Scuba Diving

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Sun, 17 Jul 2011 8:19 pm

Great to spend an hour+ of my holiday posting pix that so underwhelm the audience they wind up discussing another picture altogether

Remind me to do that again lol

Diff between the pix I took mine from 100km away. and the chile one, the photographer probably sent up his Pinoy maid with a camera to take it from 100m away ...

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Mon, 18 Jul 2011 4:22 pm

Found the weirdest thing this morning during a dive...

On top of a chunk of coral was a large carrot carved into the shape of a penis

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Mon, 18 Jul 2011 4:54 pm

Did you look around for a female diver wearing bunny ears?

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Mon, 18 Jul 2011 8:28 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Did you look around for a female diver wearing bunny ears?

Hehehe

I swum over to an underwater photographer, held it to my groin and hoped he'd take a pic, but he just shrugged his shoulders and looked at me like I was bonkers.... can't think why.

I was laughing so hard I swum into a bunch of hydroids and stung the crap out of my carrot, I mean knee....

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:38 am

The office, as I left it on Tuesday.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Mon, 22 Aug 2011 5:23 pm

nakatago wrote:
JR8 wrote:If you're newly qualified and had a break of say two years yes, you are going to need it. Even a year gap after getting your card is arguably... going to need refreshing.

It is quite subjective, some people just forget all they have learned, some just need a tune-up
It will almost be a year; I still have the book (as in textbook). Eh, I don't mind a refresher. I do mind not having resources, though.

I PMd you at the time you wrote this and offered you a free Scuba Review if you were going to be 'in kampong' when I was. Perhaps you never received it...

That said, I'm going to write a crit of visiting Tioman in August...

Post by **nakatago** » Mon, 22 Aug 2011 5:40 pm

JR8 wrote:
nakatago wrote:
JR8 wrote:If you're newly qualified and had a break of say two years yes, you are going to need it. Even a year gap after getting your card is arguably... going to need refreshing.

It is quite subjective, some people just forget all they have learned, some just need a tune-up
It will almost be a year; I still have the book (as in textbook). Eh, I don't mind a refresher. I do mind not having resources, though.

I PMd you at the time you wrote this and offered you a free Scuba Review if you were going to be 'in kampong' when I was. Perhaps you never received it...

That said, I'm going to write a crit of visiting Tioman in August...

Probably. Well, it's moot now since my resources are currently tied up. Next time, with sufficient notice.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Mon, 22 Aug 2011 5:53 pm

ecureilx wrote:
nakatago wrote:
Seriously, a weekend in Peurto Galera or Peurto Princesca would have been cheaper, right ?? Just curious - what made you head up to Tioman to Certify ??

Sorry, seems like I missed some posts in this thread.

I don't know what it costs to dive in the Peens, but in Tioman you're looking at RM50 a night for a perfectly adequate clean and comfy room, and then RM80 a dive (based on doing 5+ dives).

The way I look at it is that you can either go by ferry, Leave SG on a Friday pm, overnight in Mersing. Take the first ferry over at around 7am and all being well do two dives on Saturday and maybe another on Sunday morning before heading back. A lot of people do that.

That said, I do not consider that a recipe for a relaxing weekend and so am happy to pay to fly up there.

Why did I choose Tioman for my DM? Good question. I flew from Europe especially after all. I think it was because I'd gone through around 50% of the DM course before with a shop in London, which then out of the blue went bankrupt. More to the point I think that gave me an insight into the kind of people that I would rather not have trained with. The DM (or any Pro course) is not just book-based, you are taking on a philosophy and your instructor is also a personal mentor. So personal dynamics are important. I think that was why I chose Tioman over other places I've dived a lot.... I liked who I was working with.

Something I wanted to add though. I have previously raved about Tioman, and I have also found it hard to understand why some people complain that the conditions there are not good. But I have to say that the conditions there in August are not what would be generally accepted as great. Dunno. Maybe this is the first time I've visited in August.

Some of the more local sites in Tekek bay always have very variable and changeable vis. But from prior experience if you get out to the islands (Tulai, Chebeh etc) it is superb. This time I was rather taken aback that the vis anywhere was rarely above 10m. On the flip side this is meant to be the time you can see whale sharks and mantas.

What was also quite a shocker was the amount of French people there. Really, I've never seen that before. I suppose it must be because being August France shuts down for holidays, plus Air Asia has started a Paris<>KL flight? The place I dive is going full-throttle if it has 15 divers a day. Last week there were days when c.12 of these were French.

Tekek beach is memorable for being deserted. The French come back from a day diving and then sunbathe lol!? They also do gymnastics on the beach to tone their bodies, and do that thing like er, standing up sunbathing. Very alien to rufty-tufty Brit divers!

Someone went down to the airport to book a flight to KL and was told there were no seats for 11 days (they fly to KL twice a day).

As much as I love the place. I'm thinking August is perhaps not the best time of year for most people to visit.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Mon, 22 Aug 2011 7:02 pm

nakatago wrote:
JR8 wrote: I PMd you at the time you wrote this and offered you a free Scuba Review if you were going to be 'in kampong' when I was. Perhaps you never received it...

Probably. Well, it's moot now since my resources are currently tied up. Next time, with sufficient notice.

Sure just let me know what time suits and I'll fly over especially.

Kvvok · Post by **Kvvok** » Fri, 02 Sep 2011 1:24 pm

I have a trip planned to Phuket in October, any must see dive spots I should check out?

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Fri, 02 Sep 2011 3:29 pm

Most of the diving seems to be out of Chalong on the east coast, on the islands between Phuket and Ko Phi Phi.

I'd recommend 'Diving South Asia' published by Footprint for listings of specific sites that will be to your liking

temy.wijaya · Post by **temy.wijaya** » Sun, 11 Sep 2011 9:57 pm

Have you been to Bunaken - Indonesia for diving?
I'm planning to go there next year.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Sun, 11 Sep 2011 11:56 pm

temy.wijaya wrote:Have you been to Bunaken - Indonesia for diving?
I'm planning to go there next year.

Yes, just last month in fact. My advice, don't bother!

I'd say if you're an able diver and done the usual places then go to Sipidan. If you're at a point where wall-diving no longer raises your pulse then go to Lembeh Straits for the critter-diving. Both in their own way are absolutely world class and knock the spots off Bunaken.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:37 pm

Marina Bay Sands.

Looks like a bit of novel oar-gmentation there

. Was wondering if it was a Scubapro Jetfin they've bolted on the end... but I'm not convinced!

Post by **nakatago** » Mon, 26 Sep 2011 8:54 am

How kitschy.

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