I still don't have PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors ) license,thinking to take..soon,maybe somebody in LYN forum can share some diving world experience in beginning.

TQ

Here some info

Discover Scuba dive
For the first time diver, a relaxed explanation of the basics followed by an easy introduction to the underwater world..
Open Water Dive Course
The course for those who want the qualification to dive anywhere in the world. Teaches you, all you need to dive safely with your buddy....
Advance Open Water Dive Course
Looking to gain more experience, this course opens your mind to specific specialities in diving. Try out Deep Diving, Night Diving, Videography, Wreck Diving and many more...
Rescue Diver
Extend you dive skills and become more confident in your abilities to help yourself and others in the water and on land. A serious but fun course...
Divemaster
The first step on the professional ladder, learn how to guide dives and assist in the education of other divers, there may be no looking back once you are qualified..

i'm not a fully certified diver as well but i can assure you this, if u listen to the guide and instructors, u will not go wrong. always make your first dive a memorable one. my first dive is off the coast of pangkor and i was extremely dissapointed. it actually made me think twice about diving.

i still remember my first class was learning to clean my fogged up goggles underwater. most importantly when underwater, do not panic.
i've stepped on some urchins before hence i do warn about them. our vision is tunneled with goggles on and its impossible to see everything around us. diving with a friend is a must. i learned that as well.

night diving for me is a no-no. its really very easy to get lost and if u stray abit from the shoreline, thats it.


diving can be done without proper licenses here in m'sia. (not sure bout sabah or sarawak). in maldives, u can dive without a proper license as well but it would require an instructor to be with u at all times. in malaysia, u can stray far away and we dont care hehehee. as i've said, most importantly, stick to your guide or dive instructor and u will not go wrong.

yeah. most important thing is, never panic.
just relax and enjoy the scenery.

i'm planning to be professional with the time comes (and money too ). till then, i'm just enjoying the dives. tho not as often as before since i'm too broke now.

there's a lot of places that offer diving courses nowadays. prices are about the same. best if you can go to the island itself and learn and get certified there straight away.

and if you can afford it, get a camera that can shoot underwater. you will be able to take the memory with you and share what you have seen underwater.

again, i've never taken any pictures underwater. no equipment.

SDI diver here. going next dive @ redang sept.

Hi, because I am having a holiday right now. So I might be planning to take the cert, any suggestions? Around Klang area. I checked the one in 1U, after a few briefings in 1U itself, you will need to go to Tioman Island to take the real test. Any additional info? and also the price? Thanks.

In Redang,Open Water Course for 4 day 3 night , they will charge only RM880.00 exclude accommodation + Meals .

Perhentian...RM1500.00 include Boat Transfer,Chalets,Meals

Hi there, im also planning to take a diving course but no friends la..hahaha..My friend attended a diving briefing a few weeks back at some hotel in Malaysia. And one new diving place in Indonesia is Acheh. And he also said that they using Euro as their currency there despite rupiah. The tsunami had change the place to a tourist visitor. More expensive than bali...

About diving course, i heard PADI is the best. And the fee is very reasonable. They also have a course to be a photographer diver

Do not rely only to the dive guide or instructor..they are HUMAN!! not GOD!! sometimes they make mistake like us too..once you done the whole course u are CERTIFIED DIVER and u are responsible for your own safety & your buddy. u can listen to the instructor as a guidance but not give your life to your them..remember! once u are comfortable u/w u will enjoy nite dive and u will found nite dive actualy is more relaxing than day dive..alwix dive with your own limit do not force to follow others..

bonzaimy,
its call pulau weh..

i dont know la..my friend told me its in acheh..

i wont say it's the best or it isn't. it all depends on budget and understanding before taking either body. there's other board,other than SDI or PADI. i would say probably the most good teaching body is SSI, instructor there wont let you go for practical or written examination without a lot of practice,and it's probably the most expensive for open water license, my buddy spend 3kplus plus practicing in pool in bangsar, IIRC it's not even including his trip to boat dive @ terengganu for practical exam.btw, the president/head/watever u call it, for the SSI board @ malaysia is a general officer of the military.lol.


i took SDI instead of PADI because, PADI has written examination IIRC, and i think practical is much more important than writting those theory, lol. nowadays, a dive com do all the calculation, plus there's no time for you to count underwater during emergency it all depends on your own choice.my opinion is for open water,advance,rescue. not for instructor level, they need theory a lot

Its the best in term of Money..haha

PADI around 1.2k for the course itself havent include lodging

SDI cost roughly around 1.4k including lodging @ redang

anyway, pelangi resort @ redang is setting up project awareness, to clean up the island underwater world. anyone attending?

This post has been edited by akRia: Aug 14 2008, 01:46 PM

i agree with the statement above on the certifying body. there are a lot out there.
PADI, NAUI, SSI, CMAS, BSAC, SDI....... many many more out there. I've just listed the ones available in Malaysia. i have assisted in training divers on all of those and personally i find BSAC being the most thorough. Then there is the factor os $$$. SDI is the cheapest of them all because their material cost less.... a lot less. PADI is well known because of its inovative marketing strategy. No dive shop will turn away a certified diver, regardless of the agency.

On the post that you don't need a certification to dive in malaysia, i would say no dive centre i know will allow this. Those cowboy diving days are over larr... Plus what you did was called discover scuba, that's just the instructor babysitting you up to 10m only. Trained and certified diver are qualified to plan and dive in PAIRS.

so if you want to take up scuba, do take a course and understand what you are doing underwater. read up on the different diving agencies, compare the rates and if their offer suites your budget. remember you pay what you get!

cheers

do u mean we need to show our diving cert if we want to buy the equipment??

u don need to show dive cert, what he mean is, go diving thru dive shop (agency) ,dive shop not just sell equipment, they arrange dive package and trip as well, if u r interested to go learn diving, dive shop can arrange too. and those stationed in dive site company is called dive center/ dive shop too.

by the way, just in case someone ask, u cant go dive whenever u want, it's not just illegal, and u are risking ur life without dive master around, and the oxygen tank only can refill @ dive center, so, buying own equipment n drive urself without license is basically, a joke.

by right the dive centre will not sell you any equipment at all without showing your diver card.

get your terms right.... you ARE a certified diver right?
you don't breath an Oxygen tank. what a diver breath is air.... compressed air.
while a certified diver is actually trained to dive in buddy pairs. not necessary with a divemaster.

i was trying to tell in a easier form, i tried telling ppl compressed air and they know shit about it,they only know it as "oxygen tank"

and no, what i mean divemaster is a professional to guide u when and where to dive. buddy too will get lost sometimes.

btw, so far i havent encounter any shop wants me present dive license when i purchase,malaysia/non-malaysia. =/ bought bcd and wetsuit oversea.

This post has been edited by akRia: Aug 27 2008, 09:32 PM

you should not use that term as it merely supports what the general public Believe... that scuba divers breath using an OXYGEN tank, which is WRONG.

yes buddies will separate but not till the level of LOST and do not depend on the divemaster, seriously you are responsible for your own life.
AND as an Open Water Diver you ARE trained to dive in buddy pairs. the only certification level which requires one to dive with a divemaster and above is the PADI Scuba Diver.

on the case of not needing to show your certification card to buy your equipment, i guess the shop was thinking of $$$ only. i just hope they didn't sell anything to a someone who doesn't know about the dangers and died from it.

akRia, if ur friends know shit about the tank, then it wud have to be ur obligation to get them to understand. The tank is filled with compressed air..layman terms, the air that we breath, but its just in a tank. Its actually dangerous to assume the tank as an "oxygen tank"..By definition, oxygen tank means that the tank is filled with 100% oxygen and if u were to bring that down for SCUBA, u will DIE from oxygen toxicity..

buddy thingi, i think brudder kimseng already covered that topic


This post has been edited by sapien: Sep 1 2008, 11:18 PM

i just have to say LOL

no laughing matter when u actually DIE from CNS

Hey, I just took my PADI licence at Semporna. Its very budget and affordable, probably you can check out my dive operator at ww.scuba-junkie.com . The staff there are good and friendly too.

Cheers,
Jasmine

How much they charge you for beginner..?

In Terengganu only RM1500 per person ..PADI 4 Day 3 Night ( Accommodation + Food + Course )

used to be around rm9xx for scuba diver license. 3d2n in sipadan. back then, we're allowed to stay in the island.
rm15xx for advance scuba diver license. 4d3n.

instead of going for the rescue diver license, i am planning to sit for a pro diver license next year. someone from bubu resorts in kl quoted me a complete package to redang / perhentian for rm3xxx.

what do you guys think? worth it?

I can't swim. Do I need to know how to swim to enjoy diving?

swimming is basic knowledge .If you don't know how to swim and then how come you want to diving.

Attend the swimming class then snorkeling...after that take license PADI.

---

Added on October 16, 2008, 6:47 pmIf i not mistaken for DM they charge RM2500..Bubu located at Long Beach..there are many divers.

This post has been edited by Samurai: Oct 16 2008, 06:47 PM

you need to have the rescue diver certification before you got for a professional qualification. e.g. Divemaster/Dive Leader
this is regardless of agency.

HK? 3XX?

Damn. Last Time I Bought Free Ticket, 6XX

i'm getting a beginner license for my first dive
any recommendation for diving monsoon season, December?

prefer a budget one like Redang/Tioman but they will be closed

Langkawi should be the place for take the PADI Course..right now.

Happy Diving!!

anybody interested to try scuba diving. I m conducting pool session for PADI discover scuba diving. This session is for trying out scuba diving in a confined environment, and for those ppl who are not so sure abt taking up the scuba course.

PM me for more info.

---

Added on January 7, 2009, 5:06 pmbtw there are some enquiries about discover scuba diving. i am PADI Divemaster (#496293) and passionate abt diving. i am only conducting DSD in pool bcos of interests only. just posted a service noticeboard, so if u r interested, check out this post.

http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=899517

This post has been edited by blueray: Jan 7 2009, 05:06 PM

no u dun need to learn swimming.. just need to know how to float..
took my diving course at perhentian 2 years ago and my advance at redang last year..
perhentian is a nice place for learning.. price quite reasonable as well.. has many nice dive sites..
redang also not bad.. but more tourist there lor..
dun ever go for diving around end feb or early march.. cant see anything and sit boat also vomit like hell..

heyy,

mind if i butt in?

me and a couple of friends are planning to sign up for the open water course in august this year.. at perhentian kecil island.

not sure whether there are any such packages, but would love to know if you guys have any contacts / info etc.

btw, what do we wear while underwater? does the package price is inclusive of the suit?

Yes..at Perhentian Kecil,some resorts have PADI Open water course..the rates around RM1400- RM1500 per person...include accommodation + Meals + Dive Course .

Some package include suit for underwater..

@Samurai,

hey thankss.. that should be within our budget.

if inclusive everything.. worth it la tu..

yea there are such packages.. when i took my open water course i also took a package with the divemaster..
u will be wearing the rented wetsuit.. mostly it will be a shortie aka. short sleeves and above knee length.. and normally all the gears and everything are included in the package..

samurai, rm1500 for what type of course? open water diving?
can advice the location of shop offering this package?

PADI Open Water Course ..yes its open water diving.

1. Wisana Redang Resort

2. Redang Kalong Resort

Hi,

I have heard some ppl mentioned that when you are taking the course at the island resorts...you don't have much time to relax the 3d2n holiday. All you do is prep for the dive course.

Can one take the course at a confined/controlled area (ie pool) before heading to open sea for the actual dive?

who needs 2nd hand diving gears can pm me. have a few sets.

Full course at Island..will need 4 Day 3 Night..For confined /Controlled ..you call Divers Den at PJ.. they will arrange for you.

Hi,

Yes, 3D2N is not enough,even if its 4D3N you will need to sacrificed your midnight for studying/quiz . Normally you have to do 5 Confined Water Dives & 4 Open Water Dives and also 5 Sessions of Knowledge Development (which you need to study)...

And of course, you can do your course at pool, but you still have to go for 4 open water certification dive trip. By doing your course at a confined pool, you can save a lot of times and worries...So during your open water dive, you can already get used to it...


P/S : Most of the dive master would recommend that you take your license in confined pool. So that before you go for your open water trip, they would already analyst your problem/mistaken and could correct you before trip, and also save your time doing everything in 4 days... My advise is, the same

Appreciate your input. I intend to take the test/quiz and do the confined pool before heading to open water...cos i want to fully enjoy my time diving at the resort rather than spending nites reading up on material. Free and easy.

If i were to take the license at the pool....would the cost be cheaper or pretty much the same?

thanks

Depends on what dive institution and where are you getting it from. Mostly is about the same, just that one u learn here, and do your certification trip there, and another one is you do everything in the island, which is pretty tight.

If you would like to know roughly where and how much does it cost for you to take the course, can PM me directly.

I am very interested in taking the padi open water cert. I was thinking of 5 days 4 nights trip to perhentian. i am worry about the knowledge development question ! Is it very hard? is the quiz multiple choice or short answer questions? i definitely do not want to stress my self up burning mid night oil at pulau perhentian . lol

thx for ur suggestion, i am having second thoughts now about doing a crash course on the island ^^ . might consider going to a dive center and complete the knowledge development as well as confined dive first. i will check out dragonet diving nex week ... any other dive centre to recommend?

Would it be a good time to dive during april around the east coast? Wanna take the course then.

i did mine at perhentian island..
the questions are quite basic questions la.. it's not very hard those type..
if it's a 5 days 4 nights trip, i dun think it would be a crash course..

end of march to august like that, anytime also good time to dive.. hehe..
dun go during school holidays lor..

Yeah, agreed, the quiz is very very the easy. Even if you failed (choy), you can redo it again and again and again until you pass without having to pay extra. That was what has been told by my instructor...

I did my theory and confined water course in 1Utama and open water course in Pulau Redang.

My diving course is RM900, 4D3N in Redang costs RM429. Just took it last year in 2008.

Right after the course I went diving in Bali and Sipadan!! Sipadan is really an underwater paradise.


.:My Bali Trip:.

.:My Sipadan Trip:.

This post has been edited by shelynssl: Feb 13 2009, 02:50 PM

i'm going to sipadan in july and bali in november this year.. can't wait.. haha..
if i'm not mistaken, mostly are objective questions lor.. did mine two years ago so cant really remember..
i did everything in perhentian and i think it cost about rm1500 something like that.. include makan, hotel, everything..
then i did my advance last year in redang.. very easy only..

Wow... cool... you are very active man!

Enjoy your vacation in Bali and Sipadan, they are both paradise!!

I will suggest you to hike Mount Batur in Bali, if you are adventurous type, which I think you are . The sunrise view is breathtaking. And it's a rare opportunity to hike volcano!!

My most memorable moment in Bali!


.:My Travel & Living:.

sure.. i'll be spending about 5 days in bali.. but mostly will be diving la..
see whether bf wana go hiking or not.. haha..

wau...its seems that getting more & more girls into diving world!

if you are talking about a PADI Open Water course you stand corrected.
there is a a skill which requires the candidate to swim for 200m.
so you actually need to know how to swim.
but more importantly the individual MUST be comfortable with water!

may i know which diving centre provide courses 1st then test at pulau ? just started working and it is very to apply for a leave especially when u only have 12 days per year to used .

i see, probably i've forgotten..
i took my PADI open water and i remembered the dive master saying technically u dun need to know how to swim..
but u're correct, we were test to swim for a short distance and back.. dun need proper swimming skills as long as u can get to the end point without drowning can edi..
of course it is very much safer and recommended that divers shud know the basics of swimming..
if u put it in another way.. diving without knowing how to swim is like walking without knowing how to crawl.

your instructor must be very easy going... there is no stipulated requirement of knowledge of any particulat stroke but an important point is MUST be comfortable in the water. it is up to the instructor to judge.
btw for the benefit of the rest of the people reading this.
you CANNOT take the open water course from a Divemaster. A minimum of Open Water Scuba Instructor rating can teach the Open Water Diver course. A divemaster can only do a Discover Scuba Diving session...
A divemaster's duty is to ASSIST the instructor in conducting the course but the instructor MUST have direct supervision at all times.

so CAVEAT EMPTOR

of course to be a diver u have to be comfortable in the water.. if one does not like the water, i dun think he/she will even think of being a diver..
and i dun think divemasters will offer to teach ppl the course also.. =.=
most of them will recommend u to another instructor who will teach the course and give the cert.. like in my case lo..
my open water course was with a german instructor and her hair damn cool like coral like that.. lol..

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Added on February 16, 2009, 7:26 pmactually there are many centers that provide the courses here on mainland then only go pulau to complete the course..
might wanna check with dive shops.. some of them provide courses..
one utama got one dive center there with swimming pool also..

This post has been edited by munkeyflo: Feb 16 2009, 07:26 PM

I agree with you, most important is must be comfortable in the water. But like what munkeyflo said, her's instructor might know that she can swim so she just "pretend" to ask her to swim for a distance, A instructor basically know who can swim and who are struggling in the water. That doesn't mean that instructor to be very easy going

Personal thinking, i think most of them would like easy going instructor more than the strict/serious one, like what my instructor always scold + knocked my head. "THIS IS CLOWN FISH, not NEMO" . But for more of them, they don't know what is clown fish, but everyone know what is nemo. So what's wrong with calling them nemo ?..But i was thinking...just a name, no need so serious right?...


A divemaster's duty is to assist the instructor in conducting the course, what type of DM you mean? I always would like the DM to go far far away than to be a major distraction to all the students. no offend to all fellow DMss..

just my 2 cents...

well i was just assuming based on what was written.. like i said before its the instructors call. and i am not here to judge.
easy going is one thing but not at the expense of the standards set forth.
i'm sure all the divers know of the risk involved and death is the ultimate price to pay for a failure to comply with the education given.

i'm sure your instructor meant well by correcting you on the Nemo saga. just that i don't agree on the head knocking part.

other than assisting the instructor, DM's are usually employed to guide divers in a new place and do general supervision. in PADI's case also babysit PADI Scuba Divers (fyi a level below Open Water diver)

Heya,

Is the dive center at 1U next to a bar? everything would b taught there eh? how many days would the confined course be?



I can swim...any style oso can ar? Katak style oso can? haha.

as i mentioned before no specific stroke requirement.

anyway you all can get your questions answered at

DBU Forum if you can read mandarin

or Malaysian Underwater for english or malay.

guys,
taking a scuba diving course is no joke ok. it can mean the best thing you've tried in your entire life or it could be the LAST thing you will every try.
so don't accept half past six instructions. get it done properly.
i have personally seen a death and numerous injuries from scuba diving. it is an ugly sight!

why so serious?
u're not trying to scare ppl off from diving are you?
haha.

never my intention to scare but to highlight the importance to being serious during training.
diving is serious. and yet it can be enjoyed.
just follow the rules that were taught. and all will be alright.

i just hope that i never see another death because of a diver negligence and failure to follow the things that were taught during their course.

as a fellow diver myself i advocate and welcome people who are trained into this newfound hobby. i dare say i have seen the best of people and the worst with a SCUBA unit.

i am taking the time to write all this is because of the inaccurate information within this thread.. and newbies absorb the correct information. do not accept everything you read here. please do your own research if you are serious about this hobby. Meet and talk to more people. Well at least the pro's. here is a list of dive operators in Malaysia Dive Centre list they are the proper people you should be talking to.

everyone is welcomed to share their experiences but please let it be the correct ones....

anyone know how much per dive at berjaya redang?
and also rental price for equipments in individual items..
thanks in advance!

I have visited some of the dive centers around my housing area....looking to take Open diver certification. But timing is a problem.

I intend to take the course in confined waters during the 2nd or 3rd week of April and the diving sessions around 3rd or 4th week of april.

Can any of ya recommend a dive center that can match my time?

thanks.

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Added on February 28, 2009, 11:26 pm*BUMP*

anything...anyone?



This post has been edited by WildChai: Mar 9 2009, 04:37 PM

hye. i dunno whether this is the right place to post. but i need help right now. still left quota for 4 people to train under PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) for their openwater and advanced scuba diving course for 5 days 4 nights at Tioman Island.

scheduled next week and basically the price you get here is the cheapest u can get anywhere. the trainer is also a underwater photographer and videographer with lots of experience in various fields. u will be a certified diver and can go scuba diving anywhere with the license u acquire from this course.

the cost will be RM3000 per head inclusive of ferry ride to and fro mersing jetty to tioman, homestay at the chalet along the coast, regular meals, deepdive equipment rentals; regulators and oxygen tank (however u need to priorly purchase your own wetsuit,fins and mask), and the sufficient number of dives to qualify you to the advanced course (u'll be given the manual and logbook for the assessment).

prior to the event, u need to deposit rm400 and i will give u the manual firsthand. that's only after the quota of 4 people is fulfilled. if u may have doubt about me, u may ask vikingw2k and many other forummers and mods who knows me. i cant be bothered to con u as i have reputations to keep.

so, list down your names in this thread and keep it clean from price police or morale police whatsoever. my goal is simple, just have fun while learning!

along with me is another girl friend of mine, so if there are girls who is interested to join, can accompany her too.

about transportation from KL to mersing, it's either we go by bus or we share the cost of petrol and toll from here to and fro ( we will go with SSangYong Rexton, so dont worry about the bootspace)

leave your names here and PM me about the prior deposits.

1.
2.
3.
4.

i will give discount rm100 to those who can help me complete the quota.

RM3000 per head to complete the PADI wow expensive maa...Redang just RM1500 per head for 4 Day 3 night accommodation + Meal ans Transfer.

Perhentian Island...RM850 per person for PADI not include accommodation , meals and transfer..

dude. this is until advanced course. please read properly before making a comment. i'm aware of other pricing. for the rm850 person u only complete a portion at confined space and the rest at island and it doesnt include alot other facilities.

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Added on March 9, 2009, 2:58 pmplease refer www.padi.com.my



to qualify for the advanced openwater u need to spend time at the island and complete a number of dives. please bear in mind, every dive would cost u alot in actual.

This post has been edited by ree: Mar 9 2009, 02:58 PM

Complete Full Course Open Water and Advance Water for 7 Night Include Transfer ,Meal,Accommodation and Course..just RM2290.00 per person ..located at Long Beach , Perhentian Kecil

jgn cakap ni scuba jeff? hahahaha....

Ohhh youu hahaha

cehhh.. apsal murah sangat course ko ni??? bagi makan abuk kayu ke? hahaha.. ada place utk 2 orang tak? 1 girl 1 boy?

Perhentian Kecil..always offering low cost budget for divers..mostly their dive Master and Instructor from UK and local..memang murah kat sana..accommodation the lowest RM30-RM50 per night.Well..makan ubi kayu cicah budu. tu pasal boleh murah..place for 2 ada..no problem bro..anytime..

woooohhh.. do they accept only two of us? it's under PADI or NAUI? certified or not? next week got schedule?

Iya...no problem to accept 2 person.Its under PADI certificate ..For next week..is free for schedule.Interested PM to me iyaa..i will arrange

no hidden cost right? what do i need to buy prior to the course? just wetsuit, mask and fin right? u'll provide the other equipment right?

Nope hidden cost..

Open Water Course 4 Day 3 Night

• Speed boat transfer from Kuala Besut jetty to Perhentian Kecil and return
• 3 nights of accommodation in Chempaka Chalets
• PADI Open Water Course** which includes all required PADI training materials, PADI
certification fees & temporary card, logbook, dive table, all equipment rental, instructor
teaching fee & light refreshments
• FREE Spice T-shirt
• 10 % discount on mask & snorkel equipment

PADI Advanced Open Water package 3D/2N includes:

• Speed boat transfer from Kuala Besut jetty to Perhentian Kecil and return
• 2 nights of accommodation in Chempaka Chalets
• PADI Advanced Open Water course*)**) which includes all required PADI training
materials, PADI certification fees & temporary card, training slate, all equipment rental,
instructor teaching fee & light refreshments
• FREE Spice T-shirt
• 10 % discount on mask & snorkel equipment
• 10 % discount on Redang Dive Trip

MENARIK!!!

btw, after 10% discount, how much is the cost for fin, mask and wetsuit for man and woman? if cheaper i buy there la.

Sorry Bro..i don't have list price for the item. You can get the price list when you reach to Resort

hmm.. is it cheaper than any retail stores in KL? or can u reccommend any shop in Klang valley area.

http://www.malaysiadivingcommunity.com/for...?showtopic=2493

you can refer to address above

kekeke.. my account still waiting for approval from admin. i just joined this morning

I just got a quote from one the dive center. RM2000 for the course and 4d/3n at redang. This is confined water training in klang valley first then certification dive at redang.

I went to a few local websites that offers the course at the resort, took a look at their itinerary and it wasn't good. it's 5d/4n but for the whole duration of stay..u spend most of the time going thru the course. and 2-3 dives. but i can say that it's cheap...about RM1500-1800.

ok let me help clarify a bit about the open water diver course offered by PADI for the benefit of everybody. i've not taught SDI for a while so i can't just call it off my brain right now.

the course is divided into 3 segments.

1. Theory Sessions.
Which consists of watching a video, reading the open water diver manual and completing the exercises in the book, 4 quiz and 1 final exam. This can be completed anywhere but it must be completed before the start of the open water dives (refer to No.3, some exceptions are there though)

2. Confined Water Sessions.
This sections must be completed before the Open Water Dives (again there is some exceptions but the 1st session must be done irregardless) This will consists of 5 segments, where you are taught various skills in order to survive in the underwater environment. You will also be taught on what " if's " and how to handle it.

3. Open Water Dives
This is where you employ and show the skills that you have learned in the confined water sessions to the instructor in an open environment (open = non swimming pool like conditions) there are a total of 4 dives in this segment.

So for segments 1 & 2 it can be conducted in town but 3 MUST be conducted in the open sea.

Now many people compare prices, there are a lot of variable to be taken into account. such as the dive centre you are learning with, some might use top of the range equipment, some offer 5 * like resort facilities, some offer the fastest boat in the world. So you actually get what you pay.
First decide on what is a comfortable figure for you. Then go about enquiring with that budget in mind. Again like all travel & living arrangements there is no 1 standard package that fits everybody!

Most important of them all have fun in your training but keep it serious!

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Added on March 11, 2009, 9:58 amNow about the Advanced Open Water Diver course.(AOW)

A common misconception, be it intended or not that i read in this forum is that there is a minimum no of dives 1 needs to do before proceeding to this level.
Then correct answer to that question is NO (with the exception of BSAC Sports Diver)
There is no pre requisite of a minimum no of dives before going for the AOW besides the Open Water Diver certification.

But i personally recommend 1 to do at least 15 dives before going on to do this course.

Now a breakdown on the structure of the course.

There is a total of 5 dives that is required of which 2 is compulsory.

1. Deep Dive
This is one of the main reasons to do the AOW course, you learn of the extra hazards of going deeper and how to manage those hazards.

2. Navigation Dive
You will learn of more advance navigation techniques that is not taught in the open water course.

The remainder 3 dives are chosen from a list of available dives listed by the instructor. But the favorites are wreck dive, night dive, underwater photography, underwater naturalist, drift dive and peak performance buoyancy (PPB).
Note that some of these dives require special equipment, eg. camera, DSMB so there might be extra cost involved. But than again nobody said scuba diving was cheap anyway.

This post has been edited by kimseng: Mar 11 2009, 09:58 AM

Since I can't find enough people for my diving course. Should I take the course at the resort's dive center? Since they can provide the course with just 2 people.

yes i would suggest you do so. most dive operators in the city has a fixed schedule. so unless you can fit it. most of them will not accomodate.

yeah..i would think so too. But doing it in "locally" would be ideal. Taking the course at the resort is too hectic and don't think we would actually enjoy the time there....spend whole day reading and learning.

Any suggestions?

i agree with kimseng. i got a lot of future divers asking me about price of open water and etc. and they compare prices. it is always you get what you pay for. like some dive shop might offer you a course at a very cheap price but you get a few less confined water training which happened to my friend. if you plan to dive go for around market price. which is around rm 950 which is offered in redang. 4d 3n course.. whereby cheaper ones sometimes offered by others are 3d2n course which in my opinion might be dangerous to the student themself when they are certified.

dont rush into advanced OW. get more dive experience as much as you can especially your buoyancy. when you feel a lot more comfortable and confident underwater then only consider for your Advanced. i seen quite a number of advanced divers that is struggling underwater. there is a lot more to learn when you are just open water certified before you go doing your advance which instructors cant really teach. e.g looking for macro creatures underwater, understanding the way your buddies dive, knowing dangerous underwater creatures which are poisonous or might attack you and how to avoid them and etc.

DONT break the diving rules and take safety precautions SERIOUSLY then you'll notice diving is not a dangerous sport or hobby. just relax and enjoy the underwater beauty.

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Added on March 16, 2009, 5:49 pmheya wildchai.

i would usually suggest to do the course in the island itself rather doing confined water in kl as the situation in the sea is different from the pool. yes it may be hectic but at least it prepares you when you're still learning and roughly able to expect what it's like under the sea.

This post has been edited by Shinbo: Mar 16 2009, 05:49 PM

I had taken the discover scuba last time and it went very well. And i loved it. Trying to make arrangements with other dive centers for my schedule.

just got my license last january,even i did my 1st dive at pulau sembilan,near pangkor island on nov last year....got under SSI,n hell yeah,the overall fees just rm580 including 1st open water dive for test (only need to pay for the boat only,rm2++.++)...the gears also included for the lesson n the test for those who dont have any......now the price of the lesson is hiking up,but still below 1k...

plan to take underwater photograph,since i'm now is having fever with photography (but still cant produce nice pic)
plan to go for my next dive....but financial prob,huhu..........

This post has been edited by darkwing54: Mar 18 2009, 03:44 PM

here's an option for you.
you could engage with an instructor here to do the theory lessons. cause the hectic part most of the time is the theory sessions. he/she could sign off a referral form which you would carry to the island to your certifying instructor to complete it.
but bear in mind that the cost incurred will definitely be more in this case.
while you've done the discover scuba diving before you should be some what knowledgeable on what is there to do. so i'd recommend you to do the confined water sessions in the island.

hope this helps you.

Hi,

im a potential new comer......been eyeing scuba diving for a while fun to read the past 4pages....... so basically
there are 2 famous sites

i) malaysianunderwater
ii) malaysiandivingcommunity



last nite during earth hour had some sort of family dinner....so i asked some of my relatives about this.....we were just talking about this...they had taken the license......might follow them in future.....I think scuba i nice with friends.......my gf is also interested in scuba.......now need to hunt for the best price.....and time.....

my Q
1) what month is good for scuba in tioman (i find that mersing is most closed to my hometown)
2) i can swim....but not so good.....I can float.......200meter?hmm....1 x swim pool is how much again?

my target is to do dive around perhentian/pangkor/tioman/bubu/lang tengah before I turn 30 in a few years then only continue other places like sipadan/mabul/great barel reef/ philipines/maldives/carrabians and other nice spots......

regards,
new diver in the making