If you’re a beginner diver looking for the best destinations to dive in the Philippines, we’ve rounded up five of the best dive spots you can explore.
When you’re new to diving, a good dive site to explore should not be overwhelming for you. It should have calm, shallow waters, good visibility, minimal currents, and clear entry/exit points. Dive spots with interesting underwater features, such as coral formations and diverse marine life, would also be great. Finally, dive sites with proper facilities and experienced scuba diving instructors would be best for your safety.
Fortunately, in the Philippines, there are several dive spots perfect for beginners, where you can explore the deep with safety and enjoy the enchanting views underwater.
Beginner dive spots Philippines
Here are some of the best dive spots in the Philippines for beginners:
Dive spots for true beginners
If you are a newly certified diver or an Open Water student, try exploring Moalboal in Cebu or Siquijor in Negros Island. These dive destinations offer calm sea conditions, shallow reefs, and easy access, great for building up your confidence.
1. Moalboal, Cebu
Moalboal is a great choice for new divers with easy access, calm waters, and vibrant marine life. Located on the southwestern coast of Cebu, Moalboal is known for its beautiful beaches, crystal-clear waters, and colorful underwater ecosystem, making it a popular destination for diving and snorkeling.
Moalboal is most famous for the Sardine Run—a mesmerizing view of thousands of sardines swirling in shallow water around 10 meters deep just off Panagsama Beach. Other beginner-friendly dive sites in Moalboal include Basdiot Reef, known for its gentle slopes and frequent turtle sightings, and Tuble Point, which offers coral gardens with minimal current.
Best time to dive: The best time to dive in Moalboal is between November and May, during the dry season.
2. Siquijor, Negros Island
This scuba diving destination is often overlooked, but it is truly a gem for beginner divers with its pristine reefs and relaxed vibe. Located in the Negros Island, Siquijor is an island province in the Central Visayas Region of the Philippines. It is a small, peaceful island known for its white-sand beaches, clear waters, and rich marine biodiversity, and it is also famous for its mystique and folk healers.
You can explore Coral Garden, a shallow site rich in macro critters and turtles. Next, head on to Paliton Wall that offers a sloping reef with soft corals and gentle currents, great for practicing buoyancy and navigation. Finally, check out Sawang, which features tunnels and canyons at beginner-friendly depths of 5 to 18 meters.
Best time to dive: With clear water and easy access to both shore and boat dives, Siquijor is best explored between December and May.
Dive spots for beginners with a bit of experience
If you are a beginner who has logged some dives, you may want to explore these sites with beginner-accessible features, but may require a little more confidence or guidance.
3. Camiguin
Camiguin is a small island province in the southern Philippines, located in the Bohol Sea just off the northern coast of Mindanao. It is known as the “Island Born of Fire” for its seven volcanoes. The island is also a hidden gem for beginner divers—with calm waters, shallow coral gardens, and easy access to diving sites.
One of the most popular is Mantigue Island, where you can explore coral gardens, sea turtles, and occasional blacktip reef sharks. White Island’s Black Forest is another excellent diving site in Camiguin, featuring soft corals and schooling fish in depths starting around six meters. There is also Burias Shoal that features photo-worthy coral formations and friendly marine residents like snappers and turtles. For something truly unique, the Sunken Cemetery offers a gentle dive through coral-covered gravestones, blending history with marine biodiversity. Lastly, the Old Volcano site provides scenic volcanic rock formations and macro life in beginner-friendly depths.
Best time to dive: The best diving conditions in Camiguin are between December and May, during the dry season.
4. Sipalay, Negros Island
Sipalay is a calm, uncrowded, and charming coastal city located on the southwestern edge of Negros Island in the Philippines, facing the Sulu Sea. You can reach the area via Dumaguete or Bacolod. For beginner divers, Sipalay is a hidden gem: the waters are calm, visibility is generally good, and many dive sites start at shallow depths, making it ideal for training dives and relaxed underwater exploration.
Beginner-friendly dive sites in Sipalay include Toscana Reef, which starts at just 5 meters and features soft coral gardens, reef fish, and even turtles; Grand Canyons, a shallow labyrinth-like site with depths from 6 to 15 meters; and Disneyland, a playful coral block site with white sand and lionfish, perfect for night dives at just 5 to 12 meters deep. You can also explore Habok Habok, which offers a wall dive with cracks and canyons between 2 and 16 meters, teeming with nudibranchs, clownfish, and ribbon eels.
Best time to dive: October to June offer the best diving conditions in Sipalay with calm seas, good visibility, and minimal rainfall.
5. Apo Island, Negros
Apo Island is a small volcanic island situated off the southeastern coast of Negros Oriental in the Visayas region of the Philippines. You can reach it via Dumaguete City. Known for its thriving coral reefs, crystal-clear waters, and community-managed marine sanctuary, Apo Island has become a well-loved diving and snorkeling destination in the country.
Apo Island offers several dive sites, but the most ideal for beginners are the Chapel’s Point and Katipanan. Chapel’s Point features a gently sloping reef and moderate depths around 18 meters, where you’ll find colorful sea fans and a rich variety of marine life, including fimbriated moray eels, parrotfish, lizardfish, and scorpionfish. Meanwhile, Katipanan offers a gentler experience, perfect for beginners. The site features a rolling field of soft and hard corals in pastel hues that stretches across a shallow slope. While fish sightings are fewer here, you might still encounter granular sea stars and the occasional seal-faced pufferfish.
Best time to dive: It is best to explore Apo Island from April to June and November to December. These months feature excellent visibility, warm water, and calm seas, ideal for spotting turtles, jacks, and vibrant coral gardens.
Tips for beginner divers in the Philippines
Always take precautions when diving as a beginner. Here are some tips you can consider:
Dive with a certified instructor or guide.
If you’re new to scuba diving in the Philippines, always dive with a certified scuba diving instructor or experienced guide. They will help ensure your safety, help you navigate unfamiliar waters, and provide support in case of emergencies.
Know local regulations and respect marine life.
Before diving in new destinations, familiarize yourself with local rules, such as protected areas or depth limits. As with all dive sites, avoid touching marine animals or coral, and never remove anything from the ocean to help preserve the ecosystem.
Stay hydrated and avoid heavy meals.
Drink plenty of water before diving to reduce the risk of dehydration and decompression sickness. Skip heavy meals, as they can cause discomfort underwater. Go for light snacks instead.
Practice good buoyancy control.
Mastering buoyancy helps you move efficiently, conserve air, and avoid accidental contact with the seabed or coral. It also keeps you safe by preventing uncontrolled ascents or descents. You can improve buoyancy control by doing exercises such as hovering in place, making slow and controlled ascents and descents, and maneuvering through hoops in a pool or shallow confined water.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to build confidence underwater, the Philippines offers a variety of beginner-friendly dive spots that combine safety, charm, and accessibility. With calm waters, vibrant marine life, and experienced instructors, these destinations will make your first dives memorable and enjoyable.
