Odysseys of George

Boy, 10, gains dive qualification BBC News

A Bristol schoolboy has passed his scuba diving examinations at the youngest age possible.

Patrick Delaney, 10, of St George, has gained his Padi qualifications allowing him to dive to a maximum depth of 12m in open water. Adults can dive to 18m.

Wow! Amazing! Then again many parents would not allow their kids to dive too early. Do we know the effects of diving on growing bones and body? Furthermore, even with many possible injuries occuring with adult divers, is it really safe for children that young to dive?

Then again, 12m is not that deep but it has to be strictly 12m. Nowadays, there are many things young children are able to learn and do.

So what have you to say?

Just to share before I put up the gory pictures of my busy clinical week. Enjoy these shots and comments are welcomed.

Enjoy

Hi bloggers!

10 days have past since my last entry. It felt like a roller coster ride but it ain’t over yet only to look like it is getting faster and goodness am I beat and dead tired. However, I must say I am enjoying life to the max!

Before I continue, I was awarded

by Eastcoastlife
Well, ECL I will get to this later!

Goodness, I have so much to say and barely know where to start. Over the previous weekend from the 12th to the 15th of July, I attended an Annual Underwater Photography Competition
and guess what?! — I got the first prize for Best Macro Shot. Surprised, I gladly accepted the award! This is what I got as the first prize.

This was the shot that got me the first prize.

These are some of my other shots. Will update with the other shots later.

Then on the clinical front, I have lots of pictures and stories to share with you bloggers but I suppose it would wise to do it on another day. But for a start a radiological quiz for those interested!

Any takers?

Well the last day of dive was beautiful, especially the first dive at Batu Cina Terjun, the name of the dive site. Guess what, just I was starting to take my first few shots, I see the red battery indicator flicking! Damn! Battery died! And goodness there were many beautiful shots to take, but ahhh………………… just had to see them pass!

So these are the shots of dive 2 and 3 on the second day. Hope I would do better during the photo shootout competition on the 12th July.

Enjoy.

This shark swam past me from behind then took a turn around the reef and headed back towards me. We were eye to eye for an instance and this handsome black tip reef shark dipped below me and swam away.

Stone fish

And lastly, a beautiful nudibranch, Chromodoris coi laying her eggs.

Related topics:
Redang Island – The Dive – Day 1.

Redang Island – The Journey

Hope the Coke has managed to sustain the thirst. I am new to Canon G7 and its Ikelite casing. The casing was bulky and the buttons were closely placed among itself. We managed to do 5 dives. The weather was cloudy with occasional rain and sun sometimes. The ocean was rough and the swells were strong and moderately high. There were 14 of us and if not mistaken 6 were photographers. Most of us were using these dives as a practice before the actual competition held at the same place from July 12th to 15th.

Day 1, Dive 1 & 2

This was the first time I was using the bulky Ikelite housing. Bulky but definitely sturdy! I was having a lot of problems from this new set that I took minimal pictures. In the process, I lost the flash diffuser to the ocean. Goodness, Yan who lend me his Ikelite housing would be furious.

Nudibranch

Another Nudibranch

Moray Eel – my favourite creature

Yet another nudibranch

But this made me happy, an inch long zebra shrimp on a whip coral.

Till the next post, a kiss from the yellow boxfish,

Next: Redang Island – The Dive – Day 2
Previous: Redang Island – The Journey

Thanks all, it was a safe journey but as my mom had dreamt, it was true! I returned leaving my heart in the deep oceans of Redang!

Many friends of mine were surprised that I was off to Redang Island again. Well, Redang Island happens to be one of the best dive sites in Malaysia and probably South East Asia. Furthermore, it is always different underwater even if the dive was just two weeks apart. That is another reason that makes diving interesting and fascinating as unlike land sites, underwater sites are dynamic, that is to mean, that the marine life is always at a constant change.

The journey involved a convoy of three cars. Jason and 2 of his friends, who were taking their Advance certificate drove the Wira. The other car were two couples Loon and wife, Vincent and wife. The third was myself carrying along the organiser, Aaron Tee and Tiger Shue. We left at midnight and drove up the Karak Highway leading upto Kuantan, then taking the Bukit Goh and Bukit Besi road all the way to Marang Jetty. We reached the jetty about 7am after stopping many times for of all reason to waste time!Tiger was furious at us wasting time, but what was there to do in Marang jetty at 5.30 am!

The other group.

Aaron in the front and Tiger at the back. That is his real name!

We met our Singapore friends at the Jetty and was transferred to the island resort almost immediately.

The island

The group

My Dive Buddy and I.

Tiger celebrated his 100th logged dive during the last dive of this trip.

So, while I upload the pics for the next post, drink a coke or two

and feed your senses as I leap off this boat in a giant stride

and take you for a dive

to see the spectacular world of the undersea
.

Come fly with the Nemos, as I uncover the power of my new Canon G7

Enjoy!

Related articles:
Redang Island – the Dive!