May

19

Diving at Mabul Island

Mabul Island is a beautiful paradise off the sandy coast of Sabah state, Malaysia. Since 1970 the natives have been engaging in subsistence fishing, but during the mid nineties divers started using it as a vintage point to visiting the nearby Sipadan region. They also discovered Mabul to have clean, calm beaches that are suitable for diving. As a 27 yr old career man, I enjoy coming here every holiday season to play in the revitalizing waters, it makes me feel relaxed, peaceful and in control of my life.
Mabul Island

There are also interesting sea creatures that roam the seas for you to see, I always find it interesting to swim alongside camouflaged frogfish, harlequins and massive schools of salt-water fish. The island is free for deep-sea diving throughout the year. Nevertheless, for great underwater visibility I recommend visitors to come in the dry period which lasts from the month of March to October.

Diving expeditions

The reef area borders a natural continental shelf and has a deep seabed which goes down 28m deep. Moreover, there are numerous dive resorts which operate within the beach area for visitors to take advantage of. During my first diving experience I was able to see various sea creatures for the first time, some of these are bobtail squids, colorful cuttlefish and the rare mimic octopus. Mabul’s reef is a natural ecosystem for diverse breeds of cephalopods. Sea gobies can also be found in these waters with the most popular ones being metallic shrimp, spike-fin and gray sail-fin goby. Most of these creatures are docile and rarely attack divers. However, I still recommend that you should wear a sturdy swim suit when exploring the ocean. Diving in Malaysia is an experience worth trying.

Apart from the usual resorts, there are also backpacker accommodations and home-stays that may arrange cheap diving expeditions on your behalf. The lodging firms may also arrange for special day tours to the adjacent isles. Nonetheless, diving is excellent around Mabul and there’s little reason to go elsewhere for the same services. Divers’ safety from predatory sea creatures is also guaranteed by the Panglima barrier wall.

The Paradise

I really like the Paradise Diving sites which are also popular amongst international tourists; they always have something new for people to enjoy. These spots are covered in pristine coral forests that teem with goldfish, whiptail and sparkled-mask rays. The second of these sites is popular for its Staghorn coral system, which houses the elusive but conspicuous mandarin fish.

Froggie’s Place

This marvelous diving spot features a sloping reef that’s about 14m deep, it offer a sweet diving experience that often brings me back every year. It even gets better where the barrier reef comes to contact with the sand, a marine convergence spot with an irresistible collection of fish and crustaceans. This site got its name from the massive array of frogfish that can be found along the sinuous slopes, the waters are so warm and relaxing that most divers dip in at least thrice in a day. Mabul is a true paradise for muck-divers who love spending time next to the beautiful soft corals.

 

About our new author:

Grace Sumrall is an avid diver from Australia who loves exploring the open ocean. She loves to read and share diving experiences with her fellow divers.

Jun

13

How do you know you have the right BCD (Buoyancy Compensation Device) ? And seriously
what could possibly be the difference between one or another you may ask. There
is very little about the BCD in general that many people find attractive or
enjoyable but more a necessity. I understand possibly better than most a BCD’s
function and the reasoning behind it; but the fact remains that the number 1
most disliked piece of gear in many divers kit is the BCD. It’s too restrictive
or clumsy, its too bulky or I just would like tit to have more function than
just holding my tank and helping me trim or float.

These days if your BCD is not bulky; then you feel like you are wearing body armour
underwater or they have so many unnecessary added features that you feel like a
walking Christmas Tree wearing one. The feature of “welds” in the air cell that
causes the unit to “wrap around” you simply gives the manufacturers a method of
adding more crud to the unit and keeps it comfortable. To avoid the cumbersome
feel and bulkiness of a jacket style BCD, you have the option of going with a
back inflation style BCD (my proffered option). Be careful when you go this
route; as you may find that many manufacturers concentrate more on lift than
function;  some BCD’s have enough lift to
raise the Titanic which equates directly with more fabric and more bulk.

To me, the perfect BCD would look like something that you could use easily out of
the water as in, the bladder would perform all that it needs to do (buy a lift
bag if you really want to raise objects other than yourself) it should also
come with just enough strap material to hold the tank on the back and keep it
against my back and connect your essential objects to streamline your dive but
have all that you really need (you really do not need 24 stainless steel D
rings ). Now, I have to admit my Zeagle Stiletto BCD doesn’t quite match that description,
but when compared to many of the units on the market today, it’s pretty darn
close.

It is a very simple, comfortable design that isn’t packed with a lot of needless
“features” and “frills” to make it overly cumbersome. It’s 35lb (16 KG) lift
capacity is still far greater than I need but the folks at Zeagle have figured
out how to make that bladder not quit as obtrusive as most. This for many
divers equates to a piece of gear that is completely functional for most diving
in most waters. I’ll be the first to admit that on warm water dives the padding at the back is quite
comfortable, and welcome, and the 5 stainless steel D-rings are tucked away in
just the right spots to secure an octopus, console/computer, small light or whatever
other trinket you may be taking along on your dive, but never seem to be in the
way or “dangle” excessively.

Zeagle’s integrated weight system is also equally as streamlined and simple. No bulky
pockets at each hip. The finishing touch on this BCD is the fact that it’s a
soft pack design. You can literally roll this thing up into a tiny little wad in your luggage/dive
bag jump up and down on it to compress some space (careful not to step on your
power inflator) and take it out when you reach your destination and it’s ready
to go diving. The bladder has a good pair of access ports for rinsing after
your dives and is overall a simple very functional piece of equipment for many
divers.
All the important information:
Integrated ipcord Weight System – 44 lb capacity (24 lbs Diver releasable – 20 lbs non-diver releasable trim weights for improved weight distribution and
balance)

35-lb (16-KG) lift capacity low profile bladder

Twin tank bands for single tanks included

1000 Denier Material

Two flap utility pockets

Adjustable Cummerbund

5 – stainless D-rings

Adjustable Sternum Strap

SIZES: XSmall through XLarge

So if you are looking for a light weight BCD that has all the features and
functions of a real heavy-weight contender this should be one of the first you
take for a test dive. Zeagle has a list of suppliers on their web page http://zeagle.com/Find-a-Dealer/

Aug

2

I hear you can charter a boat in SF for around 2K and they will take you out by Angel Island where the Great Whites are and let you go down in a cage and photograph them and take pictures.
Have you done this? whats it like?

Jun

16

Demonstration of neutral boyancy, detaching and re-attaching a side-slung deco cylinder, regulator swap, switching to deco gas, deployment of an SMB & twin-set shut-down procedures.

Duration : 0:5:54

Continued…

Jun

16

The Oceanic VT3 Dive computer not only offers the great features you expect from your dive computer, but has gone to the next level. Once again another innovative product from Oceanic. ScubaBasics is proud to offer it’s series of Scuba Diving Equipment reviews.

Duration : 0:6:5

Continued…

Jun

16

Tips for using scuba bcd flotation device. Learn how to use your buoyancy compensator device in this free scuba diving lesson.

Expert: Cole Abbott
Bio: Cole Abbott is currently working as a divemaster in Kauai, Hawaii. He holds many certifications through PADI, including Wreck Diver, Night Diver, Fish Identification and Search and Rescue.
Filmmaker: Amy Miyajima

Duration : 0:2:5

Continued…

Jun

9

Wildside Encounters host Luke Tipple leads an expedition to Isla Guadalupe onboard the Nautilus explorer for Sharkdiver.com. Some great shark footage as well as tricky conditions on the island.

Duration : 0:4:10

Continued…

Jun

9

This guy was at about 25m while we were at about 17m. No was taking the video of him when my dive computer started making noise. He seemed to hear it, and looked up towards us, even moving our way… you can see No freaking out when she looks over at me… the camera moves.

Duration : 0:0:47

Continued…

Jun

9

Best Scuba diving watch review

Duration : 0:3:25

Continued…

Jun

9

Isla Guadalupe is rapidly becoming the World’s Best Destination to dive with Great White Sharks. It hosts one of the most prolific populations of White Sharks on the planet. What makes Isla Guadalupe the greatest White Shark diving destination is not only the abundance of White Sharks, but the water you will find them in! The temperature averages 65 to 70 degrees F. It is simply Shark Diver Heaven!
On these spectacular five day expeditions, you will find yourself on board the 95′ Searcher, one of San Diego’s finest long range sportfishing/diving vessels. The Searcher boasts gourmet dining and excellent live-aboard accommodations! (ALL PRIVATE CABINS) Not only will you experience the best shark diving on the planet, Continued…

Jun

9

snorkeling diving azimut “86s 86 turks and caicos” “nikki beach” arneson bahamas exuma staniel cay nygard adam grocholski deep sea underwater lights hid 150w ocean led u.s us airways barack obama inauguration white house 44 president iphone american idol 2009

Duration : 0:8:33

Continued…

Jun

9

Removing kayak scuba diving gear can be difficult because you will be balancing on the kayak. Learn how to properly remove kayak scuba diving gear with tips from a certified rescue diver in this free kayak diving video.

Expert: Jason Shoup
Bio: Jason Shoup is a PADI certified Rescue diver.
Filmmaker: Louis Nathan

Duration : 0:3:18

Continued…

Jun

9

Chill out people! When I uploaded this I didn’t know it was fake! I didn’t even know photoshop exsited! So give me a break I know it’s fake! Watch my other videos then!

GO CKECK OUT WARPNATIC RIGHT NOW!!!
http://www.youtube.com/warpnatic

This is a CRAZY shark picture my friend sent me.

So a family was scuba diving a their son wanted a picture of his parents in their scuba gear. His dad thought his son was worried or scared. But their son gave them the “ok” signal. He swam back to the boat very fast and told his parents there was a huge shark behind them. They didn’t believe him. When they put the picture on their laptop they saw the shark really was behind them. Everyone was ok.

Sorry about the bad footage. When i tape my computer it doesn’t turn out so well.

Duration : 0:0:32

Continued…

Jun

9

Scuba Diving in Bora Bora. Steve is working the camera, and Andrea has the pink fins and the blue swim cap. The big fish that swims around with us is a Napoleon Wrasse. Also, there are lots of sharks around us!

Duration : 0:5:53

Continued…

Jun

9

This is a segment from our DVD entitled “Diving the Florida Keys: A Video Guide.” It shows divers what it’s like to dive the USS Spiegel Grove off Key Largo. The full length DVD is about 45 minutes and is available for sale at www.hidefpics.com.

Duration : 0:3:22

Continued…

Jun

9

SHARK DIVING em Roatan.
WAIHUKA DIVING

Duration : 0:3:5

Continued…

Jun

9

scubaboard.com

Duration : 0:2:20

Continued…

Jun

9

U/W Video

Duration : 0:8:32

Continued…

Jun

9

Ayia napa offers a perfect scuba diving opportunity watch the videop and discover why you should visit ayia napa for scuba diving. Discover the agia napa diving places

Duration : 0:3:51

Continued…

Jun

9

This 3D computer animation of the Blue Hole will help you to understand more about its structure.

Duration : 0:1:1

Continued…

Jun

9

Discover with Playa Scuba Dive Center from Playa del Carmen newly opened “Dream Gate” Cenote and Sacrificial Maya Cenote Pta.Laguna.An incredible inside to Cenote Archeology.http://www,playascuba.com

Duration : 0:10:5

Continued…

Jun

9

Swimming with Whale Sharks in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia
whale shark diving

Duration : 0:8:16

Continued…

Jun

9

Marsa Alam Deep South Scuba Diving, Oct 2005. Liveaboard was Spirit of Folk run by Emperor Divers. Booked through Blue Ocean Diving.
This video features oceanic white tip sharks, an eagle ray and a turtle.
www.sheerman-chase.org.uk
www.emperordivers.com
www.blueoceandiving.co.uk

Duration : 0:2:21

Continued…

Jun

9

Scene from thunderball showing sean connery (007) scuba diving near shark infested waters

Duration : 0:2:46

Continued…

Jun

9

2006-06 ADC Cornwall Trip Scuba Diving organised by Ashford Dive Club. Dived with Porthkerris Diving and Dive Action.
www.ashforddiveclub.com
www.porthkerris.com
http://www.diveaction.co.uk/
Location: around N50’03.93 W005’03.94
Water Temperature: 15C

Duration : 0:5:39

Continued…