New DSAT Tec Diving Blog

Check out the new DSAT Tec Diving Blog! http://www.padi.com/tecrecblog

Today is our planes, trains and automobiles day…

3/12/09 (entered by Theresa Gulledge, PADI Diving Society Manager, PADI Americas) Sport Diver editor, Ty Sawyer, and I got up early this morning to catch a flight from Kota Kinabalu to the little town of Tawau. It’s a quick flight, just long enough to grab a few extra zzzzz’s to make up for our 4:45 AM wake-up. Forty minutes later we were on a tour bus bound for Semporna, our gateway to Borneo Divers and the islands of Mabul and, ultimately, Sipadan. Clement Lee from Borneo Divers is with us and has promised that we’ll start diving as soon as we arrive at the resort. (Are we there yet? Are we there yet?) We arrive at Borneo Divers on the island of Mabul slightly before lunchtime following a short boat ride from Semporna. So, we didn’t exactly do “planes, trains and automobiles” today, but we did do “planes, buses and boats” to get here. My motto … the more types of transport it takees to get there, the bigger the adventure! Ty decided to do a little shopping at the resort gift shop prior to our going diving (OMG … hurry up!). Something about needed new swim trunks. A few minutes later, he’s standing on the dock in these amazingly bright, fluorescent green shorts saying something about the shorts matching his lucky, “fish-love’-em” dive socks. Well, I’m glad the fish love ‘em, because I don’t think he’s going to pick up any chicks in those things… Donning his sunglasses, Steven, our PADI Divemaster, collects Ty and I and we board the dive boat bound for Sipadan Island. Now a marine protected area, Sipadan can only be reached via boat – there are no accommodations on the island and only a limited number of dive passes are issued to the dive operators from the neighboring islands each day. This is the real deal … diving on the wild side, baby. I had read a little about Sipadan, but words simply can’t do justice to the real thing. We approached a small island that reminded me of the place actor Tom Hank’s was stranded in the box office hit, Castaway. Sipadan Island is lush and dense with tropical vegetation that magically stops about 20 feet (6.069 meters) from the water. Gleaming in the sun between the edge of this tropical jungle and the crystalline sea is a perfect stretch of white sand beach which wraps around the circumference of the island. This is the tropical island everyone pictures in their dreams… We made our first dive at Barracuda Point. If you were to only make one dive off Sipadan, this is the dive to make. Apparently a major underwater highway for reef residents, anything and everything that you would want to see while diving passes through here. Just during the descent I saw every type of tropical fish imaginable. There was a slight current, so we adjusted our buoyancy and drifted through the “traffic”. True to the reef’s name, we quickly came across a school of barracuda that was so large it looked like a solid silver wall at least 10 feet (6.096 meters) high and 25 feet (7.62 meters) long. As if to accent the magnificent school’s presence, a lone black tip reef shark would occasionally cut through the pack. We drifted past the barracudas and the current slacked off. At that point, I was thinking, “…and now, we begin the turtle portion of our tour.” There were turtles everywhere! Big ones and little ones; some lazily swimming by and some lounging peacefully on the bottom. I settled down in the sand to take a closer look at one turtle, only to realize there were four more resting only a body length away. I think the turtles were much less interested in me as I was in them, because they didn’t even budge an inch while I was there. Instead, they just looked at me through those heavily lidded turtle eyes as if to say, “Don’t you know it’s nap time?” Our second dive took place at Hanging Gardens. True to its name, a variety of sponges and gorgeous sea fans hang from the vertical coral walls, decorating the sides of the reef much like hanging pots of flowers decorate a patio trellis. Happy fish (yep, they were happy … I could tell) schooled all around us and I surfaced for the first time feeling as if I was actually one of the locals and not just a bubbling observer. Bedtime came early again and I dreamed of happy fishes and flowing silver rivers. Can’t wait until tomorrow!

Into the Wilds of Borneo- Part 3

3/12/09 Into the Wilds of Borneo Day 3 Daybreak comes early (funny, it still feels like nighttime) and we’re off and running to see the sights of Kota Kinabalu. First up, a tour of the city. Kota Kinabalu is a bustling city; the perfect place to stop and get your bearings after flying into Borneo. If you forgot to pack something, you can more than likely find it here before you take off to the more remote areas of the island. For Ty and me, it’s a great place to catch our breath before flying to the island to Mabul. We cruised around the city with a tour guide to get a general feel for the place. It’s truly a cultural melting pot, as Malay, Chinese, Indian and Filipino busily go about their business while Western and Asian visitors like us weave their way through the crowds. There’s also an incredible mix of cosmopolitan versus traditional here in Kota Kinabalu. Modern skyscrapers compete for attention with the State Mosque and local temples. And yet, Borneo’s oldest resident, Mother Nature, is never far away. Mount Kinabalu towers above the city and examples of traditional Borneo dwellings are only minutes away. Our last stop before heading to the PADI Course Director Training Course graduation dinner is at the Monsopiad Cultural Village, about 30 minutes outside of KK. This was probably one of our favorite stops because, in addition to learning how the locals once lived (and still do in more remote areas of Borneo), we were welcomed with a cold cup of local rice wine. Gotta love that! Here, we watched the graceful moves of more local dancers, learned how village housing was made, tested our hunting abilities using blow darts and slingshots (Ty and I will definitely starve if lost in the jungle), and visited the House of Skulls , where 42 warrior skulls still hang from the ceiling; conquests of the great warrior, Monsopiad, from a time that has now long past. A couple cups of rice wine (okay, so I was a little shaken up after hangin’ with the skulls) and a quick shower later and we’re on our way to the CDTC graduation dinner. Thirty-nine PADI Course Director candidates from all over the world have been testing for the past two weeks to learn if they have what it takes to become a part of this elite crowd. Only PADI Course Directors may offer PADI Instructor-level training, and to qualify at this level, you have to be the best of the best in everything diving. This group of guys and gals has been testing in the classroom, pool and ocean for the past two weeks. There have been a lot of long days in the water and long nights studying. But tonight, it’s all worth it, as all 39 candidates have passed and are ready to take on the new responsibilities of a PADI Course Director. To help celebrate their achievement, the honorable Datuk Masidi Manjun, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment for Sabah has chosen to attend the festivities. Members of the CDTC staff, including my friend and colleague, James Morgan, are truly honored by the minister’s presence at the event. They’re also a little nervous. The candidates are ready to celebrate and not necessarily in “a-dignitary-is-in-the-house-so-be-on-your-best-behavior” mode. Will the CDTC be welcome back to Sabah next year??? The minister takes the stage to congratulate the candidates and extends a welcome on behalf of all the people in Malaysia. He’s very eloquent in his presentation. After sharing his obvious love and passion for Sabah and all it has to offer, he says shares these final words of wisdom with the group: “And now, I invite you all to let loose and party!” Yeah, I’d say the CDTC will be welcome back to Sabah next year; and the minister is one of the coolest guys ever! Ty and I slipped out shortly before 10 PM. We have an early flight to catch. The next leg of our adventure is about to begin as we travel to Borneo’s northwest coast and the islands of Mabul and Sipidan. Entered by Theresa Gulledge, PADI Diving Society Manager, PADI Americas

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Volunteers Wanted! April 22, Dive for Earth Day

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A Dive Trip to the Red Sea

Guest Blogger: Steven Kovacs, Clewiston, Florida, winner of the 2008 USA Photographer of the Year Online Competition, sponsored by PADI Americas and Sport Diver. Steven, a PADI Diving Society member, has been diving for 12 years, and has been participating in underwater photography for 8 years. Read about Steven’s experience at the Epson Red Sea World of Underwater Images Competition.

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I was very privileged last year to be asked by co-sponsors PADI Americas and Sport Diver Magazine to represent the United States at the Epson Red Sea World of Underwater Images held in Eilat, Israel. The ministry of tourism of Israel invited 11 countries to choose one photographer to represent them at the competition and, after an online contest, I was very fortunate to be the one asked to participate in this amazing event.

The Red Sea contest was a two part contest held in mid-November. The 1st part was a shoot-out event that ran for 3 straight days. You could dive anywhere in the waters of Eilat to take your pictures, day or night as long as it was during the 72 hour window of the competition.

The 2nd part was a traditional mail-in photo contest open to anyone in the world. With $80 000 in prizes available and over 130 competitors representing 14 different countries registered in the shoot-out, it promised to be a great event.

Eilat is a city of about 70 000 people located at the southern most tip of Israel bordered by Egypt and Jordan. To get there I flew to JFK and from there I took a nonstop flight to Tel Aviv, about an 11 hour flight. From Tel Aviv it was another hour by a domestic airline to my destination but first I had to endure the incredibly tight security one would expect in this part of the world. I travel with a lot of gear weighing a total of about 160 lbs. To get through Tel Aviv security every piece of equipment was taken out of my luggage, wiped down for explosives and then x-rayed a second time. Most electronic devices, such as cameras and computers, were also turned on to ensure that they actually worked. It was an interesting experience to have to endure and after an hour and a half, I was finally on my way to Eilat!

Before this competition I had never heard of Eilat, nor was I familiar with diving in this region so I had no idea what to expect. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the city. Eilat is a beautiful, modern tourist destination consisting of high rise hotels and first class amenities. It is a major holiday destination, not only for Israelis but also for many Europeans.

The contest itself was held at the stunning Yam Suf Isrotel hotel and the central staging area was at the Manta Dive center that was attached to the hotel, a very convenient arrangement. All I had to do was walk 20 feet from my hotel door to the dive area to get ready for my dives.

I arrived in time for the registration on a Monday and after signing all the necessary paperwork and going over the rules I had a chance to do a quick orientation dive and try and familiarize myself with the house reef. The first thing that struck me was how nice the visibility was. The location is in the middle of the desert and it rains on average only 6 days a year so there’s no run off to worry about. The result is a nice consistent 80 foot minimum visibility but usually much more. This was a nice bonus since practically all the diving was beach diving.

As far as Red Sea diving goes, Eilat is supposedly not the best there is to be found in this region, however I personally found it to be quite nice. There’s a lot of sand with patches of reef and the tropical life reminded me of the Indo-Pacific but different in that there were many species endemic to the region. I was pleasantly surprised that highly sought out species like Ghost Pipefish and Frogfish were fairly common. I’m more of a macro photographer and I like to concentrate on animal behavior so my sampling of images reflects that style. However, wide angle opportunities were also very abundant as many of the contestants so skillfully demonstrated.

The one thing I wasn’t prepared for was the consistently cold 72F water temperature. Being a spoiled Floridian diver, the cooler temperature was a shock to my system and something to take note of for the future if I ever get to participate in this competition again.

The shoot-out itself officially ran from Tuesday at midnight till Thursday at 11:59 pm. Besides the house reef that was available at any time of day the competition also provided transportation at 10am and 2pm daily to other predetermined dive sites to allow for a little bit of variation to those who had no transportation. Friday was an off day with a noon deadline to enter pictures and on Saturday evening there was a large awards ceremony where all the finalists and winners were announced.

Of course it was not all work and no play for those who chose to take a break once in a while. Daily “happy hour” events and parties were available allowing a chance to meet and get to know the other participants and unwind from a hectic day of diving. There were also a few seminars given on varied topics by some of the esteemed judges.

Overall, the competition was incredible experience. I visited a destination I never thought I would, enjoyed some great diving, and met many wonderful people. I definitely hope I can participate in this prestigious event again in the future.

For those who are curious, all the winning entries can be viewed at:http://eilatredsea.com/?CategoryID=173.

- Steven Kovacs

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Steven took 1st place in Eilat Shoot- out with The Judge’s prize– here is his award winning photo:

He also took 1st place in the Images of the World section for The Best Humoristic Image. See his award winning photo online: http://eilatredsea.com/?CategoryID=205

Steven was also a nominee in the Image of the World section for The Best Color Print –

Congratulations to Steven from PADI Americas, PADI Diving Society and Sport Diver.

Learn how you can take award-winning photos with the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course.

(Photo Credit for all above photos: Steven Kovacs)

Into the Wilds of Borneo- Part 2

My body doesn’t know what time it is… After six hours of sleep, more games of Tetris than I care to count, and a viewing of the box office hit, Twilight, we landed in Taipei for a plane change … and we’re hungry. My body didn’t know if it was time for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but I was pretty sure that I had slept through a meal at sometime on the plane. No worries, though, a quick bite of curry chicken and rice at 6:00 AM does the trick. Hey, when in Rome … err, Taipei … Back on the plane and on to Kota Kinabalu (KK). By the time we landed in KK, we were starting to feel a little far from home. But, within seconds of exiting the plane, we were greeted by the universal sign for “there’s no such thing as far away” …

One venti white chocolate mocha and one skinny vanilla latte later and we were passing through Customs and collecting our bags. Clement Lee , Managing Director of Borneo Divers greeted us at the curb of KK airport. He’s made dinner plans for us tonight and we can’t wait to experience the local cuisine. The plan is to stay in KK for two nights before heading to Borneo Divers Resort on the island of Mabul to do some diving both there and off the famous island of Sipadan. While in KK, we get to check out the local sites and attend the PADI Course Director Training Course (CDTC) graduation tomorrow evening, where thirty-nine candidates hope to receive the highest instructional rating in the PADI System.

Ty decided to look for something special to wear to dinner tonight, so we hit the local shops. After careful consideration, he decided he had enough clothes in his suitcase…

Tonight, we’re dining at Port View Fisherman Village. Clement promised us local fare and this is the real deal. The food is fantastic! Malay cuisine is a like a marriage of Thai, Indonesian and Chinese cuisine. The curries are my favorite. I can’t get enough! Port View restaurant also hosts a show in the evenings so we get to watch local performers demonstrate ceremonial dances from villages throughout Sabah, which is one of the two states in Malaysia’s Borneo. (Quick fact: Borneo is actually shared by three countries – Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.) The dancers are graceful and the costumes are magnificent.

Always one to try anything, Ty bounced up on to the stage to try a few steps with the locals.

After shaking it up a bit, we decide to call it an early evening. Clement Lee and Malaysia Tourism have a big day planned for us tomorrow. We’re off to tour the city of KK, visit the Monsopiad Cultural Village, and then attend the PADI Course Director Training Course graduation. After the long flight, great meal and a little dancing, sleep came incredibly easy tonight…

Entered by Theresa Gulledge, PADI Diving Society Manager

Into the Wilds of Borneo

3/10/09 I love pulling up to the Tom Bradley terminal at LAX. Dubbed “the international terminal,” anytime I pull-up to this curb and unload my luggage, I know big adventure lies ahead. Here, I’ve checked-in for flights bound for dream-book destinations such as Tahiti, Fiji, and the once strange to pronounce Vanuatu. But tonight, the dream just graduated to the mysteriously exotic. Tonight starts an adventure to Borneo: A destination that I knew next to nothing about until a few short months ago. It was only last November at an industry trade show that I first discussed traveling to Borneo with Clement Lee, Managing Director of Borneo Divers. Suggested as a potential destination for a future PADI Diving Society event by my friend and PADI colleague, Terry Cummins, I was definitely intrigued, if not a little geographically challenged. I remember thinking, “Where exactly is Borneo, Why does Clement keep talking about Sabah, and if we’re diving the reefs of Sipadan, why are we staying on the island of Mabul?” Regardless of my geographic ignorance, it all sounded amazing. I quickly called Ty Sawyer, Sport Diver editor and fellow PADI Diving Society site inspection buddy and pitched the idea to him. Having been pronounced a marine protected area, the waters surrounding Sipadan are home to some of the world’s most pristine reefs, so it was an easy pitch. Ty was all in. Soon, thanks to Clement’s hard work and the support of Malaysia Tourism, we were preparing to visit the island to conduct a site inspection. Yes, it’s a tough job … we know. As I enter the airport tonight, thanks to a few back issues of Sport Diver, Lonely Planet’s Guide to Borneo, TourismMalaysiaUSA.com, and seasoned Borneo-traveling PADI peeps, I know a lot more about this bio-diverse destination than I did last November: Like, for example, exactly where Borneo lies on planet Earth (which is always a good thing to know before boarding a plane). I now also know why I was confused by the multiple names used in reference to this third largest island in the world; and the fact that Borneo is actually three countries all sharing one island. Inside the terminal, Ty’s already waiting. Having just completed a five hour flight from Orlando, Florida to Los Angeles just minutes earlier, Ty’s in search of power. No, not the “I’m-seeking-to-rule-the-world” type power; every electronic gizmo known to man is housed in Ty’s worn leather travel bag -- iPod, computer, cell phones (yes, plural) … you name it – and it’s all out of juice. Ty’s appears to be a little out of juice himself, since it’s technically one o’clock in the morning Florida-time. But, he swears it’s nothing a quick stop at the duty free shop and purchase of a few man-products won’t fix. Yep, that’s right … beauty ointments. Just a short while later, after being warmly greeted by Mr. Norazmi Omar, Director of Malaysia Tourism, and checked-in by the friendliest ticket agent I’ve every met at the Malaysia Airlines tic ket counter, Ty is smelling as sweet as a rose and his skin has a natural, healthy glow to it. We’re on the plane and on our way to the wilds of Borneo. Next stop, Kota Kinabalu … Entered by Theresa Gulledge, PADI Diving Society Manager, PADI Americas

My first virtual dive…

As a new Open Water diver and being only two Adventure Dives away from my Advanced Open Water certification, I was just as excited to take my first virtual dive in PADI's Dive World, as I was to take my first open water dive at Catalina Island. I entered PADI’s Dive World a little hesitant only because it was my first experience with Second Life. I’m not the most computer savvy person, but found it particularly easy to create my new online identity, also know as an Avatar. I selected my alter ego name for my Avatar, Fiona Silverfall, and dressed her in a punk chic look. Once Fiona was ready to go I followed the fin steps around the orientation room… And then I was off. At a click of a button I was flying over the island. The aerial view was pretty cool. Not only could I see a boat and submarine docked in the distance, plus Exhibition Island – which is a virtual shopping mall for scuba a gear, but I could also see all of the marine life in the water.

I immediately entered the ocean, fully suited in virtual scuba gear, and came upon a wrecked plane, which was located in a protected conservation area by Project AWARE. As my Avatar stood on the sandy bottom, I was surrounded by a school of fish in such vibrant colors. I swam a little further and at a click of my mouse I was able to identify the Giant Trevally fish, now swimming overhead. Off to the right were about four leopard sharks, manta rays and a whale shark- all that I can’t wait to see in real life as I continue diving and traveling to new dive spots!

After my dive I decided it was time to take a ride in the submarine. I joined the PADI Group for my free ride and cruised underwater seeing another wreck, a large octopus sitting on the reef and an inviting cave, which I was able to mark as a location to visit in the future.

After my first virtual dive I wasn’t sure what was more exciting, being able to successfully clear my mask in my open water course or actually learning how to use my arrow keys and navigate my Avatar through this underwater world.

Maybe I’m not so bad with computers after all.

You can find PADI Dive World by visiting the Scuba Community at padi.com and clicking on the direct portal link.

Look for me there!

Ajá Reneé Smith (Fiona Silverfall)

Marketing Consultant, PADI Diving Society

PADI Matches Your Conservation Donations- Dollar for Dollar

As Project AWARE Foundation’s corporate partner, PADI, has put cash on the table! The challenge to employees, divers and water enthusiasts is to commit more for conservation. From now until 31 March, PADI Americas will match – dollar for dollar – every individual contribution to Project AWARE Foundation’s conservation action plan up to $30,000 US. Take advantage of this rare, limited opportunity to make your gift for conservation go twice as far – donations $25 and up. Your direct support will help equip Project AWARE and its global dive volunteers with tools to:

• Monitor fragile coral reefs for signs of stress and bleaching around the world.
• Assess information and help improve resource management of reefs threatened by global warming and other human pressures.
• Raise awareness about climate change among divers, tourists and the general public.
• Support protected areas and other sustainable ecosystem management tactics.

Just weeks ago, Project AWARE supported the launch of The Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008 in Washington, DC, USA. This comprehensive report, compiled every four years by 372 global coral reef scientists, reveals that 19 percent of the world’s coral reefs are dead. But there’s still hope to rescue remaining reefs! With your donation and PADI’s match, Project AWARE Foundation aims to raise $60,000 US to support conservation now - when reef rescue is critical. Project AWARE Foundation, in partnership with divers around the world, initiated 2000 new reef conservation actions during International Year of the Reef 2008 alone. The momentum gained for reef environments shouldn’t stop now. Thank you for becoming a Project AWARE Patron. We appreciate your support!

With a gift of $100 or more for conservation, you’ll receive FishFlips of the Caribbean. The perfectly wearable, waterproof guide to what’s swimming around you. Project AWARE Foundation, a registered nonprofit organization, partners with divers and water enthusiasts to conserve underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. Project AWARE Headquarters in the United States and offices is Australia, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Japan combine efforts to protect aquatic resources in 180 countries and territories of the world. For more information on Project AWARE’s environmental initiatives visit http://www.projectaware.org/.

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