Scuba Diving | Expedition Fleet Blog

ScubaWorld Clean-Up Dive Event Pictures

The Scubaworld clean-up dive was full of fun! We had free dives, free boat rides and of course, free-flowing beer! Thank you to all the sponsors and to all those who participated! Thank you, Jun Reynales for the photos as well! It was a great, fun weekend! Here are some of the pictures of the event:

This event won't be possible without the organizer. Thank you so much!

The drop-dead gorgeous miss Karin Timmel!

Karin: "All eyes on me"

Checking my BCD - BWRAF

The ScubaWorld clean-up scuba divers!

Ready to dive! W/Richmond

Diving in a short while...

Ready to rock 'n roll!

Water visibility was much better this time

Rudi dives for it

Collecting our Trash

Me and my buddy lookin' for more trash

Karin's Junk

She got the heaviest trashbag

Rudi and Mark looking for trash

That's some heavy junk (take note of the big can on Mark's net)

Yeah, you can keep that

Counting our Trash

Of course the winner of weirdest trash found were the ones who got the Christmas lights. Wonder if they still work?

Mark's winning trash

Afterwards, we went for fun dives! Me, Karin and Divemaster Rommel on a boat ride to Ligpo island

Found a big Pawikan turtle!

Beautiful Nudibranch

Clownfishes on one of the most beautiful Anemone I've ever seen

There were lots and lots of fish!

Me and Karin on the boat ride for a fun dive

Had a wonderful, wonderful dive!

Debriefing and Raffle!

The ExpeditionFleet Blog team Pose

Karin and the Girls from Singapore!

To all those who joined us: Had a great time with you guys! ‘Til next time! Look forward to diving with you guys again!

You can look at all the rest of the pictures here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=502156&id=754625225

ScubaWorld Anilao Cleanup Day

By Sean

ScubaWorld is celebrating it’s international cleanup day in Outrigger resort in Anilao Batangas. It’s a 3,500 all-inclusive promo that’s going to bring you a fun 2-days of scuba diving and celebration with the ScubaWorld team and the bloggers of Expeditionfleet!

Deadline for bookings is September 10 so you better hurry and secure a slot for yourself and your group now! Further details can be found below:
International Cleanup Day

Cleanup day details

Outrigger Resort: Scuba diving in Batangas

By Sean

Went out scuba diving in Batangas again with Richmond, Karin and her other students. Had a great time out in the deep – just gracing through the reefs and watching the fishes and other marine life move and mind their own business.

Got the chance to see a blue octopus during our night dive too! Glad it wasn’t a Blue Ring Octopus though else I would have panicked.

The pictures weren’t too good though because of the water visibility. The swells of the waves were bigger than usual and so sand and other particles were all over the water. I’m sorry to say that I couldn’t show you guys some good underwater pictures today. Sad.

Sean Driving

Drove to Outrigger early morning. And yes, that’s a map on my lap. I’m forgetful when it comes to roads.

My New Wetsuit

First time to use my new Wetsuit! I bought it for a really good price too!

Excited to scuba dive

I know I don’t look it – but inside I’m boiling with excitement!

The drop dead gorgeous miss Karin Timmel

The drop-dead-gorgeous miss Karin Timmel – she was about to gear up too!

First Dive of the day

Weight belts, Check! Diving mask, Check! Snorkel, Check! Now let’s put on the BCD’s…

Read to scuba Dive

All geared up and ready to go deep!

Scuba Diver

So in we went and I immediately headed to the coral reefs to see some marine life

Lots of marine life

Sometimes I wonder if I should buy a full face scuba diving mask to get a full face smile on my pictures

After scuba diving

So our first dive ended – albeit too soon! But we had to go and wait for the surface interval to expire before going to our next one…

Hungry after scuba Diving

A BIG dinner after our first day diving. I was hungry as a bear!

Karin and her cake

And of course, Karin was having fun with her Cake. So much so that she had icing on her nose. Haha! Peace Karin!

Me and Karin

Of course, we MUST have a picture together as the bloggers of Expeditionfleet

Scuba Diving Group

Our group had fun the whole day! We had Susan and Pam with us too! They’re from Germany and the US.

Scuba Diving Day two

Day two! And the excitement keeps on building up! My finger nail was painted red by Karin. Color changes when you’re down deep

Scuba Diving groupies

Me, Karin and the group. We were just about to descend

I look so chinese

Water visibility was so bad for photos. Even so, my Chinese-ness cannot be hidden in this photo

Karin and the group

After the dive, group pic! Of course, the ever beautiful Karin is always the center-stage.

A fist pump

So we finished the dives and rode the boat-ride back to Outrigger Resort. Looked forward to a great, big lunch!

It was another great scuba diving experience for me. The dive sites near outrigger can be really astonishing. The marine life is rich and the hospitality of the resort is really homey. I’ll surely be back before I go scuba diving in Tubbataha and Palau. And yes, if you still don’t know – our Palau promo still holds. And the contest is still on-going too! I definitely invite you guys to join us! See you in our next liveaboard trip!

How Not to Get Lost when Scuba Diving

By Sean

Ever played hide and seek when you were younger? I think every kid goes through hide and seek, don’t you? Remember the feeling when you find your playmates for the first time, earning the title of game-winner? How about the times when you spent hours and hours of labor trying to find them but you never really did?

Nothing beats a celphone when trying to get found

Well, in the vast, blue ocean, hide and seek can be a dangerously horrifying game if you don’t know your way. So here are some tips for you on how not to get yourself lost while scuba diving.

Make a sound

As scuba divers we have to be prepared with the things that we might actually use if ever we get lost in the sea. Being an aware diver means bringing along anti-lost materials such as plastic whistles, safety sausages, snorkels and a light.

A plastic whistle is a big help for you because sound carries a real long way on water, especially at night. If you don’t have a whistle, you may use air powered horns that are also attached to the low pressure inflator mechanism.

The safety sausage – wonder why they didn’t make it a doughnut

The use of a safety sausage is also an option to consider. These sausages are mostly orange and can be easily spotted by the searchers since this colour is associated with danger and these can also be made to wave, which further increases the visibility. It cannot be clearly seen at night though so you’d want to place an LED pocket light inside the sausage for it to stand out as a beacon.

Light it up

Speaking about LEDs, the pocket light may also be helpful in allowing you to signal at boats, planes, and helicopters and perform the classic SOS (Save our Souls) – 3 long, 3 short, and another 3 long.

If you don’t have these three things with you, you can use other signalling devices such as a mirror or dive light may help you in asking help from the rescuers. And when you think these things ain’t enough for you – put your celphone in a waterproof container to make sure you get some rescuing when lost.

Just kidding with the last one. But it might just work – though I don’t think you’d risk your iPhone in a 30 meters deep dive. Haha! Make sure you bring these devices when we dive this season in Palau – just in case you get lost.

The Right Time to Buy your own Scuba Equipment

By Sean

Gentle little ripples of water tickle your feet by the shore and you’ve just finished another dive. The experience was wonderful, but deep down inside, you know you didn’t want that to end. You glance by your shoulder and catch a glimpse of the rented scuba gear you just used during your dive. You ask yourself, “When’s the right time to actually buy my own set of scuba diving equipment?”

maybe your own set of these?

That “Someday” will come

Learn from nature, and you’ll see that all things do not remain the same forever. The corals will someday die, and they will eventually be part of the sand of the beach you tread on. They can’t be something that exists to be admired forever. The time will come when they will be part of something to set your foot on. The same thing is with your using of scuba gear. You can’t just rent them forever, can you?

But really, the question of “when” lies in a number of factors. Are you committed to this passion? Can you afford it? Let’s say you already own one; are you able to maintain it? Will you make the most use of it? Well, there are even more to answer, but only you know them for yourself.

If you’re just a person who’s fascinated with the sport and only dives from time to time as a recreational diver, then I suggest don’t buy your own gear just yet. It’s more appropriate that you just rent whenever you have the urge to explore the wonders of ocean.

You’ll just put it in a corner somewhere in your garage, and perhaps take it out once or twice a year. Waste of good equipment. Waste of good money. But if you’re quite experienced, and you dive regularly, what’s stopping you? If you treat scuba diving not only as a hobby, but as a passion, you should seriously consider purchasing scuba equipment.

Advantages of owning your own set

Care to share my regulator?

Owning your own set of scuba gear has great advantages!

1) You don’t have to worry if the last guy who used the regulator ever brush his teeth.

2) You don’t have to worry about that something that tastes funky in your regulator – and no I don’t know what the heck it is either.

And best of all…

3) No more rental fees! Sounds fun to you? Sounds fun to me!

Can I afford it? To most of us, this is the most important question. A whole new quality scuba diving gear set can cost roughly around $2,000. Of course your bottle and air supply is separate.

Let me put it this way: Which is more of a factor to you, the $2000 OR the mysterious funky taste and smell of your rental regulator? You didn’t know where the last guy who used it came from. Now does the $2000 suddenly sound cheaper? Thought so. Besides, if it’s your passion anyway, money’s ALMOST not a factor.

So if you’re a regular scuba diver get out there and get your own! Scubaworld is one of the cheapest places to buy the best quality scuba diving equipment by the way – just so you know.

If you’re joining us for the Palau Trip this october – december season then I strongly urge you to bring your own equipment if you already have one. Or think of buying your own. If you’re not joining us for the Palau trip, maybe you’d want to consider joining our online contest for a FREE Palau liveaboard scuba diving trip. It’s easy and fun – and you get to be featured in this blog too!

Who said scuba diving was safe?

By Sean

Yep. You don't wanna be this guy

Every year we gather the statistics of deaths from different activities all over the world. People die every year – that’s the reality of it. In fact I have a news flash for you: You’re gonna die someday. And so am I!

So going over the numbers, I realized that scuba diving isn’t a safe sport at all. I’ve gathered a list of deaths per activities each year and noticed that highway accidents make up for more than 94% of all transportation accidents each year which is roughly about 41,000 deaths. Just like how Usher puts it “Oh my Gosh!”

That’s a whole lot of accidents for cars. Now let’s go on to a more biological killer – the flu. No one is exempt from the flu, right? Right. And that’s why we have 20,000 body counts from the flu each year. Yeah – cough and cold can be a mass murderer. Believe it.

How about murder? Murder accounts for roughly 15,000 deaths a year. That’s quite a handful. Wouldn’t want to be a victim of that.

And scuba diving? Well the fatality is roughly 150 deaths a year.

Dangerous sport? Hell yeah.

It doesn’t account for so many deaths a year. But that’s not the point. The fact that there are scuba diving deaths still says something about the danger of the sport.

That’s why there’s PADI certification and dive instructors to tell you how not to die in scuba diving.

Be a wise diver. Know your stuff. Death is not something to take lightly even when we’re all gonna go through it. Take your time living while you can.

Why Scuba Diving is the Best Sport

By Sean

As I glance at the past, and browse through my previous posts, I noticed that scuba diving has a lot of risks and dangers. I have written about the wide range of sicknesses, diseases, and injuries which a scuba diver can attain. These mishaps, mistakes, and accidents can cause pain, retirement, disabilities, and sometimes death.

At times I experience great discomfort when thinking about these things. Am I scaring myself away from scuba diving as I write about these posts? Have I unconsciously developed a fearful attitude towards this beloved sport? Maybe there are other sports out there that I could try- sports that are probably a lot safer, sports that are more enjoyable, and sports that could take my mind off the dangers of scuba diving.

Maybe, I could use a little cycling every now and then…

Cycling Fail

And if I can’t afford a bike, I could just use my feet and try running…

Running Fail

Or I could give good ‘ol basketball a shot and perhaps even score with the ladies…

Basketball Fail

And when I’m tired, I could stay at home and play Frisbee with my gentle pet…

Frisbee Fail

Or maybe, I could aim for something more athletic like soccer…

Soccer Fail

And when I improve, I could even become famous like David Beckham…

David Beckham Fail

You’ll never know. I might even be good enough to participate in the Olympics…

Olympics Fail

Or maybe, I could start small by leaving out the “scuba” in “scuba diving”…

Diving Fail

Maybe I could try all these sports out so my mind could take a breather from all those potential hazards of scuba diving… but no. I take a deeper look at my previous posts, and eventually, I am reminded of the reason why I write about all these scary stuff. I write because I love scuba diving so much that I wouldn’t ever want to see anyone have a bad and painful time with it.

In sickness or in health, in pain or in pleasure, in accidents or in awesomeness, in embarrassment or in excitement, I am happy as I am. I am proud to be me. I am proud to be a scuba diver.

BONUS CLIP!

3 Health benefits of scuba diving

By Sean

No scuba diving can't do this to you. But it still has its benefits

No scuba diving can't make you this big. But it still has its benefits

There are reasons why Scuba diving is considered a sport in our world today. And like all sports, scuba diving brings with it some health benefits for your body and physical condition.

Water is heavier

Obviously. It is heavier than air. And up in the surface we move and breathe and walk and talk in air. It’s normal for our bodies to be in the surface surrounded in air. But when you’re scuba diving, you’re obviously in water. And water means more resistance against your movements.

Water can build up muscles that are sleeping when your body feels the resistance. Scuba diving gives you a lot of time where your body is all in water – all the while you’re enjoying your time ‘exercising’ while watching marine life all around you and exploring the underwater environment.

If you’re a swimmer, you know that swimming builds up muscles in your shoulders and thighs as you go for laps. Scuba diving isn’t as intense as competitive swimming but it also includes repeated physical movements in the resistant body of water.

Iron lungs

No don’t take it literally. But your lungs would be pushed and pushed to be more skilled in breathing. Scuba diving has LOTS to do with breathing – because it gives you buoyancy control. And buoyancy is vital when you’re navigating your way in the bottom of the sea.

You won’t really feel a million bucks when you get out from the water after a good scuba dive. You won’t feel your lungs becoming healthier, no. But it sure will give you better lungs and better breathing.

Stress buster

Oh yes, this is the perfect health benefit for all of us. Who in the world today is not stressed out? I know I am. And I’m pretty sure you are too! This benefit alone is more than enough to have you go scuba diving for health.

Studies have shown that looking at fishes in an aquarium helps you relax and relieve stress. Imagine being in one big, humongous aquarium we apparently call the sea and swim with all the marine life you can possible imagine. Your stress will surely be busted. Yeah.

And since now you know that scuba diving is such a great benefit to your health why not dive with us in our next liveaboard scuba diving trip to Palau? There’s a $400 discount promo going on from October 2 all the way to November 20! We’ll be more than happy to see you there!

“Peanut Butter and Jelly… fish?” The ‘harmless’ kinds of Jellyfish

By Sean

Moon Jellyfish

We’ve always thought of jellyfish as very calm, light, soft, and friendly sea creatures with their beautiful features perfect enough to be an addition to the serene ambience of the home. That you’d just want to catch one the way Spongebob would do in Jellyfish Fields with his trusty old net, and not receiving any retaliation from the jellyfish.

Sadly, most jellyfish aren’t as angelic as those in Spongebob.

You might be thinking “Well not all jellyfish sting.”

Here’s a newsflash for you: THEY ALL DO. But you’re not completely wrong since not all jellyfish are aggressive.

And for this entry, we’d like you to know the types of jellyfish that are somehow friendly.

Translucent Moon Jellies – These are the harmless and the quite common jellyfish that we see. They do not actively sting you, but the threadlike tentacles around their body can sting. Although it’s not sharp enough to pierce our thick skin.

Purple Jellyfish – These jellies that can grow up to 40 cm only has a few tentacles that can sting albeit slightly. So don’t be afraid when you see them.

Purple Jellyfish

The Mushroom Cap Jellyfish – These jellyfish has deep bell-shaped bodies that do not have tentacles. They’re creamy white in color and they get darker towards the sturdy “tentacle” structure at the bottom. The good news is that they are not hazardous to people.

It’s inevitable that jellyfish do sting. Cause, that’s just who they are. So always be careful when you encounter one, expect that there’s always a possibility for you to get stung.

As a scuba diver, you’ll never know when you get to meet one – being surrounded by lots and lots of different marine creatures. Like I always say, better safe than sorry.

For our next entry, we’re going to cover the lethal, killer-types of jellyfish. Now those are the ones you better look out for.

“Let go of me!” What to do when you’re entangled down deep

By Sean

When you're down deep, accidents can happen

People say that no matter how careful you are with your actions, there will still be moments where you have to face danger. This is Especially true, when, as a scuba diver when you’re deep down under the sea.

One of the common dangers that scuba divers like you and I should be aware of is getting entangled or entrapped. What do we do in order to avoid these situations? How should we deal with it?

When you come to grips with the sea and it won’t let go

The first tip is that you should never dive a wreck or other overhead environment without the proper training and equipment. Common sense, right? Right. But some still do. Just like the soldiers who should not to go into battle without thorough training and suitable equipment, you shouldn’t dive without proper gear and training.

Second, you must approach those wrecks, cavern, fast-moving water, and other entanglement or entrapment hazards with extreme caution. Be wary of your immediate surroundings. Keep alert of anything that might entangle you or otherwise harm you.

Accidents happen

Now, even if you have kept those tips in mind, there may still be times that you will, for some stupendous reason, still get yourself entangled. Just in case, here’s what you do if ever you do get entangled:

The very first thing that you should keep in mind is that you have to stay calm and conserve your air. Be mindful of your breaths and try to make sure that you’re breathing out in minimum because you’d want your air supply to last.

During these kinds of situations, you should use all the possible means to draw any co-diver’s attention to your situation. You may bang on your cylinder with a metallic device like a knife or any metallic object you have with you to draw attention. You should also use an underwater horn or rattle if ever you do have one with you.

Thirdly, you should also consider use a safety sausage or SMB to signal for help.

Your last option would be, if your air supply is already depleted, and you cannot disentangle your equipment, consider ditching your gear and making an emergency ascent to the surface. Do that ONLY when all other option seems bleak.

As mentioned earlier, there just those darned times when accidents happen. So it’s essentially important for you to always be careful of when you’re deep down under the sea. I’m sure that this would be taught by your diving instructor – if not already. And always keep in mind that you should first think of your safety before exploring the beauty of the sea.

ScubaWorld Clean-Up Dive Event Pictures

ScubaWorld Anilao Cleanup Day

Outrigger Resort: Scuba diving in Batangas

How Not to Get Lost when Scuba Diving

The Right Time to Buy your own Scuba Equipment

Who said scuba diving was safe?

Why Scuba Diving is the Best Sport

3 Health benefits of scuba diving

“Peanut Butter and Jelly… fish?” The ‘harmless’ kinds of Jellyfish

“Let go of me!” What to do when you’re entangled down deep

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