Coming soon
See you under water
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Monday, April 15, 2019
Mabul, Sabah, Borneo for the third time
Nice to come back to places I’ve been before, know faces and my way around.
The Scuba Junkie Divers Lodge in Semporna doesn’t exist anymore, so I had to find another accommodation for three days.
One of my last year’s dive buddies, Richard Ricardo Avantiquattro, doesn’t work for Scuba Junkie on Mabul anymore, so I took some three days staying in Semporna, on the mainland of Borneo, to dive with him again.
He works in a big company now, Chinese owned, 99 percent Chinese clients, about 200 every day...
At least we have some three dives together, Pom Pom Bottles, Mataking Kecil, and Tumba Tumba Pistol Paradise. We have a 71 year old Chinese diver with us, side mount, sculling with his hands all the time. His daughter took this picture of me:
Next day he has too many Chinese DSD’s, so he joins me with Mala, a very nice Malay guy, and we’re going to. drumroll, tadaaa, Mabul and Kapalai.
The second diver in our group hits deco on the second dive, so Mala and me have a chilled third one at cleaning station Kapalai.
I return to my “hotel”, the Mermaid Inn in Semporna, this is a hostel, close to the Jetty, next time I’ll take the hotel next door. Everything is full of Chinese customers anyway, they are feasting on frog fish, painted spiny lobster bred in a plastic bottle, parrotfish Filets and the like.
I booked the best room at the Mermaid Inn, adjacent to the central common room and with almost direct access to the balcony.
I meet Richard and his local friends for a couple beers downstairs, then retire for the 8am morning boat to Mabul. Morning boat means you start diving on arrival, I know the drill.
5. April, 08:00 Boat to Pulau Mabul, arrive, big Hellos on the Jetty, put on the dive gear, in the water at D-Wall at 09:37
more dive videos here: https://vimeo.com/user55401320"
The Scuba Junkie Divers Lodge in Semporna doesn’t exist anymore, so I had to find another accommodation for three days.
One of my last year’s dive buddies, Richard Ricardo Avantiquattro, doesn’t work for Scuba Junkie on Mabul anymore, so I took some three days staying in Semporna, on the mainland of Borneo, to dive with him again.
He works in a big company now, Chinese owned, 99 percent Chinese clients, about 200 every day...
At least we have some three dives together, Pom Pom Bottles, Mataking Kecil, and Tumba Tumba Pistol Paradise. We have a 71 year old Chinese diver with us, side mount, sculling with his hands all the time. His daughter took this picture of me:
Next day he has too many Chinese DSD’s, so he joins me with Mala, a very nice Malay guy, and we’re going to. drumroll, tadaaa, Mabul and Kapalai.
The second diver in our group hits deco on the second dive, so Mala and me have a chilled third one at cleaning station Kapalai.
I return to my “hotel”, the Mermaid Inn in Semporna, this is a hostel, close to the Jetty, next time I’ll take the hotel next door. Everything is full of Chinese customers anyway, they are feasting on frog fish, painted spiny lobster bred in a plastic bottle, parrotfish Filets and the like.
I booked the best room at the Mermaid Inn, adjacent to the central common room and with almost direct access to the balcony.
I meet Richard and his local friends for a couple beers downstairs, then retire for the 8am morning boat to Mabul. Morning boat means you start diving on arrival, I know the drill.
5. April, 08:00 Boat to Pulau Mabul, arrive, big Hellos on the Jetty, put on the dive gear, in the water at D-Wall at 09:37
more dive videos here: https://vimeo.com/user55401320"
See you under water
Friday, March 22, 2019
Early start into the year: Special Manta Trip on the Junk, January 12 - 20, 2019
This trip was on top of the others, normally I go to SEA in March/April for 3 weeks. This year it is two trips.
The Junk published a special trip back in July last year, and the dive crew and owner of the Junk persuaded me to not miss this one. So I booked this extra trip, hoping to see Mantas in the Similans again.
We didn't see any, but we had a great time anyway. Alexandra and Christian from Bavaria, who I met last year on the Junk, took part as well, finishing a 4 weeks holiday with that trip.
Pickup at the airport Phuket was easy, I was following the route of the van in MotionX GPS, wondering where we went. Obviously it was not Patong as scheduled, but Chalong on the other side of the island.
At the pier Jerome and Tiger were waiting to transfer the bags and passengers, Eak took the first load to the Junk, so I had time to smoke a cigarette with Jerome and Tiger.
On board the Junk warm welcomes from the entire crew, Marco as Tour leader. Then the usual drill, cabin number, tank number, fire drill, boat briefing etc.
With us is Jamie from Manta Trust Thailand, she will be giving some lectures on Manta Rays during the trip.
I got cabin number 5 and tank number 12, just as last year ;-)
My roommates are Ben Jubert from Britain, Warren O'Neill from Canada, Bill D'Amico from the USA. Warren will also be my dive buddy for this trip.
I have a new dive computer, since my original Zoop freaked out last year in Borneo, going on and off by itself. I take it with me as a backup on the inflator hose, some times it will just turn on and beep. "Hey Volker, your computer has gone diving without you again!" But under water it records fine. Upgraded to a Suunto Vyper Novo, that records somehow more data than the entry level Zoop. Maybe I get myself an air transmitter for it later on.
Diving starts on Sunday, 13. Jan at Koh Haa Lagoon, then down to Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, and back to Koh Haa Lagoon for the Nightdive. Koh Haa is a beautiful dive site with soft corals in some spots, a chimney and a cavern with an air pocket., the Cathedral.
Next day we do three dives at Koh Haa, with the Cathedral, then off to Phi Phi, Nightdive at Palong Wall.
I get used to my new dive Computer, the Suunto Vyper Novo.
On the 15th we do three dives at King Cruiser, Shark Point and Koh Dok Mai, slowly approaching Chalong, where we refuel and get groceries. Tiger is so kind to bring me some Menthol cigarettes.
We travel to the Similans during the night, and on the 16th we can do our morning dive at the Tuna Wreck, near Hideaway Bay and Monuments. Up north through the Similans with two dives at Elephant Head and Snapper Alley, we reach Koh Bon in time for the nightdive at the Bay at 20:05h
We stay there for the night.
On 17th we try Koh Bon West Ridge with two dives, no Mantas, so we continue up north to Koh Tachai, for a dive in the afternoon.
Weather gets bad, rain sets in, the wind becomes chilly, everybody skips the nightdive ;-)
In the early morning of the 18th the boat starts to go to Richelieu Rock, where we have two beautiful dives, then on to Torinla, the southernmost island of Surin. Torinla Pinnacle is home to some very beautiful Pikachu Nudibranchs and rays.
19th is the last diving day with Torinla Pinnacle again, two more times Richelieu Rock and cruising back to Tab Lamu, where we disembark on Sunday, the 20th, around 11 am.
Made some new friends, met interesting people.
My plan was to spend the afternoon in Nai Yang on the beach, my flight goes at 21:30. Christian, Alexandra and their friend Mira join me and leave an hour before me.
I say Hello to Miaow of Beach Hotel TT Nai Yang, she offers me to put my bag in her reception, kind. But as we are four now, I don't do it.
The others leave a good hour before me, so I go for an Aloe Vera Massage and then back to the airport. Dreadful flight back home in a middle seat
25 Dives on this trip,
Average dive time 54 minutes,
Average depth 14.55 meters, average max. depth 23.83
overall RMV rate 13.77 L/min.
OK for me, I'm almost 61 and smoke....
more dive videos here: https://vimeo.com/user55401320"
The Junk published a special trip back in July last year, and the dive crew and owner of the Junk persuaded me to not miss this one. So I booked this extra trip, hoping to see Mantas in the Similans again.
We didn't see any, but we had a great time anyway. Alexandra and Christian from Bavaria, who I met last year on the Junk, took part as well, finishing a 4 weeks holiday with that trip.
Pickup at the airport Phuket was easy, I was following the route of the van in MotionX GPS, wondering where we went. Obviously it was not Patong as scheduled, but Chalong on the other side of the island.
At the pier Jerome and Tiger were waiting to transfer the bags and passengers, Eak took the first load to the Junk, so I had time to smoke a cigarette with Jerome and Tiger.
On board the Junk warm welcomes from the entire crew, Marco as Tour leader. Then the usual drill, cabin number, tank number, fire drill, boat briefing etc.
With us is Jamie from Manta Trust Thailand, she will be giving some lectures on Manta Rays during the trip.
I got cabin number 5 and tank number 12, just as last year ;-)
My roommates are Ben Jubert from Britain, Warren O'Neill from Canada, Bill D'Amico from the USA. Warren will also be my dive buddy for this trip.
I have a new dive computer, since my original Zoop freaked out last year in Borneo, going on and off by itself. I take it with me as a backup on the inflator hose, some times it will just turn on and beep. "Hey Volker, your computer has gone diving without you again!" But under water it records fine. Upgraded to a Suunto Vyper Novo, that records somehow more data than the entry level Zoop. Maybe I get myself an air transmitter for it later on.
Diving starts on Sunday, 13. Jan at Koh Haa Lagoon, then down to Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, and back to Koh Haa Lagoon for the Nightdive. Koh Haa is a beautiful dive site with soft corals in some spots, a chimney and a cavern with an air pocket., the Cathedral.
Next day we do three dives at Koh Haa, with the Cathedral, then off to Phi Phi, Nightdive at Palong Wall.
I get used to my new dive Computer, the Suunto Vyper Novo.
On the 15th we do three dives at King Cruiser, Shark Point and Koh Dok Mai, slowly approaching Chalong, where we refuel and get groceries. Tiger is so kind to bring me some Menthol cigarettes.
We travel to the Similans during the night, and on the 16th we can do our morning dive at the Tuna Wreck, near Hideaway Bay and Monuments. Up north through the Similans with two dives at Elephant Head and Snapper Alley, we reach Koh Bon in time for the nightdive at the Bay at 20:05h
We stay there for the night.
On 17th we try Koh Bon West Ridge with two dives, no Mantas, so we continue up north to Koh Tachai, for a dive in the afternoon.
Weather gets bad, rain sets in, the wind becomes chilly, everybody skips the nightdive ;-)
In the early morning of the 18th the boat starts to go to Richelieu Rock, where we have two beautiful dives, then on to Torinla, the southernmost island of Surin. Torinla Pinnacle is home to some very beautiful Pikachu Nudibranchs and rays.
19th is the last diving day with Torinla Pinnacle again, two more times Richelieu Rock and cruising back to Tab Lamu, where we disembark on Sunday, the 20th, around 11 am.
Made some new friends, met interesting people.
My plan was to spend the afternoon in Nai Yang on the beach, my flight goes at 21:30. Christian, Alexandra and their friend Mira join me and leave an hour before me.
I say Hello to Miaow of Beach Hotel TT Nai Yang, she offers me to put my bag in her reception, kind. But as we are four now, I don't do it.
The others leave a good hour before me, so I go for an Aloe Vera Massage and then back to the airport. Dreadful flight back home in a middle seat
25 Dives on this trip,
Average dive time 54 minutes,
Average depth 14.55 meters, average max. depth 23.83
overall RMV rate 13.77 L/min.
OK for me, I'm almost 61 and smoke....
more dive videos here: https://vimeo.com/user55401320"
See you under water