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

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.

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.

no laughing matter when u actually DIE from CNS

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.

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!

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

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)

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!

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....

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!

---

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

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.

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.

the answer to your questions are as below

1. Season opens usually on March till early October. Tioman is not really much affected because of the bigger boats used in ferry transfers.
2. as long as you can complete the 200m all is fine. and you can use a snorkel, mask and fins to help you complete it.

as to my knowledge there PADI, NAUI and SSI in Perhentian. PADI being the majority of it. SSI is offered by Alu Alu divers, while NAUI is offer by Steffen Sea Sports.
As for the operators you listed i know the owners of 2 & 3 personally. And yes they do offer great service. But i can't comment on the equipment and chalets, as they are very very very personal. I personally don't mind camping in Teluk KK

good to hear that your kinda fit.
after all you organize snorkeling trips right?
you'll never know when somebody snorkeling with a life jacket gets pulled away by current. and you have to be the hero of the day

very important reminder for those planning to do the Open Water Diver course. There is a minimum of 18 hours before you can fly after your last dive. But i recommend 24 hours
So please plan your schedule accordingly.

This post has been edited by kimseng: Apr 20 2009, 10:47 AM

there is only 2 operator in Pulau Aur. And both are Singaporean owned.
try searching for Planet Scuba Singapore. They own 1 resort there. The owner is a SDI instructor trainer and a friend of mine.

where did you get those pricess?
and why would someone sell you those manuals without a course?

what you listed is very odd indeed as i do not see the point of offering segments of a course especially the way you dissected it.

unless you didn't manage to complete it in the first place... but the odd thing is why is advance open water lesson 4? did you mean 4 dives?
cause if that is so... it is inaccurate..
you need to complete 5 dives.
if your 4 = FOR then pardon my ignorance.

but then again please share where did you get these prices.

yeah tioman was about 5 -8 m also..

for lembeh
dive SLOWLY..... face the sand look once look twice and look for the third time.
enjoy yourself.

what size is your feet?
a GENERAL guideline is as follows:

S = Size 4 to 6
M = Size 7 to 9
L = Size 10 to 12

if you are anywhere above and below those range you'll need those odd sized fins and i would advice you against buying 2nd hand fins.
btw how much is cheap anyway?
fins are very very subjective. get the right one you'll enjoy the dive, get the wrong one you'll curse the day you bought it.
my advice is get feedback on the model from diver you know. best yet beg, borrow or steal and then try it out before deciding.