Diving with Val: Celebrating Cebu’s Best Underwater Mentor

The Plan: A Birthday Celebration Underwater

It all started a week before, on February 15, 2025, when we decided to dive for Val’s birthday. Val—the father of our group—has selflessly shared his knowledge, experience, and generosity with us, shaping the divers we are today. What better way to celebrate him than by doing what we love the most?

Eleven of us signed up for a two-dive session at Kontiki: Keem, Ikuo, Joan, Nino, Cristy, Val, Kim, Vanessa, Regie, Chu, and Grethel. The night before, everything was set, with us taking charge of booking tanks from Dodoy. But as with any dive, unexpected changes were bound to happen.

Morning came, and Kim sent a chat—he couldn’t make it. Meanwhile, Val and Cristy had a Discover Scuba Diving session with their relatives, so they planned to arrive earlier at noon. The tanks were delivered at 11:30 AM, and our official meet-up was set for 2 PM.

Before heading to Kontiki, we picked up our food: saang (spider shells), oranges, and guavas to share. The timing worked out perfectly—five cars were leaving as we arrived, making parking a breeze. By 2 PM, Joan and Niño were already there, enjoying lechon manok. Val and Cristy were still in the water wrapping up their lesson, and by 3 PM, they finally emerged, ready to switch gears and dive for real.

The Pre-Dive Challenge: A Gear Mishap

As we started setting up, we realized we forgot our tank straps—a crucial piece of equipment for sidemount diving. Panic started creeping in. Were we about to delay the dive? Would we have to drive all the way home? Then, a moment of relief—I remembered I had a spare strap in my car toolbox, and Val, ever the prepared diver, had another. Crisis averted.

Weather & Sea Conditions: Hot Above, Cool Below

The weather was textbook tropical: a scorching 30°C (though it felt like 35°C with 85% humidity), clear blue skies, and a gentle 9 km/hr breeze. The ocean was calm, visibility was a decent 15 meters, and the underwater temperature was 28°C—enough of a drop from the surface to feel chilly even in a 3mm wetsuit. High tide peaked at 2 PM at 1.24 meters, with a low tide expected at 7:30 PM at 0.58 meters.

First Dive: Sardines, Big Fish, and a Turtle Encounter

Just as we were about to gear up, Chu and Grethel arrived with an unexpected surprise—Hershey, their new black puppy, a mix between a German Shepherd and a Golden Retriever. A few pats and belly rubs later, we suited up and hit the water at 4:07 PM.

With a max depth of 19 meters and an average depth of 10.3 meters, we followed a familiar route: straight to the wall, then left towards Boyong and the sardines. Joan and Niño were our dive buddies, while Val and Cristy continued their Discover Scuba session.

The first thing we noticed was the sheer number of divers—Kontiki was packed, with people from different shops drawn by the spectacle of the sardine run. As we made our way, I saw a lone nudibranch near Boyong and big fish circling the sardines, taunting them. There were schools of fish everywhere. On our way back, a green sea turtle appeared, casually munching between the rocks. I took shots, filmed a few clips, and soon, it was time to ascend.

During our first dive, we were using our Olympus TG6 and our phone in a Divevolk case, capturing stunning moments from the underwater world.

Surface Interval: A Birthday Feast

If there’s one thing divers know how to do besides diving, it’s eating well. And for Val’s birthday, we went all out. Low-carb lasagna, lechon manok, beef steak, chicken lollipop, and two whole cakes—we feasted. We sang, laughed, and teased Val’s dive guests about their hesitation to go deeper. True to his nature, Val shared the food with Kontiki’s staff, Cherry and Jun.

Second Dive: A Night of Surprises

Just as we were prepping for the second dive, we hit another snag—our tank order was short by two. Luckily, Grethel wasn’t diving, so we had two spares. The only problem? They were DIN tanks, and we needed DIN inserts. Again, Val saved the day, pulling out two inserts. One fit perfectly, but the other got stuck. With some effort, we got it working.

At 7:23 PM, under an 87% waning gibbous moon, we descended for our night dive, following a triangular route: east of Kontiki, JPark, then back.

Just minutes in, I spotted an octopus at 4 meters, signaling Vanessa to capture it on video. Not long after, a hairy crab skittered across the sand, though getting a clear shot was tough. Then came the highlight—a tiny, vibrantly colored nudibranch, only a centimeter long. Further into the dive, a squid hovered in the open water. I tried for a symmetrical shot, but all I got was a blur. Just as I was about to give up, Regie joined in, but the squid vanished.

Then came Cristy’s tank bangs—an urgent signal. We rushed over and found two harlequin shrimp, one big and one small, a rare and exciting sighting. As we made our way back, currents started pushing us deeper. The water felt much colder, and we knew it was time to ascend. As soon as we surfaced, we laughed—cold, currents, and all, it had been an amazing dive.

During our night dive, we were using our trusted Orcatorch lights, ensuring we didn’t miss a single underwater wonder in the darkness.

Post-Dive Chill: Wine, Cameras, and Puppy Talk

By past 9 PM, we were rinsing off and packing up, but the night was far from over. With three bottles of red wine (thanks, Val and Cristy!), we sat down to recap the night. Chu shared insights about the features of his Backscatter MF2 strobe, which tempted us to snag one for ourselves. Then the conversation drifted to Hershey—the newest member of our dive family. Turns out, we all have fur babies now.

Final Thoughts: The Tribe That Dives Together

Dives are always great, but when shared with your tribe, they become unforgettable. We learned, laughed, and celebrated together. Nights like these remind me why we dive—not just for the marine life, but for the friendships forged in saltwater.

By 11 PM, we packed up the leftover lasagna, cleaned our cameras, and called it a night. Another dive, another memory.

Shoutout & Invitation

Huge thanks to Val and Cristy for the feast! If you ever need catering, hit up Alo Catering—best in Cebu!

And if you want to experience diving with us or book a class with Sugbu Diver, send us a message! Who knows? You might just get featured in the next adventure.