How do I get to Malapascua Island from Cebu City?

We can arrange Private taxi transfers from the Cebu Airport or Cebu City. Rates are 3.5k (1-2pax), 4.5k (3-5 pax), 5.5k (6-8pax) each way. (3-4 hours) or Public buses or vans (300-350php each one way) from the North Bus Terminal in Cebu that will take you to Maya Port. (4.5 Hours is Average) The Private ferries are 2.5k (1-4 pax) and 3k (5-8 pax). The Public ferries start running at 7am and the last trip of the day is at 4:30/5pm.  (275php to Malapascua and 200php back to Maya) Rates may change due to the number of passengers. Our Office is Open until 7pm.  Please Note: if you don’t make the last ferry from Maya Port to Malapascua, you will NOT be able to dive at Monad/Kimud or Gato Island the following day as we typically leave at 5:30am or 7am.  We can take you on local house reefs in the afternoon or a sunset dive at 4:30PM (Advanced Divers Only) the day you arrive. If you are taking an Open Water course, we can start at 8:30am if you take the first ferry in the morning.  Please note that these transfers are from a 3rd party vendor and Atlas Divers is NOT responsible for any traffic, driver errors, mechanical failures, Coastguard restrictions or for any adverse weather conditions contributing to a late departure to the island.

Can I Dive with the Thresher Sharks with Only an Open Water Certification? 

Yes! If you are an Open Water certified diver, you can still see the thresher sharks if you go with an Instructor. You will go on a Deep Dive down to 30M with buoyancy training first at Monad Shoal.  After Monad Shoal we go to Kimud Shoal for 2 dives. You will have a rating to go to 30M anywhere in the world after completion. If you don’t feel comfortable going down to 30M, no problem, we will do the Perfect Buoyancy Adventure dive instead of the Deep Dive.  We then do Shark Ecology at Kimud Shoal and then 1 fun dive at Kimud. 3 dives for 7,000php. This includes 2 Advance dives that you get credit towards your advanced. This means you only have 3 dives left for full advanced certification which is only 15,000php and includes 2 dives at Gato Island. These 2 Adventure dives NEVER expire with SSI, so you can finish your full advanced anytime you would like.  These 2 adventure dives are also transferable to the PADI system but may have an expiration date after 12 months.  We include 2 Free nights in the Dorm Room with fan with the full advanced course at our Villa Atlas Guesthouse. We are trying our best to preserve Kimud Shoal at all costs and advanced buoyancy control is a must!  After 20 years of diving at Monad Shoal to see the thresher sharks, they moved to Kimud Shoal almost 3 years ago and our goal is that they stay there long term.  

Do You Offer Open Water Courses & How Long Does it Take?

Yes we do!  We offer both SSI and PADI Open Water certifications. We are the #1 SSI Dive Center in the Philippines for 2 years in a row!  We encourage you to Google the difference between the 2 training agencies. With SSI, you get free dive insurance and can start 50% of the eLearning today for free by downloading the MySSI app. SSI is also less expensive than PADI. You will also get 2 free nights at our guesthouse with the OW course.  SSI is 17k per person, and PADI is 19k. The Open Water course will typically take 2-3 days. If you feel comfortable and the instructor feels comfortable, it usually takes 2 days to complete.  We can start your Open Water course at 8 or 9am and it will last until 2-3pm each day. Food will be provided on the boat as well.

Do You Offer Advanced Open Water Courses with the Thresher Sharks?

Yes we do!  We offer both SSI and PADI Advanced Certifications. We encourage you to Google the difference between the 2 training agencies. If you are unsure of which training agency to select, we will advise you when you arrive. Over 90% of the PADI Open Water divers will select SSI after they speak with us. If you are PADI Open Water diver, you can switch to SSI without any issues.  We are the #1 SSI Dive Center in the Philippines for 2 years in a row! The SSI Advanced Adventurer course (Equivalent to the PADI AOW) is 15k each for 5 dives over 2 days. PADI AOW is 17k for 5 dives over 2 days.  We go to Gato Island for 2 dives, Monad Shoal for 1 dive and Kimud Shoal (Thresher Sharks) for 2 dives. These 5 dives collectively are the best 5 dives in the Philippines!  Everything is included in the cost!  We also offer 2 free nights in the dorm room with a fan with any advanced course at our Villa Atlas Guesthouse.  If you send us a 5k deposit, we can sign you up for the advanced course before you arrive on the island.  WE LEAVE VERY EARLY FOR THE ADVANCED COURSE, THEREFORE YOU MUST STOP IN THE DAY BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED COURSE, WE CLOSE AT 7PM.

What is the Difference between SSI and PADI?

There is almost no difference in the actual training. The quality of the scuba diving course strongly depends on your dive instructor no matter what organization you should choose to certify with.  In terms of dive training, there is very little difference between SSI and PADI. They both follow the diving standards set by the WRSTC (World Recreational Scuba Training Council) meaning that knowledge and skill requirements are almost the same. Certifications at any level below Divemaster are interchangeable.  The certification received from either organization is recognized and accepted worldwide. We are the #1 SSI Dive Center in the Philippines for 2 years in a row! With SSI (Entry Level Training Programs) you get free dive insurance and can start 50% of the eLearning today for free by downloading the MySSI app. SSI is also less expensive than PADI.  So in the end, no choice is wrong, it’s all about the Instructor!

Do you Accept Credit Cards or is it Cash Only?  

Yes we do!  We take all major credit cards in person with a 5% fee. There are also 5 ATM’s on the island as well.  We accept WeChat, Wise & G-Cash which have no fees!  You can guarantee your diving today by sending us a deposit. Fun Divers are required to leave 3k deposit. SCUBA students are required to leave a 5k deposit per person. The E-learning course will be sent to you after your deposit is confirmed.  Please contact us for your preferred method of payment.  

Do you Offer Dive Accident Insurance? 

Yes we do!  To make sure that our SSI students are covered and that SSI Training Centers can enjoy peace of mind, SSI and DiveAssure have created the Start Dive Plan. All SSI Entry Level students (both scuba and freediving) are covered free of charge for DCS for the duration of their registered SSI Course. Transportation costs are not included. Only entry level students are covered, all other diving activities are NOT covered by DiveAssure.

What is Your Cancellation Policy? 

If cancellation occurs within 12 hours of the scheduled dive for any reason, 100% of the deposit will be charged.  If notified before 7 days of arrival, 50% of the deposit will be refunded.  If notified 30 days before arrival, 100% of the deposit will be refunded.  This deposit is non transferrable, but can be used for diving within 30 days of the schedule dives with Atlas Divers.  Atlas Divers is here to offer you the best service and highest quality diving experience we can. As we are an island destination and subject to adverse weather conditions, coastguard restrictions, we recommend that ALL TRAVELLERS carry comprehensive travel and medical insurance.  In the unfortunate event that your trip is delayed or cancelled due to transport issues by land, sea or air, medical emergency or any other reason, Atlas Divers will not refund the reservation either partially or in full outside of the stated cancellation policy above. 

If your travel to Malapascua is impeded by weather, sudden closures by the Coast Guard, national or international travel restrictions, flight, immigration or customs delays.  Atlas Divers is not responsible for rebooking or paying for accommodation on mainland Cebu. If you need to spend a night on the mainland before crossing to Malapascua,  Atlas Divers is not responsible for any costs related to this, although we can certainly assist with logistics where possible. Please note the last permitted boat crossing to Malapascua is 4:30/5:00pm and under official coastguard regulations.

Any transport booked through Atlas Divers is also subject to these same terms and conditions. Any forced stop due to weather conditions or events beyond our control are not the responsibility of Atlas Divers.  Once the reason for the delay has been resolved, Atlas Divers will resume your trip to the island as quickly as possible. Again Atlas Divers is not responsible for any costs related to this.

What are Your Office Hours?    

We are open 7 days a week from 8am to 7pm, we are located just a few steps away from the Port of Malapascua.  Please stop in our air-conditioned office and have a cold glass of water while you sign up for diving!!  WE LEAVE VERY EARLY FOR THE MONAD/KIMUD & GATO ISLAND DIVES, THEREFORE YOU MUST STOP IN THE DAY BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED DIVE BEFORE WE CLOSE AT 7PM.