"I don't know why i always float up!"

Recently, I have had a few friends who recently took their open water course tell me that they had a runaway ascent scenario and asked me why that happens.

To set the record straight, a Runaway Ascent can be a very dangerous scenario! Decompression illnesses aside, you could easily be hit by a passing boat!

Once you realised you are in a runaway ascend, immediately do the following:
1. Flare out horizontally. Stretch out your limbs to create as much drag as possible to slow down your ascend.
2. Pull on your BCD dump valve. If your BCD has multiple dump valve, pull on the one nearer to your legs. Orientated yourself such that the dump valve is at the highest point of your BCD. Certain BCD designs (especially jacket type), requires you to manually squeeze out pockets of trap air in the BCD.
3. Adopting a head down / leg up position, try swimming down if possible, again to slow down your ascend.
4. Breath out. Take in only little slurps of breath but breath out more.
5. if you are near the bottom when that happens, try grabbing hold of rocks or other features. Do be careful of what you grab.

To answer their question on why they have run away ascends. From my experience, there are two main reasons why it happens, and both are related.

Reason one - Swimming Posture
Unknowingly to most beginners, they swim in the heads up posture. Which means that they are constantly swimming upwards at a slow rate.

According to Boyle's law, when you ascend, pressure decreases, the air in your BCD expands. This means that now you are more buoyant. The more buoyant you are, the more you float/ ascend. The cycle repeats.

Beginners don't usually realise this until they are very close to the surface.

The solution to this is to adopt a horizontal swimming posture. Not only will it prevent you from a runaway ascend, you will fin easier, expand less energy and diving becomes more enjoyable.


Reason two - Being over weighted
Being over weighted also means that you are more likely to adopt a heads up swimming posture, which increases the likelyhood of reason 1 happening.

Being over weighted means that you will need to have more air in your BCD to achieve neutral buoyancy at depth. With more air in your BCD, any change in depth/pressure will result in a larger change in buoyancy.

For example, assuming a normal diver needs only 0.5L of air in his BCD at 10m depth to maintain neutral buoyancy. Being 2kg over weighted means he needs roughly 2L of additional air in his BCD (bringing the total to 2.5L) to maintain neutrally buoyant. A change in depth to 5m for the normal diver would only cause the air to expand to 0.67L (or 0.17L more), but for the over weighted diver it would expand to 3.33L (or 0.83L more)! For the over weighted diver, the air has expanded around 5 times more than it would be for the normal diver. This means that the over weighted diver would be at a higher risk of run away ascend than a properly weighted diver.  

To solve this problem, get your instructor to ensure that you are properly weighted. There are many reasons why instructors will make a student over weighted in their first few dives, but leaving them totally over weighted without trying to teach them about proper weighting is absolutely unacceptable.  but that's another post for another time!

Till next time, Dive safe and dive fun!

New SMB and Torch

I have just upgraded my 1 year old Mares SMB to this 2m smb by saekodive! I highly recommend that every diver dives with an SMB (and use it at the end of your dive, of course!). 

By the way, think i've missed this out previously, but i got a UK SL3 torch quite a while back. uses 2x C-size battery, feels nice and sturdy. Best part is the the light is bright enough to use in the day so that i can use it to point out things to divers even in the day. 

Orh Jiao calling Orh Quey, come in. over. Pssstttzz.

I've been wanting to get the Nautilus Lifeline the moment it debuted in the market, especially when someone was showcasing it at ADEX.. But i was sick then and give it a missed.. I thought it would be good too, to give the product some time to mature and iron out all the issues and come up with a newer, better version..

However, the not-so-recent case of divers going missing of Tioman waters actually prompted me to get it soon. The issue with these safety devices is that it's always too late by the time you need them. So getting it sooner actually gives me better utility since I will get to use it sooner (and hopefully more often!)

By the way, if you are interested in how it works, head over to http://www.nautiluslifeline.com/
With the Nautilus Lifeline, even if you lose sight of the boat you still can communicate with them!

I gave it a try during my last dive trip. The diveboat, Tinggi Harapan, was monitoring channel 09. It worked straight away after setting the correct channel. The most useful purpose during the trip was when we used it to comms the boat from Aur, during their night dive, to find out their status. The dive boat was out of sight, but we could hear them loud and clear over the radio, and even chit chat with them. I guess this radio can serve as a land based station instead of just being an emergency device. No more wondering when the dive boat will be back if you didn't go out with them. Just give them a comms over the radio. How wonderful! hahah..

Keep Calm and Go Diving

This is an idea i've had for a while but finally got down to doing it. =)

Share and Spread!

Eh, what's the proper name for Flippers again?

Scubatrek finally delivered to me my Mew Safe Fins! Look at the name! Mew. Safe. I feel safer already. hahahah...

Eh dude, Where's North again?

I got myself a replacement compass! haha..

It's a Suunto sk7 dive compass, and i must say it feels sturdy and well built in my hands. I had another cheaper compass (less than half the price of the sk7) that works decently, but I was irritated by some issues. So much so that I gave it away to Charlene. =p I received my old compass in a brandless box, but i've seen sites only selling the Diverite compass that looks exactly like what I had. (see below)

My first compass

So, what i didn't like most about the first compass is that the bezel clicks are not on the mark. While cardinal bearings like 0, 90, 180, etc lines up perfectly, bearings like 30, 210 etc are either to the left or to the right of the center line. Each click is like 6.25 degress or something. The other issues were considered minor, for example, the side viewing window is too small even make out the numbers, or that the mount felt very boxy with pointy edges. Some people would complain that it won't work if not held horizontally, but that's not a problem with me, since i always hold my compass up horizontally when reading it.

Well, for the price i paid, I must say it's a cheap compass that does it's job. I don't even hesitate when i try to cut the excessively long end of the strap. Did I mention it even comes with a bungee/hose mount? Highly recommended for the price if you don't mind the look/off clicking bezel.

Then comes the Suunto Sk7 Compass. Each click of the bezel is 5 degrees precisely. The numbers are clear and easy to read, and the side window is large. It has smooth edges too. My only comment is that the profile is higher than the diverite compass, and that the strap is too long and i have no idea how to cut it. But overall a good compass.

Regardless of which compass you prefer, I need to say that it's always a good idea to dive with one. I have heard countless of stories of ppl getting lost and wishing they had their compass, I even had one experience in hantu where I was totally going the wrong direction and didn't realised until i surfaced to check. I have also heard many stories of people being grateful that they brought their compass along for their dive, if not they would be terribly lost. It could save your life, and it's not really that expensive (<$50 SGD). If you're regular customers of your dive centre and if you ask nicely i bet they could even loan it to you free.

Having said that, it's not enough just to have a compass with you. No equipment can replace the most important thing in diving; the diver. Learn how to use the compass, and learn it well. It's too late to figure out how to use that compass when you are lost. Practise using it often so that it's second nature. It doesn't take much to have a glismp at the compass and set your bearings before you descend.

So now, what are you waiting for? go diving and have some fun!

Line Cutter

My order from Divegearexpress.com just arrived in the mail yesterday! I ordered some other small accessories like bolt snaps and belt slides.. but the main item was this Hollis line cutter! haha.. (I also ordered a cam band, cuz my original order with northeastscuba only came with 1 cam band.. =.=)

Haven't found anything to test the knife with yet except paper, but so far it seems good! haha.. With that, my whole set of equipment is complete! (less compass, cuz i gave mine to charlene, and fins, which i'm still holding onto a set of gul super mew white fins waiting for scubatrek guys to replace with my gul mew safe)

So here's the complete list of equipment that i'm using:
1. Mask: Apollo Biometal Duo
2. Fins: Gul Mew Safe (still awaiting exchange from scuba trek)
3. Snorkel: Problue snorkel with purge valve
4. BCD: Oxycheq 30lb mach V wing, Oxycheq ultralight backplate, Oxycheq deluxe harness.
5. Regulator: ScubaPro MK2+ first stage, S600 Regulator, R295 secondary reg, and compact console
6. Visual signalling device: Mares 2m DSMB
7. Audible signalling device: Storm Whistle
8. Cutting device: Hollis titanium line cutter
9. Weight system: 2" webbing with metal clip
10. Watch/bottom timer: Swatch funscuba and Suunto D4i (of course i'll only be using one at any time.. =p)
11. Dive planner: PADI RDP and eRDP. D4i.
12. Camera: Canon S95 and WP-DC38
13. Gear Bag: Akona Dry duffle bag AKB720

Things that i'm looking for:
1. Compass: Probably getting oceanic or scubapro one.
2. Dive light: Any recommendation?
3. Wet notes and pencil.

=)

Under Construction

I created this graphic for Sg scuba's website, but I found it so nice that i'm going to put it up here too! hahah..

Dive Comp

I've finally gotten a Dive Comp as a present to myself!

I could go on and on about Dive Tables vs Dive comp, why i prefer dive tables over dive comp, but still got a comp anyway, etc etc.

But that's another post for another time!

Buoyancy Control

I do not claim to be an expert at buoyancy control, nor am i qualified to teach anyone, but believe I learnt quite a bit during my peak performance buoyancy course back in 2006.. So I'm here to share some of the things i've learnt!


Why Buoyancy Control?
Some of the reasons why buoyancy control is important:


1. Control your depth. I'm sure nobody wants to crash/land into corals and/or other divers below you. Neither do you want to exceed your depth unknowingly.


2. Enjoy your dive better. good buoyancy control means you don't have to keep focusing on maintaining your depth, which means you can relax more and enjoy looking at fishes or doing other things that divers normally do! (no, taking out your regulator to give to the fish is not a normal thing) 


3. Fin less. Finning is tiring! with good buoyancy control you don't have to be finning constantly to maintain your depth, trim or posture.


4. Better air consumption. Some say because you play with your inflator less so that you waste less air. I think more importantly, when you dive relax, you breath calm, slow and easy. When you fin less, you also breath less air. So you can stay underwater and play with the fishes longer!


5. Fine position control. control your position using only your breath so that you can get closer to interesting things without stirring up slit (from finning) or kicking into things




What to expect?
At a recreational level, it is important to recognize that having good buoyancy control does not mean you can do cool tricks like perfectly horizontal trim, helicopter turns and other stuff that the technical divers do. Having good buoyancy control means to me that you can control and maintain your depth (both rough and fine control) easily and almost effortlessly.


The limits of recreational gear configuration means that some of the things tech divers do will be very difficult for us recreational divers to achieve. For example, wearing a weight belt or integrated weights is the standard way of carrying weights for recreational divers. The position of such a weight system (usually around the waist or lower part of the body) usually results in a head's up position. A perfectly horizontal trim position while stationary is almost impossible in some cases. There is nothing wrong with it. 


And since you are reading this, I assume that you WANT to have better buoyancy control. The next thing is to actually focus on it while diving. A lot of divers go down expecting to do a lot of things like chasing after turtles, and sharks, searching for sunken treasure etc. But to have good buoyancy control, it is necessary to focus on it. At least initially until it becomes second nature. 


Tips for buoyancy control:


1. Proper weighting. 


The problem most new divers face is being overweighted. (I'm not saying you're fat!) It means you are carry more weight than you need! As a result you are in a constantly heads up position trying to fight a losing battle against gravity. 


Perform a weight check on the surface every time you change new equipment or have not been diving for a while. Being properly weighted means that you can float at eye level while holding a normal breath, on a empty BCD and near empty tank (50 bar). Of course, realistically it is often impractical to do at the start of a dive, so you can test with a full tank and add 2kg of weights to it. (The 2kg is according to the books, but my personal experience is that 1kg will do for 80cuft al tank.) You will start to sink when you start to breath out.


This step is extremely important!! It is the most fundamental and yet most often overlooked step. Less excess weight = less drag = improve performance for pt 2 below = better diver! =D


Note: Do not be pressured by other divers that are eager to get underwater. Taking the time to do this properly on the surface can greatly improve your diving experience! It's worth it! trust me! There's no need to feel embarrassed for fear of looking like a noob. I'm a noob too! 




2. Breath Control.


I find this the second most important skill. Try this. breath in and out normally, notice how much you are inhaling and exhaling. Then try to take a deep breath, in and out. Notice how much more you are inhaling and exhaling. Next, try taking an even deeper breath. Inhale and exhale more. Now exhale even more. Inhale till your limit, then exhale till your limit. then exhale some more. 


Do this a few times. You will realise that your lung capacity is actually very big. On your next dive, try to notice how you are breathing. how much of your lung capacity are you actually using?


Try the various combination/sequence of breathing:
Speed of breathing. (eg, inhale fast but exhale slow will make you raise slowly.)
Depth of breath. (eg, Breath out deeply, then breath in normally. This will reduce the lung volume. Breathing in deeply and breathing out normally will increase lung volume. Warning: do not take shallow breaths or hyperventilate! Too shallow a breath results in ineffective gas exchange due to the dead air spaces in mouth, wind pipe etc. The partial pressure of oxygen at depth might be sufficient to keep you awake, but reduces when you ascend causing you to blackout!!)


Practice using only your lungs to achieve fine positional adjustment!


Remember the golden rule: NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH!
Holding your breath might cause lung over expansion injury which could be fatal!


It is important to perform step 1 before doing this. If not, being over weighted (hence more drag) means that the effect of each breath to your buoyancy is actually reduced. So you might not notice anything. See also point 3 below. 




3. Think Slow Motion.


A lot of times, people expect instant reaction when diving. Eg, they expect to raise immediately when they inflate their BCD, or sink immediately when they descend. This expectation is normal; on land, we take a step forward and we expect to move instantaneously! But diving is more like the matrix scene where everything turns to slow motion and you can see the bullets fly by. (Please don't try this on your next dive trip! shooting at ppl is dangerous! =p) 


Due to the viscosity of water, pressure changes, current etc etc things actually take time to happen underwater. Take your trigger happy finger off the inflate/deflate mechanism. Trigger happy finger on camera is fine.  After you inflate your BCD, WAIT for a while and see if anything happens. Say to yourself "IMUSTWAITANDSEEIFSOMETHINGHAPPENSFIRST!" five to ten times. slap your own itchy hand if needed. =p


This is also related to point 1. The more drag you have, the more 'slow mo' you need to think. hahah.. 




4. Visualization.


Visualization is a technique used by many top athletes to improve their result. It basically involves closing your eyes and imagining the whole process of diving, down to the details. Find some quiet time, close your eyes and take deep breaths. Imagine yourself diving underwater. focus on your posture. You want to achieve a horizontal trim. 
Focus on your breathing. With each breath feel the raise and fall. 
Focus on your finning. Are you finning the correct way? (proper flutter kick vs 'jabbing' the water)
focus on the things that i mentioned in this article. Imagine yourself getting better at it. Imagine yourself having excellent buoyancy control. what are the things that you need to take note? What should you do if you want to raise a little or descend a little? 




5. Dive Plan


Everyone knows what an ideal dive plan should be like. Down to the maximum depth, maintain that depth until nearing the end of the dive, then ascend. Strive to achieve this. Frequent depth changes (eg. yoyo dive profiles) make it hard to adjust your buoyancy. It's a vicious cycle. You keep changing your depth => your buoyancy changes due to ambient pressure => you adjust your air in BCD, but that doesn't seem to work cuz your depth is constantly changing => you think that you have not enough air in BCD => you inflate BCD more => you finally ascend, but too much=> then you dump and so on. You get the idea.


6. Equipment. 


I choose this as the last point because many people think that you can replace poor skills with good equipment. that is only true to a certain extend. 


a. Streamline your equipment. Less drag = better buoyancy control!!


b. Look at your equipment. Is the weight distributed evenly? Are some of them too heavy resulting in poor posture? a good example is Jet fins. Many ppl think that it is good so they want it. But then Jet fins are HEAVY. in the end a lot of them end up with a heads up posture and expend a great deal of energy trying to maintain horizontal trim. 


c. Backplate. It is generally easier to achieve better buoyancy control with backplates rather than jacket style bcd for two reasons. 


Firstly, the normal jacket style BCD has air pockets all over the place, making it hard to adjust the amount of air in the BCD precisely. Usually, only a single bladder is present in backplate style BCD, so it's easier to control the amount of air inside precisely. Also, the donut shape of the badder allows for the air inside to shift around to accommodate any posture you adopt. 


Secondly, the metal plate on the backplate BCD usually distributes the weight evenly over the upper body, making it easier to achieve horizontal trim. On certain configurations, (eg steel backplates) some might not even need a weight belt.


The downside with backplate is that it usually floats you face down, which is not a problem if you lean back!


d. equipment that changes buoyancy. A common example is the wetsuit. The neoprene material compresses under pressure, reducing in volume and hence has lesser buoyancy. The principle here is to reduce the number of buoyancy changing equipment down to as little as possible. Minimise the variables so that you can focus on the things that matter. But in certain cases exposure protection is a must and this is unavoidable. 


------------------------------------------------


Now, you've read quite a bit, but the best way to improve your buoyancy is to actually go out and practice it!! Now go dive and have some fun!! =D


 Hope it helps! drop me a comment if you have any questions! =)

New additions to my Library!

I think I need an app by the side of my blog to list down the list of diving books i have.. haha..

Anyway, recent posts by my friend on facebook to help identify fishes has got me interested in identifying fishes all over again!

And looking at the ebook of Reef Fish ID just doesn't cut it! so i got myself a hardcopy of Reef Fish ID and Reef Creature ID! Two really great books!

On a side note, I ordered the books from Divebooks.net, and i must say that their service is excellent! I placed my order yesterday, they called me today to confirm, delivered the books right to my door step and accepted cash on delivery! The price is also reasonable compared to the price on amazon plus shipping! highly recommended if you are into diving books! They even had a little gift tag on the book that says "Dear yew hang, Thank you! we really appreciate your support. Best Fishes." I thought that was a really nice touch. hahah..

Divemaster Final Exams

Woohoo!

I've passed my Divemaster theory exam with a score of 90.6%! There were 8 sections (20 qns per section), and i needed to get more than 80% for each section to pass! hahah.. Although I want to complain that it was an out dated paper (01/02), so some of the items tested were no longer covered in my textbook (eg. discover snorkelling), if not I would have gotten an even higher score! Got to admit that I made a few careless mistakes and did not prepare for the exam at all.. =p

Nonetheless, it's one step closer to being a Divemaster! =D

Intro to Scuba Diving

Got called down last minute to help out with scubappl's ISD.. =)

Intro to Scuba Diving

Big gathering today, cuz dennis, yvonne, roger and son, and a lot of people were at the pool! hahah.. Went for dinner at army market after that then chill with coffee at starbucks!

Intro to Scuba Diving

Intro to Scuba Diving

Hui Wei came along for ISD! =)

Intro to Scuba Diving

It's time for the photos of the week again! hahah..

Sisters Shu Jun and Shu Yi! (Can you tell that they are actually 7 years apart?)

Brother and Sister Nicky and Nikki! (They are only 10 months apart! wow!)

In diving, you get to meet really great people! I'm glad I had the fortune to meet people that do things with their family! Really envious of them! hahah.. I've been trying to get my sister to try diving for ages! =S

When was the last time you tried something new together as a family?

=D

Another tiring but really fun day!! Not to mention, I met CINDY! She was my band junior back in TK! I think i haven't seen her for 7 years!! She has really grown up! hahah..

Cindy and friend, Sam. =)

Can't wait for next week's ISD!

Point, Point, Point.

Yesterday, some one walked into the dive shop and and asked what's a pointer used for. I find it hard to come up with an answer because of the way I've seen people use pointers. 

No, pointers are not there for you to poke the puffer fishes (or any other sea creature!). 
No, you do not use pointers to poke at corals so that you don't crash into them. you are not even supposed to end up in that situation in the first place!
No, you don't use the pointer to touch things that you won't otherwise use your hand to touch.
No, you don't use pointers to flip over rocks to see what's hiding under the rocks.
No, you don't need a stick to "protect" yourself. A magic wand from the pages of harry potter belongs in fiction.
No, you don't need a pointer to secure yourself to the sea bed when the current is too strong. (If it's too strong, what's the point in fighting against it? Do a drift dive please!)

The only (weak) reasons i could give him is that:
1. they are used as tank bangers (to make noise)
2. they are used as measuring devices (marked pointers can be used to estimate small distances)
3. In the unlikely event that you really need to hold your position on a SANDY BOTTOM, then u can stick it in. Then again, it is NOT Recommended.

You don't bring a stick when u visit the zoo, do you? so why bring it to poke around when diving?

Having said that.. a pointer is just a tool. it's usefulness depends on the user. So i don't blame the tool, I blame users who abuse the tool! hahah. Repent now u evil anyhow-poke-here-and-there-for-fun pointer user! =p

Mask Level Up!

I have finally upgraded from my 5.5 year old problue mask to a better Apollo Bio-metal Duo Mask!

I got it at a super good rate of $100 from William king, whom i got to know 5+ years back when diving with orpheus. He sold it to me second hand. haha..

Why is this mask better?
-It has very soft silicon skirting which makes it really comfortable to wear
-The soft silicon conforms to the shape of your face making it really fitting
-fitting means no leaks
-extremely low volume => easier to clear mask
-also means lens are closer to your eyes giving a wider field of view
-looking good is a bonus too!

Bad points?
I heard from him that people commented that the mask strap is too long. Not a problem for me i think.. hahah..

Anyway, William was also really kind to share with me care tips on the mask!
Tip 1: Do not Share your mask with anyone! at least initially.
This is cuz the soft outer silicon skirting actually molds to your face! so if you lend it to someone else it might not mold nicely. At least for the first 20 dives!!
Tip 2: It might leak initially cuz the mask is still trying to mold to the shape of your face! so just need to tighten it slightly initially
Tip 3: Keep the mask in the box at ALL TIMES when not in use. This is cuz the mask skirting is really very very soft! got to protect it! hahah..

Now.. if i just can find a matching snorkel.. =p

DiveMaster Manual

Today i finally finished doing all the knowledge review questions in the manual! hahah.. I got to say that 8 out of 9 chapters of the book talks about PADI standards, how to be a role model, etc etc. Only the last chapter covers actual dive theory. This emphasis on the things other than dive theory is why I prefer PADI over SDI. =)

By the way, the knowledge review is no easy task! I photocopied out the pages and it's like one moderate stack of papers! hahah.. Sense of accomplishment! Yes!~ A few more books to go! hahahah..

Intro to Scuba Diving

I went early to the pool today for discovery scuba thinking of trying to catch a swim before ISD starts. So I was there at 8.30 and only managed to swim 2 laps before i had to start getting ready (collect tanks etc)

Surprisingly, Dawn, the pool staff that is usually late, came early today as well, so i was able to get the tanks really early. However, we later found out that the tanks weren't full like they were supposed to be, but only half full. so in the end the pool side decided to charge us lower price. 

So back to the story. I was there early, customers started coming in, but the crew are all still not here yet! Even the guy sending the gear is not here yet.

But fortunately, yours truly was able to take charge of the situation and started getting into the theory session first. So i was there teaching until they came. It was my first time taking a group solo! hahah.. then the crew helped to get ready the gears and stuff when they arrived soon after i started. 

I took both theory and the pool, and there was even a kid in the group! Kids require special attention! hahah.. Luckily i helped Leo with kids before and they sort of taught me how to handle them.. 

And the more i teach, the more i am able to focus my teaching on areas where people usually make mistakes and avoid my group making them. and this group was really great! Charlene was there to help out which made things much easier too! 

That's me and my group! =) 

This is Juliana from the 3rd session today. She has my vote for the chio-est diver of the day! hahah.. =p I think the third session was the most happening session, cuz it was the last one for the day and we didn't have to rush to complete it. So we had lots of time to fool around, cam whore etc etc.. lol

Today i also experienced my first mini 'rescue' scenario. One of the divers was having difficulties coping with the session (complaining of water in noes, hard to suck from regulator, fins not fitting, etc). It's quite rare and most people are able to dive without experiencing any problems. Anyway, she did not give up, but kept pushing herself to try, so I did by best to encourage and help her by giving her more attention. Ultimately, she was able to complete a half lap swim underwater! kudos to her!

on her way back, she panicked a bit, so started to spit out her regulator and wanted to swim to the surface. if you have dived before you know it's hard to stay on the surface with your buoyancy adjusted to neutrally buoyant at depth; although all you had to do was to add air to your bc by a simple button press to float. I was near, so i instantly when to grab her first stage with my right hand and tried reached for her inflation tube with my left hand. She saw my left hand reaching over her shoulder and the first thing she did was to grab my hand, preventing me from inflating her bc! This is something that's certainly not covered during my rescue course! i'm not sure the order in which things happened next, but lots of things happened. In a split second, i was contemplating my options, let go, let her sink, then try to 'attack' her power inflation tube underwater, or to keep her on the surface, then try to reach for her power inflation tube again, or inflate my own bc with my right hand, but that meant having to let go my grid on her.

In the end i did none of those. I push us both nearer to the edge of the pool, propped her up above me, and started finning. this kept both of us above the surface and near to the pool's edge. When she calm down enough to let go of my hand, i went to reach for her power inflation tube and did a tired diver tow back. Looking back, i have to complement her for being calm enough not to go into a full scale panic! =) I really glad to have a real life chance to practise my rescue skills too! hahah..

Overall, today was a really fulfilling day! Fun and great divers, cam whoring, and mini rescue. =)

A word about this new site..

Hi guys,

if you are checking this site out, i just set it up yesterday, and there will be some back date of posts.. =p

So try to look out for it if you are interested! hee

By the way, i need some tips and guide on how to make my blog look nice! anyone wanna teach me? hahah..

Diving Gear Has Arrived!

The dive gears that I have ordered from overseas has finally arrived! There were some issues with the supplier.. but that's another post for another time! Pictures now! (Obviously i need a lot more practice for photo taking and photoshop.. hahah..)

BCD Configuration
Oxycheq Mach V 30 lb Wing
Oxycheq Ultra Light Travel Plate
Oxycheq Deluxe Adjustable Harness

Accessories

Tank banger 

Storm Whistle

Underwater Compass

And then, there's also a Akona Drybag Backpack..

I didn't actually order this bag. I assisted my friend to order a Aqualung Ocean pack MESH bag, but this is what came instead. So I took it.. hahah.. will post my complains about this particular supplier next time.. 

Overall, I'm really excited about finally owing my own set of diving gears! Can't wait to try them out in the pool! This is a step I've been waiting to take since a very long time ago! hahah..