Any recent interest in diving? Is there actually a Shanghai Dive Club? I am new to Shanghai. and i have my PADI Advanced Open Water as well as Nitrox qualifications. I have found the Big Blue website, but for the prices they are talking about to go to Qian Dao lake, I can get to the phillippines or malaysia!

I've searched the forums but can't find anything more recent than 2007, although it sounds like there are several places in the Phillippines to go to that are well worth it.

I am definitely interested in a trip this October, as the holiday will be a long one, so looking for fellow divers with travel ideas, whether willing to group up or not.

Thanks for any feedback.

Big Blue is the only option I am aware of, based in Shanghai.

I have no diving experience in the Philippines, but it is high on my list. I've heard great things about Tubbataha reef marine park in the Sulu Sea and Apo Reef - both are Unesco world heritage sites. Also Palawan’s surrounding islands are pretty expansive.

You could also fly direct to Phuket and either do some diving there or book a live-aboard and head out the Similan Islands for a few days. I was looking at heading somewhere in October, but I now have other plans. If you do travel to Phuket I can recommend West Coast divers, although I don't think their live-aboard trips start until November. There are some good deals to be had in Thailand right now, as with everywhere.

Thanks a lot for that Chris_S_UK. I have been diving off Phuket and did the liveaboard thing in the Similans also back in 2006. I used SeaBees....very German, but I suppose in diving where carelessness can cost lives, I appreciated their precision and rigid rules . They had very good boats, good service, knowledgeable dive guides, and I did my Nitrox with them. My son also did his jr. Open Water and it was a high standard.

I will check out Tubbataha and Apo Reef as well as Palawan and surroundings, thanks for that.