La Laguna Dive Center

La Laguna Beach Club & Dive Centre is situated in the heart of Big La Laguna Bay, a region known for its white sands and vibrant marine life. Established in 1992, the centre has become a cornerstone of the local diving community, providing a base for divers of all experience levels.

The location is highly accessible, sitting just three hours from Manila. Because the dive shop is part of the resort, you can transition seamlessly from your accommodation to the boat, making the logistics of a multi-day diving trip straightforward.

As a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre (IDC), the facility is geared towards high-level professional training. They host programmes for those looking to progress from Divemaster through to Assistant Instructor.

The team focuses on professional standards across a wide spectrum of diving, including recreational, technical, and specialty instruction. The resort setting aims to provide a personalised, boutique experience for guests, ensuring a professional yet friendly atmosphere on shore and on the water.

The course catalogue is extensive, beginning with the PADI Discover Scuba Diving and moving through the full Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver progression. They offer a vast array of specialties, including Peak Performance Buoyancy, Wreck Diver, Deep Diver, and Night Diver.

Technical training is a core strength of the centre. They provide PADI TecRec training, covering Tec 40, 45, and 50, alongside Trimix Diver, Normoxic Trimix, and Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR) courses. They also offer specialised training in Sidemount and Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) usage.

For those pursuing a career in diving, the IDC programme is fully supported. This includes pathways for Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, and various instructor development packages.

The centre maintains a full range of modern dive equipment available for hire. This includes regulators, wetsuits, fins, and torches for night diving, ensuring you can travel light if you prefer.

For technical divers, the shop is well-equipped with gas blending capabilities for Nitrox and Trimix. They also provide support for rebreather diving and sidemount configurations. On-site facilities include areas for rinsing kit and changing.

The reefs around Puerto Galera are teeming with tropical reef fish and a vast array of hard and soft corals. You will find extensive colonies of brain corals, staghorn corals, table corals, and various gorgonians and sea fans. The seabed is often decorated with sponge populations and large anemones.

In the water column and around the reef edges, look for larger pelagic species and schooling fish. You may encounter various species of snapper (Lutjanus), trevally, jacks (Carangidae), and barracudas. Schools of fusiliers, emperors, and batfish are common sights during regular dives.

For macro enthusiasts, the area is a treasure trove. Keep a close watch for nudibranchs (Chromodoris willani), ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus), and various species of pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus bargibanti). The crevices and corals also host mantis shrimp, porcelain crabs, and various species of shrimp (Caridea).

Larger residents include green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). You may also spot stingrays, various species of moray eels (Muraenidae), and larger groupers (Epinephelus) patrolling the reef structures.

The dive sites in the area offer a variety of environments, from shallow reef flats to deep walls. While many sites are close to the shore, some locations are better suited for drift diving depending on the day's conditions.

Visibility in the area is generally good, typically ranging between 15 and 25 metres. Divers should be prepared for various underwater topographies, including caves, swim-throughs, and steep walls.