Cave Diving
Cave Diving in the Philippines
Cave diving is for highly trained and experienced divers, it is not something that should be attempted without proper instruction, and the appropriate amount of experience.
Moalboal and Cebu have countless caves, they crisscross each other all over the island, some are big enough for humans to explore, some are flooded with water, that’s where we come in.
In Moalboal, and the surrounding areas, we have both fresh and seawater caves, some are shallow and can be visited by any qualified cave diver, some are deep and are only accessible to suitably qualified decompression cave divers.
Savedra offer training for would be cave divers, and diving experiences for those already certified, we operate all over Cebu, and organize excursions to other Philippine islands.
There are caves currently being surveyed for their suitability for guided dives and possibly training, currently these are the caverns and caves we are offering trips to.
Marigondon Cavern, Mactan, Cebu
This beautiful cavern is located under our resort partner Plantation bay, it is dive able all year round, and offers some breathtaking scenery.
In this large cavern you are never out of the light zone and will always have something to see, it provides the perfect opportunity to practice some line work in a forgiving environment.
Pawood Cave, Mactan, Cebu
Pawod Cave is found in an unlikely spot on the edge of a main road in Mactan, not far from the airport that brings most visitors into Cebu. Accessed by a small lagoon, we are always welcomed by some of the local children who use the it as a swimming spot.
The bottom is composed of heavy silt, finely tuned buoyancy control is essential, there are several permanent lines already inside the cave, thanks to the Filipino Cave Divers for their excellent work on this and the original maps.
This cave is accessible for backmount and sidemount divers alike, there are a few hundred meters of passageways to explore, a maximum depth of approximately 18 meters, our average depth is around 12 meters.
Casili Cave, Balambang, Cebu
A short scenic drive from Moalboal brings us to Balambang spring, this freshwater cave system is suitable for sidemount divers who enjoy tight restrictions. The cave gets its name from the Casili eels which can be seen inside.
Once again a nod to the Filipino Cave Divers is appropriate, it was their excellent work with the mapping that drew our attention to the cave.
The maximum depth for this cave has yet to be established, so far divers have explored down as far as 60 meters and have yet to touch bottom, the main tunnel is estimated at around 700 meters long.
The cave offers several exploration possibilities, your choice will affect the average depth, this cave is best tackled with some mild decompression planned.
Saavedra cave, Moalboal, Cebu
This is a small seawater cave found at approximately 30 meters, the main attractions here are the fauna and the small restrictions that can be tackled.
Due to the abundance of marine life in this cave a high level of skill in terms of propulsion and buoyancy are essential.
Tuble Cave, Moalboal, Cebu
The cave entrance is approximately 40 meters deep, the initial passage, named the siphon by local divers, is approx 1M/2M, during tidal movements it can create a very strong current in or out, depending on the direction of the tide, planning your entry and exit times is very important.
The work pays off, once inside there is an impressive amount of marine life to see, several challenging restrictions provide entertainment.
Due to the depth of the dive some planned decompression is unavoidable, the gases we would typically use are 28%, 50% and O2.
Paglugaban Cave, El Nido, Palawan
This beautiful sea cave is found in El Nido, with several chambers, and penetration up to approximately 300 meters, there is plenty to see.
Maximum depth is around 30 meters, however the majority of this cave is far shallower, allowing for some very satisfying dive times.
The cave is only accessible for part of the year, the surge around the entrance puts it out of bounds in strong weather.
Mabinay Cave Networks, Negros
This area is currently under exploration, with over 400 known caves we expect to be offering some incredible dive sites in the very near future, watch this space.
Cave Diver Training
We provide comprehensive training programs from complete beginner to full cave, training to levels such as this require a personal touch, please contact us with a brief description of your training and experience to date, we will provide a training path to help you achieve your goals. Lee@savedra.com