The Philippines has some of the best wreck
diving in the world. Find out more about our Philippine wreck diving
tours and wreck training with Frontier Scuba
.
Tours
Our packages start in Manila and include round trip private
transfers to Subic Bay or Coron, accommodation, diving, courses
and meals.
 Subic
Bay
Subic is located just 3 hours north of Manila. It was
once the largest US naval base outside of America. Now it is
home to 8 great wreck dives, with more wrecks being found every
year. Highlights include the USS New York, a World War One
battle cruiser; El Capitan, a freighter lying on it's side in
just 18 meters of water; an LST, upright in 36m of water with
some awesome penetration dives and the Seian Maru, a large
freighter located just a few hundred meters from the waterfront.
Dive sites are close in Subic. Usually within about 20
minutes of the center of the base. Visibility does vary - there
are many rivers feeding the bay and silt from Pinatubo volcano
can still be a problem in the rainy season. However, the wrecks
are great to dive and the poor visibility does not extend inside
the wreck.
Rental gear is available, as are twin tanks, dive
lights, nitrox and stage tanks. Our packages are fully inclusive
of boat, guide, tanks and weights.
Accommodation is in a comfortable Inn, right
next to the waterfront on the old Navy Base. There are a wide
range of restaurants along the board walk for lunch and dinner.
Our packages include aircon room, breakfast and lunch.
Our tours are fully inclusive of
-
Round trip private transfers from Manila to Subic Bay
-
Twin share accommodation at a local Inn - half board basis.
-
Daily two or three dives from the resort including tanks,
weights, boat and guide
-
Package of nitrox fills or unlimited nitrox diving
-
PADI Wreck, Deep, Nitrox and Advanced Open water courses
-
Tech courses including TDI Advanced and Decompression
Procedures, TDI Extended Range and TDI Advanced Wreck
Tour Dates
We will run tours to Subic Bay with a minimum group size of 6
divers or three students (two students minimum if TDI Advanced
wreck). If you are a group and would like to book a tour, or a
tour in conjunction with a trip to Puerto Galera then send us an
email and we will make a package to suit your needs.
Regular tour dates are posted top right. Email us if you would
like to know our current tour schedule.
 Subic Bay Wrecks (click on
wreck
to view)
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USS Rochester (formerly USS
New York)
This vessel is a pre-World
War I battle cruiser built in Philadelphia in 1891 and scuttled
at the approach of the Japanese in 1941. It lies in 30 meters of
water at the northern end of the runway. This is the ultimate
wreck dive in the Philippines. The 12 inch cannons are still in
place and there are photo opportunities galore. The
visibility tends to be low, better viz can be found inside the
wreck. The marine life on this site consists of jacks, scorpion
fish, fusiliers, lionfish, grouper, and spotted rays.
A simple penetration route is down through one of the hull
casements and along a corridor. An advanced penetration is
through the engine room. This is suitable only for technical
Advanced Wreck divers and should never be attempted by divers on
single tanks.
AN
LST
This vessel is situated in
on the way to Grande Island. This huge tank landing landing
craft lies in 32 meters, sitting upright with its door open. The
average dive is 28-34 meters, and the visibility is better than
the inner bay. There is a lot to see on the outside, but the
main interest is penetration of the corridors. These run along
both port and starboard side of the ship. Doors are ajar and
along the sides of the rooms are the remains of cots - the beds
of up to 200 men. Best done on nitrox, penetration is mainly for
technical divers.
El Capitan
The wreck is situated near
the inner channel marker of Ilanin Bay. A small freighter, the
El Capitan lies on its port side with its stern in 5 meters
while its bow is in 20 meters of water. El Capitan was probably
used as a store ship, as it is near the old ammunition wharf and
the stern tube is welded closed and the engines are missing. This is a perfect dive site for
easy , but beautiful swim throughs and is an excellent dive for
basic wreck training. Visibility varies between 5-20 meters
The
Hellship - Oryoku
Maru
Oryoku maru on fire after US
bombing raid
Situated 400 meters off the old SRF
(Ship Repair Facility). Maximum depth on this dive is 20 meters
and the visibility is generally quite low. Even so, it remains
one of the most interesting ships in the bay.
The Oryoku Maru
was one of the hellships carrying families and American
prisoners of war to Japan. It was attacked by American aircraft
on December 15th, 1944. It sank and more than 300 American POWs
were lost. Now, the ship has become a haven for all kinds of
marine life. Many parts of the wreck are a tangled maze of
metal, as the ship was flattened by explosives for navigational
reasons.
This tangled artificial reef is
home for all species of shallow water marine life and has
some of the best fish life in the bay. Often there are large
schools of jacks and barracuda swimming overhead.
Seian maru
A Japanese cargo vessel of
approximately 8000 tons sunk by the American Navy in 1945,
the Seian Maru lies on its portside in 27 meters of water.
The cavernous holds are home to countless species of
fish. Like most freighters of this era, there are hold fore and
aft, with the midships home to the engine room and wheelhouse.
Visibility varies, but again it is a fascinating, larger wreck
to explore
The Smaller Wrecks
Japanese
patrol boat
Located in in Triboa Bay
at a depth of 20 - 25 meters This small Japanese patrol
boat is sitting upright on it's keel. The wreck is a great dive
with an average of 10 meters viz. There are plenty of coral and
colorful fish to keep photographers occupied.
LCU Landing
craft
This vessel is also situated in
Triboa Bay but closer to the end of the runway, lies on the edge
of a reef with its starboard side lower. Depth is 5-20 meters
(25-60 feet) with visibility from 10-16 meters (30-50 feet).
This is a great dive for the underwater photographer.
San Quentin
This steam gun boat was scuttled by the Spanish during the
Spanish-American war, to block the shallow south entrance to
Subic
The ship is now badly broken up, but you can
still see the bow and large steam boilers. As the wreck lies at
the mouth of the bay in shallow water, visibility and light are
better than on the other wrecks.
Excellent fish and coral life.
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About an hour south of Manila by air, is Coron Bay.
Coron is home to the largest collection of WW2 wrecks in the
Philippines. Highlights include the Akitsushima, an imperial
Japanese Navy Flying boat tender and the Irako, an impressive
10,000 ton Imperial Japanese Navy provision supply ship.
There are at least 10 large wrecks to dive. The best time to
visit is in the dry season (October to June). Trips to the
wrecks take longer than Subic, usually at least an hour from
town. The visibility is generally better and the area is very
beautiful. The wrecks are all protected by the government for the enjoyment of all. As it is a little
further from Manila than Subic Bay, it is best done as a longer 4 or
5 day trip.
Our tours are fully inclusive of
-
Round trip airfares from Manila to Coron
-
Local transfers
-
Twin share accommodation at a local resort, or liveaboard - full
board basis.
-
Daily two or three dives from the resort including tanks, weights, boat
and guide
-
Daily unlimited no-deco diving if on liveaboard
-
Package of nitrox fills or unlimited nitrox diving
-
Wreck, Deep, Nitrox and Advanced Open water courses
-
Tech courses including TDI Advanced and Decompression
Procedures, TDI Extended Range and TDI Advanced Wreck
Tour Dates
We will run tours to Coron with a minimum group size of
6 people for recreational divers, or 3 if for the TDI Advanced
Wreck training course. If you are a group and would like to book a tour, or a
tour in conjunction with a trip to Puerto Galera then send us an
email and we will make a package to suit your needs.
Regular tour dates are posted top right. Email us if you would
like to know our current tour schedule.
Coron Bay Wrecks (click on
icon
to view)
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of Page
Irako
The Irako was an Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)
general stores ship, sunk in late 1944. It carried spares,
machine shops, refrigeration storage, diving gear, ammunition
and general cargo. At 9750 tons and 135 meters long, it is the
one of the most impressive ships in Coron Bay.
Visibility is generally good, although there may
be some current on this site. Average dives are between 28m and
34m, with a max of 42m, so dives are best made on nitrox. Simple
penetration dive are available for basic wreck divers, as well
as some deep penetration dives for the technical dive. The
engine room should not be entered by anyone without the
proper technical equipment and training.
This is most diver's favorite wreck in Coron and
suitable for multiple dives.
Akitsushima
The IJN Akitsushima was a large flying
boat tender, sunk in the late fall of 1944. This 118m long wreck
is the only warship in Coron Bay. Her large Kawanishi flying
boat was not sunk in the raid.
She took a direct hit to the aviation fuel store,
just in front of the large crane. The resulting explosion sent
her to the bottom, where she came to rest on her port side. The
large gaping hole in front of the crane is an excellent entrance
point for penetration dives, with routes suitable for both
recreational Wreck divers and the advanced wreck diver.
Behind the stern are the cannon which fell from
their mounts when the Akitsushima sank. Under the you can see
schools of sweetlips, snapper and large barracuda. Average
dives are 27m to 34m, so nitrox is essential to make the most of
this dive site.
Ekkai
Maru (used to be called Olympia maru and then Taiei Maru)
I have a soft spot for the Taiei maru. It
was my first ever wreck dive and in my memory it was perfect.
Built in Scotland, she was then sold to a Chinese
buyer and on the transfer war broke out and she was captured by
the Japanese. Big cavernous holds illuminated by rays of light, large
machinery and boilers and tight spaces to squeeze through. The
ship lies on her starboard in 26m of water - but just 12m to the
hull. Her engines were salvaged in the 60s, hence the large hole
in her side - this makes for a great entry point. As she is
shallow and has so many great swim throughs, plan on doing at
least 2 or 3 dives on her - as well as much of your wreck
training.
Okikawa Maru
Another great dive for beginners, this 200m long Japanese fleet
oiler sits upright in 26m of water, with her deck between
10~16m. The bow points almost straight to the surface, as a
massive explosion in front of the wheelhouse almost blew the
ship in two.
There are some great penetration options on this wreck, as well
as good photo opportunities. The decks are home to a halthy
covering of coral and there are many fish species. The Okikawa
can receive strong currents, so consider advanced open water and
/ or wreck training.
Olympia Maru
The Olympia maru was formerly called the Tangat
wreck. It is interesting to watch the evolution of wreck names
in Coron. Over the years divers have become history experts,
hitting the archives and libraries to put names to long lost
ships.
The Olympia, a 140m long Japanese freighter,
offers great opportunities for simple penetrations and suits
most levels of divers. Sitting upright, with her cranes towering
above the deck, depths vary between 20m to 30m so nitrox can be
very useful, especially on repetitive dives. The decks are home
to lionfish, schools of batfish and good coral cover - so plenty
of photo opportunities.
Kogyo Maru
The Kogyo is another Japanese freighter. About
160m long she lies on her starboard side. She was carrying
airfield construction materials - in the forward hold you can
see the bags of cement, as well as a bulldozer tipped on it's
side.
The decks and hull are covered with fish and
coral and in the mid-ships you can still see anti-aircraft guns.
Depths vary between 24m and 34m so the wreck is
best suited to advanced, wreck and nitrox divers
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Wreck Diver Training
 The
need for training
Wreck Diving is perhaps the most exciting type of
diving. But, for the untrained, it can also be the most risky.
Dangers include getting lost inside the wreck, light failure and
running out of air. However, with training it is one of the most
exciting form of diving.
 There
are two levels of training.
A Basic Wreck diver course
(either TDI or PADI) takes about two days to complete and
includes 4 dives. Training can be made in Puerto Galera using
the Alma Jane Wreck, or on a trip to either Subic Bay or Coron
Bay.
Training includes wreck orientation, simple wreck
navigation, reel handling and penetration practice (on the
outside of the wreck) and a final penetration dive. Penetration
is not required and the last dive can be on the outside of the
wreck. As many wrecks can be quite deep, we highly recommend
combining the wreck course with a nitrox course as well as deep
diver training.
2 days / 4 dives / P9950
+ manual
Combined with Nitrox P16000 + manuals
 The
TDI Advanced Wreck Diver course
offers greater scope for exploration. A prerequisite is a Basic
Wreck course. The two may be combined for a total of 6 days and
12 wreck dives
The Advanced Wreck course can be taught either
with no decompression or with decompression. If completing
decompression dives, a prerequisite is TDI Decompression
Procedures (or equivalent) - and the Advanced
Wreck course is considered the pinnacle of technical diving (we
all know that Cave Divers are in fact frustrated wreck divers).
Run over 4~5 days it includes 8 dives. We can complete all
academics and skills dives in Puerto Galera, which leaves 6
penetration dives in Subic , or Coron Bay.
Contact us if you would like more information
4 days / 8 dives /
P29000 + expenses
Combined with Basic Wreck diver P36000 + expenses
Above : 2007 Advanced Wreck students: TDI Instructor
Mr.Ohara, Rick, TDI Instructor Trainer Mr.Tahara, TDI Instructor
Mr.Nishitani, TDI Instructor Trainer
Mr.Yasuhara
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