Malapascua · Philippines · Pinnacle
Deep Rock
A rocky pinnacle from 14 m to 34 m, dived on tide changes
Area photo: Petter Lindgren · CC BY-SA 3.0
Deep Rock is a rocky pinnacle about ten minutes by boat north of Malapascua port, with its top at 14 metres and its deepest part at 34. It is described as expert diving for divers who want current: intermediate to strong flow runs on tide changes, and the dive is planned around the state of the tide as much as around the depth.
Where it is and how deep
11.3495° N, 124.1043° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The run out is short — around ten minutes from Malapascua port to the north side — but this is not a casual dive. It is a deep rocky pinnacle, with the top at 14 metres and the deepest part at 34, so the descent is quick onto the crown rather than a drift down a line. Groups regroup on top before dropping down the side, because losing the rock in current means losing the dive.
The site is dived for expert diving on intermediate to strong current at tide changes, and the sensible profile is to work the deep side early while everyone is fresh, then spend the rest of the dive spiralling up the structure. Depth is the limit rather than gas: at 34 metres no-decompression time is short, and the ascent starts from the shallow crown at 14 metres, with the safety stop hung above the rock or on a line.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Malapascua: November–February northeast monsoon can delay or cancel the early crossing to Kimud Shoal, which is further out than the old Monad run.
Know before you go
- Current runs intermediate to strong on tide changes; the dive is timed around the tide and divers stay in contact with the rock rather than drifting off it.
- The deepest part is 34 metres, so no-decompression time is short and the profile has to be planned deep-first with a hard turn depth.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Deep Rock in Malapascua?+
The top of the pinnacle is at 14 metres and the deepest part is 34 metres, which is why it is described as a site for expert diving rather than a general reef dive.
Sources
- Deep Rock - Scubago — Scubago/SSI
More dive sites in Malapascua
Reef
Reef, mini wall and coral garden from 12 m down to 30 m
Coral garden
A gentle coral slope from 5 to 20 m inside a protected area
Pinnacle
A 20 m-wide coral pinnacle topping out at 5 m
Wreck
A 1988 ferry wreck lying on her starboard side at 33 m
A 5 to 13 m coral and seagrass slope off the resort beach
A 30 m swim-through tunnel at 10 m with sharks resting inside
Wreck
A wreck shallow enough to be someone's first ever dive
Seamount
Where Malapascua's thresher sharks moved in 2022, at 12–22 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A swim-through at 22 to 25 m lined with crinoids
A holed rock at the surface, a coral-covered pinnacle below
Three pinnacles stepping from 5 m down to a base near 30 m
Drop-offs and channels with a pinnacle rising from 14 m to 8 m