Instructor Richard

Class And Trip Of June 2011

2011-06-21T11:36:00.001+08:00

Jiu – Lots of thing to see if you pay enough attention. Nice diving trip. Thanks to Richard & the group. Good food from Seaventures :D

Hsien Huey – Apart from the awesome dive adventures especially diving with barracudas, grabbing rocks too stabilize, I had a great time with the group. And of course, excellent food at Seaventures. Muchas Gracias !

Goh – 1^st time to Sipadan, very happy to meet all the new friends and dive together. Hope to meet everyone and dive together again.

Cheau Huey – My first diving trip without taking exam, ha ha ha. Love all the fishes and micro that we saw. However little sad that we didn’t see the famous whale shark but happy with the bonus of spotting the cute little flamboyant cuttlefish.

Rupert – The best part of diving is the combination of diving, companion with fellow divers and experience shared. Awesome trip where I saw many gigantic sea creatures as big as barrels, cars and lorry, ha ha ha

Yin Fun- First time to Sipadan and it was a memorable one. Happy to see both macro and micro things. Barracuda point was rather breathtaking. Great diving trip with great company and fantastic divemaster.

Leyi – Great to be back to Sipadan and Seaventure Resort. Great company of new friends and diving was fantastic. Just need to practise more on macro photography.

Ka Chin – Wonderful place, food, people and dive sites. Felt younger diving with the younger generation :D

Fong – Great experience with the strong current in between thousands of barracudas. Spotted lots of nudi branch and rare species like pygmy seahorse and flamboyant cuttlefish. Met lots of funny friends and happy that able to manage to dive with only 1kg weight.

Michelle – I like it, it’s is so good !

Jia Yee – Almost wanted to cancel this trip but now I am glad that I joined. This is my 2^nd dive trip after OWD. The awesome experience in Sipadan be it the friends that I’ve met here, the breath taking underwater world or the funny incidents happened during diving. All made me love diving even more. Will come back for more.

Zhenyi – A revisit to Sipadan for me. Proved that it’s still an awesome experience to be. Things that I missed last round, glad that now most of them can be found. Only things that remain unfinished business is a visit to the legendary Elvis (giant moray eel) and some other cool fishes. Thanks to everyone for making this trip a truly memorable one.

Antoine –Enjoyed so much of the diving. So many interesting new things to see and observe fishes, shrimps, weird animals, funny and strange fish. Enjoyed so much. Now want to learn Chinese so can understand better what you all talking about, ha ha.

Scuba Diving, A Family Activity

2011-06-21T11:25:00.001+08:00

Recreational scuba diving is one of the most enjoyable sports for family. Its fun when you can dive and buddy with your family members. Sharing what they see underwater and taking care of each other bonds the family members.

Scuba diving is not a physically challenge sport. It’s also conducive for family with young children to try scuba diving. Kids as young as 8 years old can try scuba diving with the PADI Bubblemaker program.

Usually, beach resort was used for the diving trip. Kids can enjoy playing sand and try other beach activities like snorkelling, canoe or swimming. For the certified diving parent, they can always spend quality time with their family members during surface interval.

Pointer is not for poking

2011-06-21T11:01:00.000+08:00

Many years ago, pointer (proc) was only used by Instructor and Dive Guide. It was used for one reason and only one reason. It’s to get divers attention with the noise by hitting the scuba tank with a pointer. During that time, we have to make our own pointer from hardware shop.

Unfortunately, starting few years back dive shops started to produce and selling pointer to the public. Divers buy and use it for many wrong reasons. It’s sad to see many divers use it to dig corals/rumbles to find micro animals, used it to rest on coral to stabilize their buoyancy, used it to abuse animals and worst of all, photographers used it to ‘move’ animals to a more photogenic spot. Divers also used it to hit their tank to get attention from their buddy. It’s very confusing when they are so many pointers used in a group therefore it’s very difficult for the Instructor/Dive Guide to get attention of divers when there is a need.

I strongly discourage divers from using pointer during diving. I will not hesitate to confiscate the pointer if I noticed divers using it for the wrong reason. As a divers, let’s be friendly to our underwater haven.

Traditional or Split Fins ?

2010-12-24T05:28:00.002+08:00

Choosing fins are very much a preference thing, just like what colour or to have split or non-split fins. Some divers love split fins while some divers hate them. Personally I find split fins is great for going fast in a straight line, but not good when you want to turn and manoeuvre underwater. It's maybe something you would get used to after a while, but I just didn't get on with split fins at all.

Due to the design of split-fins, there is lesser resistance when you ‘scoop’ the water. For that reason, you will go faster and use less air. It’s best to use on flutter-kick and good for surface snorkelling too. Ladies love it because it’s less strenuous underwater.

Personally, I found split-fins is too floppy and almost totally ineffective when doing ‘frog-kick’ and ‘reverse’ techniques. Like most instructors and experience divers who I know, we hardly ever use the ‘traditional’ flutter-kick. I also prefer to feel the resistance and to have more control over the fins. One of the disadvantage for travelling is split-fins usually 1kg to 2kg heavier. It needs a thicker/stronger material for the side of the fins.

So what fins to choose? For beginners, start with a non split-fins first. Once you improved your kicking style and leg muscles, borrow a pair of split-fins and try first before you buy it.

Class And Trip Of September 2010

2010-09-12T12:23:00.010+08:00

Tenggol is one of the very few islands in Malaysia with healthy soft corals and abundance of nudibranchs. Nudibranchs are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms. It’s the most popular picture hunt for avid underwater photographers. In the course of evolution, these sea slugs have lost their shell because they have developed other defence mechanisms. Their anatomy may resemble the texture and colour of the surrounding plants, allowing them to camouflage. Some species with especially bright colouring which warns that they are distasteful or poisonous.

The word "nudibranch" comes from the Latin 'nudus', naked, and the Greek 'brankhia', gills.
Nudibranchs have a set of reproductive organs for both sexes but they can rarely fertilize themselves. It’s quite common to see a pair of nudibranchs working together for the ‘next generation’.

Class and Trip of August 2010

2010-08-12T12:22:00.001+08:00

Diving at Sipadan is always very interesting from spotting macros (mainly at Mabul and Kapalai) to diving at the crystal clear fish-tank-alike-view of the underwater garden of Sipadan island itself. Best is when we’re doing safety-stop staring at the reef. Every inches of the seabed covered with colorful soft and hard corals.

This trip I was staying at Sipadan Water Village and my balcony was facing the ‘kampung’ of the Mabul’s sea gypsies. Their lifestyle is so basic but yet they look happy and peaceful. They are few whom fully utilize their boat which is their transport system, bedroom, kitchen and playground for the young ones. Every morning when I wake-up by 6am, it’s also very interesting to see so many kids squatting at the beach close to the sea. How nature can that not be :-D

Class of July 2010

2010-07-19T09:55:00.003+08:00

Recreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind. While leisure is more likely a form of entertainment or sleep, recreation is active for the participant but in a refreshing and diverting manner.

That explains why so many people wanted to pick-up scuba diving and have FUN !

The Fun of Scuba Diving

2010-07-19T09:42:00.000+08:00

It takes 15 hours return driving journey from KL to some of the best dive spots at the east coast of Malaysia. Diving trips will exhausts most of your leave and savings. And unless you had gone through a proper training and guidance diligently, there is a risk of decompression sickness and drowning. So why scuba diving is still so popular?

For those whom missed exploring 70% (ocean) of planet Earth, you have no idea how much fun of scuba diving comparing to land sports. The feelings of swimming together with underwater marine life is overwhelming. Even the most ugly fishes look so pretty and those are usually the underwater photographer favorites. Coral reefs are amazing with their different type of structure, textures and colours.

The feelings of neutral buoyancy (zero gravity like you’re at the space) is indescribable euphoria. You will be amazed with what you can do when you’re neutral buoyancy. You can somersault like a gymnast or even fly like a bird. So what are you waiting for? The other 70% of planet Earth is waiting for you to explore.

Protect The Shark

2010-06-09T08:37:00.002+08:00

As a scuba diving instructor, I felt that I didn't preach enough that shark fins is tasteless. In a shark fin soup, it's the mushroom, MSG, vinegar and other spices that make it tasty. Shark fins is cartilage just like our finger nails. Have you taste your finger nails before? It's tasteless !

http://www.diverrichard.com/2008/08/say-no-to-shark-fin.html

Each year, tens of millions of sharks are killed by Earth's most dangerous predators - humans. Too many of them fall victim to the cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning - the act of removing shark fins and discarding the often still alive shark overboard. As Asian demand for fins remains strong, markets for shark meat are growing, helping to push shark species to the brink.

Please help me to sign the petition to protect our beloved fish, the shark.
http://www.projectaware.org/givesharksachance

Class of May 2010

2010-05-10T13:40:00.004+08:00

Persevere is when someone persist in maintaining a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles or discouragement. Happened all the times to beginners when trying to learn scuba diving, especially mask remover exercise. Just need to persevere and eventually you will able to overcome the fear of breathing without a mask.

In fact I almost wanted to cancel this class when I found out that my 2 years old daughter had pneumonia 2 days before the trip. I persevered as I don’t want to disappoint my students and other fun divers. I’m so glad that everything works well. The diving class and my daughter :D

Han Fong
I like scuba diving because it gives you the feeling of flying under the sea.

Serene
It feels so free, relaxing and beautiful being part of such amazing underwater world. Flying feeling is addictive.

Heng Keat
Staying under the sea makes me feel peace. And I like to be surrounded by animal or fish.

Teoh
Diving takes me out of the real world life and I’m able to discover more about the ocean.

Queenie
Simply because of the life changing experience of seeing what the beautiful sea beholds & being able to swim freely and glide like a fish. Scuba diving is amusing, amazing, fascinating and addictive :D

C P
Makes you fly high without having to take drugs  A brand new world to be explore without having to go outer space.

Cheau Huey
Having the chance to experience a totally different world.

Goh
I love to see what lives under the deep blue sea.

Jiu
Interesting to be underwater, always wanted to do it and will never regret of doing it/ Lots of fun underwater, lots of new things to see. A fantastic experience :D

Fitness For Divers

2010-04-05T11:54:00.004+08:00

In the past 4 months, I have been very busy training for Ironman races. Those are the tiring months with lots of sacrifices on my sleep. The outcomes are a fitter body and healthier lifestyles. We certainly don’t need each diver to train as hard as an Ironman but any program of regular cardiovascular and strength training will definitely make you a better diver.

We all know that physical activity is important to good health on the surface but research shows that our fitness also impacts our excursions underwater. Whether you consider yourself to be a recreational or a technical diver, or even if you are just thinking about getting certified. With a better stamina, you will dive longer by having better air control. You will dive safer with lesser risk to DCS.

With a leaner body mass, you will need less weight underwater. Less weight means more comfortable on your weight belt, less air to be inflated into your BCD and having more control underwater with a more streamline position. So lets hit the gym or swimming pool regularly if you want to be a better diver.

Sea Lice (bugs)

2010-02-05T11:34:00.002+08:00

Sea lice are actually the microscopic larvae of jellyfish and sea anemones which contain the same nematocysts(stinging cells) as jelly fish. These larvae, sometimes half a millimetre in length or smaller. The larvae are large enough to be visible to the naked eye but become nearly invisible in the water. Unfortunately the only reliable method of identifying when sea lice are present is by the appearance of the rash on other swimmers or divers.

They can generate nasty rashes (refer to picture) and welts along with an itching and burning sensation. The stings are primarily annoying. The rash and welts can be treated with a mild soap and water wash. You can also use soothing creams or gels to ease the itching and burning sensation. Most people recover from sea lice stings without additional medical treatment.

The best way to deal with sea lice is to avoid them, which is easier said than done. You can prevent sea lice sting by wearing a wetsuit if diving in sea lice infested waters. You can also apply jellyfish or sea lice protection lotion like the Safe Sea product.

Deep Diving Course

2010-01-19T11:19:00.002+08:00

After your first few scuba dives, you soon want to explore a bit deeper. There is something exciting and mysterious about the depth that attracts divers. It can be a 100 years old shipwreck or an underwater cave with interesting chambers or it could be searching for a rare corals at the wall. You may also want to spot the deep water marine life like the hammerhead sharks or the sunfish.

The fun part about this course is the opportunity to explore the deep. It’s exhilarating. You will learn techniques for diving in the deeper range of 18-40 metres and deep scuba diving equipment considerations. Learn how to experience in planning, organizing and making deep dives under the supervision of your PADI Instructor.

Divers always do it deeper !

Fun Of Night Diving

2009-12-17T15:15:00.001+08:00

Since I did my first night dives on my AOWD course, it’s love at first sight (or experience). The diving experience makes me extremely calm and seeing a whole new world as many underwater creatures and plant life different from those I saw during the day. I can only see where my torch light shine, give me the excitements of spooky and wilderness.

During the night dives you will also see night predators out hunting. Also all the normally reef fish you will see out during the day, will be asleep. They will be tucked into any rock or over hang that they can find, in order to stop the night predators find and eating them.

Night dives can be great fun, but they're not without risks. Divers need to be fully aware of the additional risks associated with dangerous creatures, for example, sea snake and lion fish are much more active at night.

Ensure the following conditions are met:

-Good weather

-Good surface visibility, don't dive in high surge or heavy rain

-All divers to have main and backup torch

-Exit points are lit with coloured lights (to distinguish from other lights)

Night diving is strictly for certified Advanced Open Water Diver only. Let’s go for a night party underwater next time.

How Young Can You Dive?

2009-11-17T16:10:00.004+08:00

I always received questions by hard core diving parents on “How soon can I get my kids certified” ? These are the parents whom are so eager to get their kids certified and start to plan diving holiday. Even I myself is counting days to get my little Alyssa to be a diver soon :D

These are the natural process to get the little ones ready for scuba diving.

1. Get them enjoy watching underwater cartoon. Nemo is my favorite

2. Bring them to swimming pool and let them comfortable with water

3. Bring them to island and let them enjoy playing sands and slightly wet with sea water

4. Get them to start snorkeling with life jacket

5. Once they start to enjoy snorkeling, you know it’s time to ‘upgrade’ them to be a scuba diver

Age 8+ – PADI Bubblemaker

Can only dive in the swimming pool and not deeper than 2m

Age 8+ PADI Seal Team

Similar to PADI Bubblemaker but you need to complete 5 Aquamissions. Missions like underwater photography, navigation, etc … Can only dive in the swimming pool and not deeper than 2m

Age 10+ to 14 :Junior Open Water

Similar to PADI (adult) Open Water course but cannot dive deeper than 12m

Age 12+ to 14: Junior Advanced Open Water

Similar to PADI (adult) Advanced Open Water course but cannot dive deeper than 12m

Scuba diving should be fun and enjoyable. The kid must not feel stressful and uncomfortable with the training. Else you will blow your chance to get them try scuba diving.

Ocean Sunfish (mola-mola)

2009-10-19T15:35:00.004+08:00

On my recent trip to Bali, we spotted the elusive ocean sunfish. Attaching a video clip recorded by me and also excerpt from Wikipedia to share with my fellow divers and friends.

The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, or common mola, is the heaviest known bony fish in the world. It has an average adult weight of 1,000 kg. Average up to 3.5 meters. Many of the sunfish's various names allude to its unique flattened shape. Its specific name, mola, is Latin for "millstone", which the fish resembles because of its grey colour, rough texture, and rounded body. The ocean sunfish resembles a fish head without a tail.

Sunfish are pelagic and swim at depths of up to 600 meters. They usually stay in water warmer than 10 °C. As for Bali of Indonesia, the locals believe mola is there all year round. During the cold season, the mola will swim to shallower water, 30m to 40m. At this depth, it is accessible by recreational divers. Those months are now called the mola season of Bali and it's between August to October. So start planning your next trip to Bali at the right months.

Reasons To Choose Renowned Dive Professionals

2009-09-23T09:49:00.002+08:00

Fun, Safety and Cost are the 3 main factors for students to choose where and whom to learn scuba diving.

FUN
It’s important to find a dive professional whom like his/her job. If they are not, they will not able to support you year after year.

It’s imperative to have a dive professional with great charisma, fun, sporting and yet a safe diver. Learning diving should be a non-stressful experience.

Besides diving course, good to have dive professional to organise regular diving trip to other interesting sites. Scuba diving is about enjoy diving with good company and venture to great dive sites.

COST
Cost usually reflected on the diving course. Best to have a dive professional whom teach for passion and not about profit making. Of course, it cost a certain amount of money to be dive professional. Things like dive professional yearly fees, updating teaching materials, dive professional upgrading/refreshing courses, advertising cost and operation cost.

SAFETY
Important to have a dive professional whom adhere to PADI System of diver education, a system with a proven safety record and professionalism. An individual whom respect PADI organisation and trust their system.

Have experience and maturity to make correct judgment when assessing dive sites, sea conditions and students experience.

Class Of September 2009

2009-09-15T11:53:00.004+08:00

Chee Wyi
Initially I’m a bit nervous everytime I dive. But after few more dives and training, things getting better and better. It makes my dives more fun and exciting now.

Yoong KS
Very happy and have lots of fun

Chin Heng
Had lots of fun. Met new people. Need more practices to improve performance so that can have even more fun

Kenn
I feel excited during night dive (I need more). Must learn how to name fish which can makes our dive more interesting

Ching Fong
Deep dive is great, night dive is a little nervous and makes me float. But overall it’s nice and fun. Underwater world, I’ll be back again for more.

Edwin
Dei/macha (indian slang), don’t scare me again lah, I prepared very hard for this trip :P When can we go again ?

Ninderjit
Great stuff. Keep up the Kung Fu skills and the Buddha post. Now having beers for more fun :D

Alan
I still can’t do half mask comfortably but diving is cool. Great experience.

Justin
I fell in love with the turtle, overall FUN

Simon
I need to get my buoyancy right. Flippers not rigid enough, that’s why I’m doing breast stroke kicking ;)

Kelly
Diving is like sex. The 1st dive is torturing and painful but gradually it becomes fun and addictive. I had my 1st dive climax in Lang Tengah with Richard, Rupert, Simon, Alan, Justin, Edwin and Jit :D

Rupert

Class of August 2009

2009-08-18T15:28:00.003+08:00

This course was held at Perhentian Island. Perhentian islands lay some 20km off Kuala Besut on the Peninsula Malaysia’s north eastern coast. They form part of Terengganu Marine Park, which also comprises a number of other islands; Pulau Lang Tengah, Pulau Redang, Pulau Bidong and Pulau Tenggol.

Perhentian Islands is surrounded by warm, crystal clear water filled with a great variety of brilliantly coloured tropical fish and coral reefs offering excellent diving and snorkelling in an extremely idyllic and laid back setting. The island comprises two main islands –Perhentian Besar (big island) and Perhentian Kecil (small island). There are more than 20 popular dive sites just around Perhentian Islands itself. From a nice relaxing reef dive to an adventurous shipwrecks and deep dives!

Fun Of Wreck Diving

2009-08-18T13:23:00.001+08:00

Early this month I brought few divers for a wreck diving experience at Perhentian Island. Wreck diving never fail to mesmerize first timers. Whether sunk on purpose as an artificial reef or the result of mishap, wrecks open fascinating windows to the past. Most divers find wrecked ships irresistible because they’re intriguing to explore, exciting avenues of discovery, and usually teeming with aquatic life. One of the best (and huge) wreck I dove before is the USS Liberty at Bali.

The PADI Wreck Diver Speciality course teaches you the ins and outs of rewarding, responsible wreck diving.

What You Learn

•Techniques for diving exploring shipwrecks, and how to avoid common hazards

•Do some research and learn the background of the wrecks

•Wreck scuba diving equipment considerations

•Considerations and techniques for penetrate wrecks

So are you ready to wreck ?

Class of June 2009

2009-06-23T16:36:00.003+08:00

Teamwork is a joint action by two or more people, in which each person contributes with different skills and express his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group in order to achieve common goals. The most effective teamwork is produced when all the individuals involved harmonize their contributions and work towards a common goal. In this case, it will be scuba diving.

Although everyone come from different states and country, I noticed this particular group has a very strong teamwork. By the end of the course, everyone became good friends and perhaps life-long dive buddies.

Will You Share Air During Emergency?

2009-05-27T23:19:00.002+08:00

I consider out-of-air underwater emergencies to be high stress and a great risk scenarios. You can never really know how the victim, especially strangers will react in an emergency situation. We can’t 100% count on them to respond in the way you might need him to respond.

We ourselves need to feel sense of obligation to ourselves, our family and other loved ones. It’s not necessary to put ourselves at great risk to save someone if that person had acted irresponsible in the first place (not monitoring his SPG adequately). Statistic has shown that double fatalities occur too often in situation like this. In diving, we all need to be responsible to ourselves even when we dive with a buddy. Having say that, we must and we will dive in buddy team, lookout for each other and continue to make diving a very safe sport. Let’s keep it that way.

Class of May 2009

2009-05-12T21:54:00.007+08:00

“Take the fear, hold it, acknowledge it and accept it as a part of you. Take back it control and then trust. With the fear grasped firmly in your hand, trust your heart, yourself, your deepest feelings and inner soul. Allow yourself freedom from the fear”

Sander

Makes me go places I would never see before and didn’t even want to see. But now I want it back.

Oscar

Live to dive, dive to live.

Ching Fong

Scuba diving means I can be a great gymnastic or athletic. I can fly, summersault and float. Underwater world is great.

Chin Heng

I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the shark (no you can’t). I see them swimming all around, until I scare I run around. Freaking funny friends fighting for fin when you lost it :-P

Hyo Young

Hope won’t have fear in the near future

Siao Yng

Breathing underwater, swimming with beautiful fishes and coral, that’s what I call a new experience :D

Ju Li

Diving is world of it’s own. I’ve conquer the land & sea. Bubbles all the way and I’ve found a new type of ‘clown’ under the sea – Richard :-D Talk fish :-P

Sea Sick And Motion Sickness

2009-05-07T12:11:00.004+08:00

Typical indicators of sea sickness are dry mouth, cold sweat, dizziness and nausea, sometimes followed by vomiting.

Sea or motion sickness happened when the rocking motion experienced at sea or driving on a winding road causes a discrepancy between what the eye can see and what our body’s sensory organs are telling our brains. In the process, the body produces more histamines and cause the symptoms of sea sick . Some of the things we can do to reduce the chance are:

- Avoid alcohol

- Have enough sleep

- Eat small portions but must also not having a totally empty stomach

- Stay at the middle of the ship where the sea swell is minimum

Just to be safe, you can always get sea sick pills from any renowned pharmacy. Antihistamines pills will do the magic. While ginger is one of the oldest remedies.

Class of April 2009

2009-04-26T21:33:00.006+08:00

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward group objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. Scuba diving buddy system is a great example of teamwork"

Karen

Scuba diving makes you realize that the world you know is not the only one that exists

Chong

Doing it under the water :-P

Liew

It’s a passport to hell/heaven (more of the later one lah)

Sam

It’s like Darth Vader underwater

Karena

Seeing something 'abnormal' at underwater world

Terrence

It’s FUN !

Fahmi

I brought 'sexy back' to the sea

Jo Ee

Besides being a safety hazard to myself, fortunately earned my cert ….. with blood (virgin ke ??)

Small Changes, Big Difference

2009-04-20T22:34:00.003+08:00

Of all the scuba diving skills, good buoyancy control is one of the most important skill of all. Buoyancy control is the fundamental skills for most of other specialty skills like Underwater Photography, Wreck Diving, Enriched Air and Night Diving just to name a few.

Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB) Specialty teach you the followings:

• diving become effortless and more fun

• extending your bottom time by reducing air consumption

• having more opportunities for positive interactions with aquatic life

• helping preserve fragile underwater environments

• prolonging the life of your diving equipment

• receive another PADI Certification Card

• accumulate Specialty certification to be a Master Scuba Diver rating

Great buoyancy control is what separates great divers from good divers. Do learn PPB Specialty certification from your Instructor today.

Who Can Pick-up Recreational Scuba Diving?

2009-03-25T18:45:00.005+08:00

Scuba diving can be categorized as commercial diving (diver working at 200 meters depth to lay fiber optic cable), technical diving (diver carrying 2 to 3 cylinders to penetrate sunken warship) and of course, recreational scuba diving (majority of the divers like me). Although scuba diving labeled as dangerous sport in many insurance policy, but the fact is recreational scuba diving is one of the most relaxing sport you can ever find. Divers range from the age from 10 to 80 years old.

The first certification level for PADI is called OWD (Open Water Diver). Anyone can relatively pick-up OWD training and get certified easily. These are the pre-requisites for an OWD candidates:

Reasonable health
Ability to thread water for 10 minutes
Ability to snorkel for 300 meters
Complete 50 theory questions exam with passing score above 75%

As long as you go through the course structure properly, learn and understand all the theory concepts behind scuba diving, you will be a safe diver. Recreational scuba diving is just like having a spa underwater. When doing it right, it’s relaxing, fun and takes your pressure away.

Class of March 2009

2009-03-10T20:18:00.015+08:00

Chi Siang
It’s fun because of the calmness in the water and can see diverse sea life.

Siew Siew

A stepping stone for my future, I have excuse to beg for Maldives trip from someone down there :)

Fook Yuan

Scary experience at the initial attempt but keep getting better after that. Helps to overcome phobia and promotes stronger will power to try new adventure.

Kok Yong

Feeling very different when experiencing underwater and seeing aquatic life at their habitats.

Allan Tan

Tough but enjoy. Learn to be calm and think before act. Very good experience to see swimming fishes and to reach bottom of the sea.

Chee Kin

Having fun swimming and playing underwater. Relaxing and seeing something new.

Claris

A U-HU glue to my hubby.

Kevin

Great to look at the underwater world as the world is made of 75% water. So why enjoy only looking at 25% of land?

Shiau Lan

Now only realize that there are very different to control buoyancy underwater. Ha ha ha ha

Wai San

Have fun and bring back lots of fond memories. Enjoy diving with buddy.

Just Look No Touch

2009-02-22T21:21:00.002+08:00

Most marine life injuries are generally the result of poor buoyancy skills and bad diving habits, mainly the later one. Inadvertent contact with marine life usually results in the destruction of many living organisms and sometimes a painful injury to the diver. Some fish use poisonous spines like scorpion fish, stonefish and lionfish. Many hydroids such as fire coral and anemones have stinging cells that will give divers painful reminders.

The best way for diver to prevent these injuries is by overcome the bad habit of touching things underwater. Divers should avoid the temptation of handling any marine life.

Healthier Diver, Safer Diver

2009-02-19T00:39:00.005+08:00

Scuba diving can involve stressful situations such as buddy separation, equipment problems or disorientation. Out of shape divers are generally at higher risk in stressful situations; they are more prone to over exertion, higher breathing rates and higher chance to get decompression illness. On the other hand, fitter divers have a huge advantage over those who are out of shape.

If you are out of shape, it’s about time for you to start an exercise program and make it as part of your lifestyle. Fitter you, happier and safer dive experience. Needless to say, you will look great on the tight fitting wetsuit or skinsuit too :-D

Practice Self Independent

2009-02-19T00:22:00.005+08:00

Recreational divers are trained and done in buddy pairs or teams. But diver should strive to be competent in all aspects of dive from start to finish without counting on someone else to take care of things for you. For instance, you should familiarize yourself with the dive site and be able to navigate underwater. Don’t be content to play follow-the-leader even on guided dives. When diving with buddy, each diver should share responsibility for planning and executing the dive.

Get additional training like Rescue Diver, EFR and scuba specialities to build your skills and confidence. Once again, avoid developing leader/follower relationship. Trust me; it’s more fun if you’re more self-reliance on each dive.

Diving Fatality

2009-01-15T17:38:00.014+08:00

I always feel very bad every time I hear diving incidents either happened in Malaysian waters or the other parts of the world. The worst thing is what we hear is only 10% of what was actually reported. This is to cover-up the business or the dive professional’s future.

Just for year 2008, I heard of 3 diving fatalities

- One lost from the main group and the corpse was found floating 2 days later

- One suddenly aborts a dive, rush up to the boat, vomited blood and die on the way back to resort

- One accidentally hit by the boat’s propeller

Besides fatal accidents, there are also DCS cases, lung over expansion, lost of hearings, half paralyze and of course phobia for another dives. As a scuba diving enthusiast and a dive professional myself, I feel bad for this sport. This is supposed to be a recreational (fun) sports and very safe. Of course, divers need to adhere to diving rules and know your limits. Dive professionals and dive centers should also do their part to promote scuba diving as a safe sport. Earning big bucks is not everything.

It also worries me when ‘usually’ dive centers will still bring non-Advanced certify divers to dive deeper than 18 meters and perhaps night dives too. Just like most highways, the speed limit is 110 km/h and I’m sure most cars can go faster than 150 km/h. But is it necessary? Guidelines and rules are there for good reason. It’s for your own safety and others too.

Dive Safe, be a responsible diver.

How Old Is The Fish ?

2008-12-12T13:32:00.001+08:00

Just like how we estimate the age of a tree, we cut the tree horizontally and count the rings on the trunk. One ring equivalent to one year. Hence, as the tree grows older, it becomes fatter.

As cycloid and ctenoid scales increase in size, growth rings called circuli become visible on the fish scale. These rings look a little like the growth rings in the trunk of a tree. During the cooler months of the year the scale grows more slowly and the circuli are closer together leaving a band called an annulus. By counting the annuli it is possible estimate the age of the fish. This technique is extensively used by fisheries biologists.

Better Safe Than Sorry

2008-11-11T13:56:00.000+08:00

A significant aspect of staying safe in life involves thinking ahead. Just like how we look both ways before crossing the street. As a safe diver, we take actions in advance to ensure that potential problems don’t get the opportunity to become actual problems. We glance into the water immediately before entering to verify there is no one below. While descending we equalize airspaces early and often to avoid squeeze. We look up and reach up as we ascend to keep from striking anything overhead.

And mother of scuba diving safety is buddy checks before we dive. I personally noticed more experienced divers are more prone to ignore buddy checks. They believe they are experience, skillful and safe. Buddy checks are for everyone, an OWD student, divers with 500 logged dives or even an Instructor. You never know when is the next accident going to surface, better be safe than sorry.

Communicating Underwater

2008-09-13T22:12:00.000+08:00

Effective underwater communication is necessary for the safe and efficient conduct of any recreational or training-related scuba dive. While many mechanical or electronic underwater communications devices are available, in the majority of situations, the most reliable method of communication between divers is through the use of simple hand signals.

Divers exchange hand signals to give each other instructions, provide information on the dive and indicate their condition. The signals employed by divers to increase the efficiency of their dives are natural signals, local signals and those created for special circumstances. For more information, click here.

Standard Operating procedures

2008-09-10T21:58:00.001+08:00

Why can’t we put snorkel on the right side? Why can’t we arrange weight belt for left hand release? Why must we inform dive guide when we’re at 50 bar or 750 psi? Why we must not have mask on the forehead?

The reasons for standardization become clearer with experience. Safe diving relies on buddy system and yet we don’t always dive with the same buddies. When two divers of different background, experience, training and equipment come together as a buddy team, differences are likely to surface when trouble comes hunting.With standard operating procedures, a swift action will resolve conflict quickly. Be prepared is the best policy.

Diving Breathing Gases

2008-08-22T12:59:00.001+08:00

Air – is a mixture of 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. Being cheap and simple to use, it is the most common diving gas.

Nitrox – is a mixture of oxygen and air generally refers to mixtures that are more than 21% oxygen. Mainly used to decrease risk of decompression sickness and the recreational dive community usually refer it as Enriched Air or EANx

Trimix – is a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen and helium. Often used at depth in technical diving and commercial diving to reduce nitrogen narcosis and to increases the maximum operating depth

Heliox – is a mixture of oxygen and helium. Often used in the deep phase of commercial deep dive to eliminate nitrogen narcosis and to increase maximum operating depth

Hydreliox – is a mixture of oxygen, helium and hydrogen. Used for dives below 130 meters in commercial diving

From Passion To Profession

2008-08-22T12:56:00.005+08:00

Many friends ask me how to be a dive Instructor and how to be a great Instructor?

First question can be answer easily. Just follow PADI diving chart, save 2 weeks of leave and budget around RM 10,000 for IDC (Instructor Development Course) IDC and to buy course materials.

Second question is very subjective. All instructor training programs can produce qualified instructors, what separates an excellent instructor is his or her professionalism and dedication to producing well-trained, confident divers and likely to catch scubaholic virus themselves. Instructors pass on not only their knowledge, but also their enthusiasm and sense of stewardship for the aquatic world. Being a good scuba instructor is more than a part-time of full-time job, it depends also on commitment and character. As for me, I’m still learning how to improve myself from each training class. That's why I created my very own evaluation form and ask student divers to email feedback to me.

One of the most fulfilling experiences is to see former students organizing diving trips and enjoying themselves. Surely hope one day I will have the chance to see my former students teaching students of their own.

Say No To Shark Fins

2008-08-22T11:51:00.005+08:00

The explosive growth of the Chinese economy and rapid expansion of trade with the outside world during the 1985 and 1995 created an insatiable demand for shark fins of almost any size or type. The fins are now so much more valuable than the rest of the shark that the carcass is often discarded after the fins are removed, to save storage space on the boat. Often the fins are sliced off when the shark is still alive and the mutilated shark is dumped back into the water to die a slow and agonizing death.

Shark fins being a common delicacy for dinner events especially in the Chinese community has forced this species to the edge of extinction. The worldwide shark population has decreased by 90% in just 5 years and if nothing is done soon enough, our children may not live to see another live shark.

What can we do?
Most people would generally comment “I feel for the sharks, but if the serving is offered and the fact that the shark has already perished, I don’t see why I should resist”The fact that this is the general conception of 80% of the people out there, and that is why though awareness is raised to them, it has always failed to create changes. They will keep consuming, and the restaurants will keep serving and the sharks will keep DYING.

Make a change today!The next time someone offered you a bowl of such evil harvest, gently decline and proudly say that “No, I do not take shark fins soup. It’s too cruel to the ecosystem” You will be amazed by the chain of reaction it creates. The waiter serving will notice, those people sitting on the same table will notice. The chain action will not be immediate but what we are trying to achieve is to create awareness and that is the only thing we can do. We may not be able to save those sharks that have perished but we can give this species a chance of survival.

Do something today, when the EATING stops, the KILLING stops!

Class Of 20080605 Diver's Quote

2008-06-26T16:51:00.006+08:00

Billy Ooi

scuba diving is another medium for us to know our lovely planet earth better and has close contact with aquatic life. And of course, I have more space to stay together with my love one

Chai Har

make me feel like i'm as if a mermaid... heheh....

serious one... it's very relaxing underwater.... the only pressure we have will be 'out of air'....

it's so silent underwater... can hear our own breath.... cool!

Devin Loong

Scuba diving is like being Superman aka Scubaman because we are weightless and floating over the ground. It opens a whole new world to aquatic creatures and environments to me. I want to levitate like Richard standing still with his arms folded and looking down on us, reminds me of a scene from Superman Returns when he was in space looking down on earth. Super Cool :)

Henley

It's one of my greatest achievements in life - because I had to mentally and physically overcome my fear of water to dive. And - when I saw the divemasters and Richard hovering in the water while watching over me cycling around in the water below, they looked like they were flying. They could go anywhere with a single breathe and a kick. So to me... scuba diving is being Superman, underwater.

Kenneth

Scuba diving to me is a totally new kind of adventure for me. I like the underwater world very much as it’s a very different kind of experience and all I can hear is my own breathing only. I get to see colourful fishes and big fishes in the water and also beautiful and colourful corals.

Cheng Mei

To me, diving is something like hiking. It's not just something in a list-to-do that i could just tick and move on. It is something I want do for the rest of my life. There's a whole new horizon there deep in the sea that i would love to explore.

Stop, Breathe, Think And Act

2008-06-26T16:14:00.003+08:00

In the Rescue Diver training or even as early as Open Water Diver training, the first step in safely responding to a victim is by remaining calm and evaluate the situation for the most feasible options. This should be done quickly but it is important that divers faced with any emergency situation ........... stop, breathe and think before acting. Selecting a proper course of action always takes into account the rescuer’s skill level, the environment and available rescue aids. Rescue Diver training teaches students the proper techniques for identifying and reacting to all types of emergency situations, including self-rescue.

Recently I had the chance to demonstrate what I learned. Although it’s not directly related to diving incident but it’s a very critical situation pertained to a scuba diving trip. When I was driving on my way for a scuba diving trip, my car accidentally ram to a crossing wild boar. The wild boar stays alive but not my car. With barely 3 hours to catch our last boat to the island, I calmly put my training into actions. I get a tow truck; get the car workshop to fix the car (to at least working condition) in 3 days and hired a cab from the village to jetty. When the cab driver doesn’t know his way to jetty, I even take over the steering. That’s the commitment of an Instructor to catch the boat in time to teach his students :-) Btw, we had a great trip !

Period Advise For Woman Divers

2008-06-18T15:34:00.004+08:00

For women divers, there are times in their lives when they are having period during a diving trip. According to an article in Divers Alert Network, there are no data to support the belief that menstruating females are at an increased risk for shark attacks. But it’s more about the inconvenience, the mess, the whole lot to deal with and think of. And because some women have heavy and painful periods, tampon only offers little, if any, consolation. Hence more and more women prefer to postpone their menstruation with aid of medicines. One of the medicines is Primolut and you can easily buy over the counter.

Primolut N, also known as Aygestin in USA, is used to treat irregular, painful or heavy periods. It is also used in the treatment of endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome, and to delay periods. Manufactured by Schering AG, Germany, it contains 5 mg norethisterone on each tablet. The monthly bleeding can be advanced or postponed if particular circumstances require this; however, please note that this medication remains restricted to those cases in which there is NO POSSIBILITY OF EARLY PREGNANCY in the cycle concerned. Should any of these problems arise, consult your physician immediately.

Excerpt from DAN

Is Shark or Human More Dangerous ?

2008-06-09T15:23:00.008+08:00

The movie “Jaws” released 30 years ago has done much "Jaws" did irreparable damage to the image of sharks worldwide. They appear as a ferocious creature in the image and perception of many humans.
The facts is on average, there are only about 100 shark attacks each year and only 10 of those result in a human death. Statistic shows 50,000 people die of snake bites, 500 people kill by elephants and 50 golfers die during a golf game struck by thunders. Compared to 10 people killed by sharks each year ratio to over 100 million sharks perish at the hands of humans annually. So who is the dangerous predator ?

Facts about shark

Shark has been around for 400 million years, even before dinosaurs roamed the earth

There are 350 species of shark but only 4 species danger to human. They are the Great White shark, Tiger shark, Mako shark and Bull shark (in the order where the most dangerous specie is first one on the list).

Whale shark is the biggest shark and it can grow up to 15 meters. Interesting to know the biggest shark only eat plankton through the gills

Spined pygmy shark is the smallest shark with maximum length of 25cm

20080501 Diver's Quote

2008-05-20T19:26:00.009+08:00

Chun Ting,

Diving is extremely fun and it explores to another world of mystery. It is the first step to discover the new world and knowing that something is beautiful and amazing is unbelievable.

Maheswari,

When the earth floods from global warming one day, the divers will rule the world!

David Basely,

Diving is like drinking an expensive bottle of whiskey. It costs a lot but it relaxes me.

Azman,

Feels like flying

Baljit,

Amazing and an eye opener

Edelmira,

Daunting

Ye Hua,

Always not enough breath

Alex,

Coming home, I was meant to be there

Boon Eng,

It’s like landing on the moon

Jorge,

A crowded lonely experience and a funny flying

Mani,

“2nd Life”

Yen Sim,

Gravity-less, motionless hanging

Elle,

Like Astronaut, different lifestyle.

Buddy Systems

2008-04-24T13:10:00.006+08:00

Scuba diving is always done with a partner or a buddy. This relationship provides the opportunity for divers to put into practice the four character of developments:-

- values of caring
- honesty
- respect
- responsibility

Buddy divers must rely on each other for buddy check equipment (BWRAF) thoroughly prior to diving, watch for dangers during the dive and help out each other in case of emergencies. Where else after the dive, buddy team can always share stories and laughter about the dive. Even when pre-planning for a dive excursion, buddy involvement is crucial for the success of the trip.

My point is ….. in diving sports, buddy system is very important. It will be an added bonus if your buddy is your live partner too.

Open Water Diver Course

2008-03-07T15:41:00.003+08:00

In the PADI Open Water Diver course, I will takes you through the basics of learning how to scuba dive. You start in a pool or pool-like conditions and progress to the sea for open water dives.

Earning your PADI Open Water Diver certification is just the beginning. As a certified diver, fabulous dive destinations, exciting people, unparalleled adventure and uncommon tranquillity await you. And, as you continue your adventure and gain experience through higher training levels, your opportunities expand.

Overview of PADI OWD course structure
- prerequisites 10 years old, good health and comfort in the water
- 5 modules of video, approximately 4.5 hours
- 5 modules of knowledge development classroom sessions
- practical exercise on all the 20 basic confined water skills
- practical training on four open water dives
- review 5 modules of quiz
- final exam of 50 questions with passing score of 75%

Becoming a diver opens a door to a whole new world. Open yours and step through.

Buying Fins

2008-03-07T15:15:00.004+08:00

Just like buying mask, choosing for the right fins is one of the most confused marketing. Most divers will just pick fins that suit colour of the wetsuit or BCD. Picking good fins has to do with several key factors:

Deciding Between Open Heel or Full Foot
- open heel is slightly more expensive and one need to buy booties to use it
- wearing booties is more comfortable especially when walking on the beach for a beach dives
- open heel is more popular for scuba diving sports

Split or Paddle
- split fin is more expensive due to the great propulsions
- easy to use, highly recommended for those who don’t have quadriceps muscle (like a lady)
- good for current fighting, its like a double propeller (fin split)
- since it give less resistance, maneuverability is bad
- difficult to do reverse fining

Buoyancy Characteristics
- some fins positive and some negative
- getting a neutral or slightly negative fins will be the best

Material, Shape and Buckle
- some provides a good robust one piece rubber like the Apollo bio-fin while some comes with many different materials join into one piece
- some comes with optional spring buckles which make it easier to wear and remove

There is no single fins or brand that suit every divers. Its all depends on your diving skills, your kicking styles and budget. Good luck with your shopping.

Why PADI ? (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)

2008-03-01T22:42:00.008+08:00

PADI Divers carry the most respected and sought after scuba credentials in the world. PADI is also the world’s largest and most respected diver training organization.

The Educational Difference

PADI courses are designed to make learning enjoyable and worthwhile. Credentialed instructional designers use state-of-the-art technology and learning theories to create PADI materials with you, the student diver, in mind. Instructor certify student by using the concept of performance-based learning.

PADI Instructor Development Courses provided through PADI affiliated centres have received vocational training recognition by the Vocational Education Training and Accreditation Board (VETAB) in Australia, by the New Zealand Qualification Authority and in the United Kingdom on the National Qualification Framework.

International Integrity

With more than 130,000 PADI Professionals and around 5300 PADI Dive Centers and Resorts operating in 180 countries and territories, you will likely find a PADI Professional who can speak your language and offer you a comfortable learning experience.
Professional QualityPADI takes a proactive approach to quality management and randomly surveys PADI Divers to confirm that their courses met PADI’s high standards as well as the divers’ expectations. No other diver training organization works to maintain this level of professional reliability and integrity.

Environmental Responsibility

The worldwide PADI organization is committed to preserving the aquatic environment for future generations. PADI courses encompass Project AWARE’s environmental awareness and protection philosophy. Throughout every PADI course, you’ll learn the importance of protecting fragile aquatic ecosystems and are encouraged to become involved in conservation efforts.

As a PADI Diver, you join millions of others to form a growing force that can and does make a difference in the effort to preserve the underwater world and I’m more than happy to walk you through the journey to become a PADI diver.

Instructions for Equalizing Ears and Sinuses

2008-02-23T23:54:00.001+08:00

From my years of teaching scuba diving, 80% of beginner’s problem is ear pain when descend. Middle ear and sinus pressure are the most common injuries associated with increasing and decreasing pressure.

For equalization to be effective, you should be free of nasal or sinus infections or allergic reactions. The lining of the nose, throat and Eustachian tubes should be as normal as possible. The following techniques are effective in reducing middle ear and sinus squeeze.

• Prior to descent, gently inflate (EQUALISE) your ears. This gives you a little extra air in the middle ear and sinuses as you descend

• Descend feet first, if possible. This allows air to travel upward into the Eustachian tube and middle ear, a more natural direction. Use a descent line if available

• Inflate (equalize) ear gently every one feet for the first 30 feet

• If you do not feel your ears opening, stop, try again, perhaps ascending a few feet to diminish the pressure around you

• Try to tilt the blocked ear upward.

You may also use decongestants and nasal sprays prior to diving to reduce swelling in the nasal and ear passages.

Equalizing Techniques
• Valsalva - increase nasopharynx pressure by holding nose and breathing against a closed throat
• Toynbee - swallowing with mouth and nose closed
• Frenzel - Valsalva while contracting throat muscles with a closed throat
• Lowry - Valsalva plus Toynbee - holding nose, gently trying to blow air out of nose while swallowing
• Miscellaneous - swallowing, wiggling jaws

Marine Fish Best At Sea

2008-02-02T23:04:00.000+08:00

There are so many underwater marine fishes as beautiful as any hobbyist would want to keep. We should have to fortitude and discipline to know what not to keep. Many fishes are very nice to see and its best to keep as natural as it is.

In the marine fish hobby field, we need to be even more careful because of certain misguided groups who don't think ANY saltwater fish should be kept. The demand is so great. I read an article mentioned divers were catching pregnant females, and splitting their bellies open to pull out 100 "aquarium sized" babies. The female left to die, never to breed again to continue her species.

During one of my dive trip at Sipadan, I lead my divers to a dive site famous for Mandarin fish sightings. Mandarin fish is one of the most colourful reef fish (pix on left) you can ever find and they only come out at dusk to mate. We patiently waited for 20 minutes just to get a glimpse of a pair of mandarin fish. Two weeks later, I saw a popular pet shop at PJ selling Mandarin fish for RM25 each! Lion fish and Yellow Box fish are some of the common captivities too.

You as a diver and child of mother’s nature, take the time to learn about your fishes. Provide a good healthy environment for them like nice beaches, healthy coral reefs (no coral touching) and don’t ‘molest’ marine life. Don't support by collecting things we can't really keep right anyway. Sometimes it is best to leave it in the sea. Send these messages to all your diver and non-diver friends too. Marine fishes are NOT for aquarium.

Buoyancy Control

2008-01-21T23:53:00.000+08:00

My observations lead me to the conclusion that buoyancy skills are less than perfect in many less experienced divers. Only basic buoyancy skills are taught as part of the diving certification course, the rest depends on diver himself. I classify buoyancy control of particular grades of diver:

INTERMEDIATE diver use his lungs and breathing pattern to fine tune buoyancy although he still rely heavily on BCD.

ADVANCED diver relies on breathing for control. He is getting really close to a reef and hanging stationary without moving his fins & arms.

ULTIMATE diver able to continuous feedback from breathing patterns and water/depth conditions. He can 'feel' fine changes in depth as easily as looking at depth gauge. He can hang motionless during safety stops without hanging onto a line.

What’s the secret? Its lung volume and breathing pattern.

Lung volume - Average lung volume for a person is 6 liters, although it varies considerably (1 liters = 1 kg). The total amount of air that goes in and out on every breath is very important. Larger volumes tend to make fine tuning buoyancy harder, unless you very carefully keep your breathing perfectly regular. The key point is to fine tune the tidal volume around the point of neutral buoyancy.

Breathing pattern - Novice divers breathe more rapidly, more deeply, and less regularly than experienced ones, making it impossible to get to advanced stages of buoyancy control. A normal breathing pattern is essential for the last two stages of mastering buoyancy.

It’s also important to practice with cylinder left about 50bar of air to simulate the lightest position at the end of the dive. Practice with extra and minus 2 weights to fine tune your natural buoyancy until you get it in a range where you can float neutrally underwater by controlling your breathing. Nothing is going to benefit your buoyancy control more than practice and more practice.

Why People Dive?

2008-01-14T08:33:00.001+08:00

Escape to a different world. Scuba takes you to a different world with new colours, shapes, textures and creatures. A world where the roles you play take on a new dimension. Become a scuba diver and escape to a peaceful place to renew your energy and excite your senses.

Explore new places. Scuba diving frees you to explore the underwater world – from historic shipwrecks and pristine reefs to the mysteries of your local quarry. Become a scuba diver and explore what you’ve been missing.

Experience a connection with nature; a feeling of freedom, and a transformation. Diving connects you with nature. It immerses you in new sensations and experiences. It transforms your perception of life forever. Become a diver and transform yourself.

"The worst diving day is even better that the best working day" - anon

Diving At Sembilan Island

2008-01-14T08:14:00.000+08:00

Recently I organized a LOB trip to Sembilan Island. Sembilan Island consists of nine islands called Pulau Agas, Pulau Payong, Pulau Nipis, Pulau Rumbia, Pulau Lalang, Pulau Saga, Pulau Buluh, Black Rock and White Rock. Sembilan Island is secluded and uninhabited. It’s a popular site for divers during monsoon months in the East Coast. It’s also a popular fishing site for anglers.

Sembilan is 1.5 hours away from Pangkor Island or 3 hours from Hutan Melintang jetty. Average visibility is around 10 meters only but this is one of the only dive sites in the Peninsular Malaysia where you can spot sea horse. There are 2 dive sites when one can guarantee find sea horse. During one of our evening dives, we’re so lucky to spot four sea horses side by side. It’s from 2 inches to 5 inches long.

GPS coordinate for Sembilan diving trip.
hutan melintang jetty – N03 52 309 E100 55 979
pulau lalang – N04 00 238 E100 32 535
pulau buloh - N03 59 446 E100 32 066

No Mask On Forehead

2007-12-21T23:38:00.001+08:00

During OWD course, I always remind diving students to hang their mask around their neck, beneath the chin; during buddy check, while traveling on boat and at the surface. Since mask is one of the smallest yet important dive gears, we don’t want diver forgot bringing his mask and only get to know after traveling by boat for 60 minutes to a popular dive site.

Over the years, I also noticed many divers with mask on the forehead. This is not a good sign. Below are my rationales:

1. Mask on forehead while on the surface indicates that the diver is in distress (universal sign)
2. Mask on the forehead is likely to get knocked off by a fellow diver or washed off by wave and lost
3. The heat from the sun shining through the lens often result in fogged mask

Boat Terminology

2007-12-04T22:37:00.001+08:00

It’s vital for divers to know boat terminology, especially when you’re going for LOB. For example, the captain may says “As you face windward, you’re facing the stern. Once you go down the steps, you will see the first aid kit at the galley.”

Aft – toward the rear of the boat
Bow – the front of the boat
Starboard side - when facing forward, it's the boat’s right
Port side – when facing forward, it's the boat’s left
Winward –toward the wind
Leeward – away from the wind

Bridge – captain’s room
Galley – kitchen
Head – toilet
Helm – place that control the boat’s steering

Backplate/wing Or Jacket BCD

2007-12-04T18:16:00.001+08:00

The backplate/wing (BP/W) BCD differs from the jacket BCD style primarily in the way that the functionality of a BCD like attachment to diver and buoyancy control. The most significant effects is shifting the buoyancy bladder from the diver’s chest to their back, hence it’s more comfortable. BP/W BCD are mainly used for technical diving, dives that need more then one tank, wreck diving and canyon diving.

Backplate/Wing BCD

Jacket BCD

Jacket BCD offers other important features such as pockets and weight integration. Jacket BCD mainly used for recreational diving. This is the entry level for all diving adventures and I highly recommend recreational divers to use jacket BCD as their first BCD. Jacket BCD price is 2/3 to 1/2 of the BP/W BCD. As soon as you’re getting more comfortable with scuba diving and would like to advance in diving adventures, , BP/W BCD will be an option.

Flying After Diving

2007-12-04T17:53:00.001+08:00

Recent experimental trials indicate the risk of decompression sickness (DCS) decreases as the preflight surface interval increases. Based on studies, PADI reached the following consensus recommendations. These recommendations apply to flights at cabin altitudes between 600 metres and 2400 metres and to divers who are without DCS symptoms.

For Dives within the No-Decompression Limits
1. Single Dives - A minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested.
2. Repetitive Dives and/or Multiday Dives - A minimum preflight surface interval of18 hours is suggested.

For Dives Requiring Decompression Stops
A minimum preflight surface interval greater than 18 hours is suggested.

Excerpt from PADI Pros website

No Fish Feeding

2007-12-04T17:33:00.002+08:00

Tourists always like to feed fish as a mean to attract fish for photo shots or simply just want to pet (harass)the fish. But what they don’t know are they doing more harm than good. Below are the reasons:

- Yis used for making bread causes fish having indigestion
- The fish will depends on tourists for food, hence no tourist no food
- The fish will swim toward to any boat (including fisherman) thinking that its tourist. Thus it will be easier to be net out by fisherman

Nature is best to leave as it is.

Course Director Testimony

2007-12-04T17:12:00.000+08:00

Richard - in Azman's eyes

In my entire career as a PADI Course Director & Instructor Trainer, I have trained hundreds of PADI Professional from all over the world. To be honest; only a small number of them are are Malaysian. In a way, it is quite easy for me to remember & identify every each of them personally :-)

Richard is obviously one of them. However; what makes the difference is that Richard is one of the few outstanding local IDC candidates even if I were to compare him to the other international candidates :-) When I first met him (in a mamak shop by the way), he look like a very shy person but he was the most excited person about the IDC! I told him exactly how to prepare for his upcoming IDC. Honestly, as usual I didn't expect much from a busy local candidate as he is a real busy person and has a lot on his shoulder already. However, he gave me a "wonderful" shock and proved me wrong!

He was the first Malaysian IDC candidates I have trained to score 100% on all exams prior to the IDC and at the end of the IDC. He is the "crème of the crop"! Despite having to still deal with his work during his IDC, he dealt with it and strived through his IDC with full confidence and excelled in his IE scoring good scores in all evaluation areas. Obviously for me, he has demonstrated that he is a well organized person and knows his priority :-) What I really respect him for is his "special" way of showing his appreciation to me for taking him through the process of becoming a PADI Instructor. Thank you Richard! Being a care, calm and appreciative person like him, I have no doubt that he will be a perfect scuba instructor for everyone. Nothing else I wanted other than wishing him the best of the very best in his entire diving career!

Best Regards,

Azman Sulaiman

PADI Course Director # CD64038

The Good And The Bad

2007-12-04T16:56:00.002+08:00

As a dive professional for years, I had many chances to witness the beauty and ugly side of dive professionals on duty. My comments here are not referring to anyone in particular, it’s just my personal observation that I wanted to share to all my fellow dive buddies.

Good Instructor – Sad to say, they are the minority of the dive professionals community. Perhaps less than 5%. They always have peer pressure in term of generating revenues by getting more diving student. Very likely, soon they will lured to join the other dark side categories mentioned below.

I’m exception, because I teach for a very different (weird) reason. I teach for the passion of diving and to promote this sports.

Bad Instructor – they ‘manufacture’ divers without really care about the sports image nor the student’s safety. They have limited time and patience to teach. They cut corners when teaching in-water session, example they never bother to teach CESA (the most tiring exercise for an Instructor). They won’t have theory classes, no marking on Knowledge Review papers and a ‘simplified’ exam structure like Open Book group discussion with self marking. They failed diving student easily when they don’t have the patience to teach in-water session. Excuse No 1 is student cannot equalize. They don't really care; simply because they already collected full payment.

Worst Instructor – They are exactly like the Bad Instructor but they will easily certify diving student even though student can hardly scuba. They hope 'satisfy' students will continue to promote him/her as an easy way to get a diving license.

What Is Coral Reefs

2007-12-04T16:30:00.000+08:00

Coral reefs is a living structure built over hundreds of years by coral. The living section of a coral reef is a very thin veneer, not more than a few millimeters thick and made up of the living coral animals called polyps.

Polyps are simple animals; they are essentially a sack with tentacles on top. Being animals, they capture food (plankton or floating food particles) by waving their tentacles about in the water. Polyps don’t have a brain. Instead they have a network of nerves able to pass messages from one part of the body to another. Polyps have a skeleton, which they build by absorbing calcium carbonate dissolved in the seawater

PADI Courses

2007-12-04T16:00:00.001+08:00

I always encourage my diving students to continue improve their skills and experience by going dive trip minimum thrice a year. Continue to sharpen diving skill by attending diving courses will be another revenue. Refer to the extensive PADI Courses below.

Ultimately, non-professional seekers should target to be aRescue Diver with few Specialities while professional seekers should target to be a Dive Master. If you enjoy teaching and sharing skills (like me), being an Instructor will be the best.

Tank Drop No More

2007-12-04T15:34:00.000+08:00

Nothing more embarrassing than tank dropped in-front of many divers. Besides embarrassment, it can be life or toes threatening too. These are my 3 tips for a secured tank.

1. wet the tank strap before assemble your scuba onto the tank
2. use the Apollo bio-tank locker or something equivalent
3. thread your tank buckle properly

I’m surprise when I get to know many dive professionals don’t really remember how to thread the tank buckle. Well, they only thread the buckle once when it’s brand new and it’s very unlikely that they need to remove the whole strap and redo again.

Below are the step-by-step from the back view:

Below are the step-by-step from the front view:

Predive Safety Check

2007-12-03T22:12:00.000+08:00

How many of you still remember Begin With Review And with Friend? If not, hope you can register BWRAF as British Women aRe Always Friendly in your mind :-D

B (BCD)
- BCD secured and functioning properly?
- low pressure inflator attached?
- appropriately filled/released when inflate and deflate button pressed?
- buddy familiar with operation?

W (weight)
- weight belt – right hand release for the buckle?
- integrate weight pocket – velcro and fastening buckle working?
- weight distributed evenly?

R (releases)
- all buckles and releases functional?
- able to release without looking?
- buddy familiar with operation?

A (air)
- sufficient air to dive?
- valve turned on all the way and half turn back?
- alternate air source (octopus) properly located?
- familiar with buddy’s alternate air source?
- both secondary and alternative air source are functional?

F (final OK)
- fin and mask available?
- general check for buddy
- prepare to dive and a BIG OK sign

Scuba Diving 20 Basic Skills

2007-12-03T22:09:00.001+08:00

Most divers tend to forgot what they learned in their very first Open Water Diver course. I’m referring to the 20 Basic Skills for scuba divers. Refer to the list below, hopefully you can still able to visualize what are the steps and how to apply it. If not, you're welcome to join me for Refresher Course or Discover Scuba Diving session for free.

- Buddy check (BWRAF)
- Deep water entry - back roll
- Deep water entry - giant stride
- Five point descent (SORTEd)
- Remove and replace weight system underwater
- Fin pivot by using low pressure inflator
- Fin pivot by orally inflate
- Snorkel/Regulator exchange
- Remove and replace scuba unit underwater
- Alternate Air Source (AAS), donor and receiver
- Half mask
- Mask removal
- Free flow regulator
- Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent (CESA)
- Regulator recovery – arm swing
- Regulator recovery – host grab
- Remove and replace weight system on the surface
- Remove and replace scuba on the surface
- Five point ascent (STELA)
- Buddy breathing

Live On Board (LOB) Tips

2007-11-26T15:14:00.001+08:00

1. Conserve water. Usually boat carried just enough fresh water for the whole trip and it’s stored at the belly of the boat. That means boat will be very stable at the start of the journey and it get worst as more fresh water been used.

2. No dumping of toilet paper in the bowl and plan your toilet time smartly. Whatever is flushed goes straight out to sea. Normally there were bins provided to deposit used toilet paper. Its not a good sight for divers when they dive-in or dive-out from the boat with floating ‘object’.

3. No drinking alcohol and diving. This is just common sense, really. But you’ll be surprised how some people left their common sense on shore.

4. Dive conservatively. Considering that the nearest medical facility or decompression chamber is hours (sometimes days) away, diving should always be conducted within the limit

5. Bring some form of entertainment. Usually the boat would have some means of entertainment such as DVDs, board games and magazines to read. However, you can still bring a good book, MP3, Mobile-DVD player, mobile PSP, etc

6. Pack earplugs, sleeping mask, and sea sick tablets. The sound of the boat’s engine and your roommate snoring could hamper your much-needed sleep. Earplugs and a sleeping mask easily solve all these so you can snooze in peace. Seasickness cure (pills/patches) are very important too.

7. Service your dive equipment before the trip and bring along spare parts. Or else, you will start cursing for getting yourself trap on the boat but cannot dive

8. Bring your friendliness and smile. You will be staying in the boat few days with strangers and they are the one that going to company you during Surface Interval.

Choosing Mask

2007-11-26T14:26:00.000+08:00

If a mask fits correctly and comfortably then you will enjoy your snorkelling and diving. Masks used different types of material ranging from plastic to rubber to silicone. Silicone masks are more expensive but comfortable and durable. The glass faceplate may be in one piece or divided into two sections. But optical corrected lenses will need two separate lenses.

The skirt or body of the mask provides the seal to the wearer's face and should offer a comfortable fit and an effective seal. It is however most important not to over-tighten the mask strap. Colour co-ordination has become a key feature of dive equipment and you can choose a mask which matches other equipment, especially snorkel.

Ensure that when you try on the mask it sits below the hairline, otherwise it will constantly leak, and comfortably on the upper lip without constricting the nose. You should also ensure an all-round seal, especially beside the eyes. The simplest test is to fit the mask and breathe in through the nose when the mask should stick firmly to the face. A low profile mask (closer to eyeballs) will be better because it reduces volume space between your eyeballs and the lens, therefore reduce the magnifying impact.

It's smart to invest on a headstrap cover to avoid hair pulling. It can be annoying and painful. Hi-tech mask with many new features (magnify, side view, red lens, etc) easily cost more than RM300 where else a decent model will be around RM150.

Feedback Is Invaluable

2007-11-25T00:34:00.000+08:00

Feedback is a gift, everyone deserves it. I'm also proud to mention that I could be the one and the only one Instructor whom ask diving students to fill-up evaluation form. I always believed me myself take ownership of my own self development.

# I open to new ideas and supports change initiatives
# I'm aware of my own weakness and strength
# And most of all, I will take any good or bad feedback objectively and positively

Please select "Post a comment" link below.

"If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves" - Thomas A.Edison

The Beginning Of Diving Online

2007-11-24T22:29:00.000+08:00

I received many good advises from diving student and diving friends, asking me to create webpage or even forum cater for diving activities. With my current workload and two ‘bundles of joy’, I don’t think I have the luxury of time.

But I do have this intention to share as much as possible on diving tips and trips for my fellow diving buddies. It’s like giving back to the society and mother’s nature earth. Educating skillful and responsible divers are my number ONE goal as a diving Instructor.

"If a man for whatever reason has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself" - Jacques-Yves Costeau, legendary underwater explorer

Cheers,
MSDT Richard Tang #484549