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| Me and Zaide...behind is Black Pearl LOB |
It has been
an incredible year for diving…I have now been transformed from a novice to an
experienced diver…it was a very satisfying year for diving. Now I am hooked on
diving and can appreciate why some divers go to many far and remote sites just
looking for one special thing. Satisfaction...pure satisfaction...puas hati tengok dengan mata sendiri...Along the way I also got myself hooked in
underwater photography and videography. I have captured some beautiful photos
and videos and now make a point to capture as many beautiful underwater creatures and sceneries…before they are gone forever….
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| At Gili Air, Lombok |
At the
final count, I logged in 35 dives this year and to date I have logged in a total of 51
dives. Quite impressive ehh!!! Despite my hectic work schedules and family
commitment, I managed to squeeze in the time for this enriching and satisfying experience.
Starting in Gili Air in February, Tioman (Jun), Perhentian (Jun),
Mataking/Sipadan (Oct), Sibuan (Nov) and finally in Krabi in December. What a year!!! Along the way I met new
friends whose friendship had also enriched me further as a diver. By now I have
done boat dive, shore dive, giant leap and live abroad; practically all diving styles…various
depths, visibility, groups etc.
Even though I was certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver in September 2012, my diving skills
only improved in 2013 after my dives in Lombok and Tioman. I managed to master the buoyancy skill....one of the most important skills in diving. Now my buoyancy and breathing have improved so
much that even my instructor Linn is very impressed with me....lega, sekarang tak payah lari dari Linn lagi...hihi. Along the way I
have accumulated a complete diving gears and a set of underwater camera. I got
myself an Aqualung regulator and a Zeagle BCD.
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| Zeagle BCD |
Even though they are not the
most expensive items but they are really good especially the BCD. Thanks Man BD
and Linn for your recommendation!!! I also bought a Canon G1X compact camera and
the underwater housing, however the camera unfortunately cannot do macro
photography but is excellent in taking photos and videos. I shot this video when I was diving in Sibuan in Nov. A Beautiful Day In Sibuan I wanted to do macro photography but need to get a new camera...maybe this time round I have to consider something better...how about a DSLR???
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| Orange Divers |
I also
started a dive group in TM. We are called Orange Divers. With the help from
Roznee, we managed to get five guys from TM to get the OWD in September 2013.
Congratulations to Jamal, Bashir, Diana, Hasrie and Safuan. Next March; Asmadi,
Zaidi and Hamidon will go for their certification. These guys will also be trained by the Urban Island Divers
(UID) instructors. I hope more TM guys will join this group.
Man BD and
Linn are the soul of UID whilst Man Kecik, Jimi and Kamil are the ones who
manage the
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| Frog fish in Sibuan |
base…. I am very comfortable with all of them. Apart from being friendly,
they really look after your safety and comfort. They are not imposing but
always teach us by sharing their knowledge. That’s why I like them. I learned a
lot that way…(I hate those who are very strict on the rules and always raised their
voice just because they know a bit more)…
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| Mataking Buddies |
Of all the
dive sites that I have been to, Sipadan is the best followed by Gili Air, Sibuan and Mataking…the rest are okay but Krabi local islands is not recommended. What sadden me is the fact that I am seeing the corals and fishes
dying due to many factors but the biggest are due to global warming and human
irresponsible activities. I don’t know how long the corals will last but I want
to see them with my own eyes; photograph and video the marine lives before they
are gone forever.
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| The Baldies |
On the
diving trip, my usual dive buddies are Man BD, Linn, Roznee, Shahrina, Anne and
Ejoi. Others are Effi, Khalili and Min. Since all of us are also certified at UID making us “click” well with each other easily. I am more relax when diving with my
buddies and love to dive with them whenever possible. We look after each other
during the dive … sometimes I was left behind by the group when I started shooting video (I have to focus on the camera screen maa..),
but Ejoi or Shahrina will normally stay close to me…
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| Divers at Sha's wedding |
However
the single ones are getting married one by one and soon I will have to find new
buddies to dive with me. The two dive buddies that know me well underwater are
Shahrina and Ejoi but Shahrina has just recently got married. I think the
Mataking/Sipadan trip last October will be her last dive trip before the next
one, if any. Thank you Sha for being a good buddy.
I have
planned a few dive trips in 2014 beginning with Perhentian in March (check out
dive for 2014) to be followed by Komodo in April. I have also promised the Orange
Divers gang to dive with them in Tioman sometime in May or June. We have yet to
set the date.
Till the
next blog….good bye 2013…a very fulfilling, enriching and memorable year.
Lastly, I would like to thank my wife for being very “supportive” on my newly
acquired hobby…. Thank you
darling….
Bye for now....
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