Blue Mango Diveshop

Allan and Family Dive

Dustin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:17:25 +0000

Diving in Boracay Philippines

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Boracays diving made top 10

Dustin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:00:02 +0000

Are you thinking of getting certified for an upcoming vacation? Boracay was recently named top 10 Scuba Diving sites around the world by Travel Worth.

“Boracay is virtually a diving paradise. Sitting cozily in Philippines, this tropical island offers every thing that other popular dive site has to offer. Abundant marine life and reef systems adorn this site. After you have done swimming in its pleasant waters, rejuvenate your eyes with enthralling views of beach”

Check out our courses here. Looking for a place to stay in Boracay? Check out our resort.

Hong Kong Divers and Dean

Dustin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:26:46 +0000

Diving in Boracay Philippines

Boracay Tech Diver’s “Tec Diva” program

Kaye — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:40:23 +0000

In a sport that is quite dominated by men, it was refreshing to be the first girl to engage in the Boracay Tech Diver’s “Tec Diva” program! I am currently a PADI Rescue Diver and have dove most of Boracay’s dive sites several times. After diving my favorite sites Yapak and Camia Shipwreck one too many times, I realized that I needed a new challenge. Dustin then conveniently introduced me to Technical diving and its many advantages. At first I was a bit intimidated, just by looking at the gear and how different it looked from the regular recreational single tank kit. It just seemed really heavy and complicated but then as I cruised along the course, I learned that once you figure out all the components, the set up, the dive plan, and the use of deco bottles at different depths, then it’s actually a piece of cake!
The biggest advantage and one of the main reasons why I decided to do Tech is that you can stay down longer and have a chance to go exploring. It was the perfect opportunity to go further with my diving aspirations. Another advantage and quite frankly the most important is that your dive skills vastly improve as you challenge yourself to do several exercises with double tanks strapped to your back! The skill set involves practicing maintaining your buoyancy, learning different kinds of kicks such as the reverse frog-kick (which is quite funny at first, but you’ll get used to it), dealing with emergency scenarios, checking your deco bottles, and of course running thru safety drills.

If you’re up for the challenge then Tec is for you. If you’re looking for the next step in diving, then Tec is for you. If you’re looking to improving your skills as a diver, then Tec is for you. If you’re looking for something fun and rewarding, then Tec is for you. Yes, IT IS HARD WORK and requires alot of patience but the knowledge you gain is priceless. The experience is altogether rewarding. And for the ladies out there, if you’re up for showing the boys that girls kick ass too, then TEC DIVAS is definitely for you! Hope to see you in Boracay soon!

New Dive Boat

Dustin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:16:32 +0000

Here is some info on our new dive boat: The King Nelson 2

Length: 17 Meters
Manufactured: Aug 2008
Engines: Twin Diesel engines.
Divers: 18 divers with gear

Large swim up ladder for, good enough for divers with doubles
Large interior cabin with shade

Dive sites: All site sites around Boracay to include a day trip to Maningning. (60m + visibility, all levels of diving)

Faye’s Boracay Scuba Dive

Dustin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:04:29 +0000

Open Water Course

Angol Point Open water dive #4

2 grads and DM in training

Dustin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:34:28 +0000

Congratulations to Faye for completing her PADI Open Water Diving Certification, and to Mario for moving up to PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

Our newest Zero to Divemaster candidate Hien has started her training.

2 new graduates

Dustin — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:51:38 +0000

We have 2 more graduates here at Blue Mango Diving Center in Boracay Philippines.

Anne Denning, from Hong Kong, completed her PADI Open Water Diver Certification and James Maiden, from Sydney Australia, for completing his PADI Advanced Open Water.

Congratulations once again and keep diving!

Tips to Identify Coral and Marine Life

Dustin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:53:26 +0000

Know Your Underwater Critters

The ocean contains more than 21,000 fish species and over 1,000 species of corals. Needless to say, it’s quite the task to try and identify everything you see, especially when there are another 80,000 other species in the water – many of which are easily confused with fish or coral when they aren’t. That’s one of the wonders of the ocean; what you see isn’t always what it seems. What looks like a plant may be an animal, what swims like a fish may be a snail and that rock actually may be a fish. So how do you identify all these wonderful organisms?

* Bring a slate with you on all dives so you can take notes or make a quick sketch. That way, once you’ve dried off, you can look things up in a reference book.

* Many PADI Dive Shops or Resorts sell waterproof fish and coral identification charts listing the most commonly sighted local species. Bring these with you on the dive for instant classification.

* Be still and quiet underwater so you can observe normal animal behaviors. These will give you clues to their identities.

* Keep an open mind and be prepared to be surprised. Just because it’s green and stuck to a rock doesn’t mean it’s a plant. Look for small waving tentacles or other purposeful movement to give you a clue that is actually a type of anemone, coral or sea squirt.

* Make an underwater camera part of your scuba gear. That way you can capture images of unidentified aquatic life for identification later.

* Consider getting to know the local aquatic life by taking an AWARE Fish Identification or PADI Underwater Naturalist course.

* Visit the local fish market to see what the catch of the day is called.

* Learn more about coral reef conservation, which may include an introduction to the corals in your area.

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Extend Your Scuba Dives

Dustin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:17:50 +0000

Ah, endless scuba dives… Here are some scuba diving tips to help you achieve perfect buoyancy. It takes time and patience to master the art of scuba diving buoyancy. These tips will help you use less effort to maintain your position in the water, use less air and enjoy your dive more.

* Relax and breathe normally both on the surface and underwater. On descent, try to exhale all the air from your lungs and any tension from the rest of you. Get underwater quickly, where scuba equipment is more comfortable and easier to manage. Swim slowly and enjoy the scenery to make your air last longer. Scuba diving should not be a speed sport.

* Fine-tune your weight system so that adjusting your buoyancy will be effortless. When weighted properly and holding a normal breath, you should float at eye level. Then when you relax and exhale completely, making sure you’ve emptied all the air out of both your BCD and your lungs, you should sink slowly below the surface.

* When adjusting your buoyancy, go easy on your BCD inflator. Use short bursts of air, taking a few normal breaths between each burst to check your progress before adding more. Proper weighting reduces how much you need to add and release. Constantly adding and dumping air from your BCD because you’re over-weighted will make a big dent in your air supply.

* Practice the fin pivot and other neutral buoyancy techniques from the Peak Performance Buoyancy specialty course. When you can remain neutral with nearly no effort, you’re relaxed and your air will go a lot farther.

* Save energy and decrease drag. Swim with your arms by your side and concentrate on slow smooth kick strokes originating at your hips. This peak performance buoyancy technique will keep you streamlined underwater and let your scuba fins do the work. This way, you’ll conserve more energy and use less air.

* Breathe Enriched Air Nitrox instead of air. EANx contains less nitrogen and a higher concentration of oxygen. By using special enriched air dive tables or dive computers your scuba dives can last a lot longer, particularly at depths less than 100 feet.

* Limit multitasking. If you’re trying to enjoy a scuba dive, take pictures and make notes to help you identify fish all at the same time, chances are good your air consumption will go up. Pick one activity to enjoy per scuba dive to get the most bottom time.

* Stay shallower when you can. Since we’re under greater pressure the deeper we go, we use more air with each breath from our scuba tanks when we’re deeper. By spending most of your scuba time at shallower depths, you extend your dive because your air supply lasts longer. Even hanging out a few feet above the group on a wall dive, for instance, can help you stay down longer.

* Stay fit. Stop smoking and stay fit with a proper training program that includes cardiovascular and weight training exercise. When your respiratory and cardiovascular systems are in top form, your body works more efficiently and that translates to better air use and more bottom time.