn't focus accurately and the autofocus is very slow. These two drawbacks were always good points in G15 tests and that´s why I finally end up to G15. This was really difficult decision, because I really wanted bigger frame than what G15 has. Without those two points my new camera would be for sure G1X. Like somewhere was mentioned the best combination would be the the best parts from G1X and G15. Cash price for G15 in Philippines was finally 25,000PHP/465€ including case (not uw), 4GB memory card and 3 years warranty.

Here it is.

Buying a housing was not so easy. Canon Philippines doesn´t import the own housing to the country for some unknown reason at all. Before I have used Canon´s housing in Ixus and also in my previous PowerShot S50. Then I checked Ikelite´s webpage and I found the company in Manila, which import Ikelite´s the housing for G15. Cash price for the housing was 29,000PHP/539€. That´s more than double compared to Canon´s housings in Finland, where I come from. Compared to US or some other countries the difference can be even bigger. Ikelite´s housing is very massive compared to Canon´s housings. The empty wait only is 1,8Kg!

Here is the housing opened.

There are lots of differences between Canon´s and Ikelite´s housings. One great thing in Ikelite´s housing has hot shoe for external strobe. That´s also one reason for the big price difference. You can easily to expand your Ikelite´s system with external strobes, video lights, fisheye or wide angel lenses, filters, etc. Easily the only limiter is your/my wallet. External strobe and wide angle would be so cool. In picture the adapter for the external strobe in the right corner in the up. Maybe some day. Another big difference is the waterproof. Canon´s G15 housing is waterproof for 40m, but Ikelite´s is for 60m. Ofcource 40m is enough for most of us, if you are not technical diver.

If there is a big size difference between Ixus and G15, there is also huge size difference between Canon´s and Ikelite´s housings. Old and new one.

I have a swimming pool outside of my condominium in Manila, so I did the first water test for the housing in the pool. Housing half under water. Water still outside…? Yes, it is.

Iceman from Finland in a pool in Philippines. So that´s me.

Lyn as an underwater model.

First water test was successful. It was just easy to see I need some practice to use Ikelite´s housing after two different Canon´s housing. The button technic is so different between those two brands. Now just have to wait for the next diving trips and for the real under water test.

Do you use Canon G15 for diving? What are your favorite uw settings in G15? Just comment for this story or send me an email. 

Have a safe dives!

Cheers,

Mika