I’m back…and am already suffering withdrawal symptoms. Bored, lethargic, sleepy etc. I wish I’m diving somewhere. 39 days of waiting and only 12 dives over 3 days. Not fair at all. Anyway, I’m thankful to be back, missed my children.
Basically, the trip was a wonderful trip (what dive trip isn’t if it ends well?). Thursday we went off to Tanjung Gemuk in Pahang via Senawang, Kuala Pilah, Muadzam Shah, Leban Chondong, and Kuala Rompin. We departed the jetty at Tanjung Gemuk at 2.30am. Our first destination was the Varella Wreck (a.k.a Gyoshin Maru), did two dives that I enjoyed immensely. Then we went to the Kuantan Wreck (a.k.a Nichi Asu Maru). Current was exceptionally strong. Nothing I have faced before. Well, maybe 10% more than that stupid dive at Soyak Wreck back in Feb 06. After several failed attempts, including the capsize of the tender, we managed to go down to the wreck. But currents were too strong for us to do anything. We managed to explore some 5% of the wreck before Holemaster decided it was too strong. So we aborted. At the line while doing our safety stop, we were literally like Superman except we had both hands on the line hanging on to dear life. We were afraid too, for friends like Massive Headwound, Atok, and Pian who went down while we were on our way up, because as they came up, it as dark, stormy, with bolts of lightning lighting up the pitch-black sky. Anyway, everyone made it on board after an elaborate rescue mission. The sad news was we lost the tender to the sea a couple of hours later.
The next day we did one dawn dive at Chebeh, off Tioman, before making it towards Tiger Reef for another dive. We thought of doing Batu Malang after, but the southern winds picked up causing the LOB and a few other LOBs and speedboats moored there to roll. So we moved to Kador Bay for the next dive. We attempted to do a night dive at Chebeh, but very strong currents made any diving there almost impossible. How did we know the current was strong below? Well, Holemaster and I were down there at 13 meters. So we went to Kador Bay again for the night dive before mooring above Roger Wreck at Salang.
We did Roger Wreck at 1.30am. A lively wreck during the day, it looked so spooky at night. But I enjoyed that dive, taking photos as usual. At 3.00am, I went to bed after a nice shower. The LOB moored off Paya for a while before making towards Pulau Jahat, off the south-western corner of Tioman. One morning dive there, and another dive at Tokong Bahara, which is an anemone garden like Hin Son at Koh Lipe.
We departed for Tanjung Gemuk at 2.30pm and arrived there around 6.00pm.
It was a good trip and I would like to do this trip again….and soon.
SeaDemon Says 