27 Minutes 4 Seconds With Me: Phuket, Thailand

Dive Briefing! Dive Briefing! Dive Briefing!

That is what I heard every morning from now and then onwards. I took a quick look at my watch and it clearly shown seven in the morning (8am if you are at Malaysia). The boat still waving left and right due to the strong current but that morning was prefect. Wasting no time I quickly grab my toothbrush and heading to the jumping deck. You probably will ask me why? See the picture below and you will understand.

I do not think you can get this scenario where else especially in Kuala Lumpur and it is a very different feeling, which I could not describe to you. Perhaps you only can feel it better is to stand on the jumping deck yourself. Soon then after I brushed my teeth and clean up myself I head to the upper deck of the boat where everyone gathered around, greeting each another good morning. Everyone seem so busy preparing toast with peanuts butter on it and making a cup of good hot coffee. So am I.

I heard another shouting from the local DM (Divemaster) dive briefing!!! Dada (the DM) start giving her brief of the dive site which we going to jump later on. Of course, to add in more fun and being the naughty one, I just cannot stop making jokes of it. So do everyone on the boat. Although diving is a fun sport but we know, there is a possibility of danger of this game. Everyone takes it seriously and after the briefing everyone shouting again but this time they all shout for Manta and Whale shark.

Manta ray and whale shark are the two most astonishing creatures living underwater where most divers tempting to meet them. In Similan, Phuket Thailand you hardly can spot them because of the temperatures of the water and of courses your luck! I remembered that 2 years ago, I was here diving at the ocean of Thailand for more than a month and half, logging 160 dives and I only manage to met them once at different location and time. That is how rare these creatures appear underwater. If you are able to meet them once in your live time diving career you can consider yourself win the jackpot underwater.

You probably have no clue how these two fishes look like. No worries see the pictures below.

Well back to my journal. Everyone start to gear up with his or her wetsuit (very important. I tell you later what is the cause for not wearing one), bcd with tank attached behind, cleaning theirs’ mask, shoe up with the duckling feet and get ready to jump from the deck soon after the horn horned by the boat. One by one jumps to the water. A last minutes check to make sure everyone is ready and set to go. Everyone descents together. 1 meter 2 meter the magical world start popping right in front of you.

See it yourself to believe it.

Most of the dive sites we dived were deep. Some can reaches as deep as 30m down below. What is down there? Leopard sharks! If you are lucky, you can spot garden of eels as well. Once you are down there you just do not want to go up again.

The DM taps on her palm. Checking how much air we still left inside our tank. It is a safety precaution just in case you run out of air. Few minutes more we ascent to the surface. Sometimes you might caught a rough sea sometimes it is calm. The ocean is just unpredictable sometimes. Why?

Well if you follow the newspaper, you will know why. One of the boat doing LOB (Live on boat/board) was sink the night before we heading back to Patong beach to bring the new divers. 30 peoples on board, 23 were rescued, 5 dead (up to date news) and 2 were still missing out there. My heart and soul will rest together with them. A sad tragedy should not cure.

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/squall-tipped-boat-warning-survivors-tell/

Oh yeah I promised you earlier to tell you what is the damage if you are not wearing a proper wet suit. See pictures below. I was stung by sea rambutan and some stretches by coral.