My Equipment
BCD: Halcyon Eclipse - but I've changed the inflator to Scubapro
Regulator: Apeks ATX 50
Backup regulator: Apeks ATX 50 (didn't get the octopus because it was bright yellow and would have resulted in a colour clash)
1st stage: Apeks US4
SPG: DZ 300 bar
Hose setup: long hoses by Halcyon
7' LP primary hose
22" LP backup regulator hose
24" HP SPG hose
Fins: Scuba Pro Jet Fins with steel spring heels
Mask : yellow snorkelling mask
Mask strap (available from Living Seas)
SMB: ProBlue and Ralftech
Halcyon Defender 100ft spool for SMB
Halcyon Right-Hand Zipper Pocket
Dive Computer: Suunto Vyper
O Neill wetsuit 3mm (long)
Aeroskin Polyolefin suit (to wear under wetsuit)
Booties by G-Sports
Victorinox knife
Suunto compass
Ralftech gloves (only for diving @Hantu)
Ralftech hood
Ralftech sleeveless 2:3 vest (for water below 28 degrees C)
Thick black socks (any sports socks will do)
Light - Mini UK Q40 eLED
Also have a UK C8 eLED which is used less often now because it uses 8 C-sized batteries, a hassle to carry when travelling
Also had a DarkBuster but not recommended either. Problems with the back screw.
Backup lights (shared between buddy and me):
Princeton Tec40 (brother in law got it from some warehouse sale in US)
Used to use Ikelite PCM and PCA because of their cool colours (available from Mustafa Shopping Centre) but they died after a year - not recommended
Pointer
Reef Hook
Dive Bag - Ralftech Ocean Tech Line - Fly & Carry Roll and a ProBlue duffel dive bag
Mesh Bag - 1x Techna, 1x Scubapro. 1x ProBlue
DiveRite Regulator Bag
All of the above: available from Living Seas Singapore and Richmond Supplies (which has since closed, so now we go to DiveShop@SG at Golden Landmark)
Others
Bikini from Rip Curl (Available from Flash n Splash)
Backup bikinis from Roxy (available from Flash n Splash) and Sheer Romance (Sheer Romance, Far East Plaza).
Note: for the more daring, Sheer Romance has a pretty nice selection of thong bikinis.
Rubber bands for hair - Cold Storage Supermarket or Guardian Pharmacy
Coloured rubber bungees for proper colour coordination - from any hair accessory shop. I get mine from Far East Plaza. The pink ones are very nice :-)
I'm a 38 year old (as at April 2011) Singaporean.
I did my PADI Open Water Certification at Tioman in March 2005 with Living Seas Singapore.
I did my PADI Advanced Open Water Certification in Aur in May 2005 with Living Seas Singapore.
I did my Nitrox II / Enriched air diver certification in Maldives in July 2005 with Sea-Explorer (Ellaidhoo).
Why not?
My parents call me Princess, Madam, and One and Only Precious Daughter. I always assumed that turn-down service, fluffy towels and bathroom floor mats were a given in all hotels.
Obviously, and through diving in particular, I have found out that the world is not all turn-down service. And I found out that I can actually live with this stunning revelation.
So, if I can do it, so can you.
Why would an easily-scared girl with not-very-high self-confidence take up diving?
I worry easily. Before the course, these thoughts were running inside my head:
- the instructor will think I'm stupid
- I'll hold my buddy back
- I'll make a fool of myself
- the instructor will get irritated with me
- the other students won't like me
- I'll make stupid mistakes
- I look fat
- I'll fail
But my husband (sweetheart that he is) had faith in me, so he and I got our open water certification.
After going through the course - and passing thank you very much - I felt a tremendous boost in self-esteem because I realised that I could do things I was so sure I couldn't. Take my advice - go diving. You will not regret it.
More about my initial diving apprehensions, advice and tips here.
Family home page - remember to click on the blue teddy bear at the bottom
My Brother (also a diver)
My family comprises my husband, my mum, my dad, an older brother, my in-laws, 3 nephews (including a pair of identical twins!), and two dogs. Bambi & Thumper (the two dogs) own my husband and me. Rawls (the cat) sadly passed away in June 2006. Our gentle family lab Ranger also passed away on 21 Feb 2006, at the age of 13 (or thereabouts). I love my dogs. If they could dive, my life would be complete.
Quite a few people have asked me why I don't have a blog. The reason is because I'm actually quite old-fashioned - I keep a real diary (with pages) and I write in it, you know, with a pen. I'd rather showcase the blogs, websites and photo galleries of some of my friends and people I've met on diving trips. Here are some of my favourite ones:
Keeva's underwater videos from Bali:
Kelly and Jeremy's Diving Blog - Read the May and March 2005 archives
Friends can also look me up on Facebook if you want to see the frivolous things I get up to.
Me and my favourite buddy of all time - my husband (photo by Phua Boon Wah, Aur 2005)
Raymond (dive instructor from Living Seas) going through the SMB procedures with me during my Advanced Open Water Course
Totally Irrelevant Note: say, is that the beginning of a double chin on me?
My Trims Through the Ages
My first time diving with my new equipment in May 2005 (I was also doing my Advanced Open Water). Trim all salah.
After 50 dives - much better (ahem ahem)
After 70 dives. Raymond, you like? Not bad lah hor, for someone not DIRF-certified?
More recent shots
