First View Through A Diver's Lens
As a single 26 year old journalist in Kuala Lumpur, spending my leisure time as a scuba diver comes much to my own benefits, as a person who’s continuously looking for things to write about, I find seeing the world clearer underwater helps me to broaden my mind, and it works as a calming sensation.
My experience learning scuba diving over the years with my dive instructors have taught me many things about our oceans and also has shaped me to the person I am today. My love for the water is what got me involved in scuba diving in the first place. Back in 2014 when I first fitted into a wet suit, I had been fascinated for a long time about the world of the deep, watching various shows on the National Geographic channel or The Blue Planet series whilst reading many books on coral reefs.
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Malaysia is a country surrounded by the most beautiful tropical islands in the world, and people all over the world travel thousands of miles, and some spend a fortune just to witness this natural beauty, and being a Malaysian I saw it as something that should be taken advantage of, being so close.
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To be honest it was a bit of a nerve wreck for me the first time that I came to be a certified scuba diver. Getting on that speed boat with other divers fully geared to go for the big plunge into open ocean was the most terrifying thing I had ever done, but it never crossed my mind to back out at the time, so I took the plunge anyway.
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It was a hot afternoon where we made our descend into the cool crystal clear water, my ears came to a silent as it sucked in the salty sea water, and all I heard was the breathing sounds from mine and other people’s regulators which sounded to be honest, a lot like Lord Vader.
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The beaming sunlight which reflected off the creatures and the corals on the ocean floor was one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever witness. The experience was something that could only be defined as a ‘spiritual experience', the feeling of absolute calmness and tranquillity as if all the world's problems came to a halt in that hour I was underwater.
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Scuba diving gave me new respect for the world of the deep, and over the years things like ocean conservation support or campaigns have been a norm for me to be a part of. Today, many of our oceans are in a critical stage where polluted waters cause by oil spills, trash and debris left by us, have too often been heard in the news.
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I see it as a diver’s responsibility and also as a fellow human being that we put our efforts in protecting our oceans and the creatures that live within, to ensure that we would still have an ocean for our great-grandchildren to enjoy.
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Another reason why I got into the sport is because I saw Malaysia as country with a rich biodiversity, full of rainforests and wildlife, beautiful tropical islands with white sandy beaches and clear blue waters. This a rare thing to have in some parts of the world today, and it appeared as something worth protecting.
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Currently, as a PADI Rescue Diver, I often consult with my scuba diving instructors about ocean conservation topics and how we can do more with this cause. This is also one of the reasons why I chose to be certified under PADI, as it doesn't only teach about scuba diving but also is an advocate on ocean conservation and teaches divers about the balance of our underwater ecosystem on top of what we can do to help it flourish and sustain itself.
PADI SCUBA DIVER
Being a scuba diver there are many rules that one must obey, and if not, the risk of death would be imminent. Three of the rules I hold close every time I go diving is that a diver must never dive alone. There is no such thing as a solo diver because in any case of emergency a diver must be able to call their dive buddy anytime he/she is in need of help.
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There are many organisations around the world that are able to train people on how to scuba dive, and one of which that is most internationally recognized is the Professional Association of Diving Instructors known as PADI. Based in the United States PADI provides various levels of recreational certification in scuba diving, among it, the Open Water Diver (OWD), Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD), Rescue Diver, Dive Master Scuba Diver, etc.
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I chose to be certified under PADI because it trains people about the underwater ecosystem as well as focuses much more on the health and safety of the diver, which is considered as world-class. PADI courses ranges from a minimum entry level for recreational divers certification to relatively professional certification, with several specialised diving skills courses and specific equipment.
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For those who are interested in being a scuba diver yourself, I would encourage it fully for recreational purposes and also to give us a wider perspective of the world we live in.
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The first stage of PADI recreational diving certificate is the Open Water Diver certification or OWD. The OWD’s course objective is learning to manage oneself and the scuba gear underwater. By obtaining this level of certification, a person is able to be an independently certified diver that enables them to choose their dive partner freely, and no longer require the presence of a professional diver.
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Getting your OWD is really a treat as it’s that moment you will be able to dive with any other certified diver anywhere in the world, but, keep in mind that there are depth limitations at this level which is 18m / 59ft for adults and 12m / 40ft for juniors under 12 years.
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The Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD) certification is the Third Amateur Scuba Diving Certification Level. This recreational certification will allow a diver to improve his or her experience as a diver and expand knowledge in the field, the biggest difference with the previous level being, you can dive deeper 30 meters or 100 feet.
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The Rescue Diver certification is a certification under PADI taken by those who are recreational divers as well as pursuing it professionally. This level is for those who want to increase their knowledge in emergency situations. The rescue certification gives divers the training of what to do in certain emergency scenarios. The training teaches on Emergency First Responder or EFR, in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and it focuses on building confidence in lay rescuers as well as increasing their willingness to respond when faced with a medical emergency. Course participants learn simply to follow steps for emergency care and practice applying skills in a non-stressful learning environment.
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The Master Scuba Diver is a professional certification for those who are thinking of embarking in the scuba diving sport as a profession which can lead to an exciting career. At this level there are only a very select group of divers who have the experience and scuba training. Fewer than 2% of recreational divers attain this rating. It is the top of the ladder in the PADI universe of recreational diving. To reach this level you must be a Rescue Diver and have 5 other PADI Specialty Diver certifications along with a minimum of 50 logged dives.
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Nowadays you can go online and search for more information on scuba diving as well as world class PADI dive instructors. Fortunately, we live in a country surrounded by tropical islands and scuba diving is a popular sport with many good diving PADI instructors available here, in which we can consult about these certifications and about the sport in general. All PADI instructors are open to answering questions from anyone who is curious about this adventurous sport and would be happy and supportive to share their knowledge. So come and join PADI.
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