When I started diving I was 38 on the waist . When I took divers for diving in Pulau Payar I was 40 inch. Now I am, emm. .... I think 42 kwa? I need about 4 weights to descend. But long time no diving liao. Me and wife misses it very very much. My daughter is going to take up later this year, maybe tag along for dives.

Yikes.. So size in this sense is not an issue. Cool... I did some research.. 200m swim? Isnt that kinda ... urm far? hehe I can swim.. but wow thats far..

My opinion, dive expo can be great for scouting the best quality + price to take courses. I'm also buying my course at MIDE 2 years ago which come with free Nitrox specialty when you sign up both OWD + AOW. For this year, I'm hunting for new wing bc

This post has been edited by Putraskyline: Jun 2 2011, 10:37 PM

Get to your local swimming pool and do some practice. It isn't as hard as it sounds.

In a normal pool (olympic size), that's 4 laps but you can do any style you are comfortable with. Easiest is breast stroke but do it water treading style and push forward relaxingly. No hurry as there's is no time limit. Size has not much effect on scuba diving except maybe stamina The weight on your belts to pull you down and the air in your BCD to make you float. Find the balance and you are practically weightless and hovering in water. A slight movement from the fins will propel you forward. Don't ever learn to use your hands like swimming freestyle . I see so many divers doing it.

Thanks guys.

I got kinda worried coz i swim at my bros pool at his condo and its only about 25 meters and even then I get tired and this is 8 times that distance.. ahaha. But should be fine right? A lot of ppl can do it.

The trick is not to really swim. Swimming in competitions means stamina, swimming leisurely means relaxing. I can tread water for 2 hours if there's a need. It is a matter of just floating and the treading is just to balance and stay upright. Some even can float and sleep at the same time.

If you intend to do OWD at Berjaya Tioman at unbelievable price, please PM me ya. Package comes with video and photo of you doing the course.

got back from diving in Tenggol. my Suunto Zoop is good enough for normal diving and stuffs, and up to a little nitrox is needed. dont look quite good, but for the price, it's a great piece of equipment. i recommend getting it before getting your regulator and BCD.

diving Tenggol is ok this trip. i think i still prefer Tioman or Redang

Hmm... you still prefer redang ot tioman instead of tenggol? For me if Tenggol has decent resort, I would prefer Tenggol since its marine life and their dive site are untouched.

problem is accommodation really makes the whole experience not so nice. if you really like the laid back natural lifestyle, then i think it's ideal. but i think Tioman and/or Redang has a better all-round appeal to it. if it's just diving, i agree, Tenggol is the best

Different divers different preference, like another forumer here, he prefers VIP service dives where everything is set up and carried on board and we just wear BC and dive. So I think mostly foreign dive sites or 5 star hotel only can provide that. And some of us put our priorities on the beauty of the dive sites.

I haven't dive at Tenggol before. Have been wanting to dive there since last year but haven't got the time and chance to do so yet. I wanna do a LOB there.

never heard of doing LOB in Tenggol since dive sites arent that far away. I did LOB for Aur/Dayang/Tioman, which so far is my best experience

Are those LOBs comfortable? I mean air conditioned and nice beds with clean sheets. I get very yucky with dirty sleeping places. I have been LOBs on fishing trips and for the duration I never slept only naps on the side of the boat hanging on to my fishing rod. There was once I was fishing off Pulau Adang in Thailand where you find cockroaches crawling out of the woodwork at night.

I seen LOBs on diving magazine, nice

will go to Pulau Payar langkawi on 18 June for snorkeling... is there any power mask to rent there..?

Malaysian LOB wont be so nice, cos it's all converted ex-fishing boats. However, it's comfortable with air-con and also got hot shower one. Usually the top side of the deck has nice beds, while the bottom part has not so nice ones. If you bring your own bedsheets, then i guess there's no problem. better still, bring your own sleeping bag.

the ones in magazine are expensive ones, and they quote in USD. phuket has some of those expensive one, and they usually do LOB to Similan Island.


dont think operator will have power mask. better bring your own, if not, wear contacts

Mask and snorkel and fins supplied by the operators. Although louyah but can see larr. They provide safety jackets too so you can snorkel tiredlessly I don't think you need prescription mask because when you look into the water with the mask it acts like a magnifying glass, unless you are like the snake in Jungle book Or wear contacts.

Haha...Same experience. I booked 3 night at Tenggol Aqua Resort but end up only 1 nights. Another 2 nights I moved to Tanjong Jara Resort and dived Tenggol from there. Better experience and well organized dive centre.


Not like that lah. At least I want some relaxing dive trip instead of all-you-have-to-do dive trip which I'm totally turn off. Actually, in my opinion, all the dive centre either at 5 star resort or just normal one have about same prices. But the service very different one. I'm still think why this happen.


If you ask me, I would rate 1 star for Tioman LOB. Last year I joined Phuket LOB with MV Mermaid II which include Hin Daeng/Hin Muang and also travel to Tioman for 12 nights. Absolute maximum satisfaction but the prices also expensive. This year or 2012, I'm expecting to joined either Raja Empat with Paradise Dancer fleet or Komodo Trip with Komodo Dance fleet. Both are perfect yacht for diving at Indo paradise.

different ppl, different budget...cannot afford those 5 star LOB lah, and certainly not flying all over the world doing diving. my instructor does Fiji now, and it's dive with the sharks diving. imagine 30 bull sharks around you, less than 3-4m away, and the dive guide hand feed the sharks. i see the pics also crazy, but cost too damn high. cannot afford to go lah

Most of the LOBs I've heard are mainly Tenggol, in Malaysia la.
Yea LOBs for Aur/Dayang/Tioman are pretty common as well.

I've no experience with LOBs.
But I'm planning to go for LOB in Phuket sometime next year. From the picture, the boats look quite good. Of course prices all quoted in USD.

Haha. True. Berjaya per dives are actually cheaper compared to other hotels in Redang when I was there.
I guess it's just the image of the hotel that they have to carry as well. 5 star hotels so you have to provide 5 star services.