Things never slow down at Deep Blue Scuba. Not even closing Christmas and New Year holidays when everyone is going wild hunting down gifts, preparing the family feast, or simply drinking themselves silly. At least when Ricky Koh the ‘Slave Driver’ is running the show, the Deep Blue crew should never expect to slack off.

Now that weekly trips to Tioman and Pulau Aur have come to a close, the crew geared up for a different agenda. It was time to put their rescue, briefing and navigation skills to the test, again.

Divers took turns to play the role of a victim and rescuer. While it was a simulated situation, all divers gave it their best shot.

Under the watchful eyes of five instructors, the rescuer had to gear up on the beach, swim out to sea, search for the unconscious victim under water, tow the victim back to shore and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The need to systematically execute each step while keeping to the shortest time possible added to the pressure.

Accidents can happen to anyone anywhere. Each Deep Blue Scuba crew must therefore be able to perform the entire rescue operation independently. A couple of our female crew demonstrated true commitment as they rescued victims who were at least 20 per cent heavier than they were! As Pierre Chew, one of the instructors, often say: “in real life, you cannot choose your victim.”

Besides refreshing their rescue skills, the divers had to exhibit good navigation skills and give comprehensive – and yet interesting – dive briefings.

This year-end assessment also marked the completion of Dive Master training for a selected few – Mathias, Sharm, Pauline and Alex. Congratulations!

#1   It’s the best place to master underwater photography.

#2   You can try the dry-diving, the newest sport to hit Asia by storm.

#3   You get to see whale sharks, dugong, manta rays, etc.

(advice: get a better photographer.  we tried to tell him to take the whale shark but he was too dense)

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#4   The dive centre offers excellent spa services too.  Hair revival treatment: RM 150

#5   You get to see the resort’s resident squirrel do 50 push ups at a go

#6   Racial tension is not tolerated - all differences can be settled in a camel fight.

But most of all, you get excellent company.

- Coral Redang, 18-21 September 2009 -

Eighteen divers gathered on 9 August 2009 at 22:22 hrs on the wooden platform at Cocotino resort and proudly recited the Singapore pledge.  Although physically in Manado Indonesia, their hearts beat to the same national day classic ‘We are Singapore’ playing at the National Day Parade back home.

This was just one of many highlights over the six day trip.  Hear what some of the divers have to say:

“It’s my first dive with Deep Blue.  Got to know this great bunch of fun loving company.  Hope to have more future trips together!” - Jasmine

“It’s always so enjoyable diving with Deep Blue that makes the trip so unforgetable. Though I missed seeing many interesting creatures, it was still fun because the company is great!” - David Ng

“Lovely place, great service, wonderful sightings, AWESOME trip all in all!  Will definitely be back for the Dugong!” - Cliff and Charmaine

“Manado is my first overseas trip and I’m so glad that I came here!  Fantastic trip, seen many marine life that I never thought existed! Excellent dives, dive guides, service, organisation and of course company!  It was simply amazing!” - Sharon

“Thank you for the great memories! Great services and amazing dives! One of the best ever! I’ll be back!” - Dahui

“It is always nice to be back to Manado.  Still my favourite dive sport.  Great crew, service and company!” - Pierre

“Good dive, good comfy stay.  Good dive crew and friends.  Fantastic place with amazing marine life.  Can’t bear to miss out.  And best of all, my surprise birthday celebration!” - Jane

“Excellent service, great staff, saw dugong! Extremely well organised resort” - Adriana and Victor

“Amazing dive sites, excellent service, wonderful entertainment, comfortable resort, great company! Only at Manado!  Dugong!” - Mathias

“I asked for a refund from Ricky because I didn’t see any ‘big’ things.  Then he decided to put on his dugong suit on the last dive!  Nice coral walls and dugong!” - David Chandra

“I enjoyed this trip alot.  Cocotinos and her staff created wonderful memories - excellent service, great diving, and super friendly staff - love this place!” - Wei Tiong

“Coconinos Manado! Great resort with great dive crew and service crew.  Saw many many mini marine life and dugong! Thanks Cocotinos and definitely looking forward to the opening at Lombok!” - Jieying

“Fantastic dives here in Manado, lots of marine creatures to see and dugong was the icing on the cake!  Fantastic trip!” - Tan Zu Wei

“Amazing trip here at Manado!  Cocotinos is a real beautiful resort with great service and friendly staff.  Great dives!” - Priscilla

“Ting ting ting!  Too many things to see! Best service ever, cosy resort, and as always, excellent company!  Nothing beats being a diver!” - Kelly

A whale shark paid a surprise visit to 16 divers on board M.V. Samudera Quest yesterday (30 May 09) during a surface interval along the channel between Pulau Aur and Pulau Dayang.

The group of Deep Blue Scuba divers has just completed their first morning dive when a boat crew spotted the shadow of a whale shark approaching. Within seconds, the three-meter whale shark swam right up to the stern, close enough for the boat crew to gently stroke its head. The divers immediately ran for their cameras and started shooting the friendly and graceful creature.

Kang-Su, an avid diver and underwater photographer with more than 150 dives in less than a year, could not let the opportunity passed. He jumped right into the water without a mask, just as the whale shark turned around, and captured a perfect shot of the full body.

“We saw a whale shark in Pulau Aur,” exclaimed Maddy and David “and it is just our 6^th dive!” Both of them were relatively new divers who were on their second dive trip to get the Advanced Open Water certification.

Besides an amazing encounter with the whale shark, the group was rewarded with two challenging dives at the majestic Tigara Wreck this morning. Tigara Wreck is a rare site – even to the experienced Deep Blue dive crew on board – because it is only accessible when they charter a boat. The massive sunken cargo tanker sits solemnly on the sea bed as schools of barracudas and other rich marine life surround it.

“This beautiful site is definitely worth visiting again,” shares YP, who is planning to organize another live-on-board trip to Tigara in the near future. Meanwhile, several of the 16 divers look forward to their next dive trip to Sipadan in July.

So… anyone preg after last week? Mayb it’s too early to tell.. HEhe..

So.. where are the photos U promised mr ricky koh?

Deep Blue Scuba celebrates the festive season with amazing dives in Maldives, reports Kelly Ng

If you were planning to get away from the crazy parties for a relaxing tropical Christmas, you are in for a huge disappointment. Those with a love for challenge will find themselves slapped with many folds of craziness, unleashed within a confined 38-meters dive boat.

22 happy divers on board Southern Cross

22 eager divers were warmly greeted at Male Maldives onto the lushly furnished 10-cabin MV Southern Cross, all looking forward to checking out the clear blue waters in South Male and South Ari Atoll. They were surely treated to 17 amazing dives over the course of six days.

Male has an array of diverse dive sites that promise to please a group of divers with different profiles. And it certainly did on this trip. The coral lovers indulged in a leisurely swim in the Coral Garden where the abundance of coral fishes, eels, and anemones simply took one’s breath away. The pelagic hunters were rewarded with an intense experience of being surrounded by a school of mature white-tip, black-tip and reef sharks.

School of yellow striped fish seeked shelter in a cave

We were trailed by a friendly napoleon wrasse which was screaming for attention and affection

The divers were unanimous when it came to the highlight of the trip. It had to be snorkeling with the whale shark – for majority of the group – for the first time! The boat paced up and down the channel anxiously for two full days as the dive masters kept watch for the faint shadow of a whale shark. Just as the group grew restless, a four-meter medium sized whale shark decided it was time to strut its stuff. Most of the divers never thought they would jump (without hesitation!) from the bow of the boat three meters down into the sea!

Divers were speechless and in awe as they watched the whale shark swam gracefully away

There was no snow or mistletoe but the divers were not shortchanged of a cheery Christmas. Far from that, many would not want to spend it any way and any where else! Imagine being swept off to a private island, savouring grilled meats over a grand long table lined with rose petals and tea candles, and basking under the moon light with the fire glowing in the background… That was Christmas in Male.

Our very own kungfu divers

Diving with Deep Blue Scuba is never complete unless you have found yourself suffering from stomach and facial cramp – generally more than once hourly – after laughing your head off at a thirty-second spontaneous stand-up comedy by one of the Deep Blue crew. At other times, the group kept themselves busy and entertained by taking hundreds of photographs (sometimes after smearing half a bar of bright red lip stick onto one another), learning synchronized dance moves to 80s music, filming the Asian adaptation of R.E.C. the movie, or sneaking a huge bunch of banana into someone’s cabin. The Maldives experience was enhanced by the excellent company of hyperactive, easily-tickled and over-the-top crazy divers; certainly not a trip for the faint-hearted.

Casualties from an afternoon of Dai Di (also known as the Big 2 Card Game)

Project AWARE Foundation announces Environmental Achievement Award Recipients 2008.

Project AWARE Foundation honors dive operators around the world who display commitment and excellence in their efforts to protect underwater environments within business operations and their community.

Project AWARE Foundation Chairman, Dr. Drew Richardson recognizes the importance of the scuba diving community taking its part in protection of global ecosystems. “The environmental Achievement Award is about rewarding vision, excellence and pursuit of conservation. More importantly, this award ensures the enjoyment of underwater environments for future generations,” states Richardson.

“Our awards recognise dive operators making a positive impact on local communities and the environment, as well as providing great dive holidays! The number of outstanding environmental programs taking place is inspiring,” said Joanna McNamara, Project AWARE Coordinator.

This year the Matava Resort enjoyed an eco renovation and received Fiji’s first AAA Green Star Accreditation for environmental sustainability. Holidaying here you will find the bures are powered by independent solar power systems and there’s even a full service organic farm which means the resort is self supplied with paw paws, lemons and lettuce to name but a few.

Making a commitment to the local community Sea Hounds, Singapore offer kids from low income families opportunities to experience snorkeling and scuba diving and learn about coral reefs, endangered species and threats to marine life. The program is offered in conjunction with Singapore Sports Council and Ministry of Education. The Crew at NZ Sea Adventure have advocated for the south coast marine reserve in Wellington, New Zealand. A no take area where fishing of any kind is prohibited the long term benefit to the marine environment will be significant.

Project AWARE funding kick started the Giant Clam Regeneration Project for Dive Tropex, Fiji. The giant clams have grown from 7cm to over 70cm in 8 years. Recognised unofficially by locals as a protected area plans are underway to see the Giant Clam site awarded marine park status.

Black Tip Diving, Thailand offer local children opportunities to swim, snorkel and dive! “It is a sad fact that although they live on the island most locals cannot swim, have a fear of the ocean and have never explored the most beautiful aspect of their home,” says General Manager Shalini Negi. Additionally Black Tip Diving certify their Thai dive staff at no cost so they can help spread the message of conservation.

The following Asia Pacific Environmental Achievement Award 2008 recipients operate in an environmentally responsible manner and demonstrate an outstanding commitment to conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action.

· Palm Beach Divers, Thailand

· Matava, Fiji Islands

· United Divers, Australia

· Sea Hounds, Singapore

· B & J Diving Centre, Malaysia

· Blacktip Diving, Thailand

· NZ Sea Adventures, New Zealand

· Undersea Explorer, Australia

· Dive Tropex Tokoriki, Fiji Islands

· Plunge Diving, Australia

· Malapascua-Exotic Island Dive Resort, Philippines

· Crystal Dive Resort, Thailand

· Kon-Tiki Thailand

· Deep Blue Scuba, Singapore

· Ocean Elements, Malaysia

· Remote Area Dive, Australia

· Dive Tutukaka, New Zealand

· Redcliffe Training Centre, Australia

· Big Blue Diving Store, Thailand

· Eco Scuba, Korea

· Subsurface Fiji, Fiji Islands

The number of amazing initiatives and actions implemented by the Project AWARE Environmental Achievement Award Winners is inspiring. Congratulations! For information on planning your own environmental project or becoming more environmentally sustainable contact Project AWARE. www.projectaware.org

Project AWARE Foundation, a registered nonprofit organization, works in direct partnership with divers and water enthusiasts to conserve underwater environments through education, advocacy and action.   To get involved in environmental activities and make a lasting difference visit www.projectaware.org

As divers we owe it to the earth (in particular the sea) to show some degree of concern over what a large proportion of the world is doing to harm our planet.

Every whaling season, fleets of Japanese and Canadian ships rake the Arctic and the Pacific  to harvest anything and everything from seals, to whales, sharks, turtles, sea cucumbers and many other living creatures that cannot defend themselves from the selfish might of man.

Ok, that’s happening far far away in icy oceans where none of us go to dive anyway, so how does it affect us divers, a small community passionate about soaking our skin in salt water and breathing compressed air?

Simple! If such acts continue, we’ll have no reason to dive anymore! The ecosystem was created so that one species was dependent on another… kill one, and another disappears. The marine ecosystem is structured in a way that one species is dependent on the other. Over hundreds of years, the number of predators and prey form a food pyramid that controlled each population. Killing seals causes explosions in fish populations and shrinkage in Killer Whales. In turn, the increase in the number of fish deplete micro organisms that bigger mammals like whales depend on… so you see.. its a vicious cycle. If this imbalance occurs in the Arctic, it will eventually spread to neighbouring ecosystems in the Pacific, then the South and eventually it’ll come home.

So how to passionate people put the foot to the pedal? They become activists!

Well, if you think that you’re an activist just because you point and yell when people eat Shark’s fins or throw plastic bags into the sea… you should see the work the Sea Shepard Conservation Society does on a yearly basis.

Lead by Captian Paul Watson, the Sea Shepard Conservation Society is all for the sea. Every year, they launch into multi-million-dollar anti-whaling operations against Japanese whailing vessels, hunting them from Tokyo all the way to the Artic, using offessive means to prevent such ships from spearing whales and carting them onboard their vessels.

They’ve been called terrorists, activitists, whale huggers amongst others… watch what they do… and ask yourself… are we really doing enough?

Go to www.seashepherd.org or watch their new series Whale Wars on YouTube

For a larger view of the articles, click on the images. =D

A very amateur attempt by me at dive videography with the Canon G9. Horrible white balance and ‘blair-witch’ moments which I can’t seem to cut out… it also gets abruptly cut at the end for some reason… Enjoy away! (let the music distract you from the bad videography k!)