Dive trip with Black Noddy - 6 nights

Boat

Renovated in 2025, Black Noddy is a 33-metre Philippine expedition yacht created for small-group liveaboard journeys to Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. With eight cabins and a published maximum of 16 guests, she offers a more intimate alternative to high-capacity dive boats while retaining distinct dining, lounge, sun-deck and dive-preparation areas.

The operator's plans divide the yacht across four guest-accessible levels. The lower deck contains four guest cabins, crew quarters and the engine room. The main deck holds three more cabins, a stern dive deck, laundry and technical access. The upper deck combines the Horizon Suite with the bridge, kitchen and covered dining space. Above it, the open viewing deck provides loungers, seating and tables for sun, quiet time, yoga or stargazing.

Social spaces are one of the vessel's strongest visible features. Large windows connect the indoor salon and dining area to the sea, while covered outdoor seating allows guests to eat or relax in the shade. The top deck is open and spacious, and the stern platform creates a practical boundary between guest relaxation areas and diving operations. The operator advertises freshly prepared full-board meals, daily refreshments, a welcome cocktail and a special dinner as part of the voyage.

The public specification is intentionally concise. Beyond length, capacity and 2025 renovation, the site does not publish the beam, draft, hull material, build year, engine model, cruising speed, generator capacity, freshwater production, electrical outlets, navigation inventory, tender count or complete safety list. These details should not be copied from another vessel or inferred from photographs. Clubs or charter groups with technical requirements should obtain the current vessel specification and safety certificate directly from Black Noddy.

The yacht's boutique positioning should also be read realistically. Tubbataha lies far offshore in the Sulu Sea, so even a comfortable vessel will move during the long crossing from Puerto Princesa. Outdoor areas depend on weather, Wi-Fi is presented as a paid enhancement rather than an included service, and marine operations remain under the captain's authority. A remote expedition is not equivalent to a hotel stay, despite the refined onboard design.

Cabin

Black Noddy carries exactly eight guest cabins for a maximum of 16 guests. The official deck plans identify them as one cabin on the upper deck, three on the main deck and four on the lower deck. Combining those plans with the published room categories gives the following inventory:

• 1 Horizon Suite — Upper Deck, UD-301: one king bed, private bathroom and accommodation for up to two guests. This is the highest and most private category, positioned next to the bridge and forward of the kitchen/dining area.
• 2 Ocean Twin Suites — Main Deck, MD-201 and MD-202: two single beds in each cabin, a private bathroom and space for up to two guests. These rooms provide easy access to the yacht's main operational level.
• 1 Explorer Cabin — Main Deck, MD-203: two single beds, shared bathroom and accommodation for up to two guests. It is the aft-most main-deck cabin, close to the dive deck and laundry area.
• 4 Voyager Cabins — Lower Deck, LD-101 to LD-104: the category page describes lower-deck accommodation with two single beds, a shared bathroom and capacity for up to two guests per cabin.

Diving

Black Noddy's Tubbataha programme advertises up to four dives per day. The main-deck plan marks a dedicated dive deck at the stern, and official images show direct ladder access at the aft platform. The route is focused on remote atoll diving rather than shore-based activities, with reef walls, drop-offs, coral plateaus, schooling fish and encounters with sharks, rays, turtles and other pelagic species possible across the park.

The standard price includes a “Diving Package,” but the public page does not define its components. It does not state the number or size of standard cylinders, whether weights and belts are included, gas type, guide-to-diver ratio, tender arrangements, compressor capacity, surface-marker requirements, camera facilities, night-dive equipment or maximum total dives. Every dated booking should list these elements before the trip is sold.

Nitrox and 15-litre tanks appear under “Enhance Your Expedition,” meaning they are additional services rather than standard inclusions. No Nitrox price, oxygen percentage, certification rule or 15-litre-cylinder price is published. Scuba courses are also extra, but the available agencies, course types, materials and time taken from the expedition are not specified. Divers should reserve all of these in advance.

Rental prices currently published are €30 per day for a full equipment set, €10 per day for a BCD, €10 for a regulator, €12 for a dive computer, €7 for a wetsuit, €6 for fins and €3 for a mask. Availability, sizes, included accessories and damage/loss terms are not shown. A “full set” should not be assumed to include a dive computer, torch or surface marker unless the confirmation says so.

The operator does not publish minimum certification, minimum logged dives, recency rules, medical documentation, mandatory dive insurance or required personal safety equipment. Tubbataha can involve open-ocean entries, wall diving and current, so these questions are essential. A diver should not book based only on the phrase “up to four dives daily”; the actual programme depends on certification, experience, weather, park rules and individual fitness.

UNESCO describes Tubbataha as a nearly 100,000-hectare protected marine property encompassing North Atoll, South Atoll and Jessie Beazley Reef. Its reefs include extensive flats and near-vertical walls descending beyond 100 metres, while the wider ecosystem supports hundreds of coral and fish species. Whale sharks, manta rays, tiger or hammerhead sharks and other celebrated animals are possible, never guaranteed.

Other Information

The following distinctions reflect the operator's current public room and expedition pages. Black Noddy does not publish full booking terms, so the dated quotation and contract must resolve every item not expressly listed.

Currently advertised as included:

• Hotel and airport transfers in connection with the Puerto Princesa programme; exact hotels, airport, operating hours and transfer direction must be confirmed
• Welcome cocktails
• Daily refreshments; the site does not define which drinks or snacks this covers
• Full-board dining
• One special dinner
• Diving package; cylinders, weights, guide ratio and exact dive count still require clarification
• Towels and toiletries
• Accommodation in the paid cabin category

“Hotel & Airport Transfers” describes transport, not hotel accommodation. Flights to Puerto Princesa, pre- or post-cruise hotel nights, visas, insurance and personal purchases are not listed among the inclusions and should be treated as excluded unless added in writing.

Collected separately:

• Tubbataha National Park fee: €100 per guest on the current page
• Fuel surcharge: €200–€500 per trip on the current page. The site does not specify whether this is charged per guest, cabin or booking, so the invoice must identify the billing unit.

Optional or additional services:

• Nitrox
• Laundry service
• Scuba courses
• Wi-Fi access
• 15-litre tanks
• Alcoholic beverages
• Complete or individual rental dive equipment at the daily prices listed above
• Private charter arrangements

The site does not publish prices for Nitrox, laundry, Wi-Fi, 15-litre cylinders, courses or alcohol. Because Tubbataha is offshore, paid Wi-Fi may still depend on satellite or network conditions; bandwidth and uptime should be confirmed rather than promised.

Commercial and practical points still unpublished:

• Deposit amount, balance deadline, accepted payment methods and bank/card charges
• Cancellation, amendment, substitution, force-majeure and refund rules
• Single-traveller matching, single-use supplement and child policy
• Crew gratuity policy
• Dive and travel-insurance requirements
• Medical forms, certification level and minimum logged dives
• Dietary/allergy process and beverage coverage
• Check-in point and time, luggage limits and final no-fly planning
• Whether marine permits or taxes other than the listed park fee are payable

The current room rates and 2027 schedule can change without notice.