SCUBADOO

I invited a few locals to have lunch with us to discuss about the “hidden treasures” of Brgy. Ligpo, and that little plan somehow landed us at Bauan Divers Sanctuary Resort—Scubadoo’s old partner resort back in the PAUI days. As luck would have it, many of our old friends were still working there, and their hospitality is something you immediately appreciate the moment you step in.

Catching up with them—(especially the dive pros, some new but others are old divers with scale...) naturally led to a mix of funny stories and some serious “exposés” about certain dive pros they dislike because of, well… attitude problems. No names were mentioned, just descriptions… but honestly, it felt like looking at a cartographic sketch! The laughter was instant the moment someone said, “Kilala ko ’yan ah!” followed by, “Kaya nga sila na-ban dun sa kabilang resort—KUPS kasi!” Sounds familiar...Once a KUPS always a KUPS !!! Ang liit talaga ng mundo ng scuba divers. 🤣🤣🤣
As usual, before we left, the goodbyes were full of handshakes and an invitation to visit again, especially for the upcoming resort Christmas party. I neither agreed nor declined—I just smiled and made no promises.
What I truly didn’t expect was that after almost two decades of not visiting San Luis, Batangas, the locals still remembered us. The boatman greeted me with, “Good morning, Sir Orlan,” and he still knew my name. Walking through the winding barangay road of Ligpo, others called out, “Sir Dale, kamusta na? Kasama n’yo si Sir Brett?” and Sir "balik ulit kayo dito".
These were just ordinary people—the bangkeros, compressor man, strikers, cooks, and servers. And it felt wonderful knowing they remembered us—not because we were the dive pros they once served, but maybe because we treated them as fellow human beings, with respect, the same way we treated the resort owner, Ms. Lou Lowings (who was unfortunately at the DRT Show in Hong Kong as of this writing ). Special thanks to Babet for accomodating our un -announce lunch and Jay R ( "ang sarap ng kilawin mo " ) Next time, uupuan na natin ito 🤣

In a dolphin pod, leadership is never accidental. Dolphins follow the strongest navigators—the ones with awareness, experience, and the ability to protect the group. They would never allow the weakest or least capable member to lead, because in their underwater domain, a poor decision can mean injury or death. Scuba diving should be no different. Underwater, competence is not a luxury...it’s safety. Yet sometimes, you encounter dive pro who lack the skill, judgment, or experience to lead, but still insist on taking charge. They mistake confidence for capability and authority for knowledge. A walking disaster waiting to happen. True leaders earn respect underwater. They prioritize safety over ego, stay calm under pressure, and follow procedures. Pretenders rush, ignore risks, and confuse arrogance with expertise.
Remember...scuba diving is only fun when you are safe ! Happy long weekend...have fun 😀