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Diving with the KL Bar (28-30 August 2009)

Scuba Diving was never a remote possibility in my life. Nor was it ever contemplated. I was instantly intrigued when I read the KL Bar email inviting members to dive at the charming Alu Alu Divers, Perhentian Island (the “Scuba Diving Certification Programme”).

Adventure. Excitement. A weekend of relaxation. What could possibly darken high spirits?

I was wrong.

Our SSI Open Water Diver course involved a theory exam and swotting on the Dive manual. Ejay, our unflappable Dive Master, brandished threats of failure and the 5 of us from the KL Bar duly accepted defeat with a sigh.

We were also made to watch videos with dire warnings of life-threatening hazards- Nitrogen Narcosis (i.e. nitrogen in the brain causing one to act “drunk”), Decompression Sickness (i.e. nitrogen bubbles in the body when ascending too fast) and Overexpansion (similar to Decompression). We started to worry.

Then there were all these cumbersome equipment for one’s ‘Total Diving System’- the cylinder, regulator, first- stage regulator, second- stage regulator, alternate second-stage, the buoyancy vest (“BC”) etc. One was faced with the Herculean task of learning how to assemble the equipment, use them underwater, and then disassemble them.

I was starting to question my Scuba commitment when Ejay took us out for the Confined Water Skills and paired us up (the “Buddy system”).

It wasn’t too bad. Really.

Learning to breathe with the regulator was the initially chore. I wondered how to command my nose to stop working and my mouth to start breathing. By the time I was ‘deciding’ and blowing inane bubbles at the surface, everyone had submerged into the waters. I reluctantly followed suit when Ejay gave me ‘the look’.

Equalising our ears went quite well too. The 5 of us held our noses, puffed up our cheeks, and blew bubbles each time we sank to the depths of the sea. There were also some jaw-wriggling and first- rate yawning going on. We looked ridiculous but our ears thanked our efforts.

Achieving neutral buoyancy (a state where one does not float up or sink to the bottom) by inflating or deflating our BCs took considerably more talent. We went up and down like yo-yos and scrambled around frantically trying to recover lost ground. At one point, we even lost Brian who had apparently ballooned 18 meters up to the surface.

Ejay next demonstrated the art of swimming with fins. A single powerful twist of the hips would propel a diver effortlessly through the water. I promptly demonstrated my new-found abilities by whacking everyone in the face with my fins (unintentionally) each time they got too close. My ‘Buddy’, Ken, was unfortunately not amused and went on strike.

It was then that Ejay pronounced us fit for our dives.

We earnestly practised our ‘skills’ and were initially preoccupied with our respective problems. I was still flapping about ungracefully like a duck when I saw Ejay fixated on something at the seabed. Landing down with a thud beside him, I saw little friendly shrimps jumping and dancing about on his out-stretched hand. It was captivating.

It was then that Din, our co-diving instructor, pointed behind me.

I turned, and saw a new world.

Brilliantly colored coral teemed with life. A boxy puffer fish stared at us languidly, playful clownfish peeped at us through swaying tendrils and an ominous-looking sting ray lay on the surface bed. Fishes of all oceanic shapes went about their way and plankton floated about us.

Then, suddenly, a flash of light caught my eye. Schools of fishes swarmed around us, spiraling up and up the clear blue infinity, bodies glinting silver in the warm sun.

Life was suddenly very, very good.

The end of the course/ weekend came far too soon and we all came back with memories- Johan and Ari, owners of Alu Alu, had been both accommodating and great hosts; Ejay had taught us well far beyond the required course e.g. how to blow the perfect giant bubble underwater, converse with hand signals and conduct impressive back flips; Brian had lost to Ryan in a game of underwater scissors-paper-stone; We had been replete with Alu Alu’s amazing BBQ; Kenzy and Ken had seen a shark and we had all bonded over attacks by vicious small fishes named ‘Damselfish’. The sheer beauty of the underwater world was also etched in my mind.

Thank you to the organisers at the KL Bar.

We hopefully look forward to future dives with you.

Janice Tay