Tioman Dive 2006

Tioman Dive 2006

Sep 29, 2006 - 91 Photos

ScubaTech Submariners: NTU Alumni Club Diving Club

Today I would not have tried to get all the diving photos if not for the email marketing blast for the Club's coming events. Because I am so desperately trying to get the club going I have no choice but to do this till the wee hours of the morning (now's 2:50 am).

Good thing I can revive the name ScubaTech Submariner (if the sub club member buys the name) as it is a name I thought of using some brain juice in 1997/98 (see? Can't even remember which year I learnt to dive....dive log... I need the dive log!)

If all goes well, by 12th August 2006, we will have a Diving Club with planned trips to Cebu Philipines and some short trips to Dayang or Tioman with the club. Ah...time to really get my research work done on underwater cameras. My Nikon D70 water proof aluminium alloy will cost me the equivalent to another new camera body...just shy of getting the new D200 or even can buy the upcoming successor to the D70?

Nah...have to be those compact cameras...no choice...sob~~

Will it be Olympus or Canon? Come back for the next episode~!

Retro Dive-o Memo

I just remembered! I got another website that had some more diving pictures. Good thing they are still around after all these years (9 to be exact) and I think to add these entries into WilzDive would be extremely appropriate.

Will be using my 'original' posts so that at least it maintained the 'taste' after all these years. Of course if there's spelling mistakes I will have to correct dah~.


TIOMAN: ScubaTech Submariners (NTU Dive Group)

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Back Row: Gideon, Raymond, Chee Hoe, Choon Hong, Hazel, Lawrence, Mike, Ken, Charmaine, Lynn, Tze Hui

Middle Row: Sharon, Kelly, Stump, Pei Ru

Front Row: Raymond (In front of elder Raymond), Wilson, Ben, Cheryl

(Side note year 2006: I think these guys would have got married and have kids)

Quite a happening group. All the more making the education of diving more fun than it can be. Good think we can get jokers like Ben to spice up the atmosphere. Where are we you asked? Oh just at the little island of Tioman. Nice place to visit really but must really look after you wallets. Our 'chalets' are broken into though but didn't kill our fun spirits :).

Hopefully I can get them back into diving as a group again (Side Note '06: Not so sure where they are now really...all graduated either on 98 or year 2000).

Some pictures for you guys to see

Obviously I do not know who i took these picture for. Confirm I'm not one of them. Heeeeeee...

Gideon leading Choon Hoe and dunno who down to the ground for our training. Really difficult to grab this shot. (Side Note 2006: Not to mention that this is those water resistent throw away film camera of yester years..yup reminds me to get the digi cam with water casing by end of the year...wife?? hint hint...X mas gift!!)

AWWW~!!! It's AUR!!

As you can see that this place looks cool on the outside, superb on the inside and delicious to the tummy. This is called the Diver's Lodge where divers, young and old, green horns and un-green horns, beautiful and handsome gathered together.

You won't believe what you can find here. Cool fresh water from the springs of the island. Water heaters, electricity, cool breeze and an IKEA furnished look (no joke, all from IKEA, except the bed. Even the concept is IKEA'ish). Wahh~~ when the customer is a Singaporean, business owners do miracles.

This is the picture just before we went to the first dive (I think). New found friends, Wong and Belinda (Sorry if I spelled wrongly!!) are lonely souls like me eager for a dive but got caught in the infamous trap of kakis betrayal. Bo Bian lor.....go alone. But one thing about diving, you get to know people. No wonder is a great sports for Singles. hehehehehe.

The Ultimate In Satisfaction: A Storyful Dive

Choppy waters indeed! Even Belinda has to fork out the sausage. As you can see, the sausage is errmmm...LIMP, and we are about to search for the Sausage VIAGRA. Thank the heavens the boat got us before I need to sacrifice my share. AHEM. Not that I'm that useless but just in case you need it in the water :P.

One of the Boats Used To Ferry Water Devils errr....Divers.
With Mazlan doing the Titanic, Gilbert looking aimlessly and Gideon just looking hunkish.

We had a total of 6 dives, 5 day dives and a Night dive (shhhh!!). We saw a variety of Coral fishes, Napoleons, Belinda's Fantastic Octopussy, nearly got crashed into a MAN SIZED Sea Turtle and a kiss to its face all thanks to Francis and of course Barracudas, rock fish and the works.

Definitely worth every penny.

BBQ Time at the Sun Deck.

But of course, to cater to the infamous Singaporean tummy, the people at the Lodge are so kind to feed us the best kampong style sea fare after each dive. The food is of course VERY delicious that I think the cook should start a stall in Singapore. The whole event is of course rounded off with a full range of sea food BBQ which is the apple of the eyes of hungry divers. Hmmm...wish we could have turtle soup though. :P....or maybe BBQ'd Belinda's Octopussy. YUCK~~!!

Come to think of it, did I just ate the fish I saw a while ago?
Belinda, Mazlan, Tab(itah), Ole, Muah, Hans &....& .....&...

We of course went for the last two dives on Sunday and at 1.30pm, we are off to Smoky Singapore. On the way back, the Sun was so nice to bid us goodbye after it's reluctance to shine when we are diving !@#!$!%!#$@^%!. My sun tan plans are finally salvaged with a great red tan during the ride back to be shown back in Singapore.

Last Supper (:P) with Wong, Gilbert 'GILO' Wong, Tab, Dirk, Ole, Belinda, Wilson, Hans
(Mazlan taking pic y'see?)

As all Singaporeans might say, all starts well ends well with makan. I agree as much. Imagine a 8 dish Chinese Dinner at 150 ringgit per table.

That's all folks~ My first trip to Aur. Hope you guys get more saliva (more from the dive I hope) out of your system by now. If you want to see a bird's eye view of the sea from the highest room,here it is!

Hi! This is my first blog after a long hiatus from the absence of diving. After long 8 years since I got myself wet, don the mask and suck the regulator, I am so glad to get back into this sport. Of course some of my friends would know that I am also into photography and soon enough I would go into underwater photography.

But first of all, this blog is just to show case some of the photos I have taken at Redang. It is my dream that I can post at least one dive site every quarter (I need to work dude!)

So here's Redang!

Pulau Redang: Redang Kalong

The trip up north is really tiring with 12 hours on the bus, butt is really aching. Can imagine the relief when we see the harbour.

Wonder what are they looking at?

Melz Being Blown Over...

...By the Blow Fish

And so we arrived by the wobbly jetty that greeted us.

And of course the white sands and clear waters just add to the excitement

The place that we stayed (Bunny, Melz & Me) is called Redang Kalong. Whatever the case, it is on land and it has a great atmosphere that speaks of doing nothing but to laze around. The whole place do have some great photo opportunities but would require me to wake up at 6 am to capture the sun rise shots.

After one of those dives (what? You want to see me wet?) we got so bored we decided to check out the place. Of course the other reason is to see what other places I can take photos of this beautiful island. And behold, we got ourselves unto Redang Laguna.

Honestly? I think Redang Laguna is one of those places that reminds me of the very place I am trying to escape from. Yes you guess it...Singapore! The whole darn place is so commercialised it just reminds me of Downtown East at Pasir Ris. I was like....Wad Duh~~

Anyway, people who need some civilisation in a place that speaks of natural beauty ought to shoot themselves. We already have so much techy thingie that some rough edges wouldn't harm. Ah...that's just the adventurous me talking shit.

Well, since we are here why don't we have some fun shots. First of all, Melz and Bunz showing off the latest summer dive collection.

And then we add some faux six packx on our abz.

Somehow or rather, the modelling bug did not go away. After a hearty meal at the eatery, Melz is at it again this time with some more 'help'

Mong Chee, Melz, May, Siang, Chantel & Me...followed by the photographer Bunz



Followed by the top down approach by Wilz



Siang & May: Woah~ Scandalous Pair (hahahaha...)

First demonstration... 'so so'



Second one...oh my gawd...Chantel put up the best positive demo of all



Third one's a charm! And now...



The fourth....Oh~~ Heaven!!

I got so bored after the photo shoot, I was virtually hunting for subjects. And look what I have found... a white spider that has lost its legs so much so it is giving the 'middle' from some angle!

Ah...after sometime one ought to get back to earth from heaven. So that's another last minute sun rise shots from a different perspective. Of course I must show, as with other tourists, that I was there and has done that.

The trip back was really uneventful except for Mong Chee's bid to get back to Singapore without a ticket back. But then again, she doesn't look thrilled at all to go back (same sentiments babe...same sentiments)..but hey at least she got a nice tan.

With nothing to do, Mark and me went to some bus hunting just to make sure we don't miss the bus. Instead we got our beau some T-shirt that cost really little in terms of Singapore price.

We got our bus alrite! And in another 12 hours we got our butt back in Singapore. Bummer!