"In front of Grande Island, close to the beach is one of the best dive sites in Subic Bay. The barges dive site is loved by divers of all skill and experience levels." Johan's Dive Resort, Subic Bay, Philippines
Learning to SCUBA dive at 19 opened my mind to the wonders of the ocean. It was 1982 and I was a sailor in the US Navy. I'd sailed over thousands of miles of the ocean, but had only dove in at a few beaches on the Pacific and Indian Ocean. My ship, the USS Enterprise, was visiting Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. I'd spent several prior visits to the Philippines partying all night, nursing hangovers most days. Sure, that was fun, but after barhopping my way through Honolulu four times, the Philippines twice, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mombasa and Perth, drinking booze had gotten old. My chief told me I should try SCUBA diving, and my chief had never steered my wrong. So, I took his advice and signed up for the PADI open water certification class offered to sailors at Subic Bay Naval Station.
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| Picture Credit to Anders Poulsen: www.colours.dk |
The class lasted several days. Our instructor was a tall Filipino man named Afram. He knew everything about SCUBA, all the gear, dive tables, hand-signals, wrecks, coral, fish, deep diving, sharks, etc. Afram knew it all. It was a completely rewarding experience to go to class every day and learn the science and art of SCUBA diving. It was exciting and adventurous, especially when we progressed from diving in the recreation center pool to diving in Subic Bay.
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| Picture Credit to Anders Poulsen www.colours.dk |
We entered the water from the sandy beach on Grande Island, walking backwards with fins on our feet and air tanks strapped to our backs. Masks elastic strapped over our faces, regulators that provided air stuffed into our mouths. Weight belts around out waists. Afram had told us there were barges sunk in Subic Bay after the Vietnam war. He explained that the barges formed reefs where fish lived and coral had grown for years. I had no idea what SCUBA was all about, until we went under the surface of the water and saw the rich diversity of life and color. I have an overactive imagination to begin with, but this! This! This was an experience beyond my wildest ideas. I truly felt I had entered a realm of science fiction with the most dazzling elements of biology and physics, all swimming and growing around me. Words fell short, unable to fully describe the amazing experience of floating deep beneath the water's surface, able to breath, in this alien environment.
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| Photo Credit to Johan's Diver Resort, Subic Bay, Philippines: www.johansdiveresort.com |
I'll never forget the schools of fish, giant clams, vibrant green plants and brilliant coloured corals. That was the first time I'd been under water (30 feet down) for a sustained period of time. We swam all over the barges checking out the fish and the corals. After that I went on to SCUBA dive in Hawaii, California, North Carolina, Florida and Greece. If you have tried SCUBA you know, but if you haven't tried SCUBA . . . well, all I can say is you should try it. SCUBA, especially in warm, clear ocean water is amazing.
Here are links to charter companies who can take you diving on the barges in Subic Bay:
- Arizona Dive Charters: www.arizonadivesubic.com/
- Johan's Beach & Diver Resort: subicdive.com/
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