SCUBA for Change is the World’s First Not-For-Profit dive center located in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. 

The dive center located in Tamaraw Beach Resort is sharing 50% of its profits to Stairway Foundation, a child care non-government institution established in 1990. The remaining half is set-aside for SCUBA for Change’s future growth and expansion and is shared by staff for equitable wage distribution.

The Stairway Foundation Inc. is a non-stock, non-profit, non-government child care organization located in Puerto Galera with the mission statement to help prevent and stop child exploitation in the Philippines.

By taking their courses, not only you will learn about SCUBA diving but you will also help create a brighter future for kids in the foundation. SCUBA for Change

Buy Tickets for A Cause and Get a Chance to Win a PADI Certificate!

Help kids create and build a brighter future by purchasing a raffle ticket worth P100 that entitles you to win a PADI Certificate courtesy of SCUBA for Change.

Grand Prize:  PADI Certificate: A Full Package SCUBA Diving Course (Open Water or Advanced Open Water Certificate)
Consolation Prizes:
* 2 x – 4 Boat Dive Package
* 3 x – 2 Boat Dive Package
* 3 x – DSD for 3 hours or 2 house reef’s dives
You may also purchase P10 donation tickets to help these kids. SCUBA for Change
Every ticket purchase and donation help the Stairway Foundation create future leaders and educators.
For ticket purchase and donations, please contact me via +639999751731 or via email at jernydesta@gmail.com. You may also check our About page.

SCUBA for Change: Discover SCUBA Diving

Discover SCUBA Diving (DSD) is the experience that will bring you the taste of the underwater world and how it feels like to be in that world for a short moment. This is definitely enjoyable!

We got a chance to do Discover SCUBA Diving with fellow participants and bloggers at SCUBA for Change Dive Centre. We met the lovely lady and instructor – Julienne, the natural born diver with amazing buoyancy – Gracean, and of course the amazing and gorgeous one – Rose.

We started our briefing with our instructor Julienne. She instructed us on how to properly use the SCUBA equipment, how to breathe underwater, and what are the hand signals to be used for proper communication underwater. SCUBA for Change

After the briefing, we were helped by Gracean on fitting our gears. The next session after learning equipment, hand signals, how to properly use the gears, is getting the skills required before diving. This is a requirement so you’d know what to do when you’re already underwater. This is also to ensure that you are and will be comfortable while diving.

Skills to Learn before Diving

The session was conducted in a swimming pool with only a depth of 5 to 6 feet. We were taught in groups.

The first thing you will learn here is how to breathe using the breather.
TIP: Just breathe in a regular way but through your mouth. 

Second, you will learn how to use your BCH (Buoyancy Control Device) to control your buoyancy in order for you to float or sink in the water.

Third, you will learn how you could take out the water that got inside your mask. SCUBA for Change
TIP: Exhale thru your nose with force while pushing the upper part of your mark towards your face using your hands. Water will flow out naturally if you did it correctly.

Fourth, the skill you need to learn is how to get your breather back when it was accidentally removed (nobody wants that) by any means and how to get your back up breather.
TIP: Swing your arms vertically and backward to grab your breather.

Lastly, you will also need to learn how to remove water inside your mouth in case the water gets in or you get to drink a small amount.

Fancy, isn’t it? Diving teaches you many skills! Note: You do not need to be an excellent swimmer to do DSD but you need to know at least basic swimming or how to swim.  SCUBA for Change

Open Water DSD

This is the time you’re going to experience how it feels like floating underwater.

The weather wasn’t too good for the first batch. However, the boatman changed location for our batch and the weather went in favor with us.

The instructors went into the water first. We were also assisted by our boatmen on strapping the breathing equipment we have in order to start the dive. Getting started, our feelings started to mix up. I am feeling more excited and ready to start diving. I know I’m more than prepared to try diving in open water.

The water was cold. It just finished raining and the sunshine started on clearing the clouds again. We stepped out of the boat and felt the coldness of the water onto our sleeves. The suit definitely helped in maintaining our body temperatures. The excitement was different. It’s a new thing I know I would love. The challenge was thrilling, and thinking that I’m doing more than just snorkeling was an achievement already.

We started descending into the water. Gracean was my support. I can’t contain the excitement I was having. We’re finally going to dip underwater, more than 6 feet where most swimming pools are. SCUBA for Change

Going deeper, my ears started hurting. While I kept on going down, the amount of pain was going up.  I know what to do. I squeezed my nose and blew out air through my nose. I equalized. This is a must when diving. Water pressure will squeeze the air on your body and you will feel the pain on the inside of your ears.

Relieved, I slowly turned my position into a horizontal phase.

Being a first timer in diving, it’s quite difficult especially when you know that there will be corals under you when stretching your feet. This is the part I was stuck at the most. The moment when you’re so close to the corals and you think that your fins would hurt the fishes habitat. Gracean helped me with this, he signaled me to use the inflator. Oh man, I forgot there was an inflator I could use! He was really helpful.

Getting back on my position, it was easier now. SCUBA for change

The underwater world was truly a fantastic one. It’s calm, mesmerizing, and soothing. The feeling was like, if you could just breathe underwater, you’d want to stay there longer. But we’re humans and we need oxygen to breath and live.

I started to recognize a few species. The location we had was great. Although it’s only 5 to 6 meters deep, the corals and the species in this location was abundant. There were no turtles, however. But I have seen a clownfish, the fish species in the movie “Finding Nemo”. They were awesome, I’d tell you! They’re territorial so they are definitely coming out of their abode when detecting danger.

I can also sense that I was getting far from my colleagues. I spin around and I thought I was the only one at the spot where I was. I knew I had enjoyed the activity for sure. Breathing and being able to see underwater was a different feeling. Unimaginable. Incredible.

I saw my colleagues waving at me. As I came closer to them, I know that anytime soon we would be ascending to the surface. I swam a little bit more, closer to the underwater nature. All I can think of at the moment was how amazing the experience was.

Miss Rose came in closer. She was signaling us to go up.SCUBA for Change

I never wanted to go yet, but I know, soon our air tanks will be empty. I have to go back. To the environment where humans truly belong. The surface. Though the underwater world is great, humans just can’t go on diving forever.

Our instructors were truly great. They have provided us an experience we’ll surely treasure a lifetime. We will be back and try it again, but this time for a certificate.

And when we’re back at the shore, we had a sumptuous boodle fight meal!

Note: Please do not forget to donate or buy tickets for SCUBA for Change and help the kids at Stairway Foundation, Inc.

Scuba for Change
Tamaraw Beach Resort,
Aninuan Beach,
Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro
Tel: +63 916 794 5624
Email: pg@scubaforchange.com

Monkeyspeak Coffee

We also had a visit to Monkeyspeak Coffee’s office and got to taste one of the best coffees I ever tasted.

Monkeyspeak Coffee offers coffee solutions for your business or own pleasure. They are located in Puerto Galera where there are coffee farms for Liberica (Barako) coffee beans. They offer products such as the coffee machines, frothers, coffee capsules, and just recently added, the chocolate shot capsule. If you’re kinda familiar with Nescafe’s Dulce Gusta, you would know what I was saying.

Similar but different. I had a taste of the other brand and the ones from Monkeyspeak. I can genuinely say that their product tastes better. I didn’t get to experience an acid attack after taking a few coffee capsules (I can’t help it, the coffee tastes great). My favorite was the Ristretto Coffee. If you need a lighter blend, you may have the Decaf.

For more information about their products and services, visit their website at http://monkeyspeakcoffee.com.

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