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Guides · Price overview

Moalboal Dive Prices 2026: Sardine Run From PHP 1,000

Moalboal is one of the cheapest dive towns we track in Southeast Asia, and its signature sight -- the sardine run -- is a house-reef feature most destinations would charge a boat trip for. Our three tracked operators (Amigos Dive Center, Quo Vadis Dive Resort, and The Blue Abyss Dive Shop) put a house-reef or shore dive at PHP 1,390-1,950 (about USD 22-31), with boat dives to Pescador Island only slightly more. Courses and packages climb from there, up to a PHP 50,000 (about USD 796) PADI Divemaster course.

Real prices from our tracked Moalboal operators, from a PHP 1,000 (~USD 16) freedive to a PHP 50,000 (~USD 796) Divemaster course, so "how much does diving Moalboal cost" gets an actual number.

Prices shown in

  1. Coral reef
    joakant · Pixabay Content License · source

    Cebu, Philippines

    Moalboal

    Beginner-friendlyBudget

    Open Water course from PHP 19,000 · Day trip from PHP 1,000

    House-reef and shore dives run PHP 1,390-1,950 (about USD 22-31) across all three operators; the cheapest product we track is Amigos Dive Center's certified freedive at PHP 1,000 (about USD 16). A single boat dive to Pescador Island runs PHP 1,590-2,500 (about USD 25-40). Discover Scuba Diving (no certification) runs PHP 2,000-3,500 (about USD 32-56). Multi-dive packages run PHP 4,500 (about USD 72) for 3 dives over 1 day up to PHP 16,500 (about USD 263) for 10 dives over 1 day with rental equipment from The Blue Abyss Dive Shop. PADI Open Water certification runs PHP 19,000-19,495 (about USD 303-310) across Amigos Dive Center and The Blue Abyss Dive Shop; Advanced Open Water PHP 17,395-17,900 (about USD 277-285). At the top end, Amigos Dive Center's PADI Divemaster course runs PHP 50,000 (about USD 796).

Before you book

sea turtle underwater
Pexels · Pixabay Content License · source

Moalboal

Season

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Also good: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.

Getting there

  • Fly into Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB), then a road transfer to Moalboal (roughly 3-3.5 hours).
  • Budget options combine a bus/jeepney to the Cebu South Bus Terminal then a Ceres bus (under ₱500 total); private or shared-van transfers (₱2,500-5,200) are faster and more common for divers arriving with gear.

Minimum stay

3 nights

Good for your first trip if

Open Water minimum for most sites. Pescador Island's deeper sections and current-exposed channel dives are best done Advanced or with an experienced local guide.

Know before you go

  • Most diving here is calm house-reef and moderate-depth diving well within recreational limits.
  • The nearest recompression chamber is in Cebu City, several hours by road, so shops brief conservatively on the deeper Pescador and technical-diving sites.
  • Most centres carry oxygen on site.

Top dive sites

Top sites in Moalboal

Coral reef
MonicaVolpin · Pixabay Content License · source

The Sardine Run (Panagsama House Reef)

Beginner-friendly

Depth5–20 m

A dense, swirling bait ball of sardines a short swim from Panagsama Beach, diveable and snorkellable most days year-round -- Moalboal's signature sighting.

  • sardine bait ball
  • house reef
  • shallow, minimal current
blacktip reef shark underwater
Franziska_Stier · Pixabay Content License · source

Pescador Island

Intermediate

Depth5–40 m

A small island with dramatic swim-throughs and tunnels splitting the reef, dropping into exceptionally clear, very deep water. Schooling fish, reef sharks and turtles are regulars.

  • swim-throughs
  • reef sharks
  • schooling fish
  • exceptional visibility

Common questions

What's the cheapest dive in Moalboal?

Amigos Dive Center's certified freedive at PHP 1,000 (about USD 16). For a standard scuba dive, Quo Vadis Dive Resort's house-reef dive at PHP 1,390 (about USD 22) is the cheapest we track.

How much does the Moalboal sardine run cost?

It's priced as a standard house-reef or shore dive since the sardine bait ball forms year-round just off Panagsama Beach -- expect the PHP 1,390-1,950 (about USD 22-31) range rather than a separate "sardine run" product.

How much does a PADI Open Water course cost in Moalboal?

PHP 19,000-19,495 (about USD 303-310) across the operators we track -- among the cheapest Open Water certification we track anywhere, similar to or slightly above Indonesia's or Thailand's cheapest options.

Is Pescador Island included in a standard Moalboal dive package?

Not automatically -- check a specific product's site list before assuming it covers Pescador Island rather than the Panagsama house reef. Multi-dive packages and boat-dive day trips are more likely to include it than a single house-reef dive.

How this guide was built

Every fact above is pulled live from the same destination and operator records used on Dive Curated's destination pages. It can never drift out of sync with what those pages say.

Beginner-friendly
Rated on the destination's own current strength, depth range, and visibility.
Budget tier
Verified accommodation, food, and diving costs; not marketing claims.
Price
Lowest tracked operator listing at time of publish. Check the destination page for current pricing.