Just wanna ask, has anyone here experience flying with Silk Air before?
How are they on their 10kg free diving gear allowance (to certain destinations)? Any problems encountered with them so far?

I fly Silk Air to Lembeh via Manado and once to Lombok. I got total of 30kg allowance, its more than enough for my diving equipment. Same policy with MAS and I never encounter any problem with them regarding diving equipment. My hand luggage which is camera a total weight of 11kg, they just let it go since they know its diving equipment.

This post has been edited by Putraskyline: Aug 1 2012, 04:01 PM

Thanks putra, good to know.
Hopefully they'll allow me to bring in the camera hand luggage too. 7kg definitely not enough to carry the camera. Btw, do they open up to see what diving equipments are inside? It seems like restricted to 1 set per person.

Thought i'd share some pics of my recent July trip to Tawau - Semporna-Mabul and Kapalai 12-16 July 2012

Stayed at Borneo Global Backpackers for the night before catching the morning boat to Mabul - Spheredivers.

Was a great stay, our hosts were laidback and easy-going, the food was excellent, and the diving remarkable.



Beautiful nudi and eggs - amazing!


SMART house reef - amazing vortex of jacks


wonderful wall and drift diving


fish everywhere...



Will be back there to tackle Sipadan...

love the contrast of the last picture.. blue and yellow.. that yellowtail snapper right..?

mind to share what kind of camera you used and any lens..?

here are my best shots in Perhentian last July, with Canon Powershot S100 + Ikelite housing.. no strobe yet still struggling with white balance and back-scatter.
Nemo.


Jellyfish (too many of them zzz..)

White-eyed moray eel... caught this little moray while snokelling @ romantic beach.

Dont know what fish.. I think grouper family..?

Yes, I need to show them my camera hard case. For checked luggage, I just told them that was diving equipment and asking them to put big fragile notice. Btw, I do carry my regulator as hand luggage too.

my camera is Sony W350 compact with Seashell universal casing. Lots of Photoshop involved! and doesnt do macro properly, thats why there's no super-close-up shots. but works perfectly for me, makes my ID so much easier. and its so much more fun!

Okie. Noted. Thanks for the info.
I guess as long as I tell them it's diving equipments and it's not too much over the weight limit, it should be alright. Need to plan how to pack the bags.

I don't know how to use photoshop.. I just use Microsoft Office Picture Manager and use auto-correct.. haha.

I was just thinking already, white balance like that, damn hard to get via manual mode camera setting

you're right! but next i wanna try the UW red filter setting and see how it goes. for those pics it was on Auto setting. and maybe can adjust the Exposure levels etc.

but what the heck, its a cheapo camera with built-in UW features, it makes me happy hehehhe

hi everyone,
Just wondering if anyone knows the boat time leaving from mabul to semporna?
will have a 3d2n owd course which finishes on 17th aug. we have to catch 7.30am bus to kk the next day. I doubt the boat from mabul to semporna will leave very early on the morning of our bus departure. Just wanna check to be sure, in case it would be better to stay overnight on 17th at semporna instead.
Million thanks!

i believe you can organize with the dive centre, your money will dictate the boat times!

we stayed at Sphere divers mabul and they kindly arranged their boat to get us back to semporna in time for the flight and all.

This post has been edited by ericcc: Aug 5 2012, 05:45 AM

amazing photos. how much did you spend for the trip including diving and rental of equipment?

Hi I'll be going for my first OWD course at the end of the month. What should I bring along for the dive?

awwww thanks erriccc. it's a budget backpacking trip. maybe next round will spemd on better accommodation. haha

when I did my OWC, I brought my own mask & snorkel.

going for OW course. bring wallet. enough.

seriously - if you're short-sighted - get prescription mask or use contact lens if you can.

fins - would be good buy cos sometimes the rental ones can cause blisters especially if they're full-foot and ill-fitting. Learnt this the hard way. ouch. best get open heel fins and booties. comfy. my new full-foot fin oso bit me a little, ouch, so had to use plasters. just like new leather shoes

other equipment - get them as u go along and once you know you've got bitten by the bug.

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Added on August 5, 2012, 5:53 amthanks. amazing pics, nahhh, compared to my fellow divers' macro shots with their twin strobes and 15kgs of equipt...

my cost - lets see - the boat was 100 return, dives were 80 x 6, accom was 80 x 3 nites, food inclusive (yummy). taxi return semporna - tawau 100, so that works out to 920 ++. Equipment my own, if not it would be around 60 per day, depending on the operator. All in all a satisfactory experience, got to hang out with friends, make new ones, at a nice quiet place on beautiful mabul.

This post has been edited by ericcc: Aug 5 2012, 05:53 AM

Hi aaron,

when and where is ur OWD?

I will be doing mine at redang tomolo

i just packed up,

- equipment, mask + snorkel, fins + booties and contact lens(2 pairs). sun block + lotion
- for 5D4N, 4 tshirts + 2 beach pants, 1 hand towel, 1 sunglasses and 1 swim trunk
- vitamin + medicine (diarrhea + flu) and plasters + dettol
- camera + lens + charger + memory cards + filter + camera bag
- handphone charger
- shower gel + shampoo, tooth brash + paste and shaving tools
- 2 recycle bags for soiled clothes or whatever during return from the island

Anything miss out?

---

Added on August 5, 2012, 12:57 pmyalor.... Cash





This post has been edited by b5n111: Aug 5 2012, 12:57 PM

Just bring yourself and money to spend on the island. And your swim suit as well as your sunglasses. Contacts or prescription masks so you can enjoy the view of the underwater world.

Or and some seasick pills if you get seasick easily. But make sure they are the non drowsy ones.