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Scuba Diving in the Perhentian Islands – A Rare Piece of Paradise in Malaysia

July 13, 2008 By

By Mark J Burns

The crystal clear waters and brilliant white sandy beaches of the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia have for many years captured the hearts and imaginations of the backpackers and travelers who passed through. Recent years however have seen a different type of traveler coming to the Perhentian Islands, as their reputation as a premier diving destination has slowly increased amongst the scuba diving community.

In fact it would be fair to say that a large amount of the success of the Perhentian Islands as a scuba diving location should be attributed to the neighboring Thailand, and the dive resorts of Koh Tao, Phuket and Koh Samui. Large numbers of travelers who have learned to scuba dive in the larger Thai resorts often find themselves gravitating to the natural beauty of the Perhentian Islands. Looking for one last dive before the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore!

The Perhentian Islands comprise of Pulau Perhentian Kecil and Pulau Perhentian Besar, and are located approximately 20 kilometers off the coast of Malaysia. Offering what can only be described as a slice of paradise, the palm fringed beaches encircle these tropical islands, whilst the clear blue waters hide a wealth of marine and coral life below.

The scuba diving in the Perhentian Islands is of a high standard, and a wide range of dive sites has meant that the islands have become a popular destination for people looking to take a scuba diving course. There are approximately ten major dive sites which are regularly visited by the dive centers in the Perhentian Islands. Of these, Tokong Laut (Temple of the Sea) is widely acknowledged as being the best dive site on the islands. A large rocky outcrop of boulders just off the northwest coast of Perhentian Kecil offers some of the best examples of soft coral formations in the region. This carpet of stunning soft corals provides a home to a wide variety of marine life including kingfish, barracuda, nurse sharks and black tip sharks.

For fans of wreck diving, there are two excellent dive sites in the Perhentian Islands. The Sugar Wreck, a 90 meter cargo ship which sank in 2000, and the Vietnamese Wreck were it is still possible to dive inside the wreck itself.

If you are planning to go scuba diving in the Perhentian Islands, the best time to visit is between April to October, when both the visibility and weather are at their most favorable. November to March sees the monsoon season, when the weather becomes poor and access to and from the islands becomes limited due to the rough seas.

The Perhentian Islands offer superb scuba diving, and the shallow nature of the dive sites here make it a good choice for the novice or more inexperienced scuba diver. However what makes the islands so very special is their stunning natural beauty and undeveloped landscapes. You truly feel as though you are diving in your very own piece of paradise!

Mark Burns is Director of Scubaworld, a large scuba diving holidays and scuba diving courses web site.

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Scuba Diving in the Maldives – Thila's, Atolls and So Much More!

June 25, 2008 By

Scuba Diving in the Maldives - Thila's, Atolls and So Much More!
By Mark J Burns

Many of the world's top diving destinations claim to offer a truly unique form of diving, however few are able to substantiate it as easily as the Maldives. From the moment you first enter the water in the Maldives, you are surrounded by an almost magical underwater kingdom. A myriad of colourful reef fish, incredible corals exist alongside a wide variety of larger marine life including manta rays, whale sharks and many, many others. In fact, it is estimated that over 26 different types of shark can be found in the dive sites in the Maldives including the whale shark, the tiger shark and the hammerhead shark.

It is the unique geography of the Maldives that allows it to offer such incredible diving. The tops of an ancient submerged mountain range, the coral reefs and atolls of the Maldives now stretch across some 500 miles of the Indian Ocean from north to south.

The scuba diving in the Maldives tends to fall into two distinct categories, kandu diving and thila diving. Thila diving tends to focus around large coral formations or reefs which top out just under the surface of the water. These thilas allow divers the opportunity to dive or drift with the currents across and around these large reefs, often providing spectacular views of the prolific marine life and coral formations just below the surface. There are a number of excellent dive sites in the Maldives, which offer this thila type of diving. Some of the better known thila dives include Maaya Thila on North Ari Atoll, and Okobe Thila, together with its resident population of huge Napoleon wrasse.

The second type of diving for which the Maldives is well known is kandu diving, where divers can drift with the currents along the channels between the islands or reefs. In a typical kandu dive, the divers will enter the water just outside of the lagoon, allowing the currents to carry them into the calmer waters to be found inside of the atoll. With these currents drawing nutrient rich water into these channels from the open ocean, these kandu dives often provide the best opportunities to spot the various species of rays, sharks and other pelagic marine life which can be found throughout the waters of the Maldives.

Marine life throughout the Maldives is prolific, with an incredible array of tropical reef fish to be found throughout the region. Bannerfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish and surgeonfish mingle easily with the larger Napoleon wrasse and triggerfish which can be found here. Fans of the larger marine life will also find rich pickings in the waters surrounding the Maldives, and a wide variety of sharks and rays can be found throughout the hundreds of beautiful dive sites in the Maldives.

The climate in the Maldives does vary slightly between the north and the south atolls, with the Northern regions experiencing more extreme temperatures, and the southern atolls experiencing a slightly heavier average rainfall throughout the year. Water temperatures in the Maldives tend to remain consistent, ranging from 27 degrees to as warm as 30 degrees. The region experiences two monsoon seasons, which run from December to March, when the Maldives experience the warmer prevailing winds, and the wetter monsoon season which runs from May through to November.

If you are considering diving in the Maldives, it is highly likely that your resort will have an affiliated dive centre on the island. Recent years have seen an increase in the reputation of the region as one of the worlds best dive sites, and today there is a highly developed and extensive network of dive centres in the Maldives.

Mark Burns is Director of Scubaworld.tv, a large scuba diving holidays and scuba diving courses web site.

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Wreck Diving in the Caribbean

June 25, 2008 By

By Greg Deskin

One of the best Caribbean wreck dives is the wreck of the C/S Charlie Brown on the island of Statia (St. Eustatius). Statia is only a quick 10 minute plane ride from Saba. I truly love vacationing on Saba. It is well away from the crowded reefs like Bloody Bay Wall on the Cayman islands or Palancar reef on Cozumel.

In its hay-day the C/S Charlie Brown spent almost 50 years lying fiber optic cable around the world. She was built in 1950 and is 327 feet long with a beam of about 41.4 feet.

The wreck of the Charlie Brown lies in 98 feet in water lying peacefully on its side. This wreck offers advanced divers, wreck divers, and underwater photographers the opportunity of a life time to watch everything from sea turtles to nudibranchs on the outside of the wreck.

For those of us who are more advanced, exploring the lone hallway that runs down the middle of the wreck is truly breathtaking. This hallway is wide open and runs about 120 feet through the wreck. Once inside you must visit the cable tanks and galley or move all the way forward to explore the reel room.

Unlike most wrecks the Charlie Brown was purposefully sank to form an artificial reef. But, she was not completely salvaged before the sinking. This now provides a look and feel of a real ship wreck.
Now, a little about how to get to Saba to start this dream vacation; Saba is what is called the Dutch Caribbean. The best way is to book your airfare to the island of St. Maarten. (SXM). Once you are on St. Maarten you will have two choices on getting to Saba:

  • Take the Winair flight to Saba
  • Take the 2 hour ferry to Saba.

Everything is really close. Saba is only 5 square miles while Statia is 8 square miles. You can get to most dive sites within 15 minutes. Saba is a volcanic island with spectacular lava tubes underwater. The best way to truly explore these Dutch islands is to start at Statia for a couple of days, then move on to Saba and end up at St. Maarten. St. Maartin has a great rain forest and this makes a great day to decompress after all of the diving.

For more information on scuba vacations, visit our website - http://www.scuba-info.com/Scuba-diving-vacation.html

Greg Deskin has been a PADI Course Director for over 12 years. With thousands of certified students, he has been asked many questions about scuba and scuba equipment. You can visit his scuba website at http://www.scuba-info.com

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What is it That Makes Puerto Vallarta Such a Great Place to Snorkel

June 17, 2008 By

By Trendon Cato

Puerto Vallarta, say it to yourself, songs nice does it not, the way it rolls off your tongue, Puerto Vallarta. Well, what if I tell you it is one of the premiere tourist destinations in the world, even better than it songs, that is of course if you pronounce it properly. It is a place that offers all that a tourist can possibly want, archaeological sites for the just plain daring, adventurous, with a love for knowledge, rolling beaches for the pleasure seekers, and most important friendly and welcoming people to guide you along the way. Snorkelers, you are most definitely not left out since this is an absolutely incredible place for a snorkeling experience with a whole new exciting existence just right below the surface.

Puerto Vallarta located in Mexico, is a seaside resort city sitting on the Pacific Ocean's Bahia de Banderas, where its' industry is largely dependent on tourism. Travelers from all over world are welcomed and if Spanish is not your native tongue, no need to worry. There many people across the island that are multilingual and speak other languages besides Spanish, so there is always someone to communicate with.

Temperature, no problem, the daily average is usually about a nice cool 86° F, sloping probably to about 70° F, can you say, good weather. If you are a snorkeler, is there any better weather more perfectly and satisfactorily matched than this. The thing is when comes to Puerto Vallarta the winter months are usually the most popular season for visiting, for visibilities sake, I suggest that you travel there in the summer months considering the visibility is incomparable and you can see down to 150 feet. This is especially great for those who want to see Puerto Vallarta's snorkeling prize, the exquisite Moorish Idol.

Transport

Question. How are you going to get where you want to go to do your snorkeling. Answer. There are several options to that question. For one thing, there are numerous beaches in Puerto Vallarta where snorkeling can be done, but for those wanting immediate access to the ocean might want to take in mind renting a boat to get there. Others however, find it much more comfortable with having others handling the matter and choose to take on their journey with an eco-tour company.

Finances

Prices, as with all other tourist activities are spread right across the board, in different ranges dependent on the where or who you do the activity with and how long it takes. For example at Los Arcos a very popular destination, snorkeling trips lasting about four hours can be around $30 of course dependent the company you enlist. Included is usually all your snorkeling equipment and transport to get there and back.
For the more risqué of the bunch who prefer a more deluxe adventure you can combine your snorkeling experience with a whole entire day or aquatic activities and joy riding, with lunch included in the package. This would normally run you a price tag of $50 a day with snorkeling, whale watching, and pirate themed shows for the kids to enjoy in one complete package.

Snorkeling highlights

What really makes Puerto Vallarta the snorkeling hit it is, well one name alone has to be mentioned Los Arcos Marine Reserve.

First, Los Arcos a brilliant geological formation of caves and arches, compounded with numerous types of fish that can be even seen at night. For your own pleasure you might even see stingrays, puffers, sharks, of course while viewing caution should be taken at all times, parrots, and much, much more, too much to mention.

Puerto Vallarta a place if you are in for a big snorkeling adventure or just adventure, you should not hesitate to visit.

Snorkeling is an excellent activity to take part in. Its something that no matter age or sex, everyone can join the fun and enjoy themselves. A place snorkelers from novice to expert can find their answers. Shinkeno Snorkeling Solutions

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trendon_Cato
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The Diver’s Checklist

June 9, 2008 By

Preparing for a dive trip can be stressful! There are so many things to remember! To help make for a more pleasant experience I have put together a list of important items to consider when planning a dive trip. The list is not exhaustive, but it is extensive. All items on the list may not be appropriate for every trip, or there may be others you require, so pack as needed. This list is designed merely as a guideline to help you remember some of the most important things.

MUST HAVES:
( ) Plane tickets
( ) C-cards (specialty and other)
( ) Cash (spending/tips)
( ) Credit Card
( ) Dive Insurance Card
( ) Emergency Contacts
( ) Passport

SAVE A DIVE KIT:
( ) allen wrench
( ) crescent wrench
( ) clips
( ) medical scissors
( ) computer battery
( ) duct tape
( ) fin straps (pair)
( ) mouthpiece (spare)
( ) mask strap (spare)
( ) dive light
( ) needle nose pliers
( ) 0-rings
( ) Zip ties
( ) batteries ( for dive lights, etc.)
( ) superglue
( ) string
( ) hair ties
( ) suit cement
( ) talcum powder
( ) spare high pressure hose
( ) Swiss Army Knife

SCUBA GEAR:
( ) fins
( ) boots
( ) wetsuit
( ) dive skins
( ) vests
( ) drysuit
( ) mask
( ) snorkel
( ) regulator
( ) computer (and any cords/accessories you might need)
( ) tank (if traveling locally)
( ) BC
( ) BC pockets
( ) weight
( ) mirror or other signaling device
( ) safety sausage
( ) knife (for BC or leg)
( ) slate/pencil
( ) tank banger/knocker
( ) dive light(s) - 2
( ) weight belt
( ) whistle
( ) mask defog
( ) compass
( ) dive watch
( ) battery powered light stick for night dives
( ) dive reel
( ) dry box/dry bag
( ) gear bag
( ) gloves
( ) hood
( ) Dive Log
( ) Dive Tables (regular and nitrox)

CAMERA GEAR:
( ) Batteries
( ) Camera
( ) Strobe
( ) Instruction Manual
( ) Disposable Camera
( ) Film (slide/print)
( ) Digital Memory
( ) Lenses (Macro/Wide Angle)
( ) Underwater Housing
( ) o-rings
( ) Video Equipment
( ) silicone

MEDICAL:
( ) First Aid Kit
( ) Motion Sickness Meds (bonine/Dramamine/patch, etc.)
( ) decongestant
( ) Swimmer's Ear (or equivalent)
( ) Tylenol/Advil
( ) band aids
( ) anti-diarrheal
( ) antacid
( ) any prescription medications
( ) benadryl
( ) sunscreen
( ) tweezers
( ) emergency oxygen (if traveling locally)
( ) cortisone cream
( ) anti sting solution
( ) eye wash
( ) bug spray

NECESSITIES:
( ) deodorant
( ) toothpaste
( ) toothbrush
( ) blow dryer
( ) hairbrush
( ) combs
( ) hair ties
( ) make up
( ) sunburn medication/lotion
( ) nail clipper
( ) eye glass kit
( ) glasses
( ) sunglasses
( ) shampoo
( ) cream rinse
( ) towel
( ) soap
( ) toiletries
( ) feminine products
( ) floss
( ) lotion
( ) facial cleansers
( ) contacts (+ case an solution)
( ) curling iron
( ) fanny pack
( ) Kleenex
( ) razor
( ) travel alarm
( ) vitamins
( ) cell phone
( ) garbage bag
( ) zip lock bags

CLOTHES:
( ) swimsuit
( ) underwear
( ) shorts
( ) socks
( ) pants
( ) belts
( ) hats
( ) sandals
( ) rain poncho/parka
( ) shirts
( ) shoes

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