Diving in the Philippines

Explore the Philippines with Savedra Dive Center!

Diving in the Philippines

Explore the Philippines with Savedra Dive Center!

Savedra Dive Center

Scuba Diving in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines
Scuba Diving and Diver Training in Moalboal, a peninsular on the South West coast of Cebu, Philippines

Savedra Dive Center is a spacious and modern Dive Center for scuba diving, PADI and TDI dive courses, beach resort accommodationdive safarisdive travel and just plain fun diving in Cebu in the Philippines.

This website provides the most comprehensive guide available to diving activities, PADI courses, PADI Tec Rec CoursesWreck DivingSharks and WhaleSharks, Beach Resorts and Outdoor activities in and around Moalboal. Our professional training department Seven Seas Dive Academy can even make you a PADI Dive Instructor!

Happy Divers at Savedra Dive Center in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines

Scuba Diving and Diver Training in Moalboal, a peninsular on the South West coast of Cebu, Philippines

Lean back, surf through our website, enjoy the photo galleries, underwater videos. Select the information you need for your next dive holidays, then let our in-house travel desk arrange your domestic flights, transfers, accommodation and diving activities. Tell us what you would like to do and when, we’ll take care of the rest.

Scuba Divers boarding the dive boat heading out for a dive on nearby Pescador Island in Moalboal, Cebu
Scuba Diving with Us

Scuba diving with Savedra is easy, fun and safe. Join our daily boat and fun dive activities. Everybody is welcome, beginners and expert divers alike. If you are technical diver, a freediver or if you want to become a professional diver, you have come to the right place.

Dive Spots of Moalboal

Diving in Moalboal is better than ever before and the dive spots around Pescador Island belong to the best in the Philippines. Turtles are seen on every dive, there is hardly any dive site that doesn’t host some.  A dive on the airplane wreck is one of the attractions as well as a deep dive at Sunken Island.

Diver at a Sardine Ball in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines
The Sardine Run of Moalboal

There are few places on earth where you can see this, millions of sardines moving as one in an unbroken chain that goes beyond visibility. Imagine yourself there with the school whirlpooling around you in a tornado, happens every day here in, maybe a Thresher Shark will show up and show you how they hunt with their tails.

Pescador Island in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines
Pescador Island

Just 4km of the coast lies Pescador Island, one of the best dive sites in the Visayas. Between the shore and the island the sea floor drops to 400m, out of this depth the pinnacle rises up to just above surface with some of the best diving on the area.

Scuba Diver and Whale Shark in Cebu
Sharks & Whale Sharks

Moalboal is home to several shark species. At Pescador Island encounters with Whitetip Sharks are not uncommon. Directly at our house reef (!), thresher sharks can show up to hunt inside the giant sardine school, if you are lucky. And sometimes whale sharks show up.

Underwater Photography in Cebu
Underwater Photography

Underwater Photography – have fun taking pictures underwater! Taking pictures while scuba diving is extremely fun and rewarding. Share your scuba images with friends and family, print them as posters for your home decoration or show them off in the internet.

Dive Safaris in the Philippines

Island Hopping around the islands of Cebu, Bohol and Negros – sample the best the Philippines has to offer. If you want to see the best dive spots of the region in a short time or if you just want to enjoy cruising through the Philippine archipelago, a dive safari is the way to go. On a 6-day dive safari you tour from one tropical island to the next during the day while diving the best dive sites and stay in a comfortable beach resorts during the night. 6-Day Dive Safaris run weekly from October to May every year. 2-Day Dive Safaris trips can be arranged on demand and short notice.

The Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago consisting of more then 7000 islands (at high tide), located east of Vietnam and north of Sabah and Borneo, full of natural wonders and inhabited by joyful people the Philippines is located dead center of the coral triangle, the most ecologically diverse part of the worlds oceans, it has the highest coral diversity in the world. The Coral Triangle has more coral reef fish diversity than anywhere else on the planet, 235 species of the coral reef fishes in the Coral Triangle are endemic or locally restricted species. Six of the world’s seven marine turtle species, including the leatherback marine turtle live here, we also get visits from the blue whale, the largest animal to ever live on Earth. We could tell you more but you might think we were bragging.

About Moalboal, Cebu and the Philippines

Here is some background information on the Philippines and on some of the friendliest people in the world.

The Philippines: A typical market place on one of the 7000 islands
The Philippines

The Philippines and its many islands, more than 7100, have abundant natural resources and some of world’s highest biodiversity which makes them a top tourism destination. However, sitting on the Pacific ring of fire the Philippines are prone to natural disasters and hit the news quite often. This might be the reason why the Philippines has only recently been discovered as a prime holiday destination.

Cebu
Cebu and Cebu City

Cebu, the queen of the Visayas, consists of 167 islands and islets, next to the main island of Cebu itself. It has a rich history, ranging from the demise of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, to its role in 2nd World War and now being home of many affluent beach resorts and the main center of commerce, education and tourism.

Moalboal and Panagsama Beach
Moalboal

Beautiful Moalboal is home to one of the best diving sites in the country. It is located right on the shore of the Tañon Strait which is a protected seascape since 1998. A peninsula extends into the sea, this is where most beach resorts and dive shops are located. On top of scuba diving, Moalboal is the Philippine Mecca of freediving and outdoor adventure tours, come and find out why people return here year after year.

Beach Resort Rooms & Accommodation

We have a selection of beach resorts, hotels and backpacker lodges very close to the dive center. Walking distance is usually less than a minute. We can provide package deals with transfers, accommodation and dive packages or dive courses, all arranged by us with one point of contact and payment, it couldn’t be easier.

Moalboal Beach Resorts

If you need a room, we can arrange your accommodation at various beach resorts and hostels within walking distance of the dive center.

Sole e Mare Resort is only a few steps away, Tipolo Beach Resort features nice and private sea view rooms set in a tropical garden and Pacitas Beach Resort offers affordable rooms and bubgalows just by the beach around the corner.

Several other beach resorts and backpacker hostels can be booked by us. If you stay in one of the resorts here at the beach not affiliated with us, we will arrange reliable transfers from your hotel to our facilities free of charge

For inquiries click here

PADI Dive Courses and Technical Diving

As a PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center and accredited Tec Rec Technical Dive Center we offer dive courses for everybody and all experience levels. We provide you with the most up to date teaching materials and methodologies, the majority of our courses have an option to study online before you arrive, making the most of your precious vacation time. Our teaching staff comprises of two PADI Course Directors, IDC Staff Instructors, Technical Instructors, Instructor Trainers and Master Instructors, we develop and train our own staff. We do not know of anywhere else in the region where you can find this much knowledge and experience available to you under one roof.

PADI Dive Courses

Dive Courses from beginner to expert, taught by an international team of professional dive instructors

If you’re looking for new dive adventures to improve your scuba skills, gain more confidence and meet more dive buddies, you’ve come to the right place. Choose from a wide range of PADI scuba certification courses with flexible study options including online courses to accommodate your busy schedule. As a PADI Diver, you carry the most respected and sought after scuba credentials in the world. No matter where you choose to dive, your PADI certification card will be recognized and accepted.

7 Seas Scuba Academy in Cebu
7 Seas Scuba Academy

PADI Dive Courses are conducted at our Scuba Academy inside Savedra Dive Center, these classrooms are designed with Scuba courses in mind. The Scuba Academy is the hub of dive education in the region. Beginner and advanced courses are conducted here. The location is ideal, the academy is located right in the heart of the beach, in-water training sites like swimming pools and open water training sites only a few steps away from the class rooms.  Learning scuba diving can’t be easier.

IDC - PADI Instructor Development Course
Study Scuba Diving

Our modern facilities provide you with everything required for a pleasant experience and the perfect learning environment. Our purpose built classrooms will be your base for the duration of your dive course, our international and multi-lingual staff will always be there to help you reach your goals. Your learning materials are available in a variety of languages and formats, like e-Learning, online manuals or Touch products which are designed for smart phones and tablets.

Go Diving

Some of your in-water training dives are conducted in nearby swimming pools but most of your time is spent in the open sea. Our house reef has a shallow part perfectly with easy access suited for save confined water training dives, the adjacent wall dropping to 50+ meters is a heaven for deeper training dives. All this within a few steps from the dive center. And, on top of it, the giant school of sardines is just a short swim away and will be encountered on many of your training dives.

Technical Diving

When one tank is just not enough, we must live underwater!

Moalboal is a true heaven for Tec Divers. We sea access just a few steps from the dive center with deep walls just a few minutes swim from shore, coral starting at 6 meters and reaching down to depth. Gone are the days of boring deco stops in turbid water, we hang out on the wall, the decompression is as good as the dive! In addition to deep walls we have a number of very exciting seawater and brackish caves for suitably trained divers, Our partner center in Mactan has access to more caves and some wrecks. Having this type of diving on our doorstep gives us the additional advantage of having some fantastic Tec Instructors here all year around.

Those Are Just A Few Main Activities, There Are Plenty More

  • 3 Daily Boat Dives
  • Early Morning Dives
  • Sunset Dives
  • Night Dives
  • Shore Dives Anytime
  • Sardine Ball Dives
  • Whale Shark Dives
  • Training Dives
  • Refresher Dives
  • Nitrox Dives
  • Technical Dives
  • Cave Dives
  • Wreck Dives
  • PADI Discover Scuba
  • PADI ReActive
  • PADI Scuba Diver Course
  • PADI Open Water Diver Course
  • PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course

  • PADI Nitrox Enriched Air Course

  • PADI Deep Diver Specialty Course
  • PADI Night Diver Specialty Course
  • PADI Peak Performance Diver Specialty Course
  • PADI Sidemount Diver Specialty Course
  • PADI Master Scuba Diver Certification
  • PADI Divemaster Course
  • PADI Assistant Instructor Course
  • PADI Instructor Development Courses
  • PADI Tec 40 Course
  • PADI Tec 45 Course
  • PADI Tec 50 Course
  • PADI Tec 65 Course
  • PADI Tec Trimix Course
  • Technical Wreck Diver Course
  • Tec Sidemount Diver Course
  • PADI Tec Trimix Course
  • Cave Diver Level 1
  • Cave Diver Level 2
  • Closed Circuit Rebreather
  • PADI Tec Rec (Tec Deep) Instructor
  • PADI Tec Gas Blender Instructor
  • PADI Technical Sidemount Instructor

Scuba Reviews: We Love our Divers, And They Love Us.

Some of us must live under water! This is our motto and we live the scuba diving life style full time. We are passionate about scuba diving and fully dedicated to our visiting fellow divers. This is why, when you book your dive holiday or dive course with us, there is no need to worry about quality or safety issues. Check out what some of our divers are saying about Savedra Dive Center and the 7 Seas Scuba Academy on Tripadvisor.

Excellent
Based on 510 reviews
Luke Z
Luke Z
2023-05-19
Great Instructor and dive shop! Great Area! Went with a group of 4, two of us were getting our AOW Padi and the other 2 their OW. Our schedule was super tight and they were still able to fit us in in a convenient manner for everybody even though we all needed different things. Coz was a great dive instructor, very patient, fun and willing to answer any question you might have regardless of how relevant. Also great for recomendations for food around the area. Dive is gorgeous in the area, would recommend the night dive with them!
flying_stunts
flying_stunts
2023-05-07
A different kind of run at Moalboal Just 2 minutes off Panagsama Beach, the team from Savedra Dive Center were prompt in clarifying our enquiries and confirming our one-day dive plan. Matt made sure our gear fit before we headed out for the Sardine Run and boat dives. Throughout our dives, he found plenty of photo opportunities for us while ensuring safety was priority.Would recommend Matt and Savedra without hesitation, looking forward to coming back again in the future!
Christina
Christina
2023-05-05
Amazing Dives We did 3 dives in 1 day with Matt - Sardines, Pescador Island, and Tongo. We’re beginners with OWD and had an amazing time. We saw such incredible wildlife and felt safe and comfortable, even with some current which we’ve never dealt with before. We saw turtles, electric clams, a 2m coral snake, nudibranch, and plenty more. Would highly recommend this dive center and Matt!
HannesFFM
HannesFFM
2023-05-05
Great experience! I completed the open water course with Savedra yesterday, and it was an amazing experience. The dive instructor Rene explained everything super well and in a very nice atmosphere. I can highly recommend to do the diving course with Savedra!
audi_odi
audi_odi
2023-05-04
Exceptional open water course experience! My experience taking the OWC at Savedra under the care of Jimmela has been nothing short of memorable (and also Juvee!). They are both professional yet caring through out my training dives.The overall atmosphere at the diving center was outstanding. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and always willing to assist. The facilities were well-maintained, and the equipment provided was in excellent condition. The emphasis on safety measures and protocols was evident, and I felt reassured knowing that every precaution was taken to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.The entire open water course experience for me with Savedra exceeded my expectations in every way. It was not only an opportunity to learn a new skill but also a chance to explore the beauty of the underwater world in a safe and enjoyable manner. I left with new skills, cherished memories, and a deep appreciation for the professionalism, expertise, and warm hospitality of your diving center.Too many things to see in the water! definitely need more time next time (if you're coming for the course, definitely join the fun dives if you can!) Will definitely come back when in Cebu!
Kiwiwanderer33
Kiwiwanderer33
2023-04-27
Professional and hospitable. Great team. Very organized. I visited in April 2023. Did 5 dives over 3 days. My whole trip was planned by the dive center. I simply emailed them and they organized everything except flights. Despite last minute changes (flew in a day late) due to unforeseen circumstances everything went really well. Pick up from the airport, choice of hotel, dives, payments, equipment....everything was easy. The Sardine dive is only about 50m from the shop. Other dives are also just a few minute boat ride. Also recommend in the evening taking a longer stroll toward the basket ball courts - there is a mini casino like place with super cheap drinks available. I expect I'll be going back to this place. Only thing I'd skip was leaving early for 2 days in Cebu city. Should have stayed and dived more.
BBPiggy
BBPiggy
2023-04-20
墨宝有很考谱的潜水教练 我是和Savedra Dive Center的潜水教练Koz (Karren Joseph) 学习的OW. 她是我一个当地的朋友强烈推荐给我的,我通过在Facebook上和她取得了联系,预订了课程,同时请潜店帮助安排了附近的住宿。Koz是个非常有经验的潜水教练,动作示范讲解的详实认真,非常到位。我对自己在大海里游泳这件事不是很有信心,她也能耐心指导我。总之有她在身边就很安心,而且感觉自己是赢了彩票才能和这么好的教练学习。我最后在第二天结束前结束了训练课程,拿到了OW的证书。我会把她推荐给所有会来墨宝学潜水的朋友们。潜店前面的海滩,游出去就能看到沙丁鱼风暴,非常震撼。不用坐船出海去看也很方便。
Kath F
Kath F
2023-04-17
Great dives! Great people! I did my PADI Open Water certification here at Savedra and I couldn’t be happier with the experience.My Instructor Koz was amazing and I’m so grateful for her patience and attention to detail. She was firm with the requirements which definitely made me feel safe and confident (with her on my first dives, and later with my own ability) and she made the whole course such a fun and stress-free experience. The confined dives were at their sister resort, which was a great location and we were able to immediately walk out to our first reef dive which was just fantastic. Savedra itself is located directly in front of the sardine run so that was just a few minutes walk away, and a very short boat ride from the other reef dives. I went back and did three more dives with them as everyone who works there is lovely, all the divemasters were super helpful and provided great guidance to a new diver like me. A great place to learn, but also excellent for fun dives if you’re already certified. The Sardine run especially is truly magical and they really are in the best spot to enjoy this breathtaking sight!
Cami
Cami
2023-04-10
Amazing experience diving with Savedra I took the PADI Advanced course at the Savedra diving center with three other friends, and had an amazing experience! Everyone is trustworthy and fun, the shore is one minute walk away from the center, and our instructor (Korren Joseph) is very professional and kindhearted. I highly recommend this experience, and can't wait to go back!
raghav p
raghav p
2023-04-08
PADI Open Water Diver Course with Savedra We did the PADI open water diver course with Savedra. We had an amazing experience. Our instructors Jimmela and Juvee were patient, knowledgable and very professional. They were super accommodating and made sure we learnt all the small details and were able to master all the skills. Our confined dives were very informative and open water dives were really fun. We had a great time and would 100% recommend any divers going to Cebu to dive with Savedra.
Underwater scenery on a dive safari in the Philippines

Some of us must live underwater!