Got my shot of a minute of fame on PADI Dive Stories Podcast, aired on 15 October 2021 to the world.
It's only less than 90 days to go before 2023 kicks in, and this is the time to start planning for 2023 dive season, and all the more because finally the boyfie decides to join me underwater..
Divemaster training aside, which I am still divided whether or not I should go for that in 2023, I have 3 diving trips in plan already, and looking out to add 1 more..
We will be spending a week traversing the southern Thailand islands and will eventually end up New Year's day in Phuket and planned for day of diving out there..
After that, we will head up to Redang for a couple of days by the beach, and one cannot let go of the opportunity to go diving!
It's Redang hellllloooooo~~
And lastly, he has also signed up for Open Water course which means I will be tagging along with him to Tioman to dive! And while he do his course, I will be away diving..
Why Tioman again?
Because there's plenty of dive sites there, and as it goes, the more you dive the same spot, the better you'll become, especially if they decided to go Labas - definitely a good choice if you have been through and under those huge rocks!
Can never get bored of Tioman la... and because I am such a regular at B&J, I know what to tell new divers what to expect :)
September has ended, so it's time to wake up!
With only 3 more months to the end of 2022, don't you think that time flies faster this year? Hmm.. And the more scary thing is, mid-life crisis is real bro, hitting 40s is no joke, but then again, despite age is catching up, I don't feel 40 (or soon-to-be-40)..
With borders open, I will be heading off to celebrate the New Year overseas, and yep you guessed it, I'll be going diving!! WOOHOO..
Despite only booked for 1 day of diving as we will be moving from town to town, island to island, that will not stop me from bringing along my diving equipment because familiarity means comfort.. since dearie boy have not been to any of these coastal towns, it should be an eye-opener for him haha..
It's good to get back into the waters after a hectic 3Q of the year..
Pardon my lack of writing because I've been so busy lately with work.. being shorthanded at work means I am doing the work of a few people.. and with a WIP list that stretches back to April...
Yah. I'm not kidding.
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, airplanes and even automobiles nearly irresistible because they're intriguing to explore, exciting avenues of discovery, and usually teeming with aquatic life.
The PADI Wreck Diver course teaches you the ins and outs of rewarding, responsible wreck diving.
The fun part of the PADI Wreck Diver course is visiting wrecks, unlocking mysteries and starting to gain the knowledge and experience that allows you to see things that others overlook. Sometimes, only the trained, experienced eye recognizes that a small hole or open door likely caused the vessel´s demise.
The not-so-fun part is the dangers of going inside wrecks. Hence trainings is very important here.
 |
| Random image |
You will learn techniques for diving exploring shipwrecks, and how to avoid common hazards, how to research and learn the background of your favorite wrecks, wreck scuba diving equipment considerations, considerations and techniques for entering intact wrecks.
The whole course involves planning, drawing sketches of the wreck, entering and exiting the wreck, how to pull reel line and retract it etc.
 |
| Random image |
I did my Wreck Diver and Deep Diver trainings at KM Sipadan, Tioman Island in February 2022.
 |
| The sinking of KM Sipadan in 2012 |
 |
| Penetrating KM Sipadan is from the stern where the opening is big, and passing through the hull before exiting at the front. It takes about 10 minutes to enter, navigate, pull the reel line to the front and then retract it and exit at the back. The hull itself is not really a straight line. Inside you pass through 2 door openings, navigate a right corridor before reaching the exit. |
I did have my moments inside the wreck when I was caught stuck at the 2nd door opening, something had me stuck and I had to wriggle and push my way through, kicking up a lot of silt and mud in the process, and dropping the visibility to zero.
Once through and after calming down, I signalled to my instructor behind me that I am u-turning and began to roll the reel line back.
Back on the boat, my instructor asked me what happened why was the visibility so bad suddenly. Then I told him what happened down there.
My take-away:
The latest addition, I took on the PADI Equipment Specialist course last weekend with Scuba Dobedo Divers in Cheras.
It being a dry course means no getting into the water and can be completed in the classroom means I can take up this course here in KL without the need to go to island.
The PADI Equipment Specialist course is quite simple and pretty straightforward whereby one learns to identify issues and how to fix minor faults, and also a simple introduction to gears and whatnots.
At Scuba Dobedo Divers, they went a mile beyond and actually letting students try hands-on to open up a regulator and put it back, test that its properly assembled using a pressure gauge.
It is a half day course and mostly theoretical.
 |
| This intermediate pressure gauge is used to test that the regulator is functioning properly. A stable reading between 8 to 10bar after 15 minutes is desirable. Above 10bar and you will have a free-flowing regulator, while below 8bar you will have a tough time breathing from it. |
 |
| Trying my hand taking apart a regulator |
 |
| After cleaning with ultrasonic solution, it's time to dry each part |
 |
| The moment of truth. Putting it on. If there's an explosion means an O-ring wasn't fitted correctly or something is not right with the assembly. |
 |
| Master Instructor Tom giving an explanation on scuba tank refill and how it's done. |
My take-away:
Dr Clement Apong
014-9529274apongcl@yahoo.comHyperbaric Dive DoctorKlinik Clement Wound Care Services
