Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
Accommodations: We had room #1 Oceanview, twin beds. The room is small and basic. But, it met our needs. The room has a/c, a small refrigerator stocked with drinks and snacks for sale, small counter tables and bedside tables. They clean daily, unless requested not to. There is a jug filled with drinking water, a percolator to heat water for tea or coffee in the room. Small packets of coffee, sugar, creamer and tea are all provided in room for those who need the caffeine kick in the morning. Looking around, I think I will book room #6 next time we go. It's more like a family room, much larger.
Bathroom and shower: Clean and with shelves, where we stored our clothes and some dive gears that are dry. Water pressure is ok. One can take a warm shower after diving.
What I like about the rooms: They provide a place outside of the room to hang and dry your wet gears overnight.
Food: We liked the Spaghetti Bolognese. My buddy said the chicken schnitzel was also good. I also enjoyed the stuffed grilled calamari. They have a regular menu, and specials weekly or every few days, which are written on a board.
The helpings are 'big' for me and enough for my bigger dive buddy. I had to ask the kitchen to just give me half portions when I order. The wait staffs are great, especially Rhea!
The Dive Op: Well managed by Pedro. Air and Nitrox fills are over 3,000 psi all the time. Nitrox is usually at 31-32%. The guys measure the gas in front of you. Sometimes you sign the ledger, sometimes no ledger. They help you in every manner, change tanks, make sure there are no leaks, etc., before they send you into the water. Dive gears are loaded and unloaded by these guys. They do work hard.
After the dives, they will rinse your dive gears. And, if you are not diving anymore, they will dry the gears for you after rinsing.
Con: I did not see a camera rinse at the resort - although this was provided on the boat. The rinse tanks at the resort are not labeled for regulators. BCD, wetsuits and booties. However, they have a fresh water hose and most of us rinse our regulators using that hose. There are 2 rinse showers beside the dive op to get off some of the salt.
The DM's are very good at spotting critters. I wonder how they manage to see those very tiny creatures and the hidden ones.
The diving and marine life: No 'big' stuff' (unless you consider the occasional whale shark sightings). I am sure that they are there though. Not for those into 'adrenaline' diving. There was mild current on one of the dives. Most are easy and relaxing. There are a lot of macro photographers returning to this place. A couple of divers, who did the house reef one morning, said that they saw 2 eagle rays. (I heard one jump while I was on the boat, we saw a spotted ray tucked under a ledge on one boat dives). Saw some dolphins shooting the waves on our way to Limasawa Island.
Several of the dive sites presented with schooling fish - plenty of them. The reef is healthy, both soft and hard corals. In spite of hurricane damage, I can still appreciate the beauty. of the reef as they cover the walls. Something for the wide angle photographers. Lots of schooling anthias, some schooling barracudas. A couple of turtles. Pygmy seahorse, candy crabs.....
Diving is a combo of walls and mucks. Muck dives are just as good. We did not do Padre Burgos pier while there. Local politics. Don't know if it's been resolved.
Travel time: To get there, we flew from Manila to Tacloban. The resort arranged our transfers. From the airport to the resort is a minimum of 3-hours via winding mountainous road. Same of the return.
