IYOR-LAH!

International Year Of The Reef 2008

It’s the International Year Of the Reef this year (IYOR 2008). What does this mean to divers? A lot for some, nothing for others; so we should know what the non-diving general public would think of it.

If you ask me to tell you about our coral reefs, I wouldn’t be able to tell you much; seriously speaking, I know our coral reefs are important to the marine ecosystem, but if you ask me the difference between a Staghorn Coral and a Fire Coral, I would only be able to tell you should I accidentally graze against either, the latter would give me a nasty sting – real nasty.

Rush hour traffic at Teluk Kerma, Perhentian Kecil

The reef is important. This is where marine life seek refuge from predators. Reef fish and mollusks feed up to 40 million people a year. Coral are also important in controlling the amount of carbon dioxide in the ocean water as coral polyps turn carbon dioxide in the water into limestone shells. Without this process, the level of carbon dioxide in the water would rise dramatically and would affect all living things on Earth.

Rush hour traffic at Tukun Laut, Perhentian

It also acts as a barrier between our coasts and the harsh tidal conditions, strong currents and waves. And of course, healthy reefs bring in the tourism dollars. You may find it funny but most Americans I have dived with like to watch the Clownfishes, in particular the False-Clown Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) – otherwise more commonly known as ‘Nemo’ after the character in the movie of the same name. Why is this so? Because there are no clownfishes in the Carribean, where Americans flock during the summer.

Clownfish at Tukun Laut, Perhentian

For those divers who dive with me often, stop laughing over this post, okay? Let me sound mellow once in a while. I know I normally dive in depths where not a single coral exists; but I’m just trying to do my part here for IYOR 2008.

:p

Me and Sphyraena barracuda at Terumbu Tiga, Perhentian

Before The Next Season Starts…

Well, I can’t wait to get back underwater. So before I go back to my favourite realm, I just want to take a trip down memory lane:

Safety stop at the Vietnamese Wreck - March 2005
Performing safety stop with Nizar and Mior at the Vietnamese Wreck, Perhentian – March 2005

My first underwater shot
This was my first underwater shot using my (then) newly-purchased Nikon Coolpix 4200, Redang – May 2005

PD's best viz
This was Port Dickson at its best – a dive off Blue Lagoon – June 2005

Tukun Laut - Perhentian
This was taken by Andy Lim at Tukun Laut, Perhentian in July 2005. Still one of the best trips ever.

Long Beach, Tulai
This was taken during surface interval at Pasir Panjang, Pulau Tulai – September 2005

Hana and Iqa during night dive at Labas
Exactly a week later, I took my daughters Hana and Iqa to Tioman and they did their first night dive at Pulau Labas – September 2005

Little guy
2 weeks later I was back in Tioman to photograph this little guy – October 2005

Prepping the YBOD
2 weeks after that, I was back in Tioman, seen here prepping the YBOD (Yellow Box Of Death) for a dive – October 2005

Syed and I
A month later, Syed and I were doing work underwater during a dive trip to Pulau Jarak on the Kaleebso – November 2005

Lionfish at Lipe
Two months later, I was diving Koh Lipe in Thailand – January 2006

Monsoon still in Tioman
A month later, I went back to Tioman during the monsoon. And the usual 1 hour boat ride became 3.5 hours instead – February 2006

Little guy at Vietnamese Wreck
2 weeks later I was back in Perhentian and shot this little guy near the Vietnamese Wreck – March 2006

Kuala Besut jetty
2 weeks later I went back to Perhentian – April 2006

Deploying artificial reef
2 weeks after Perhentian, I was deploying artificial reefs in Tioman – April 2006

Gee and I
A week later, we (including Gee) were back in Tioman to complete the deployment – May 2006

Critter at Sugar Wreck
And a week after Tioman, I was back in Perhentian and took this pic at the Sugar Wreck – May 2006

Gee at Aquaria
Three weeks later, Nizar, Gee and I dived at the Aquaria. This is Gee feeling cold – May 2006

Turtle at Chebeh
5 days later I was back underwater in Tioman – May 2006

Me on Bali Hai's dive boat
Two weeks later I was back in Tioman for a technical diving dive trip – June 2006

Nembrotha kurbayana at Labas
Two weeks later I was on the Wavebreaker and took this pic of the Nembrotha kubaryana feeding on a sea squirt at Labas – July 2006

Me by the rudder of the Sugar Wreck
The next month I was in Perhentian experiencing the best visibility ever – August 2006

At Pinnacle One, Aur
A month later I was back on the Wavebreaker headed for Pulau Aur – September 2006

Me at Teluk Panglima Abu
12 days later I was in Perhentian before the season ended – September 2006

Monsoon diving at TRD
Two months later, we forced a dive center in Tioman to open up for us because we wanted to do some monsoon diving – and it was stormy but still good – November 2006

Me doing a video shot of the Tengkolok
Two weeks later, in the middle of the monsoon, I was at Pulau Bidong doing video shots of the underwater gallery – November 2006

Prep
Two months later we were missing the sea water again, so a group of us went to dive Port Dickson again – January 2007

Me, Peter and Syed on the kaleebso
A month later, we went on Kaleebso’s penultimate trip to Pulau Jarak – February 2007

Underwear at D'Lagoon
A month later, monsoon was still in full force but the four of us returned to Perhentian. There was a lot of rubbish underwater and I got this nice photo of a floating underwear – March 2007

Chew Sun, Ina, Me and Gee
Two weeks later, Gee and I went to Perhentian for 5 days and were joined by Nafi and Ina and the rest of the gang towards the end of the trip – March 2007

Moray
A month and a half later I was back in Perhentian – May 2007

At Sawasdee Wreck
3 weeks later, I went back to Tioman to do several technical dives – May 2007

Gee and I exploring wrecks
2 weeks later, Gee and I were in Bidong exploring wrecks – June 2007

Secret Reef
I went for a dive trip with Deepblu in July but do not have any photos taken except for this one of my 200th dive (which really was my 483rd)

Me and the flag
A month later, I went back to Perhentian with Trisha, Kurt and Bakawali. Bakawali took this pic of me and the Malaysian flag at the Sugar Wreck – August 2007

Holding hands in Kuala Terengganu
Early September 2007 I went to Perhentian with someone.

Perhentian again
Followed by another trip with another someone a week later – September 2007

Redang
A week after that, I was in Redang with the guys – September 2007\

On the way to Perhentian
On the second day of Hari Raya Puasa, I was back in Perhentian – October 2007

Chevrons
A month later I was in Sipadan. I went very happily, but came back a sad person – November 2007

Seahorse at Pulau Sembilan
And this was the first seahorse I saw on the trip to Pulau Sembilan on board the Kaleebso. A very sad trip indeed, a closure for everything and for the year – December 2007

Underwater 2008

Jim (bottom), Me (center) and Kudinne (top) doing decompression stop
Jim (bottom), Me (center), and Kudinne (top) doing decompression stop

In two weeks time, I’ll be diving again. I just can’t wait to get back underwater.

I have two trips slated for February to Tioman with the usual group. Then come March, it would be time to hit Perhentian and Sipadan again. My first technical dive trip should be in April, followed by the (postponed) trip to Bunaken, Lembeh and Walea in May. June would probably take me to Sipadan again. June would also see me going to Tioman for another technical dive trip as well as for Tioman Mega Dive, as July would. August, of course would be Perhentian again. September – fasting month: REDANG!! October to Perhentian and one more technical diving, November to Tioman and Sipadan, and December to Pulau Sembilan and Payar.

Time to go deeper than usual.

I Would Rather Do It My Way Than To Do It Right

Do It Right.

A phraseword that has become the code of conduct for divers of the Global Underwater Explorers (GUE): a group, and now a diving agency, born from the need to streamline and standardize equipments for underwater cave exploration, promoting the Do It Right (DIR) way of doing things. They swear by the standards that GUE is promoting that they look at divers who are not DIR as DIW (Do It Wrong).

There is a hot topic on that on the forum now. I have been involved in technical diving since the third quarter of 2005. I find that DIR requires lots of redundancies and skills that are overkills, and would only suit a certain kind of diving – cave exploration or deep wreck penetration, for example.

ALL dive agencies have good standards for teaching and promoting dive safety. It is how the instructors convey the lessons, and the students’ comprehension that makes the difference. A good diver is determined by his/her dive experiences. A diver who dives in Sipadan 1,000 times in good visibility is no better than a diver who has 50 dives but dives in very low visibility conditions like in Port Dickson or Pulau Sembilan on a bad day. Equipment brand does not make one a good diver either: there are lots of divers in Sabah who dive using home-made equipment and can dive far better than a Course Director even.

So for you new divers, or those who plan to take up diving soon, do not be conned into being trained by certain agencies, or conned into believing that an ex-commando dive instructor would make the best instructor (commandos are BAD divers – trust me!), or conned by your instructor into buying equipment the moment you complete your open water course: DON’T!

You get more dives, and ask to borrow different equipments from friends…see what you like, try them out – then only you decide. Don’t waste thousands of Ringgit and at the end, you don’t quite like what you’ve bought.

I Do It My Way!

Nudibranch Mail

That’s the term I would give. Snail mail is the term for the slow normal land-based mail. Nudibranch is a type of sea slug, a relative of the land snails.

I posted this card at Malaysia’s only underwater post office at Mataking Island on the penultimate day of the Celebes Safari 2007 back in November 2007 (Saturday – 24th November 2007). I received the card on the 22nd January 2008. Almost 2 months later.

Front of the card
The front of the card depicts a Pygmy Seahorse, common to the Tun Sakaran Dandai Marine Park

The postage stamp and post office stamp
The postage stamp and post office stamp

What I wrote
The message I wrote at the back

At least it arrived – although frankly I had lost hope

Hi SeaDemon

I received this private message two days ago (but only read it yesterday):

Hi SeaDemon
« Sent to: SeaDemon on: January 18, 2008, 03:14:28 PM »

——————————————————————————–
I just want to let u know that I like reading your postings in forum. You can be very factual, witty, funny n sometimes naughty as well. Really a unique character. No wonder they call u ‘The Forum Legend’. Keep up the good work! I’m your fan.

SeaDemon is a character that is very much like me in real life, only that SeaDemon can be more harsh than the real person. I get a lot of PM’s and E-mails like this one. So much so people often wondered if there was a SeaDemon Fan Club during the last MIDE (Malaysian International Dive Exhibition) because people would be asking for me wanting to take photos with me. One is now an avid reader of this blog but has yet to leave any comments. Many read this blog silently.

When it comes to diving, I can be a disciplinarian (I never was until I took up technical diving, because if you get complacent, you die). In the forum, I can be very witty, giving smart remarks; but if you get cocky with me, you get double the dose back. When I whack, I whack without fear, and definitely without favour.

If you don’t have discipline, then diving is NOT for you.

Kemaman Update

Stormy seas

I have just received a weather advisory. The outlook is NOT good.

Even Snafu, a seasoned commercial diver, is now back in KL after just over a week of doing his job. The sea condition makes commercial work, let alone recreational diving, next to impossible.

Here’s the weather advisory I received:

THIRD CATEGORY WARNING
WARNING ON STRONG WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS

WARNING ON STRONG WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS (THIRD CATEGORY)
(Updated on 30 Dec 2007 at 2.45 pm)

The strong northeasterly winds of 60-70 kmph and rough seas with waves up to 5.5 metres are expected to occur over the coastal waters off Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, East Johor and Sarawak from 2 January 2008 and expected to persist until 5 January 2008.

This condition of strong winds and rough seas is dangerous to all coastal and shipping activities including shipping, ferry services and oil rigs activities.

WARNING ON STRONG WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS (SECOND CATEGORY)
(Updated on 30 Dec 2007 at 2.45 pm)

The strong northeasterly winds of 50-60 kmph and rough seas with waves up to 4.5 metres over the coastal waters off Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, East Johor and Sarawak are expected to persist until 1 January 2008.

This condition of strong winds and rough seas is dangerous to all coastal and shipping activities including shipping and ferry services.

WARNING ON STRONG WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS (FIRST CATEGORY)
(Updated on 27 Dec 2007 at 4.13 pm)

The strong northeasterly winds of 40-50 kmph and rough seas with waves up to 4.5 metres over the coastal waters off FT. Labuan, Kudat and West Sabah are expected to persist until 5 January 2008.

This condition of strong winds and rough seas is dangerous to small crafts, recreational sea activities and sea sports.

Updated on 30 Dec 2007, 3.00 pm

I have advised the client to further postpone the job. He will in turn ask his client. If he says I have to dive, then I will have to dive, even alone, as I cannot risk the life of others, unless they volunteer.

Okay Divers

Okay divers. Let’s play a game. Here’s some simple mathematics for you since you will not be doing any diving until early next year (except commercial divers):

You are to do a technical dive. Your maximum depth is 100 meters. Your RMV/SAC is 17 liters per minute. Your bottom time is 25 minutes.

Using a PPO2 of 1.4 for travel and 1.6 for decompression:

1) Name me your travel gas and its mix

2) At what point (depth) do you switch to your bottom gas

3) What decompression gases would you use and at what depths?

4) If you are using AL80 tanks in a twin configuration for your travel gas, and in single tank confiuration for your bottom gas, calculate how many tanks will be required to travel, and how many tanks are required to sustain the diver for that 25 minute-bottom time.

More Over And Underwater Stuff

I slept the whole day. My breakfast tasted bland so I couldn’t finish it. By the time I woke up, I was so hungry I could eat an elephant. Then Adik called me up telling me that he would be meeting Deepblu at Rasta’s. He could pass me my tray and handle for my underwater casing. I took Farhan to the clinic first, he was having a temperature of about 39.1C. Sent him home and off I went…body still aching, temperature still…still drowsy from the cough mixture I took at 4pm.

Just as I got into the jam past the toll house, my phone rang and it was Din asking me if I would be free next week for a job at the Kemaman Supply Base, to do some underwater cutting of metal rods. I said okay so he’s asked me to call back on Tuesday. The job is for a duration of 3 weeks, but I don’t think I can stay that long.

At Rasta’s, Adik had Spaghetti Bolognaise and a burger. I ordered a chicken chop as well as a burger, being famished. I went for the chicken chop first, and the same thing happened like last night’s Wasabi…I couldn’t taste a single thing. Same goes for the burger…juicy with mushrooms…and it tasted like paper.

Just my luck. Anyway, managed to order a connector for the arm for the video light while I was there.

It was drizzling when I drove back, and this song played on the radio:

Lessons In Life – Out Of Their Depth

Me at Batu Nisan

I was reading this article posted by someone on the divers’ forum about a divemaster who took two inexperienced divers down to a wreck that has a maximum depth of 50 meters. The divers, Gerry and Anne, had 14 and 11 open water dives respectively, making them very green in the world of diving. The divemaster, in his brief, reminded the two not to go deeper than 45 meters, 15 meters deeper than the normal recreational diving depth. Both Gerry and Anne had never gone deeper than 24 meters.

10 minutes into the dive, Gerry found himself alone on the deck of the wreck. Anne was missing. Then he saw the divemaster above him who gave him a thumbs-up signal (in diving, thumbs up means “ascend”). Gerry thought to himself, “Good. He wants me to stay put.” Before he knew it, in an obvious panic, the divemaster had inflated his Buoyancy Compensator Device (BDC) and Gerry found himself in an uncontrolled ascent, going faster as he went higher as the volume of air in his BCD expands.

Gerry was sent to a nearby recompression chamber for treatment of suspected air embolism or Decompression Sickness (DCS). Anne, however, was never found until today.

First and foremost, what was the divemaster thinking taking recreational divers to depths beyond their training limit? Gerry was obviously having severe narcosis as he had misunderstood the “ascend” signal altogether. Never ever inflate your BCD on your way up unless you want a fast ticket to hell.

Recreational divers are limited to 30 meters for obvious reasons. It would be the “safest” depth for divers to go without requiring any decompression stops – meaning only a normal safety stop at 5 meters for 3 minutes is sufficient (although I would normally perform deep stops to make “off-gassing” of the residual nitrogen bubbles in my bloodstream more efficient). Being in technical diving requires me to be a self-sufficient diver – being able to dive alone: I have to calculate, plan and manage my gas consumption as well as my decompression stops. I would have been trained on narcosis management.

Even then, when in Sipadan, I informed the divemasters that I would be going alone, and deep. So I stayed between 40 to 50 meters, taking photos of the divers above me, and was hoping to bump into a school of Hammerhead Sharks (though none were seen throughout the trip), monitoring my air consumption every 10 minutes, and also my no-decompression limit. I also kept my mind busy to manage my narcosis level. Still, I did not ascend quick enough to avoid going into decompression dive mode, and had to perform deep decompression stops, staying longer above the 12-meter level. Still, during one dive, Kapal Selam followed me without my knowing, down to 40 meters. I had to guide him throughout the decompression process. Luckily it was the last dive of the second day then.

Going back to the stry of Gerry and Anne, although they are new, they are qualified divers and should plan their own dives. Many divers take for granted the requirement to plan their own dives, instead putting total trust on their divemasters. Be a thinking diver and use your common sense. never go beyond the limitations of your training.

Everything is safe to do until you decide to push the envelope.