My first diving experience... Awesome~~

Went for my first dive today... and it was.... WOW~~~

Ok.. first of all.. didn't blog the past few days... because I wasn't really that free... and i reach Sabah on Wednesday night quite late... I only have internet access at my dad's shop... so i couldnt get to it....

Thursday was spent resting and slacking... and checking out the dive agency... and i signed up for the course for the next day immediately.. which was yesterday...

I did the SSI course.. because it's much cheaper than PADI ones... haha.. it's the same thing... but well.. i guess it's a branding issue.... LOL

And so the whole day yesterday was spent in the classroom... doing theories and stuffs... there's even a test in the end... and i got 94%... 2 questions which I mis-interpret... and 1 the instructor didn't go through... haha...
Not bad... I was the highest in class... there's only 1 other person in the class though... haha... a nice local Indian who treated me and the instructor to lunch.... he got 80%... becasue he was nodding off in class... LOL
But cannot blame him... he lives faraway...one and a half hour's drive... so he have to wake up early to get to Kota Kinabalu itself...

And today... we set off for our first dive... at an offshore Island..... think it was call Pulau Sapi... there was a initial swim test and float on water test... I made it through quite easily...(^_^)...Well.. I've made it through the much more demanding Bronze Medallion... haha..
But the other guy couldn't.. he's got some water phobia.... and he didn't know it... until he got in the water.. and began to struggle...
And since he can't make it.. he cannot go for the dive training... and well... he have to stay on the boat...

Kinda of a pity... it would have been good to have a buddy....especially since he's such a nice guy... but still... it's also ok... at least the instructor can concentrate fully on me... haha ... made my money worth more... LOL

We began at the shallow ends of the beach first...doing drills and the basics of diving... tried breathing through the respirator... tasted pure oxygen... haha...
Basically i was drilled into clearing my mask in water... it's easier than you think.. haha... then taking off my BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) and checking the tank and tubes underwater, clearing water from my respirator.. and so on...

After that.. I went for my first dive... with my instructor... till 12 metres... and i would say... It was a true eye opener... staying underwater for so long... and seeing objects that you would normally see only on TV or books... the corals... clown fishes.... sea urchins.... you name it... haha...

And the feeling of actually gently floating around in the deep sea.... wow.... simply amazing...

But i have a small problem though... my left ear doesn't seem to be able to equalise with the outside pressure... it's a thing we have to keep doing to prevent damage to the ears... and whenever i equalise... only my right ear cleared... think there's something stuck in my left ear...

Sian... it became quite painful when i go deeper... so I had to go up abit... clear it bit by bit... then go down again...

It was worst during my 2nd dive... because I have to do drills which requires me to go up and down.... then I'll be cleared... pain...cleared again... then pain again....clear... then pain... and the cycle goes on...

But still... I enjoyed myself... haha.... though my ear's abit irritating... too much ear wax or something... LOL.....

After the first dive.. we went fort a break at a small eatery on the island... and Wow... lots of sights ... haha... alot of foreigners... Caucasians...Koreans.... haha... so you can see why...

Taking a break and having my lunch... that's my instructor beside me... haha.... Gary Brideger from England...


After the break... we went for our 2nd dive... did more drills in deeper waters... but went till around 10metres only this time..
That's me.. being pushed into the water... LOL... haha... no lar.. it's one of the many types of entering the water... assisted by a colleague of my instructor... Ross.. also from England... he's the boat captain....


And here I am.. with Gary... back into the water for more training...

After that... we ascended up... met up with the boat... boarded from the water.. then went back to the main land...
Trying to board the boat after diving...

And that's was the end for the first dive training day..... haha.... not very tiring.... and it was fun... haha...

Diving's good man....