Coconut

Coconut Point, known locally as "The Washing Machine," is a drift dive site on the northern side of Apo Island in the Philippines. The site features a sandy plateau at 28 metres where the terrain levels off, with soft corals carpeting the surrounding reef. Multi-directional currents sweep across the site and can be strong and unpredictable, earning it the nickname and limiting it to divers with solid drift experience beyond Advanced Open Water certification.

The incoming tide produces the best conditions, bringing schools of bigeye trevally and chevron barracuda into the blue above the plateau, while whitetip reef sharks rest on the sandy bottom during daylight hours. Soft coral gardens flourish across the reef, fed by the constant current exposure that characterises this northern site.

All dives here follow drift protocols, and a surface marker buoy is essential equipment as currents can separate divers from the boat. The site is accessible during the October–May season; the southwest monsoon from June to September brings swells that make Coconut Point inaccessible on many days. Water temperature runs 27–29°C year-round, and a 3 mm wetsuit suits most divers. Currents intensify around the full moon, adding further variability. The nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Cebu City, roughly four to five hours away, so dive insurance with hyperbaric coverage is strongly recommended.