Junior Open Water Course-Bali-Tulamben

I'm 10 now, and I'm really excited to get my Junior OW Course. I have been waiting for around 2 years now, since my first bubble maker in the sea (Dec 2007).

I was really nervous on the first day of my pool session. I thought that I would fail, but I've done so many dives for my age (even though it was only around 2m), I can't let my parents get disappointed. So now I'm ready take the challenge....

It wasn't only me who was taking the OW Course, there was Jen, Dudley and Martina(adults). It was really fun having this course with them.

Day 1

Today, the first thing Idid was going to Ricardo's (my instructor) place (resort), with my mum, walking. When we reached there, Ricardo explained a few stuff about the Junior/ OW course. After that, we watched a video. An OW course video. It was aro

und 35-45 mins.

When the video finished, Ricardo said that he and the others will meet me and my mum at our resort. Because we're going to do our first pool session (not my mum, she's already an OW diver).

Ricardo doesn't have a pool at his resort. At my resort, the pool is too small. So we had to walk to this other resort nearby.

Pool Session

This is going to be the first session, and I'm exited and nervous!!!!

In this session, we just did the basic stuff like; putting our BCD (buoyancy control device), tank and regulator together, getting used to breathing underwater, mask clearing and stuff like that.

While we were doing the course, my mum was diving below us doing her own thing.

When we finished, Ricardo said, later that day, we're going to have a fun dive at the USAT Liberty Shipwreck!!!! YAY!

USAT Liberty Shipwreck

This is my first time diving near a shipwreck, I hope it's going to

be fun(it was fun!)!!! We saw the ruins of the ship, which was TOTALLY AwEsOmE(!!!), corals- soft and hard and tons of fishes!!!! Unfortunately, there wasn't any 'fascinating' ones. Although, there were big Sweetlips.

My family says that in the night, the Sweetlips and Parrot fishes are a lot BIGGER! (I wish I can go night diving!).

If you want to know which kind of fishes I saw, just go to my other stories. But not all of the fishes, in my other stories, are exactly what I saw.

Day 2

It was a fun day yesterday, but I hope today is better!!!

Like yesterday

, me and my mum went to Ricardo's place, first thing in the morning. We watched the OW course video (like yesterday) and the

n me and my mum went back to our resort, to get ready for my 2nd pool session.

Pool Session

Today we did buoyancy. It wasn't that easy. One of the drill that we did was, laying down on your tummy and estimating how much air you need in your BCD. If you got it right, when you inhale, you'll go up and if you exhale, you'll go down. There were other drills that we did, but it's hard for me to explain.

Coral Garden

That afternoon, we had another fun dive. This time, it's in Coral Garden!

Down in this dive site, we saw this little aeroplane made out wires. Basically It's just the shape of an aeroplane. This 'aeroplane' is made and put there so more corals can grow, which means more fishes! It was really cool! There, we also saw an eel.We didn't stay at the area because or else we'll get bored, so we went around Coral Garden.

Like the other fun dive, we didn't see any 'fascinating' stuff, apart from the eel, but it was still a fun dive comparing to the pool session.

On the 3rd and 4th day, I didn't feel so well, so I stayed in the room. Although, on the morning of the 3rd day, I did go to Ricardo's place and watch the OW course video.

I missed 2 days, which means I missed 2 pool sessions :(

Day 4-Drop Off

That day, I felt a lot better. But I didn't watch the OW Course video and I missed the pool session :( My mum said to rest in the morning, just to make sure I'll be fit to do the afternoon/fun dive.
I did my afternoon/fun dive at the Drop Off, which means we're using a boat to go to that dive site. It was really fun. Although the boat was really small.
We saw lots of things in this area. It was awesome. When we were diving there was a current. It was fairly strong. But I did, see quite a few intresting stuff. In the beginning, the others did the drill (underwater), from this morning, while I was swimming around them. After that, the exploring begins! Right in the beginning of us exploring, a current came. While drift diving, I saw Nudi Eggs*, a baby Lion Fish and others!!! Just before we went up, we saw this HUGE fish*. I can't remember what it was, but what I can tell you is that, it was TOTALLY AWESOME!!!

Day 5

Ok! Today, my dad wants me to finish my course. And luckily, I only have 1 more Pool Session!!! But the others has already finished their course, so I'm doing this last session by myself (including Ricardo).

Pool Session

For this pool session, I did it at where I'm staying- at Joe's (the resort).

The hardest drill that I did was hovering. You have to sit at the bottom of the pool, cross-legged. Fill your BCD with air/water, until about enough. If you got it right, when you inhale you'll go up. It was hard for me, because I kept on losing my balance. I did other drills, but it's hard for me to explain it.

USAT Liberty Ship Wreck

No more pool session, YAY!!! But in this dive I did some drills first. Also, I learned how to use

and underwater compass.

In the beginning, as I wrote above, I did some drills first.Basically, I did everything I learned this morning. That includes taking off my mask and putting them on again!!! I was so scared when I did this, even at the pool session. In the sea, I had to go up, with my mask off, because I was scared, and I felt really, really nervous. But in the end, I did it!

When I was using the compass(going straight and back), in the middle of the 'course', I accidentally tou

ched the sand, and I saw something moved!!! Guess what it was; Yep, it was a Flounder, and I went crazy when I saw it, because it was my first time seeing a Flounder! However I didn't swim after the fish, and I continued what I was doing.

My mum went along too, she also used the compass, but instead of going straight and back, my mum was going in a square. It sure would have been much harder. After all I'm only taking my open water course at the moment, she's taking her advanced open water.

After this dive, I'm going to have the test! Yikes!!! I was really, really nervous. The test goes like this: there is a booklet(which has all of the 50-ish questions) and there is a sheet for ticking which answer is the one I think is right. To pass, the maximum number of incorrect questions I can get is 14.

And guess what??? I only got 7 incorrect!!!! Which means I PASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY :) I was so happy when I saw the results!!!

So now, I'm a Junior Open Water Diver!!!!

After this, I can choose if I want to dive with my dad and my sister, or with my mum and Ricardo. My mum is having a course, so I'll have to wait for a bit if I join her. And also, she's going to the Drop-off and I've been there before. On the other side, my dad and my sister is going to Seraya Secret, and I haven't been there. So I chose to join my dad and my sister.

Seraya Secret

Seraya Secret is far from the resort, so we used a mini bus to get there, also because quite a number of people from the resort wanted to dive at Seraya Secret too.

When we reached thereI was excited. I'm a JOW Diver and now I can dive up to 12m!

In Seraya Secret, I saw more 'unique' stuff. There was this big semi-circular (3-D & made out of wire, i think) and around it, I saw Nudis*, either Stonefish or Scorpion fish, Lionfish and a few more! Also, I saw these little crabs on a Feather Star, and it was COOL! So far, that was the best dive in this holiday.

Day 6 -Last Day

I can't believe it's all ready the last day:( Never mind, as long as I have a wonderful day, which I did, I don't mind (OK, maybe a bit). Also, that day, it was my first time diving 3 times!!! :)

USAT Liberty Ship Wreck

This dive was with Ricardo and my whole family! Yay, at last, I went diving with my mum, dad & sister.

Somehow, I think diving with my family brings most of the good stuff out!!! Because, we saw a humongous group of Jack Fish and another Flounder!!! Not only that, there was a Barracuda, and I got quite close to it, well the closest I've ever went!! While going around, guess what I saw, a coral shaped like a heart, and surprisingly, it was pink! Now this is the best dive so far! :)

Coral Garden

This dive, my mum, my sister and the guide, are going a little bit deeper, so they can go to the cleaning station :( The cleaning station, is where fishes and other 'normal' sized creatures are cleaned, by either cleaner shrimps, or cleaner fish. Not just that, humans can be cleaned too!!! But that's only on the teeth and/or face by cleaner shrimps! I can't go there because it's around 18-21m. :( But I didn't care much really(but maybe a bit).

While me and my dad was waiting, we went around and saw quite a few Nudis, 1 or 2 Eels*, shrimps and a lot more!

When my mum, my sister and the guide showed up, we swam, while looking around, to the man-made aeroplane. There, we saw 3 Leaf Scorpion Fish*, a few Nudis*, Lionfish and A LOT more!

Cafe Garam

No way! It's the last dive now :( I hope me and my family have a wonderful time at this dive site!

Cafe Garam is a resort. This resort makes salt(garam-in Indonesian), from the sea. It's really interesting how they make it. But unfortunately, I only saw them MAKING it.

I love this site because on the beach, it's sand, and not rocks, unlike sites around Coral Garden. Not just sand makes me love that place, but what's under the water...

Cafe Garam, actually grows their own coral. Well not exactly, but what I mean is that they put stuff(not man-made wire sculpture), like rubbish, in the water, and let corals grow. It was amazing. These 'stuff' they put in, was one of their projects.

Like in Coral Garden, my mum, my sister and the guide, went a little deeper for a while.

Diving with my dad only wasn't bad, in fact it was wonderful. We saw LOTS of Lion fish, those little crabs on Feather Stars, and a lot of Nudis*, but most of them are the same kind! We were looking around and just near a Feather Star, I found a Ghost Pipe fish*! I was so happy when I saw it! I've always wanted to see a Ghost Pipe fish. And when my mum, my sister and the guide showed up, the guide found another Ghost Pipe fish. Just when we went up, we saw a White-Eyed Moray Eel*! Awesome right? And then the dive ends :(

Luckily, this was a really good dive, so I wasn't that upset when we finished.

'Keys' *-something awesome(to me)

De Best Day/s of moi's LIFE!!!

Tennis

This 'particular' day is my fave 'cause I have won 2 big trophies (champion for singles and doubles) and a racket (the racket is from the door prize).

For singles, it was my first time in the finals, and I won it!!! YAY!!! :)

For doubles, my partner was Nicole Tay.

It wasn't my first time to win in the doubles though. Before I have won once and my partner was Jasmine (she's really good). We won because both of us are good.

With Nicole, we won by teamwork. Before the tournament, we already practised our tack-tics. It was really fun being her partner.

I was really, really happy when I won both of the trophies!!! And then surprised when my name was called for the door prize!

But this tournament was only for the Panaga Club members. That means, I need to work a lot harder if I want to win the Schlumberger Open (Panaga).

My Instructors

*Photos taken by my dad/sister*

I have had such a great experience, diving in Aceh with Rhi as my instructor.

Rhi is very nice, very kind, very helpful, very thoughtful & most of all, very gentle.

Thank You Rhi, for making these past dives to be one of the greatest moments of my life.

Rhi is now moving to Koh Lanta in Thailand, I wish her the best of luck!
till we meet again.....

Aceh dive trip

Another diving journey with my family. This time it’s in……

Pulau Weh/Weh Island

INDONESIA

We rode on a ferr y from Banda Aceh to Weh Island on Sunday, 19/7/09. I was really excited that day. My dad says its going to be a 45 minute ride so he's going to buy VIP tickets for him & my family for the ferry journey.In the VIP section of the ferry, there was AC, a TV so everyone can watch, with a drink and a type of snack for each person. When we reached Weh Island, we met this guy. He said that he was the driver to take my family to the resort we're staying.The resort where we're going to stay till Saturday, was called Lumba Lumba. Lumba-lumba means dolphin so the resort actually means Dolphin. When we arrived at Lumba Lumba we sorted everything out and got ready for a walk on the beach.After a walk on the beach we went to have dinner. We have to wait for quite a long time before the food come out but I didn't really care. The next day I woke up and got breakfast. Lumba Lumba doesn't have a restaurant so we have to go to the restaurant next door. After breakfast, my family & I got ready for our first dive in 6 months.Today, I met my instructor. Her name is Rhi Dobbie. I have a feeling we're going to have a wonderful time together, & we did. Let's start at....

Fun Fun, First day of diving in P. Weh

Day 1-Rubiah Sea Garden (RSG) SOUTH 20/7/09 -45 mins
Dive no. 1

We went to RSG by boat. While we were going to RSG, Rhi said that I'm going to do a back flip/back roll to get in the water, instead of doing a giant strike. Back flip is, when you sit at the edge of the boat with your equipment on, then, one hand holds your mask and regulator while your other hand holds your weight belt & then, in count of 3 you flip back. It might sound quite scary, but it's actually fun! When we reached RSG, my dad, my mum, my sister & some other people went in first.When it was mine & Rhi's turn, Rhi said that I should go in first. So here I go, doing a back flip, WHOOSH!!! In the water, I saw a Blackspotted Puffer, some Oriental Sweetlips, lots of Feather Starfish, quite a few Cleaner Wrasse & a few Moorish Idol. We also saw some of my favourite fish, there was the Longnose Butterflyfish, the Palette Surgeonfish/Dory, the Black Pyramid Butterflyfish & the False Clown Anemonefish. Rhi & I also saw Red Tooth Triggerfish & quite big Titan Triggerfish! There were also some Sea Stars, they were the Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star & some common Sea Stars.

Did you know that you have to watch out for Titan Triggerfish because they're more firce than the other Triggerfish?


Day 1-Gapang Beach LEFT 20/7/09 -49 mins
Dive no. 2

Phew! What a lunch! I hope I won't sink for this dive :) For this dive, Rhi & I are going to the beach infront of Lumba Lumba. Since there are 4 sides of the beach (left, middle, right & far right), Rhi & I are going to try the left side first. On the left side, we saw some Blackspotted Puffer, a Black-Blotched Porcupinefish, a few Oriental Sweetlips, lots of Feather Stars, lots of different kinds of Cleaner Wrasse, Trumpetfish & quite a few gruops of Razorfish. There was also some Clownfish; they were the False-Clownfish, Skunk Anemonefish & Clark's Anemonefish. This time, we saw some Orange-Lined Triggerfish instead of the other. When I saw the Orange-Lined Triggerfish, I was amazed by the colours, especially if you compared them with other Triggerfish. Rhi & I also saw lots of Clams, a VERY cute juv. Yellow Boxfish, another Crown-of-Thorns Starfish, more common Starfish & this fish, the Black-Saddled Toby which was adorable. At first, I thought the Black-Saddled Toby was a Puffer, but when I point at the fish, Rhi wrote on her waterproof board saying that it was a Toby!

juv.-juvenile

2nd Day in P. Weh

Day 2-Gapang Beach MIDDLE 21/7/09 -49 mins
Dive no. 1

Today, Rhi & I are going for a turtle hunt!!!!Yay! I've never seen a turtle before so I'm really excited today. I really do hope we WILL find a turtle or two. While we were turtle hunting, we saw, a juv. Yellow Boxfish, quite a few Powder-Blue Surgeonfish, Long Nose Butterflyfish, lots of Bird Wrasse, Crescent Wrasse, a juv. Dotted Sweetlips, juv. Black Snapper, Lion Fish & this weird named fish called the Blue Blanquillo. After a while, Rhi bruoght me to the sand area for a bit. Before the dive, Rhi also said that we might find some rays, so I think that's why we're going in the sandy area. A few minutes later, I saw the corals again. Colours...Woohoo! While we were swimming around the corals again, we saw Yellow Snappers, Red Tooth Triggerfish, Bristly Hermit Crab, a juv. Bicolor Parrotfish & Clark's Anemonefish. Unfortunately, today we can't find any ray:( , but there's still a lot of dive sites that I haven't done. So I didn't really mind that much. After that, we went back to shore. While we went back, we saw baby Triggerfish hiding in rocks, they were the baby Red Tooth Triggerfish, Yellowtail Triggerfish & the Picasso Triggerfish.

Day 2-Selako Drift 21/7/09 -55 mins
Dive no. 2

Before this dive, Rhi told me that she can't be my instructor for the 2nd dive for today. Instead, someone else will take her place. The someone else will be Will Brown. He will be my instructor for this dive only, so I hope I will have a great time with him. Will & I did a drift dive in Selako Drift. A drift dive is when you follow/carried away by the current. While we were doing the drift dive, we saw a few Red Tooth Triggerfish, a Cushion Star ( I tried to draw it on Will's board but it turned out more like a squashed puffed star), a Painted Rock Lobster which was uder a coral, 1 or 2 Hermit Crabs, some Yellowstripe Snappers, Clark's Anemonefish, Maldives Anemonefish, some common Butterflyfish, some awesome Black-Backed Butterflyfish, 1 or 2 Emperor Angelfish, a few Striped Surgeonfish, a Moray Eel, Lined Butterflyfish, Threadfin Butterflyfish Orange-Lined Surgeonfish, lots of Cleaner Wrasse, a few Puffers & some other common fishes.

Day 3- RSG NORTH 22/7/09 -55 mins
Dive no. 1

Today Rhi is back to be my instructor. We are going to dive on the north side of RSG this time & I think it's gonna be great!!! On the north side of RSG, we saw some Anemonefishes, Singular Bannerfish, common Butterflyfishes, the Blue Blanquillo, Powder-Blue Surgeonfish, Trumpetfish, Bird Wrasse, a Blotched Porcupinefish, lots of Lizardfish, Goatfish, 1 or 2 Cushion Star, a coral crab- which was the Oshima's Porcelain Crab, some other common fishes & Triggerfishes; they were the Orange-Lined Triggerfish, Red Tooth Triggerfish & the Indian Triggerfish. When we were just going to the surface, guess what we saw??? Nudi Eggs!!! At first, I thought it was a pink tissue, but when I pointed it to Rhi, she wrote on her board & it said Nudi Eggs. I was so amazed that Nudi Eggs are beutiful.


Day 3- Gapang Beach RIGHT 22/7/09 -55 mins
Dive no. 2

Since Rhi & I haven't seen a ray or a turtle in the past few days, for this dive, we're going on a turtle & ray hunt! Yay! While we were on a turtle & ray hunt, we saw a Marbled Snake Eel, some Triggerfishes; they were the Orange-Lined Triggerfish, Picasso Triggerfish, the Red Tooth Triggerfish & the Indian Triggerfish, ther was the Lizardfish, Spotted Hawkfish, Bird Wrasse, Spotted Garden Eel, I also found a Mantis Shrimp (which was hiding under a coral), 1 or 2 Khul's Stingray (AWESOME) & an Anemone Crab. When we went back to shore, we also saw my sister (Mayang) doing her diving course with some other people & 1 or 2 Lion Fish.