Dive – Descend – Discover
Go Deeper
They say you never forget your first dive and in my case that’s true enough. Somewhere along the line I had a romantic notion of living a life as a Deep Sea Commercial Diver, so I signed on the line, jumped in my car and with a steely determination got myself to the nearest dive school.
‘Ever dived before?’ queried the grizzly, a middle aged sea dog sort who greeted me on the dive school jetty with a big smile.
‘Err…No’ I said, with the confidence of a kid taking on the world.
Within two minutes I was convinced I’d made a terrible mistake.
My neck seal was being held down with such force that it felt like my collarbones were going to snap. The double strap harness running down my front, between my legs and up my back was cutting me in half, the weighted jacket was like lifting a small car and I was convinced that my first dive was going to be a one way trip to the dark depths.
Then out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of it….the final part of the jigsaw, the diving hard hat was moving closer towards me, ready to be bolted into position by the grizzly.
It looked absolutely terrifying, hideous even, what sort of demented wacko designed this nasty looking thing? I pondered nervously. It was something that looked a little like a space man’s helmet from a distance, but when it edged nearer I could see it more closely resembled the iron mask that Louise XIV of France made his twin brother wear for all those years.
‘Bloody hell’! I thought to myself as I frantically devised ways of getting myself out of this predicament with all my street cred intact.
Too late! The diving hard hat was lifted into position and my head bumped and scraped along its edges until it finally came to rest on the top of the torturous neck seal. The air was on, free flowing away, hissing and spitting, giving the helmet an evil life of its own.
Bits of the grizzly moved back and forth in front of me, a hand here, a spanner there, a yank or two in both directions as I struggled to hear through the deafening noise, trying to picture in my minds eye the placement and movement of the bolts and rods that were being methodically secured into position, thus ensuring the all-important water tight seal.
‘Right then, jump down there and let’s see how you get on’ shouted the grizzly as he looked me in the eye through the half inch Perspex face plate of the iron mask.
What did he say? I said to myself as I glanced towards the area where he was motioning, did he say something about jumping down there, is he having a laugh or what? I thought as I started shaking.
We were standing 5 feet from the edge of the jetty and ‘down there’ lurked the ocean, it sat about 20 feet below, looking cold, dark and mean.
‘You are out of your mind-you’ve lost your marbles pal! I could do myself some serious damage doing that! Not to mention the fact that my collarbones are broken, I can’t see anything out of the Louise XIV dive mask, free flowing air is blowing my eye balls out, I’m carrying the weight of a small car around and I don’t know what’s down there?’ I wanted to scream it all out but the only thing I could muster was a feeble.
‘Right then,’ I said.
‘Remember to purge the carbon dioxide build up every ten minutes, turn the free flow up full blast, press the exhaust valve on the inside of your helmet with your head and flush the air through – see you in half an hour!’ explained the grizzly.
‘Right then’, I said even more feebly. Wait a minute, wasn’t carbon dioxide bad for your health and did the grizzly say purge or plunge? I pondered both points convinced my time was up.
I stumbled towards the edge of the jetty, propped up by the grizzly. Maybe this commercial diving game wasn’t as easy as I thought it was I said to myself – it had taken every ounce of my strength to get this far, all of 3 feet! How the hell where you supposed to do any work down there anyway? Welding, cleaning, cutting, repairing, inspections – could it really be done? For the life of me I couldn’t imagine.
There’s really one way to find out I decided, so with thoughts of Mum and hoping she knew I loved her I gave grizzly the thumbs up, looked down at the evil ocean and with a mighty heave, fell stylishly off the edge of the jetty to my doom…..
…. I’ve been diving ever since.
Dive Malaysia 2014
If you are already a diver or planning on making 2014 the year you become one Malaysia has everything you will ever need. Breath-taking coral reefs, an abundance of marine life, friendly people, fabulous beaches, picture postcard islands, great diving resorts, exceptional dive training, warm waters and terrific visibility.
In actual fact there is so much diving to do in Malaysia that it is impossible to satisfactorily illustrate and give credit to all the fantastic locations here. Instead I have opted for a cross section and selected four awesome dive sites that I believe offer something for everyone. Two are located on the east coast of the main peninsular and two on the Sabah Borneo peninsular – hoping that it gives you just a glimpse of the exceptional diving in Malaysia. Having said that check out the suggested ‘Great Diving Spots of Malaysia’ list at the end of the article.
Sabah Malaysian Borneo
Sipadan
One of the top dive sites in the world, as confirmed by perhaps the greatest underwater adventurer of them all Jacques Cousteau. Sipadan lies in the Sulawesi Sea just 5 degrees north of the equator, off the southeast coast of Sabah. The island is reached via the town of Semporna, about 45 minutes away by boat. Sipadan is thickly forested, home to a number of interesting birds and surrounded by sandy white beaches.
An oceanic island formed by corals growing on top of an extinct undersea volcano, Sipadan rises 600 metres up from the ocean floor. To say that the wall diving here is spectacular is an understatement,
Sipadan is in the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the richest marine habitat in the world, where more than 3000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified.
It is renowned for its unusually large number of green and hawksbill turtles coming to mate and nest, it is not unusual to see more than 20 turtles on a single dive. Residential schooling barracuda and big-eye trevally, which often gather in their thousands, create spectacular tornado-like formations, one of the highlights of every diver’s wish list. There is also the possibility of seeing pelagic species such as eagle rays, mantas, hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.
A unique feature at Sipadan is the ‘turtle tomb’, an underwater labyrinth of caves and tunnels that contain the skeletal remains of many turtles which became disoriented and drowned. The macro life at Sipadan is as amazing as the big fish, with garden eels, leaf scorpion fish, mantis shrimps, fire gobies and various pipefish guaranteed at certain dive sites. With its diversity and abundance of marine life, it is little wonder that Sipadan is acclaimed worldwide.
Since 2005, dive resorts that had been operating on Sipadan were closed to help conserve both marine and land eco-systems and divers are brought in by boat from resorts on nearby islands by dive operators. In 2009, Sabah Parks, which manages the island, opened attractive wooden facilities for day visitors.
Sabah Malaysian Borneo
Kota Kinabalu – Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park
Kota Kinabalu is blessed with a marine park right on its doorstep, the 5 islands making up the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park are only 10 minutes or so away by speedboat. This area is an ideal place for dive training and novice divers, the waters around each island being shallow, sheltered from strong winds and with virtually no currents. The diverse and sometimes rare marine creatures also make it an interesting dive spot for experienced divers and photographers.
The park consists of Pulau Gaya, Pulau Mamutik, Pulau Sapi, Pulau Manukan and Pulau Sulug.
A good variety of marine life can be spotted on the sandy seabed, including scorpion fish, blue-spotted rays, cuttlefish, mantis shrimps and the occasional green or hawksbill turtle. At some locations, rare creatures such as the harlequin ghost pipefish and mandarin fish may be found with the help of a dive guide.
From November to February, plankton blooms attract krill, which in turn attracts whale sharks, the world’s largest fish. At times, the density of the krill can be so thick that in such murky conditions, underwater encounters with these colossal creatures as they appear out of the gloom are unforgettable.
Peninsular Malaysia: East Coast
Pulau Redang
Pulau Redang, located 45km off the coast of Kuala Terengganu, is the largest of a group of nine protected islands dotting the South China Sea off the Terengganu coast. The island offers crystal clear waters and numerous dive sites for enthusiasts. Sheltered within the Pulau Redang Marine Park, the waters here are rich in marine life. At midday when sun rays penetrate the sea, brilliant hues of coral, anemones and fish can be seen.
The waters around Pulau Redang also contain two historic shipwrecks: The H.M.S. Prince of Wales and H.M.S. Repulse, which sank here at the start of World War II, setting the stage for the Japanese occupation of Malaya. This paradise island is perfect for scuba diving as well as snorkelling, swimming, jungle trekking, boating and canoeing.
Rather importantly no fishing is allowed within a 3.2km radius of the island as Pulau Redang is a protected marine park, the collecting of corals and other aquatic life is also prohibited.
Peninsular Malaysia: East Coast
Pulau Perhentian
The Perhentian Islands lie off the northeast corner of peninsular Malaysia just south of Thailand and have been attracting divers for years.
Its shallow sandy flats teem with rays, parrotfish and cuttlefish. The islands are part of the Pulau Redang Marine Park, which was established more than two decades ago to protect local sea turtle populations.
In addition to the turtles, you’ll find thick schools of jacks, mackerel, sharks and nudibranches.
Less than an hour on a boat from the east coast of Malaysia, the laid-back atmosphere and the natural beauty of the Perhentian islands immediately transport you to a different world, the white sand is dotted with sun-worshipping holiday makers.
The Perhentian Islands are actually two islands named Pulau Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian Island) and Pulau Perhentian Besar (Large Perhentian Island). The Malay name Perhentian is translated as “place to stop” and this is exactly what these two islands were for traders travelling between Malaysia and Bangkok in years gone by. These islands are still a gorgeous place to stop and rest, albeit for tourists disconnecting from the stress and routine of everyday life and not for weary seafaring traders.
The islands remain relatively untouched and the only permanent inhabitants live in a small fishing village on Perhentian Kecil. Apart from footpaths that cut through the jungle, there are no roads on the islands. The only way to get around is by walking through the jungle or taking a sea taxi. If you tread carefully, you may even encounter some of the islands’ shy wildlife on the way, such as monitor lizards, fruit bats, squirrels or even the elusive mouse deer.
Simple chalets and some moderately luxurious resorts line the picturesque beaches along with restaurants, dive centres and boat operators advertising their services with hand-painted signs.
White beaches, crystal clear water, superior scuba diving, untouched forests, a relaxed atmosphere and unspoiled charm, a little bit of all makes the Perhentian Islands the perfect place to stop and enjoy.
The stunning coral reefs in Malaysia will take your breath away – they are wonderful creations and an awesome sight to behold. From a strategic and fully supplied dive base at each location, Markscheffel will ensure that you, your friends or your family are taught, accompanied or guided comprehensively throughout the duration of any PADI course or Scuba Tour you choose.