Living Seas strives to be the Premier Dive Educational Centre in the world, providing the highest standard of dive education to those who are passionate and serious about diving. We are committed to delivering the highest standard of recreational / technical dive education to anyone who shares our passion, and through our values, raise the standard of diving so that diving becomes more safe, responsible and fun.
It's been a pretty busy year for us here at Living Seas, but we've always got to make time for our annual visit to Bali to dive with the Molas and Mantas. This will mark our fourth year going back to Bali, and this time, we've decided to visit some of the newer attractions of underwater Bali, and promises to be a macro heaven for all the photographers out there. Of course we have the unfailing beauty of Nusa Penida as well, where we'll spend 2 days and 6 dives diving with the Molas and Mantas.
Puri Jati Discovered within the last 3 years, this site is most famous for the chance to see the rare (and as yet unnamed) Mimic Octopus. Other species of Octopus can also be seen here, as can Cuttlefish, a wide variety of crabs and shrimps, Eels, various Nudibrach, and even Devilfish, Ambon Scorpionfish and Flying Gunard and lots of Seahorses.
Menjangan The best wall diving in Bali, with a very bright & colourful underwater world. Lots of different sites to choose from, including a wooden shipwreck starting at 35m. A rich marine life and sandy beaches to relax over lunch. Nearby is 'Secret Bay', muck diving at its best and not to be missed by macro photographers; Frogfish, Seahorse & Nudibranch heaven.
Seven world class dive sites lie off the coast of Menjangan Island. This small, uninhabited island off the north west coast of Bali has been named as one of the most spectacular coral reefs of Bali. Here, the waters are clear and waves are minimal, ensuring one of the most delightful sets of conditions for diving or snorkeling in Bali. Menjangan Island is also called Deer Island because of the Menjangan deer, a species endemic to this part of Indonesia which make an annual migration across the channel from the mainland of Bali. Its local name is Pulau Menjangan.
Underwater sites range from sheltered and shallow coral gardens to vertical reef walls smothered with sea fans. From pygmy seahorses to schools of snappers, vivid gorgonians to reef sharks, sand banks with garden eels to magnificent formations of hard corals, Menjangan represents well the huge diversity of south east Asia's coral reefs. Visibility is normally excellent, ranging from between 15 and 50 metres.
Bali - Wednesday 8th to Monday 13th of September 2010 (Hari Raya Puasa Holidays)
S$990 per diver
Itinerary 8 Sep; airport pick up, overnight Sanur at Sindhumertha Suites (http://www.sindhumertha.com/sindhu-mertha-suite.html) 9 Sep; two dives Puri Jati, overnight Pemuteran at Aneka Bagus Pemuteran http://www.anekahotels.com/aneka-bagus/) 10 Sep; three dives Menjangan, overnight Sanur at Sindhumertha Suites 11 Sep; three dives Nusa Penida, overnight Sanur at Sindhumertha Suites 12 Sep; three dives Nusa Penida, overnight Sanur at Sindhumertha Suites 13 Sep; check out, airport drop
Proposed Flights Departing Singapore Airlines on SQ948 (Leaving Singapore at 19:00 and arriving in Denpasar at 21:30) Jet Star on JQ117 (Leaving Singapore at 18:35 and arriving in Denpasar at 21:15) Air Asia on QZ8493 (Leaving Singapore at 16:00 and arriving in Denpasar at 18:30)
Returning Singapore Airlines on SQ947 (Leaving Denpasar at 20:05 and arriving in Singapore at 22:35) Jet Star on JQ116 (Leaving Denpasar at 14:15 and arriving in Singapore at 16:50) Air Asia on QZ8496 (Leaving Denpasar at 17:40 and arriving in Singapore at 20:15)
From experience, space on this particular trip runs out pretty quick, so please make your interest known and book your leave and air tickets early to avoid being left out.
As usual, let me know if you have any questions, and if you'd like not to receive these updates from me anymore, just drop me a note to let me know.
This year marks the very first time we're doing a Technical trip to Manado to dive the deep walls at Bunaken and Bangka. You will find sheer drops to hundreds of meters at the amazing walls of Bunaken National Park and Bangka islands. Furthermore, we will be diving many undiscovered sites for those looking for more challenging technical and exploratory diving. The resort offers technical dive equipment, with dive and boat crews experienced with technical divers and their equipment.
The walls at the Bunaken National Park drop to over 800 meters, and are largely unexplored, with only rumours of big fish living beyond the recreational diving limits. The Bangka island walls drop to over 70 meters, and have deep reefs that go all the way down to the sandy bottom. The wrecks in the Lembeh Straits are also accessible a few hours’ drive away. With Manado’s traditionally calm waters and amazing visibility, this is the perfect location to experience technical diving at its best.
Not to leave the recreational divers out, Manado has always been famous for world class diving. A dominating volcanic landscape creates a unique backdrop for you to discover North Sulawesi, one of the world's best yet least known dive destinations. The year-round diving here is all about amazing variety and exotic surroundings. The deep seas give excellent average visibility (25m). They are also home to many unusual species, for example the prehistoric fish "coelacanth" as well as some household names: reef-shark, turtles, eagle rays, napoleon wrasse, even dugong and orca! The majority of sites are conveniently accessed within one hour from your hotel and yet North Sulawesi's remote location means that the sites are never crowded with other divers.
Manado - Wednesday 4th to Monday 9th of August 2010 (over the National Day Holidays)
S$ 1,360 for recreational divers
S$ 750 for non-divers
S$ 2,190 for Tech 1 divers
S$ 2,390 for Tech 2 divers
Package includes
All transfers to and from the Airport
Villa accommodation
Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the resort dining area
3 guided boat dives a day
Snorkeling for non-divers
Weights and tanks
Gas bill for technical divers
Package excludes
Marine park fees
Nitrox for recreational divers
Alcohol
Anything else not stated above
Itinerary
4th August - Arrive in Manado, transfer to Cocotinos, do checkout dive at House Reef
5th August - 3 boat dives in Lembeh Straits
6th August - 3 boat dives at Bunaken (2 technical dives at Bunaken)
7th August - 3 boat dives at Bunaken (2 technical dives at Bunaken)
8th August - 3 boat dives at Bunaken (2 technical dives at Bunaken)
9th August - Depart from Cocotinos and return to Singapore
Proposed Flights
Departing
4th August on Silk Air on MI274 (Leaving Singapore at 09:25 and arriving in Manado at 13:05)
Returning
9th August on Silk Air on MI273 (Leaving Manado at 13:50 and arriving in Singapore at 17:05)
Currently, we already have half of our reserved spaces at the resort taken up with divers, so please express your interest early to get a space! Deposits of 50% will need to be collected before the end of April in order to confirm your trip.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions about the trip and I'll be happy to help answer them. Looking forward to seeing you in Manado!
The local diving season is about to start soon, and here's our lineup of trips planned so far for the first half of 2010. I know some of you have been waiting to dive for a while now, here's your chance to get away for the weekend once again. This schedule is also up on our website, so please go have a look there if you have a chance.
Aur and Tioman Trips
Mar 5th to 7th to Aur
Mar 12th to 14th to Aur
Mar 19th to 21th to Tioman
Mar 26th to 28th to Tioman
Apr 9th to 11th to Tioman
Apr 16th to 18th to Aur
Apr 23rd to 25th to Aur
May 7th to 9th to Aur
May 14th to 16th to Aur
May 21st to 23rd to Aur
Jun 4th to 6th to Tioman
Jun 11th to 13th to Tioman
Jun 18th to 20th to Tioman
Jun 25th to 27th to Aur
We have limited spaces for each trip due to space at the respective resorts, so please let me know as soon as you can if you would like to go for a trip and I can put aside some space for you.
Fundamentals Courses for 2010
March 24th to 28th
April 28th to May 2nd
June 2nd to 6th
June 16th to 20th
July 7th to 11th
July 21st to 25th
August 25th to 29th
September 22nd to 26th
October 6th to 10th
November 10th to 14th
All Fundamentals courses are four full days each and run from Wednesday evening to Sunday evening and can be held at either Tioman or Cocotinos in Manado, let me know your preference if you are interested in a class and I can send you more details on the course.
As usual, drop me an email if you're interested in any of the above trips or courses.
On another note, I know that these emails are increasing in frequency as the season opening approaches, and if you feel that you don't want to be informed of our upcoming trips and activities, please send me an email and I'll be happy to take your email off this list, and you won't get any more updates from me.
Here are the details for the long awaited Layang Layang trip. We've had to move the booking to June instead of May because of an overbooking, but these dates are firm with the resort now.
As usual, please let me know as soon as you can if you'll be interested in this trip, and I'll need to collect a 50% deposit in order to confirm the booking with the resort. I'll need confirmations by the end of next week if possible. Please express your interest as well, even if you can't confirm, because spaces are very limited for this trip.
7th to 13th June - 7D6N Layang Layang Leisure Dive Package S$1,749 Per Diver (based on Twin Sharing) for Singaporeans and Singapore PR only US$1,580 Per Diver (based on Twin Sharing) for non-Singaporeans
Package includes
1 night accommodation at Imperial Boutec Hotel Waterfront.
Return air transfer KK Airport - Layang Layang Island Resort - KK Airport.
5 nights accommodation at Layang Layang Island Resort (LLIR).
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with light refreshments at LLIR.
2 boat dives on arrival day at LLIR, 3 boat dives on subsequent days and 1 boat dive on day before departure from LLIR.
Weights, weight belt and tanks.
Any prevailing government and service tax.
Package excludes
Land transfer fees between KK Airport and Imperial Boutec Hotel Waterfront.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 (7 June 2010)
Arrive in Kota Kinabalu Airport and take taxi to Imperial Boutec Hotel (MYR 35)
Check-In. Free & Easy - Things to do include exploring Manukan Island, shopping at Filipino Market and Sinsuran Complex, and visit to Monsopiad Cultural Village.
Day 2 (8 June 2010)
0400hrs Check out from Hotel and take cab to KK Airport (50% surcharge)
0500hrs Meet representative at airport
0630hrs Flight to LLIR
0750hrs Arrival at LLIR Resort Orientation
2 boat dives with full board overnight stay
Day 3 - 5 (9 - 11 June 2010)
3 boat dives with full board overnight stay
Day 6 (12 June 2010)
0700hrs Light Breakfast
1 boat dive with full board overnight stay
Day 7 (13 June 2010)
0700hrs Light Breakfast
0800hrs Flight to Kota Kinabalu
0920hrs Arrival at Kota Kinabalu
1455hrs Depart from Kota Kinabalu to Singapore (Flight by Air Asia)
1710hrs Arrive in Singapore
Proposed Flight (from Singapore) Direct Flight from Singapore to KK via Air Asia
Depart Singapore (SIN) Kota Kinabalu (BKI) AK6274 Changi Airport KK Airport Economy Depart 1735 hrs Arrive 1950 hrs
Return Kota Kinabalu (BKI) Singapore (SIN) AK6273 KK Airport Changi Airport Economy Depart 1455 hrs Arrive 1710 hrs
I know a lot of you have been asking about our Sipadan trips this year. Sorry about taking so long, but I've just heard back from the resorts and here are the details that I have for both of our trips this year.
Our first trip to Sipadan will be over the Good Friday holidays in April from the 1st to the 6th of April. The second trip is over Vesak Day and is from the 27th of May to the 1st of June.
Due to the fact that both these trips are over public holidays, I'm having a bit of trouble in securing spaces at the resort. I've managed to reserve 10 spaces for both trips but the resort is asking for full payment in order to confirm the spaces for us. Because of this, I'm afraid that I'll need confirmations and payments as soon as possible in order to get a space on these trips.
If you feel you can commit to either of these trips, please let me know as soon as you can, and I'll send over an invoice to you. Once payment is made, your space will be confirmed. However, I understand that these trips are still a few months away, and it may be difficult to foresee what may happen in these few months. Due to this, I promise that I'll refund any payments made for these trips if you really cannot make the trip later on, provided there is someone else available to take your space.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, and I'll be happy to help answer them.
On another note, I know many of you are also interested in going to Layang Layang, and I'm still ironing out details with them. I hope to have them ready for you soon, along with details on our Manado and Bali trips as well.
Travel Itinerary for 1st to 6th April Trip and for the 27th May to 1st June Trip
Itinerary Day 1 1430hrs Arrive at Tawau Airport via AK6153. Land transfer from airport to Semporna Jetty. 1600hrs Boat transfer from Semporna to Sipadan Resort. 1700hrs Arrive Sipadan Resort. Check in and briefing.
Day 2 to 4 - 3 boat dives per day at Sipadan Island, Mabul Island or Kapalai Island (also Si Amil and Mantabuan Island for Mabul Borneo Divers).
Day 5 - Up to 2 boat dives if schedule permits. - Check out from Sipadan Resort. 1330hrs Boat transfer to Semporna Jetty. 1430hrs Land transfer to Tawau Hotel.
Day 6 - Check out from Tawau Hotel. 0855hrs Depart for Singapore via AK6152.
6D5N Sipadan Water Village Package – S$1,390 Per Diver, S$1,090 Per Non-Diver (based on Twin Sharing)
Package Includes:
2-way Land Transfer (Tawau Airport - Semporna Jetty - Tawau Airport). Takes about 75 min per direction.
2-way Sea Transfers (Semporna Jetty - Sipadan Water Village - Semporna Jetty). Takes about 60 min per direction.
4 Night Accommodation at Sipadan Water Village.
Buffet Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with light refreshments.
Up to 3 guided boat dives daily except on arrival and departure day.
Unlimited dives at Mabul House Reef only with own buddy.
Weights, weight belt and tanks.
1 Night Accommodation at Tawau Hotel on day before departure.
Excludes: - Sipadan Marine Park Fee of MYR40/day. - Airfare from Singapore to Tawau.
I've been working hard and confirming the details for the Thresher Shark Research & Conservation Project. Here's a brochure providing more detail into what's on the itinerary and more background information on the project and what to possibly expect on this trip.
The dates are confirmed from the 21st of February to the 28th of February, with a lecture the night before by the visiting marine scientist Simon Oliver. The price for the trip is S$800, and this covers accommodation, diving and food.
A few of you have asked about whether this is a special trip that is only open to GUE divers, and whether there is a minimum certification requirement. On both of these accounts, the answer is a resounding no. We would want most of you to participate on this trip, not only to help with the research, but I personally look at it as a chance to learn more about what really goes on during these research expeditions. I'm really interested in how research is done, and learning this would add a new and richer dimension to the diving that we do.
If you look at the itinerary, you'll see that there's a pool session, where we'll be evaluated on in-water skills, and also I guess assigned our various tasks, depending on skill level. Even if you feel that your skills aren't up to snuff, I'm sure we can work something out during the training sessions. I'll be on hand to aid anyone with skill issues, and this might be a good chance to really test those skills out on a proper in-water task.
A number of divers have already expressed interest, but I'll be calling for final confirmations by the end of this week, and full payment needs to be collected by the end of the month. Flight details will also be given out to the divers who have confirmed along with more details on the trip.
I really hope you'll decide to join us on this trip, and hopefully we can learn something and perhaps implement something here in our local or Malaysian waters. If you feel that you're confirmed for this trip, then please drop me an email to let me know and I'll put you on the list.
Pre-Season Opening Activities
As most of you may know, the local season will be starting pretty soon, and here at Living Seas, we're gearing up for it by hosting a number of activities designed to get you back into the water.
First up is our once a year trip to Hantu. Most of the Living Seas crew will be going with the MV Quest on the afternoon of Sunday the 24th of January. We're planning to do a rescue refresher for our crew to ensure that their skills are honed and ready before the season starts. However, everybody is welcome to come and experience Hantu and perhaps enjoy the show that the LS crew will be putting on. This trip is priced at $79 per person, with 2 dives planned for the afternoon.
Our second pre-season activity is a deep pool session from 1pm to 6pm on Saturday the 6th of February. We'll be using the NTU swimming pool this year, which is a 4m deep diving pool. I'll be conducting a twin tank workshop on that day. We've also brought in the brand new Halcyon Infinity system, the first set to arrive in Singapore. So if you're interested to learn about twins, or try out the Infinity system, please let me know if you'd like to come. If you're interested in neither, then take this opportunity to get back in the water to practice those kicks or try out new gear. We're pricing this pool session at $35 per single tank, with a $1 entry fee to be paid at the pool.
I'll need interested parties to let me know about both the Hantu trip and the deep pool session by the end of this week so I can arrange the logistics for both.
Season Opening
I currently don't have any confirmed details on when the season will be opening, due to the unpredictability of the weather. However, I've gotten reassurances from both Tioman and Aur that by the first week of March, trips will be up and running. Those of you who really need an open water fix can sign up for our first weekend out. Be aware that these trips may be pushed back if the weather isn't good enough to run the trip.
Upcoming 2010 Trips
For those people who didn't manage to get my first email, here's a recap of our upcoming trips this year. I'll be sending out more updates on prices when I have them.
February 21 (Sun) - 28 (Sun) : Science Trip to Malapascua March 25 (Thu) - 28 (Sun) : Tech Trip to 7 Skies and Aur Tanker April 1 (Thu) - 6 (Tue) : Sipadan (Good Friday) April 27 (Tue) - May 2 (Sun) : Layang Layang (Labour Day) May 26 (Wed) - May 31 (Mon) : Sipadan (Vesak Day) May 27 (Thu) - Jun 1 (Tue) : Donsol (Vesak Day) June 23 (Wed) - 27 (Sun) : Anilao August 4 (Wed) - 9 (Mon) : Tech/Rec Trip to Manado (National Day) September 8 (Wed) - 13 (Mon) : Bali (Hari Raya Puasa) October 19 (Tue) - 24 (Sun) : Living Seas GUE Tech Trip November 12 (Fri) - 16 (Tue) : Raja Ampat (Hari Raya Haji) December 17 (Fri) - 22 (Wed) : Maldives
First up, I know it's been a long time since I've emailed some of you. This email may or may not be welcome, but I do intend to send out updates a little more regularly via email. If you don't wish to hear from me in the future, just reply and let me know and I'll take you off this list.
I have recently received some comments about the lack of up to date information on our website, sorry, my bad, been too busy with the diving to keep that updated, I promise to do better in the coming year ahead. In the meantime, I thought I'd send out this email to let you know what's on the plate next year for Living Seas. I've figured that this would be a more convenient format for disseminating information to you, I hope you agree as well.
Thresher Sharks! A couple of highlights about what's coming up for us next year. We've recently tied up with The Thresher Shark Research & Conservation Project (http://www.threshersharkproject.org/TSRCP/Home.html) in Malapascua to help with their research expeditions. Our first trip there will happen in February and we're looking for like minded divers who would like to contribute to this week-long research project. Hopefully this will be the first of many trips there, and a long and fruitful collaboration between Living Seas, GUE and TSRCP. I've attached the invitation letter that they've sent me here,
Email me for details about this project, and we can hopefully do some good with the diving that we do!
Equipment Servicing Living Seas will be opening up an in-house servicing workshop soon, so you can send your regulators to us for servicing too. In the near future, we'll also be offering some newly designed courses for people who wish to know more about their diving equipment and in-the-field repairs and diagnosis of common equipment issues. After all, you don't want to lose out on a diving holiday if your equipment fails on you the first day you get there!
GUE Fundamentals Courses I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I've decided to open up a Fundies class in Tioman every month when the season is open next year. I'll be working out the dates for these courses, and will be publishing them on the GUE website and our Living Seas Course Calendar. Those of you interested to develop your diving skills further, please let me know and join in on a course schedule that works for you. Remember, this isn't just for Tech divers, but has benefits for divers regardless of training and experience.
Trips for 2010 January 6 (Wed) - 10 (Sun) : Anilao February 21 (Sun) - 28 (Sun) : Science Trip to Malapascua March 25 (Thu) - 28 (Sun) : Tech Trip to Repulse/Altair April 1 (Thu) - 6 (Tue) : Sipadan (Good Friday) April 27 (Tue) - May 2 (Sun) : Layang Layang (Labour Day) May 27 (Thu) - Jun 1 (Tue) : Donsol (Vesak Day) June 23 (Wed) - 27 (Sun) : Anilao August 4 (Wed) - 9 (Mon) : Tech/Rec Trip to Manado (National Day) September 8 (Wed) - 13 (Mon) : Bali (Hari Raya Puasa) October 19 (Tue) - 24 (Sun) : Living Seas GUE Tech Trip November 12 (Fri) - 16 (Tue) : Raja Ampat (Hari Raya Haji) December 17 (Fri) - 22 (Wed) : Maldives
That's all for now, I hope to hear from you soon regarding any diving activity that you might be interested in.
My diving journey started way back in 1994 when I was a student in Australia, but unfortunately, I never completed my Open Water module due to a bout of flu. After years of procrastination and other commitments, I decided in 2006 that I wanted to finally complete what I had started more than a decade ago before I get any older. Being a history buff, I had always dreamed of diving the WW2 wrecks of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse. Both ships were part of Force Z, which was sent up the coast of Malaysia to counter the Japanese invasion threat. Being able to see the wrecks of these two iconic ships, would be dream come true for me. Most divers start off wanting to see the fishes and corals, but I had made my mind up to go tech.
My Open Water dive was a complete disaster: my buddy disappeared the moment he hit the water, but I had problems descending because I was unable to equalise my ears. With the help of the descend line, I pulled my way down while trying to force my ears to equalise. The result was a blood filled mask because of sinus injuries, and barotrauma which resulted in impaired hearing for the following week. During my first leisure dive a few months later, I was paired up with an “instabuddy”, someone that you meet the first time on the trip and forced to dive together because both of us have no buddy. The moment he hit the water, he had disappeared to go about his own ways. It then occurred to me that this was contrary to everything I had learnt during Open Water! What if something had happened to me during the dive? The buddy system is meant to ensure that in the event of an emergency, buddies help each other out to ensure a happy conclusion to the situation. Is this the reality of diving? I aired my concerns on an American dive forum and was pointed in the direction of Global Underwater Explorers (GUE), and the local dive centre that taught it, Living Seas. However, I was filled with hesitation because of the less than friendly response that some of the divers had towards questions about GUE. It seemed to me like an exclusive club that is bent on keeping out those who want to join and are willing to abide by the rules. I continued looking around for answers to my questions, but it still came back to GUE. Everyone pointed me back in the direction of Gideon Liew, and I was impressed that even in the United States, Gid was very much respected as a GUE instructor. So I dropped Living Seas an e-mail, and Leon answered my e-mail, and invited down to their old office at Riverwalk for a chat.
Leon is definitely nothing like the militants I had encountered on the various dive forums. He is a Tech 2 diver, and an instructor himself, an accomplished diver too. He had a quiet patient demeanour to him, and patiently explained to me the philosophy of GUE. I was sold after chatting with him, but I balked at the cost of Fundamentals, which is the first step towards Technical Diver 1. The total cost of the course plus trip, was twice the amount that I had paid for my Open Water course. But after talking to more people, I decided to take the plunge.
A year after I received my Open Water card, I started my Fundamentals course with the feared and revered (both at the same time) Gideon Liew. My first impression of Gid is that considering his reputation, he’s an awfully humble and patient man. I’ve seen many lesser instructors with egos far larger and far less patience. I’m a diver who demands perfection from what I do, knowing that I need to be at my best for the demands of technical diving, and so there were many occasions when I had beaten myself up because of perceived shortcomings on my part. The thing I remembered most about Gid was him coming over to me as I was walking back to the shore at Tioman, and asking me how I thought I did. I expressed my disappointment at my perceived failure with certain tasks, and Gid just said, “Oh, you’ll be surprised. Let’s have a look at your video analysis later”. When the dreaded moment of my analysis came up, I was surprised that I did do alright after all, and Gid just turned to me and said to me encouragingly, “See, what did I tell you?”. During my last training dive, I had expressed my concern about being able to do a task without losing my buoyancy, and Gid just patiently assured me and told me to do my best. So the moment came, and when I pulled it off, I was ecstatic and Gid shook my hand vigorously, and amazed me with his ability to speak through his regulator by saying “Well done, well done”.
That Fundamentals course, was the best course that I had ever taken in my entire diving career, period. Not only did I walk away a better diver, but I also walked away with a tremendous amount of respect for Gid, in his role as an instructor, mentor, and a diver. I have since continued diving with Living Seas, whose many returning satisfied customers, are like a little happy family. Every trip was a learning journey with Gid’s protégé, Leon, who has since become a Fundamentals instructor too. He has taught me and guided me in my preparation for my Technical Diver 1 course, which I will be undertaking next year.
I am lucky in that my partner, Kathy, is now also a member of the Living Seas family, and also a convert to the GUE way of diving, and she will be taking her Fundamentals course with Leon. We had many discussions about why we enjoy diving with Living Seas, so here’s my take.
Why Living Seas? Why GUE? I’ll be honest with you: Living Seas, is not cheap, and the word “cheap”, can mean so many things. They are not “cheap”, in that their courses are expensive, but as Kathy said after observing a returning Living Seas student during her dives, Living Seas churn out students who are far better trained than most. It’s not just about their skills, but it’s also about their mindset towards safe diving with preserves the environment. It is not that their courses are expensive, rather, it’s excellent value. Living Seas is not “cheap”, in that they do not send divers out in equipment that have not been serviced in years, such as jammed inflator buttons, or torn wetsuits that you have to zip up with the attached raffia string. The excellent crew of Living Seas walk the talk of GUE, which is excellence in diving.
Many detractors scoff at GUE, that it teaches nothing that the other agencies are already teaching. And I agree. But the question that begs answering is, are the teachings being practiced? I have dived with numerous instabuddy who are GUE trained, and I never have a problem with their equipment, dive planning, or them disappearing on me in the water. That’s because of our GUE training, and our standard equipment configuration means we can bail each other quickly and easily out without struggling with an unfamiliar setup.
GUE’s course are not cheap, but then again, I’ve already talked about “cheap”. Let me ask you this: how much money would you place on your safety, your life? In Jarrod Jablonsky’s (President of GUE) “Fundamentals of Better Diving”, he wrote that training time for dive courses are now shortened so much that students are not taught the essential skills, and are not given enough time to practice. And because there are now so many dive centres, students will sign up with the dive centre which cost the least. But with razor thin margins, the dive centre is unable to maintain its equipment, it can’t pay its dive professionals, and in order to survive based on unrealistic margins, instructors are pushed to exhaustion because they have to teach far too many classes in too short a short time. Corners are cut, and something has to give. Are you willing to accept that it might be your life? How much are you willing to give for an excellent dive education?
Granted, the GUE way of diving is not for everyone. But if you like the idea of diving safely as a team, I would seriously recommend joining Living Seas for a trip, and have a talk with Leon or any of their excellent crew.
We've just gotten back from our annual Tech Trip to the Wrecks of the South China Sea.
Good visibility, but unfortunately we were not blessed with any big fish sightings, and the wind was blowing from the typhoons in the North (I think).
Despite that, we had a good few days diving the Repulse and the 7 Skies, and even did a dive on the bow of the 7 Skies, definitely worth exploring more!
Thanks to all the divers who attended, and hopefully we'll have a better trip next year!
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