Where to book
Diving on the Agos liveaboard
Agos offers some fantastic dive experiences in the Philippines that are not easily accessible from land-based dive centers. Diving takes place from the back of the boat with a giant stride and a drop of approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) into the water. Depending on the time of year, divers can experience great visibility up to 100 feet (30 m) and a mixture of reefs, wrecks and night dives.
Large pelagics abound and regular encounters with sharks, mantas, rays, schooling barracuda, giant trevallies and turtles offer some fantastic opportunities for photography and videography. For macro lovers, there are nudis and other small critters to capture the attention.
Agos offers short itineraries, with up to 15 dives on the 5-day/4-night trip and 10-11 dives on the 4-day/3-night trip. Prices are extremely reasonable, with the longer itinerary coming in just over $1000 depending on the exchange rate for divers with their own gear. If you do need to rent gear, let the boat know at the time of booking. Computers are not included in the price.
Most suited for Advanced Open Water divers and above, there are at least two dive guides on board. Dives are guided and divers are grouped depending on ability and air consumption to maximize dive time. A wreck certification is recommended as there are lots of opportunities to penetrate historic wrecks from World War II.
Highlights:
- Up to 15 dives per trip including night dives
- Marine life includes sharks and mantas
- Spectacular wrecks with wreck penetration possible
Onboard the Agos
The outrigger boat is basic, but if you have that expectation, you’ll get four or five days diving at some spectacular sites on a real budget. There is no air conditioning, only electric fans. There’s accommodation on board for 12-14 divers, mainly in bunks in shared cabins, with a couple of private double cabins under the bow.
Being an outrigger, the boat is extremely stable. Divers can take advantage of the deck areas to relax and sunbathe between dives and when powering between dive sites. Dive briefings, conducted on the dive deck, are extremely detailed, with excellent hand-drawn maps.
The dive deck has individual gear stations and plenty of storage. Guests are offered 12L aluminum tanks with 15L tanks available upon request.
Highlights:
- Large gear stations
- Helpful, experienced dive crew
- Excellent dive briefings
Dining onboard the Agos
Buffet-style meals are quite basic, as one would expect from a budget liveaboard experience. The majority of meals are based around rice, chicken, pork, and egg with fresh fruit and snack options.
Vegetarian options are frequently limited to white rice and one vegetable. Dietary restrictions and preferences should be discussed at the time of booking, but the capability for these is quite limited.
There is often no or very limited alcohol or soft drinks on board although water is plentifully available. There is rarely ice on board so water is often at room temperature. Guests are recommended to bring their own drinks and alcohol with them.
The onboard team is happy to arrange land excursions to restaurants and can recommend where to eat and what to order. The owner, Gerard, goes out of his way to help guests make reservations or enjoy land excursions. Guests who want to eat off the boat are transported to and from land by the 19-foot tender.
Highlights:
- Buffet-style meals with limited choices
- Limited or no alcohol and soft drinks available on board
- Land trips to enjoy local cuisine and culture
Things we like:
- Excellent diving on a budget
- Spectacular reefs and historic wrecks
- Max occupancy of 14 divers
- Excellent crew
Things we don't like:
- Only English and Tagalog spoken
- Some concerns over food hygiene
- No air conditioning
Key Facts
| Year Built | 2019 |
| Max Divers | 12 |
| Price Range | Budget |
| Trip Length | < 5 Nights |
| Internet | No |
| Nitrox | No |
| Equipment Rental | Yes ($) |
| Camera Station | No |
| Air Conditioning | No |
| Min. Logged Dives | No minimum |
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