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Hooded crow, Loch Linnhe

The Best Wreck Diving Along the West Coast of Sabah, Borneo

Article by Joanne Cotterill

Many divers visit Sabah, Borneo to go diving world famous Sipadan. Home to stunning drop-offs, Turtles on every dive and dived by Jacques Cousteau it’s not a surprise it’s a popular scuba diving destination. What many divers do not realise is that there are a range of World War 2 (WW2) wrecks offering some memorable diving experiences along the west coast of Sabah. And all are accessible via diving day trips from Kota Kinabalu (the capital city of Sabah).

Whilst there are believed to be many wrecks in the South China Sea (from World War 2), there are currently four WW2 wrecks identified off the west coast of Sabah which are also suitable for scuba diving. All of the wrecks are Japanese cargo ships – meaning they are large (~150m – 200m) and have historic ‘treasures’ that were being transported at the time they went down. Due to the length of time they have been sunk (~65 years) they are all covered in stunning soft coral gardens, hard corals, teeming with fish life and home to an amazing range of tropical water marine life. Find schooling Barracuda, Nurse Sharks, large Groupers and large shoals of Yellow Snappers and Fusiliers.

Three of the wrecks are located in Usukan Bay (Rice Bowl Wreck, Upside-Down Wreck and the Usukan Wreck) which is located 30 nautical miles north west from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The fourth wreck, the Gaya Wreck, is located ~ 20 minutes west of Pulau Gaya (outside Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park near Kota Kinabalu, Sabah). The wrecks offer both non-penetration diving (i.e. swimming over and around the wreck) and limited penetration diving, within the “light zone”. The rest of this article provides an overview of the wrecks to be dived along the west coast of Sabah.

The Rice Bowl Wreck – So-called because a cache of rice bowls was found in the bow when it was first dived, this is a relatively long vessel (~150m) lying in a North Easterly direction in 40m at its deepest and 26m at its shallowest. The depth of this wreck makes it suitable for minimum PADI Advanced Open Water Divers and is best dived recreationally using nitrox (EANx30). The superstructure is punctured in many places, making some exploration possible and interesting, and the metalwork is robust. The soft coral garden is memorable. During the ‘Dry Season’ you can often enjoy stunning visibility on the wreck of 30m+.

The Upside-Down Wreck – The name gives away the orientation of this ship, which lies in the same direction and at similar depth to the Rice Bowl wreck. This wreck has good swim-throughs, though a torch is essential and is good for exploring as well as a training ground for Wreck Diver specialty.

The Usukan Wreck – This is the deepest of the three Usukan Bay wrecks at 35m – 45m and consequently only available to technical divers (divers certified for decompression diving). It is a good wreck for diving on rebreathers or diving twin-tanks / Trimix. The wreck is interesting and has a spectacular whip coral coverage that can give it a frosted appearance in a certain light.

The Gaya Wreck – The large Gaya wreck is a deep wreck and sits upright in 36m – 50m of water. The wreck is generally intact and there are lots of interesting exploration and wreck penetration opportunities for technical divers with suitable experience and training (rebreather divers of twin-tank divers). Whilst the identify of the wreck has not been confirmed, it is believed to be the Nittetsu Maru. On October 14th 1944, Submarine Dace (SS-247) sank two Japanese merchant tankers, the Eikyo Maru and Nittetsu Maru, and damaged merchant ore carrier Taizen Maru off North Borneo, 06°05′N, 115°55′E”. The description of this wreck matches that of the Nittetsu Maru. Post action reports state the Dace sunk the Nittetsu Maru (a cargo ship of 5,993 tons), the Eikyo Maru (an oil tanker of 6,948 tons) and heavily damages the cargo ship Taizen Maru (5,396 tons).

Wreck diving is a popular form of scuba diving amongst leisure divers. Diving along, or inside, a shipwreck is attractive to divers for several reasons. Shipwrecks have a history to them which provides a different perspective when diving along one. Wrecks also quickly become an artificial reef, which creates a habitat for many types of marine life – they are normally surrounded by fish and home to critters. Scuba diving along a wreck also presents new skill challenges for scuba divers.

The best time to go diving the dive sites along the west coast of Sabah is from April to September (with April – June offering typically the best diving conditions).

Whether you be visiting Kota Kinabalu, Sabah as an experienced diver, a new diver, wanting to learn to dive or enjoy a try dive there are dive sites to meet your needs.

Find out more about wreck diving from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo at http://www.borneodream.com

Dive Schools question by johnnyboy44: where does the school dive team get their swimsuits?
does each diver have to buy their own or does
the dive team have a special store where they buy them
or how do they get them?
i want to know because i want to be on the dive team
next year
does anyone have any dive team tips/ tricks/ comments
im a guy btw

Dive Schools best answer:

Answer by Polak365
they usually let u order them from some special place or they tell u to go to the store and get ur own.

go to macy’s or kiefer

Diving In The Sea

Enjoy the Experience of Scuba Diving in the World’s Best Scuba Diving Locations

Article by Minchy Menace

Scuba diving is a sport pursued by people living in all parts of the world due to the many joys and pleasures which it has to offer. The thrill of being in unfamiliar surroundings, gazing at the most stunning coral reefs in crystal clear waters and getting close to beautiful sea creatures, are reasons enough to convince anyone to engage in scuba diving.

While one can always do diving in any body of water that is deep enough, but still there are certain famous scuba diving locations in many parts of the world, which truly take scuba diving to the next level. Scuba divers visit such locations because they have to offer unaltered marine life, clear light blue waters and great facilities which include experienced diving instructors.

Caribbean islands are one of the most prominent dive spots in the world, with countless areas where one finds nature still preserved in its purest form. These islands not only offer great marine life, but the visibility under water ranges from twenty feet to up to one hundred and twenty feet, allowing divers to capture as many stunning scenes as they can. From Bahamas to Aruba, Caribbean islands have ideal scuba diving resorts with great facilities close by.

The islands of Hawaii are another great destination for diving enthusiasts. Scuba diving in Hawaii offers the most complex and breathtaking coral formations, while the most attractive and colorful tropical fish reside in the waters encircling the islands. From turtles to sharks, all kinds of magnificent sea creatures are lurking in the stunning waters of Hawaii, adding to the thrill factor.

Along the coast of Florida, many stunning and world renowned dive sites locations attract tourists from many countries of the world. Florida, being one of the most popular fishing resorts in the US, offers warm and clear waters for divers, while large supply of tropical fish and sensational coral formations from a close bond between you and nature. Once you are in Florida, you will find the best equipment in nearby diving stores, while expert instructors will ensure that your deep-sea adventure does not take an ugly turn.

The coasts of Belize also offer a thrilling and exciting experience to scuba divers. Divers head towards the diving locations of Belize to have a closer look at the largest coral reef system in the northern hemisphere. The stunning coral formations and the underwater volcano bring thousands of scuba divers to the shores of Belize.

Countries like Australia, Philippines, and Fiji, Malaysia also boast of great dive locations. All of these scuba diving spots are enough to draw an aqua phobic person to indulge in scuba diving.

Diving in the sea

Travelview International St Vincent and the Grenadines

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Diving in the sea question by iniri: What is the highest pressure the human body has been known to withstand?
Mostly in regards to deep sea diving, but other answers are welcome

Diving in the sea best answer:

Answer by Vari Lee
i had the pressure of raising 5 kids…feeding them….clothing them and getting them all through school and college….lots and lots of pressure throughout the years

Dive Schools

IMG_0469

PADI Centre London from London Diving: The Best Diving Experience

Article by Hall Andrew

Scuba diving today has taken on a new turn. It has become popular over the years. Many are now reading through the hoards of diving courses offered on the net to find the best ones. People are not only looking to learning how to scuba dive but find the best diving experience too, which is why London Diving is seen biggest demand for its qualified PADI centre London. London diving has grown to be superior in most ways. The school is equipped with high technology scuba gears to equal the highly qualified experts and instructors. London Diving sees that tools and equipment are updated each time.

Their site for scuba diving is provides only the highest standard of instruction in all courses. From open water to instruction level, London Diving boasts the best experience and courses, because it is in close contact with PADI centre. It sees to the complete adherence of the highest level of commitment and dedication. Superior instruction and the best of personalities make for a good combination of learning strategy.

London diving has taken diving into a new level of learning. It takes each student one step at a time before finally committing each person to the advanced courses. It allows you to take your time and not to rush on anything which might put you in a compromising situation when you reach open water. You have to resolve first whatever is bugging you or if you have apprehensions in taking the course. In other words friendly instructors are out to make you feel confident until such time you are ready for the full blown courses.

London Diving makes London diving from PADI centre London your best experience yet. It provides the diving solutions of individual requirements. London Diving is working with the best professional standards in the diving business. It has the qualifications and the proper credentials to offer diving lessons from starters to master scuba divers and specialty courses for scuba diving enthusiasts and interested parties.

London diving affords scuba divers the best of the underwater world. Scuba diving provides the opportunity of romancing with the natural beauty of the sea. This is only made possible by the best instruction approaches from the PADI centre London. Only when you learn how to scuba dive and when you have understood aquatic life then you can start to appreciate what nature has to offer. London Diving makes this fully understood when you start with your naturalist diving course.

The London Diving team supports the vision and objective of every student of scuba diving. You are underwater for a reason and London Diving makes your goals come true. With the PADI system scuba diving lessons have taken a new twist. It is not just for the heck of diving but it more than just diving. The highly technical programs of London Diving make diving one notch higher or more than its competitors. The site in London turns their students into passionate and highly enthusiastic divers. The students in turn know how to appreciate nature at its best and learn how to nurture the thriving life under the sea.

The London Diving team is PADI trained and have been teaching scuba diving for many years in London. The members of the team have acquired so much hours as diving instructors. If only for these reasons London Diving has turned out to be on the top of the list of the scuba diving industry. It is now a name to reckon with in London diving.

Dive Schools

This is one of twelve new titles for 2002, from “Spirals”, one of the most popular and successful series for reluctant readers. It features dynamic plots and storylines which encourage readers to pick them up again and again. It includes engaging themes without being immature or patronising and attractive cover designs in new paperback style binding are designed to motivate pupils. There are short but substantial chapters to give a sense of achievement in reading whole texts. Clearly laid out te

Dive in to Danger (New Spirals – Non-Fiction S.)

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Dive Schools question by cherryblossy: Are film schools worth my time and money?
I’m an aspiring filmmaker, only 17, and next year I hope to attend the International Film School Sydney (assuming I’ll get accepted). But are film schools really worth it? Should I just dive straight into it instead?

It’s a lot harder for an Australian, seeing as how the resources are very limited in comparison to, say, the US.

Dive Schools best answer:

Answer by Nyx
Not really. A film degree doesn’t get anyone anywhere. In Hollywood its about connections and talent, not degrees, its one of the few fields where you don’t need a degree to be successful. What happens when you don’t make it in the film industry? Its handy to have a practical degree. So learn about filmmaking, dive into it, just don’t get a 4 year degree in it.
Why don’t you make it a minor in college instead?