The 8 Best Scuba Diving Trips in Cebu

1.Beach Scuba Diving Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 130 reviews · 2 - 4 hours · from $47Our pick

Meet your instructor at Nalu Dive’s beachside shop for a safety briefing, shallow-water practice, and one or two guided scuba sessions. Instructors including Kenji, Oniel, Romeo, and Richie work with beginners in English, Japanese, or Tagalog. Expect about 45 minutes underwater, possible sardines and turtles, free GoPro photos, and hotel pickup within Mactan Island.

“I did my very first two dives with Nalu Dive in Cebu, and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to diving. From start to finish, the day was amazing. The two dive instructors were incredibly helpful, patient, and reassuring. They took great care of me the entire time and made sure I felt comfortable and confident in the water. The full safety briefing was thorough and easy to understand, which really put me at ease as a first-timer. The marine life was absolutely incredible – so much to see, and way beyond what I expected for my first dives. To top it off, at the end of…”

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2.Scuba Diving Experience beach entry in Mactan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · from $45Top rated

Meet Kenji and the Nalu team near Mactan’s beach for a two-hour beginner scuba session. You’ll learn basic breathing and equipment use, practice in shallow water, then move gradually into the sea with an instructor. Equipment, transport within Mactan, towels, hot shower, locker, and free underwater photos and videos are included.

“Beautiful dive spots and health sea life. Kenji was excellent in service before, during and after to make the experience very memorable.”

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3.Scuba Diver Course (PADI)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $270

Spend two days learning scuba skills at Scotty’s inside Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort. You’ll train toward a PADI Scuba Diver certificate, allowing descents to 12 meters under direct professional supervision. Bernie is one named instructor, praised for patience and clear teaching. Equipment, towels, bottled water, and fees are included.

“Bernie was my instructor and he was amazing. Knowledgeable and patient. I would recommend Scotty's sports at the Shangri La Resort in Mactan to anyone seeking Scuba lessons.”

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4.Discover Scuba Diving

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $149

Meet at Shangri-La Mactan for a beginner-friendly scuba session with a video briefing, equipment fitting, shallow-water practice, and about 40 minutes over Mactan’s reef. Instructors such as Michael, Michal, Bernie, Jeffrey, and Wensky are known for patient, safety-focused instruction. The three-hour experience includes equipment, towel, entrance, and environmental fees.

“The staff at Scotty’s are so friendly and helpful and our dive instructor Bernie was so patient and professional. I would highly recommend to trying Scotty’s Action Sport in Mactan.”

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5.Scuba Diving with Whale Sharks Trip in Oslob

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 14 reviews · from $172

Leave Cebu City around 5:00 AM in a private car and travel south to Oslob. An English-speaking instructor provides a safety briefing, full scuba equipment, and a 30 to 40 minute underwater session near the whale sharks. The trip suits beginners and licensed divers, with hotel or airport pickup available.

“Whale shark watching in Oslob starts early at 3am, but you should definitely go. There are many snorkeling tours, but there are a lot of people lined up to board the boat that goes out to sea, so you have to wait quite a while. And the surface of the sea is also full of people. However, with diving, you can enter directly from the beach without having to wait to enter, and the water is empty so you can move freely and see well. It's a little more expensive than snorkeling, but diving is definitely recommended. At Sumilon Island, we didn't dive, we went snorkeling. The drivers are very…”

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6.Moalboal Scuba Diving with Sardines and Turtle Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 11 reviews · 11 hours · from $115

Spend 11 hours exploring Moalboal from Cebu with hotel or airport pickup, a certified instructor, scuba equipment, the famous sardine run, and a guided turtle snorkel. The $115 package includes transport, gear, and fees, but not meals. Weather can cancel the deeper underwater session.

“Wspaniały czas. Byliśmy tylko we 2 więc jak prywatna wycieczka . Nasz kierowca był super dziękujemy 🙏🙏🙏🙏 Nurkowania na wyspie oraz przy brzegu z sardynkami są wspaniałe 🙌🙌🙌 Mega polecamy również miasteczko 😉”

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7.Fun Boat Dive for certified diver

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $36Best value

Meet at the Golf Helipad at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort for a guided scuba outing near Cebu. Certified participants reach nearby sites by boat in 5 to 25 minutes, with beach access and a sanctuary house reef also available. Guides such as Bernie, Sara, Tere, and Jordan may lead the session, depending on the day.

“Good rental gear, excellent DMs and Instructors. Sensible, flexible and safe. Big thank you to Bernie my sons Advanced OW instructor and Floy, my youngest sons Junior OW instructor as well as Tere who has been dive master on our fun dives. The house reef is not in greRead more”

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8.Boat Diving Two Dive Tour in Olango Island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 4 hours · from $92

Join Nalu Dive for two underwater sessions near Olango Island, reached by speedboat in about 10 minutes from Mactan. Licensed and first-time participants can take part, with an English, Japanese, or Tagalog instructor, full equipment, insurance, and free GoPro photos and videos. Choose a 9:00 or 13:00 departure.

“close to water front, very close even with diving geers on back.”

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