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

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?

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.

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:.

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:.

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

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 .

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!

Going Tawau Next Week

What Island Is Highly Recommend?

Well, Not Diving, But Snorkling

hi everyone,

just took the open water and now waiting for the test before go to island for diving . would like to is it the exam in multiple choice question ? is it hard for the exam ?

yeah already passed the test . now wait for dec to sipadan for diving .. sifoo sifoo here may i know where can i buy wetsuit with affordable price ?

Hello divers, me and my wife's C-card almost kaput liao. Plastic is separating. Anyone knows where to change the PADI C-cards and how much? Do I have to send new photos?

langkawi is not in my list actually.. but wonder why some say that langkawi is not bad.. i m more concern about redang or sipadan. but sipadan would be very costly, m i?

nutella, not so soon, may be next year aug, when r u going?

I have done almost 400 dives around Langkawi even places not in the marine park. Although not specified as an ideal dive destination there are a few diving outfits there. Pro Dive and East Marine has been operating there for a lot of years. It is the destination for divers during the monsoon period. Although visibility might not be as good as Redang or Perhentian the coral life and marine life is abundant. In fact it has more fishes than Redang, problem is the visibility. Try to arranged your dive around the 8th or 9th day of the lunar month ( chor pat or chor kow) when it is the tide is not moving much.
Pulau Kaca just beside the main Pulau Payar offers great coral life. A  few sunken confiscated trawler boats are sunk here. dive around the island, depth about 20 feet to 40 feet. On the main Pulau Payar there is Grouper Farm, Coral Garden and the house reef inf front of the jetty is also a good experience!
The best Langkawi  has to offer is definately Pulau Segantang but it is another 30 mintes west of Pulau Payar by speed boar. Most divers skip this island but dives can be organised by the dive operators there. There are two islands here and the longer one is a good dive. You circle the island while the boat follows you around above. Depth is about 30 feet to 60 feet around the island. Lots of marine life here. I have seen walls of jenahak and barracudas here and at times olive turtles and lobsters.

Not sure how much they charge nowdadys but you can bargain if you are in a group. I used to assist the divemaster when I dive because I am one of the partners in the dive outfit. I am not a divemaster but at times I used to do that when there are too many divers. Normally they charge RM280 to RM300 for 2 dives trip with equipments, lunch and boat. That's a bargain compared to RM150 for snorkelling trips in Pulau Payar.
The best is organise a trip for 8 or more then you can really get your money's worth and then you can book the whole boat and visit Pulau Segantang and Pulau Payar at one go.

After reading the posts, i guess i will be doing the theory part on land, and head to redang or perhentian for the cert. Is 3D2N enough? I will be doing it before July, either Mar, Apr or Jun, whenever cheaper