Coconut Point

Coconut Point is one of the most famous and most thrilling dive sites on Apo Island, and also one of the most technically demanding. Chosen on the right day, it can be one of Apo’s nicest dives: a stunning reef kept healthy by the constant flow of water, and all kinds of pelagics. On a bad day it can be a rough experience for anyone not used to strong current, so we only dive it when the conditions are right.

The dive

The maximum depth we plan is around 24 metres. The point sticks out into the current, so the water moves fast along the reef and can change direction. Coconut is known for very strong down currents and has earned the nickname “the washing machine”: you can be pushed down, up and sideways. The current follows the contour of the bottom, and if you keep going deep you reach about 30 metres, where the wall drops into unlimited blue water. Keep an eye on your guide and stay on the right path. Miss it, and you will end up finishing the dive, and your safety stop, in the blue.

What you might see

• Schools of barracuda
• Schools of jacks, including bigeye trevally
• Other pelagics feeding in the current
• Octopus and nudibranchs, though with the current pushing you along there is rarely time to stop and look
• A stunning coral reef, kept healthy by the constant flow of water

When to dive Coconut Point

Coconut Point is normally best from around April to October or November, when the wind is from the other side of the island and the site is on the lee. In the Amihan season, the northeast monsoon, big wind and waves can make it hard for the boat to come in and drop divers, and the water movement makes the down currents much stronger. It is dived only when conditions allow, so it cannot be promised in advance. See when to dive Dauin and Apo Island.

Who it suits

Experienced divers who are comfortable in current, with good buoyancy. We don’t recommend it for beginners, and we have seen divemasters and instructors challenged here. Technically it is one of the most difficult dive sites we know in the Philippines. Our divemasters will tell you on the day whether it is safe to dive, based on the tides and weather.

Our tip

Get your buoyancy and trim sorted in the first minute, then stay on your guide’s path. Fighting the current wastes air; the skill here is reading it and staying with the group.

Good to know

• Apo Island is a protected marine area. The sanctuary fee is included in our day-trip price.
• A surface marker buoy is used so the boat can follow the group.
• Not comfortable in current? Katipanan offers Apo’s reef without the rush.

Dive Coconut Point with us

We visit Apo Island on full-day boat trips from Dauin, with three dives, lunch and sanctuary fees included. Which sites we dive depends on the day’s conditions. See our Apo Island day trips, or build your dive trip.