Malapascua is the Place to be in 2016

A Perfect Location

2016 at Exotic has begun and the diving is up to its usual world class standards. It's no wonder Philippines scuba diving and Malapascua diving especially finds itself on the bucket list of most dive enthusiasts and just to top things off the weather has been idyllic for months now. There really is hardly a drawback to this place... other than finding it hard to leave!!

There's always one who won't smile

The first Malapascua Instructor Development Course of the year is well under way with four hopefuls throwing heart and soul into achieving their dream of becoming PADI scuba diving instructors. Here they are with their own instructors enjoying the complimentary IDC lunch that comes with every such course here at Exotic.

Incredibly organised looking pool sesision

While not enjoying world class cuisine from our renowned restaurant, the candidates have spent time preparing their confined water skills in the comfort of a large pool. To have Exotic as the starting point on their CV will be a huge advantage as we really are an unrivaled center of excellence in this region. That said, they've not passed the two day PADI Instructor Examination yet so we'll check back in next week to find out how it went.

Nice striped shirt! Kept the receipt?

And finally, slightly old news but as featured on Exotics facebook page a couple of weeks back, congratulations to Mathias and Jason on completing their Divemaster internships. After several weeks of hard work, much laughter and the odd tear here on Malapascua, the lads were able to enjoy the traditional snorkel test which featured far less alcohol than they were led to believe!

Exotics Thresher Shark speciality

Course  Director Johanssen presents

No visit to Exotic and Malapascua is complete without a visit to Monad Shoal in search of our famous Thresher Sharks. This week we welcomed two guests, Kim and Marielle, who undertook our exclusive Thresher Shark specialty with Course Director Becca Johansen. The Blog sat in on what was a very informative presentation.

Did you know?

Each female Thresher shark has not one Uterus but two. Wow.

Sunrise at Monad Shoal

As part of the specialty comes two dives to Monad Shoal and with that comes an impressive sun rise every morning.
Our guests who take the Thresher Shark specialty have all found that the background information they learn on this species really adds relevance to the dives themselves.

Did you know?

The Thresher shark is classed as vulnerable. This means it's just one stage away from becoming an endangered species.

Shark Guardian Presentation

Coincidentally, Exotic were proud to host our friends at 'Shark Guardian' yet again just a few days later. These crusaders fighting for the rights of sharks worldwide set up camp in our restaurant and led by the impressive Camille Lemmens, delivered another informative presentation to a captivated audience.

Thresher Shark  

Did you know?

8000 sharks are slaughtered every hour....

This is destruction at an alarming and unsustainable rate.

 The following morning we were able to picture the shark seen here. But for how many more years will we be lucky enough to do so without changes to our own behavior.....

Blog Round Up

Tank assembling

This week the Blog decided to just pick up a camera and see what was happening around the resort. First on our travels was Caroline who was putting together a stage tank in preparation for dive three of her Deep dive course with Master Instructor Joa. If conditions permitted they might go as deep as fourty meters!

assembling the emergency Oxygen

Ask a Divemaster trainee to assemble an emergency Oxygen unit and then leave the room for a few minutes and what do you return to? Answer, A DMT taking the p***. Feet off the chair Jason please. Oh, and stop using all the Oxygen.

Disclaimer: This picture was completely staged and no Oxygen was wasted in its making. All Divemasters produced at Exotic are of the highest professional standard.

asleep on the job

To the untrained eye this looks like an old knackered dog sleeping in the restaurant under a table. To those familiar with Exotic Resort this is the imaginatively named Brownie. Brownie and his colleague Blackie work as part of Exotic's elite security team which make the resort safe for all our guests. It must be said that dogs are not allowed in the restaurant and that Brownie was working undercover at the time.

dive shop team

They've made the Blog before but seeing as they're so special we again introduce our fantastic dive shop receptionists, Hilda (left) and Judith. This week saw Judith return after maternity leave and no one was more pleased than Hilda. No more double shifts!

Why Sidemount Diving? A Instructor's point of view

For anyone who has been following our GoPro page exotic on Facebook page its pretty obvious that we like sidemount diving. Why is this? Why change gear, add another first stage to the mix and then learn a bunch of new skills? You can't go neither deeper, or further into wrecks.... So why? Actually there are many other good reasons that Sidemount diving has and can add to your diving experience, here is my personal point of view. 

Sidemount is a great primer for more advanced diving such as Technical or cave diving. If you are interested in technical diving it will be pretty clear why sidemount will be beneficial to you, as a recreational diver it might be harder to see these benefits.

Added Safety - Longer Dives

Apeks Sidemount regulator

Why am i saying that a sidemount configuration is safer? - There is the redundancy. Equipment malfunction is very rare today but it still happens. During my dives i have had hoses breaking underwater as well as o rings popping, free flowing inflators and so on. Considering the amount of dives this has happened on i have to say its still very rare that things break. When you have a popped tank o ring you have 1 minute (if your lucky) to make it to the surface or your buddy in recreational gear. Doing this in a big cloud of bubbles under stress is not fun. In sidemount its very different. As you have 2 redundant regulators on 2 tanks it doesnt matter if one breaks, you could cut all the hoses on one reg completely and still make it up to the surface by yourself (you should of course go up with your buddy) with a proper safety stop and surface swim if necessary. Lets say that both your regs fail at the same time (Extremely unlikely) a sidemount diving buddy can share air with you on a long hose, this is much more comfortable then doing so on a regular alternate air source were the hose is much shorter and pulling in your mouth unless your pretty much glued to your buddy.. And longer dives is also another great reason. Pretty simply, you got 2 bottles so even if you use a lot of air you will be able to stay down and enjoy the dive site for longer. If you make the dives on Nitrox then you can really see the added value. Sidemount diving all started originally from Cave Exploring were a very simple but very reliable way of diving is necessary. To me all diving should be as safe and gear as simple to use as possible.  

PADI Sidemount instructor Specialty course

Why do I personally love Sidemount?
Let me explaining why I love it so much. I have logged plenty of dives, both in cold and warm water in icy lakes and on tropical reefs, before trying sidemount. I now live since 5 years in Asia and one of the reasons is because i much prefer the tropical diving, including the temperature and the reduced hassle with gear - No dry suits or thick gloves which makes getting around trickier. Same goes for me in sidemount, my chest is clean and free from clutter, my back is free from restrictions and tanks. I can bend and flex as much as i like with out having the gear holding back. This makes for a truly "free" experience underwater. Sure i am actually towing around 2 tanks but they are tucked in under my shoulders and out of the way and streamlined. 

Add even more time to you dive
Quite often divers come to Exotic asking for 15 liter tanks, they use more air then their buddies and want to be able to stay down as long as their friends. Sure we have 15 liter tanks and sure they hold more air then a standard 12 liter tank. However 2 x 12 liter tanks, now that's allot of air! This is great for a couple of different reasons. You can make really long dives as well as having a bigger reserve in case anything goes wrong. 
If something goes wrong underwater, your most valuable resource is time, underwater time is directly linked to the amount of gas you have to breath, the more the better!

Of course there is downsides as well, after all, I can say that sidemount is not for everyone even though i do believe it can benefit most divers. One downside is simple, the cost. You need to either invest or rent at least one more first stage and long hose and an additional SPG. Walking with 2 bottles on land is obviously trickier, however you can just as easy don both cylinders in the water. Of course you have to learn additional skills and procedures to safely dive with sidemount. With this being said the many benefits outweighs the costs, which can be kept small depending on the gear that you choose.

Even rebreathers can be sidemounted

To me diving equipment is a tool needed to go and see or do something. Some dives requires more and some less. Shallow reef dives only requires a single tank and BCD while a deep cave dive might require multiple re breathers. Sidemount is in my book not the only way of diving but the most versatile way of diving!
If you have questions about the sidemount course, equipment configurations or want advice in general, just pop me an email at joa@malapascua.net

Joa Löfström
PADI Master instructor
Tec sidemount instructor

Something Exotic

Written by guest blogger Scott Lindsay:

Guest Blogger and PADI instructor Scott Lindsay

When I first arrived on Malapascua, I was probably the same as everyone else. Tired from the journey from Cebu city, and full of anticipation of what I would find on this small tropical island paradise. Like many who visit Malapascua, I came to the island for diving. This is probably the islands number one draw, but add to this the fact it has some beautiful beaches, awesome local residents and amazing food, what more could you ask from paradise?

There are many resorts large and small, and many restaurants offering all kinds of culinary fair. Prices range across the board, and I believe there is something for everyone. One resort in particular stands out from the crowd. That is Exotic Dive resort. Situated a little further away than the main bulk of the islands resorts and restaurants, it really is worth the walk (which is probably no more than 10 minutes from anywhere, as it isn’t a large island).

Thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) at monad shoal, Malapascau.

If you decide to stay in the Exotic resort, than you will have almost every need catered for. First they offer the islands original dive centre, and pioneers of the Thresher shark experience. Friendly, professional and incredibly eagle eyed dive guides will take you around many of the surrounding dive sites, pointing out the Thresher sharks, occasional other pelagic life, colourful nudibranchs, different sized frogfish, and mesmerizing flamboyant cuttlefish to name but a few.

Rooms vary in size, price and luxury, and all are well maintained and looked after by the friendly housekeeping staff.  The resort also boasts one of the best restaurants on the island. It takes the whole of about a minute to walk from the ocean to a seat, so after a hard days relaxation on the beach, or after a day of diving, you don’t have far to travel to satisfy the appetite you have worked up.

Exotics beachfront restaurant 

Firstly, let’s start with the staff. All are super friendly, smiling and joking, and always happy to help you. Even at its busiest times (there is a reason it can get busy) they are able to help you with anything you need. Next, let’s look at the menu. Well if choice is something you want, then there is no lack of it here. An Asian/ European fusion with of course some mouth watering Local Filipino dishes and surprising Dutch snacks, with many other favourites thrown in, the only word I can find to describe it is epic. Epically large in choice, epically large in variety, and portion size is never an issue (bring an appetite).  They offer 267 Dishes, which can be easily navigated through the Exotic resort app (currently available for android and soon available in the App store). 

Exotic resort app in google play store

Exotics app

And if you are after something to wash down these amazing dishes, then happy hour is between 5pm and 7pm (they aren’t shy with the measures) for cocktails, or shakes and juices are available all day. There is also draft beer and quality coffee from the coffee shop style real coffee machine. If you have a sweet tooth, then one of the many deserts will entice you (if you have left room for one). The cheesecake is a particular favorite of mine. Maybe not the best in the world, but considering the location, it really does impress and satisfy.

Breakfast varies from a full buffet at busy times, to just a cup of good coffee for those in a rush (I am not sure where you would be rushing to though). As a diving day can start early here, as with many dive centres (around 4.30am), there is nothing quite like being able to return to a hearty breakfast to fuel you for the rest of the day.

So all in all, Exotic dive resort ticks many boxes. If you don’t believe me, come and find out for yourself. 

www.malapascua.net

Underwater Transformation

Happy PADI Discover scuba diving participants

 It’s probably one of those things Instructors get used to, as the number of students they work with increases the smaller details may tend to lose their sharpness. So it is with a Divemaster at the start of an internship, and commencing a professional career these details can be most apparent.

PADI Discover Scuba Diving is a gateway for accessing scuba diving in the shortest possible time while remaining safe. It’s a straightforward ½ day course which can include an open water dive, if the student is capable and up for it.

Today I’m assisting a DSD course, which means I get to meet the guests, ensure all the paperwork is together, sort out their equipment and keep everything running smoothly for my instructor Joa.

The joy of breathing underwater!

The key thing to remember is that typical DSD students have never taken a breathe underwater before, they may well be a proficient skin diver but the idea of strapping a tank to their back and diving for longer than 30 seconds has only just become a desire for them. For me I originally got into diving because I wanted to see things closer up, and experience the freedom I often observed in Scuba divers while I was trapped at the surface snorkelling.

Todays student Leo, is no exception, I sense his excitement the minute we meet, he tells me he loves snorkelling, but he’s never taken the next step into Scuba, but today is the day. There is a determination I recall from my open water course, even before my confined sessions, knowing the equipment would be on my back and I’d be breathing underwater without having to rush back up to the surface for another breathe.

Joa takes us through the briefing, a few pointers on process and what the in water experience will be like and Leo is head down for his multiple choice quiz. I’m impressed the key safety standards are still maintained, even in this slimmed down course. There is no official accreditation at the end, but the DSD booklet includes a mini log book, a certificate of completion and everything a budding diver needs to know about this course and the potential future courses available.

Finally we are getting on the boat and setting up the kit, the boot is finally on the other foot, I’m setting up a guests’ equipment for them. Leo is ready, we are in the shallow water in-front of the dive shop and ready to get under the water with a regulator for the first time. I’m sure every student is different, but I’m sure they all take that first breathe with the same amazement we all once did. Eyes widen, second breathe, okay brain time to tune in, we’ve just turned into a fish.

The more you dive the more you smile :)

The skills requirements and practicing are just the essential safety requirements, we are in the water to do as much as possible for them when we make it onto the dive so it’s a case of clearing mask, recovering regulator and BCD inflation, deflation. Along with the presentation, Leo now has all the elements he needs for the dive. The mask clearance is always difficult, you’ve just worked out you can breathe underwater, now you’ve got to tell your brain to breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose. I can see the frustration in the mask clearance, you can never be sure if the skills will be too much and the student will run out of the water. Leo is sticking with it, tells himself to stop breathing in through his nose, sea water doesn’t taste so good. Then we spot a little baby puffer fish. Joa points to it, Leo looks, points himself and before he’s realised his breathing is calm, he looks at home. We’ve cracked it.

We check with Leo he’s feeling okay, take a short break to all get ready and jump in the flat boat for the short ride to house reef. A brief look over the side and Leo is checking the depth with Joa. 6m, I’ve put a decent line over the side of the boat and Joa and Leo will go down bit by bit with me following along. Plenty of equalisation, we arrive at the bottom, Leo is absolutely loving it and we’ve only done the decent, “Just wait till we start moving” I thought to myself.

This friendly sea snake can be spotted at the house reef

The house reef has plenty to see, though experienced divers definitely forget how little it takes to raise the breathing rate of new divers and DSD students. As we swam around, I had a firm grip on Leo’s tank valve to help him keep balance and buoyancy level, frankly we are both experiencing something new. I’m working with my first DSD student, assisting Joa, with real customers. The sense of responsibility is massive, I know Joa has everything under control and if anything was wrong he’d be ontop of it before I even realised. But I’m still there with Leo, experiencing his first ever dive.

25 minutes in, Leo signals that his ears are no longer enjoying the experience, we aim back to the decent line and do a safety stop. Everything remains calm, and before we know it, we are on the surface, relieving Leo of his equipment and getting him back on board.

It’s now, this very moment that brings it all home to me, Why diving? Why Divemaster? Why IDC and teaching ? Just look at Leo, he’s the happiest diver in the world, a matter of hours ago, he was a snorkeler, dreaming of escaping the surface to dive underwater and experience the freedom. He’s transformed and he’s not the only one.

We do a de-brief back in resort, his smile is even wider now, he can’t wait to get back in the water again, the experience has opened his eyes to so many possibilities and the sights underwater, I doubt it will be long before his PADI open water course is booked and he is back in the water again.

For me, it’s just the start of my Divemaster course, I’m seeing these actual transformations for myself 1^st hand and I want more too. You read about it, in the PADI books, we are in transformation industry, just words, but when you witness it first hand, it truly is emotional.

Ryan started his diving with a DSD and is here doing his Nitrox course, its easy to get addicted to diving!

Training, Tec and Teambuilding.

Hi all of you out there!

The White Arrow NT3 Sidemount in action!

It is time for a quick update, This month has been great fun for all of us here at Exotic, here are some of the highlights!

Our good friend Jason Lim has been back to Malapascua, this time teaching Technical diving both in back mounted twin tanks and Rebreather. Of course on the White arrow NT3 which looks absolutely brilliant underwater. Jason will be back soon for some more diving and we are looking forward to some more deep deep adventures!

Jason teaching set up of the White Arrow NT3 at Exotic in sidemount configuration

Scott practicing rescue exercise 7

PADI GoPro is in full effect with our IDC going on. In house PADI Course director Rebecca Johanson is doing a great job getting Jerome and Scott ready for upcoming PADI IE in a matter pf days, we wish them all the best. Our instructor Rey is also joining in doing his IDC staff instructor course! There has been some absolutely stunning weather lately with seas flat as a mirror and they have for sure been taking full advantage of it!






Finally some even more exiting news if that is even possible, The EXOTIC SPORTS FEST! The entire exotic crew and believe me its a big crew was split in 4 teams and enjoyed 5 days of challenges, sports, games and fun. There was plenty of different sports and games with some of the highlights being basketball, volleyball, swimming and Palusebo. For all of you who don't know what Palusebo is the winner of the game is the one who can climb the highest/fastest on a bamboo pole covered in oil! Believe me when I'm saying that it is very very hard!
Below you can see a few of the pictures from the event that was a huge success! We cant wait until next years sports fest!

The whole Exotic Crew!

Volleyball, blue vs white

The opening Parade, here its the Red team going strong!

Badminton was great fun!

Palusebo, Ryan giving it a go, there was a lot of oil on the bamboo pole!

Of course we had to have Chess as well, a welcome calm sport in the mid day heat!

Swimming was an easy pick for all our boat crew and Dms!

Tug of war

Palusebo revisited, this time with a little less oil.

A little balancing act, here is Janet and Barry with small but significant  calamansi fruit

Red team were the basketball champions!