seeing we have quite a large diving crowd here...want to ask you guys, which dive shop wpuld you all recomend for basic open water course?
Thanks,
AT
Thanks,
AT
Sharpion said:you could try www.livingseas.com.sg, they have really skilled instructors and seriously focus on diving skills instead of just try to pass you. One of the few places that offer the GUE DIR Fundamentals course :thumbsup: Of course there is the standard PADI stuff for beginners (look for Raymond).
jsbn said:Hmm... Interesting. I'm looking forward to learning diving this year having only 'dived' in swimming pools, looking for something with more kick.
Thnx for the headsup on the show. Maybe can go and look-see.
Any admission fee involved?
HeWolf said:I totally second that: Safety is No 1
I did an emergency ascend due to faulty equipment provided by the operator.
Close shave! I must say.
When the air didn't get into my mouth smoothly as I suck, I almost wanted to instinctly remove the regulator from my mouth to breath. Luckily my cool told me that it's insane to do such thing in the deep water. So blew bubbles all the way to the surface. phew!!
for beginers, I strong suggest NOT to dive in local water (as a start). Not that there's nothing to see, but the visibility is so poor, that one would have to go very near to see things.
For a beginer, one would probably has too many things to fiddle: how to breath, how to fin, depth check, time check, orientation, buddy, etc.
So before these have become a diver's instinct, one probably won't enjoy much in local water.
Cheap and good would be islands along East Malaysia (Tioman, Aur, etc...). These locations almost become 'industrial standard'.
stonefish35 said:I must say, you are well trained. Able to think calmly and react well to this kind of life threatening event. :thumbsup:
But what happen to your spare regulator a.k.a octopus ? And your dive buddy ? And ain't we suppose to do a buddy check before hitting the water ?
stonefish35 said:With regards to learning to dive in local waters, those divers that i know who took up open water in spore, end up being one of the better trained divers.
We have this saying : If a diver is trained in Spore, then he/she can dive anywhere in the world :bsmilie:
HeWolf said:It's the 1st stage that was faulty, hence octopus won't help. even the meter on the console dipped (and bounced back thereafter) as I suck (very very hard).
Pre-dive check was ok, the equipment failed halfway thru the dive.
Buddy huh? :bsmilie: Being over confident, we only maintained 'visible' distance, not arms-length. I think we were helping different weaker divers swiming thru strong current when it happened.
My judgement THEN was that it would be faster and easier to hit the surface then to swim against the strong current for my buddy's octopus, especially when I was desparate for AIR then.
HeWolf said:I agreed with the saying, which I've heard from many operators.
And I believe our Navy divers are one of the best trained in the region, as their training ground is the milky, coffee-liked water at SBW base.
However, many beginers are just recreational, hence BEFORE one could become a good diver, one may just quit the hobby as there're less 'fun' factor as compare to the scenary where other places could offer.
Of course, those who persist, and obtained their skill in the local water, will find it so much easier and enjoyable when come to other clear waters.
stonefish35 said:Just as I had suspected 1st stage failure. That is really very rare for the 1st stage to fail halfway thru a dive. Care to share which resort/ dive centre was that ? :angry: .
Btw, you really can react well in an out of air situation, saluate you. I think you did a textbook example as to what to do in an out of air situation. Think can write to the dive agencies to include you as a case study for the new Edition of OW text :bsmilie:
HeWolf said:Just checked my Log:
Date: 2 Sep 2001
Location: Rayner's Rock, P. Aur
Operator: Scuba Connection (not sure still exist, after so long)
Wah lao I'm not so Wei2 Da4 to include this incident in the text book as case study. I'm just glad that I'm still living. :bsmilie:
It's all fated. I broke my personal gear (the valve on the BCD) on the previous dive. Hence just used the provided 'house-gear' that was assigned to a friend whom was a beginer (under-goning OW couse), as she was too tired to do that extra leisure dive.
Had she used that set for that particular dive .... I dare not think further. :embrass: