Hey fellow divers! I wanted to take a moment to address a common misconception that seems to prevail among some scuba enthusiasts. It's crucial to understand the true role and responsibilities of a divemaster, especially when it comes to our own safety and the enjoyment of the underwater world.

Myth: "I can ignore all responsibilities when diving under a divemaster's supervision."

Reality: As divers, we must remember that the presence of a divemaster doesn't absolve us of our individual responsibilities. They are there to guide and assist us, but our safety ultimately depends on our actions and awareness. Here's what we should keep in mind:

1. Equipment Check: Even under a divemaster's supervision, it's vital to ensure the gear we are using is functioning properly. Regularly inspecting our equipment and conducting pre-dive checks will help minimize risks and prevent potential accidents.

2. Buddy System: While divemasters are trained to handle emergencies, we should never disregard the importance of the buddy system. Sticking together and maintaining constant communication with our dive buddies is crucial for mutual support and safety.

3. Dive Planning: Participating actively in dive briefings and understanding the dive plan is essential. We should know the dive site, maximum depth, planned time underwater, emergency procedures, and potential hazards. Stay informed and ask questions if anything is unclear.

4. Personal Awareness: Maintaining situational awareness throughout the dive is paramount. Being mindful of our surroundings, monitoring air consumption, and regularly checking our depth and bottom time will help prevent unnecessary risks and ensure a smooth experience.

5. Respect for Marine Life: As divers, it's our responsibility to protect and preserve the underwater environment. Avoid touching or damaging corals, refrain from harassing marine creatures, and follow proper buoyancy techniques to minimize our impact.

6. Emergency Preparedness: While divemasters are trained in emergency procedures, it's important for divers to be prepared as well. Familiarize yourself with basic first aid and CPR techniques, and consider taking a rescue diver course to enhance your emergency response skills. Being prepared can help mitigate potential legal issues in case of an incident.

Remember, while divemasters are experienced professionals who provide guidance, it's up to us to maintain our individual responsibilities and ensure a safe diving experience. Let's be proactive, responsible divers who embrace the beauty of the ocean while upholding its conservation.

PADI Course Director Azman Sulaiman.
Anti Gravity Divers
Perhentian Island
Malaysia.

New for the 2018 season: Dive Like A Pro Clinic

We have decided that we now want ALL our new divers to be certified not just as PADI Open Water Divers, but GOOD PADI Open Water Divers. If this means spending more time with our students, then that's what we will do. Which is why we have now decided to add in an extra session called the 'Dive Like A Pro Clinic' into the course to make it a standard part of our course, instead of making you pay more for it.

What does this extra dive involve?
On top of the 4 open water dives that you will do as part of the course, this extra dive will entail working on good buoyancy, efficient fin kicking techniques, optimal weighting and how to move better underwater. We will also teach you how to minimize the use of your hands when diving (a bad technique). All of this is to help you build your confidence as a diver and to conserve energy, leading to better air consumption.

Will this really make me a better diver?
Basically, the more you dive, the better you are going to be as a diver. Our additional dive focuses more on the good habits and techniques you will need to make you a better diver. We cannot guarantee that you will be a great diver after our course (that takes practice), but you will definitely be a better diver than if you were to do a standard Open Water Course anywhere else.

Our latest addition to our dive center; introducing the Aqualung i300 dive computer. We recently purchased units of these recently released wrist computers for use on our PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water Courses as is required by PADI standards (required standard equipment is a dive computer or timing device, but we'd rather go all out).
The i300 has 4 modes (Air, Nitrox, Free and Gauge) and comes with the following features: User replaceable batteries, backlighting for night dives and low visibility, automatic detection of altitude and water type - fresh or sea water. We are very proud of our new purchase and hope it will complement our mission statement to train divers the right way.
We believe in the Aqualung brand all the way.

Question: The boat is at Tokong Laut with Fun Divers and Advanced Open Water Students. Discover Scuba Diving participants are at Romantic Beach. So what to do at the shop?

Answer: Continue with the new Artwork of course :)

Opening Anti Gravity Divers on Perhentian Islands in Malaysia is a dream come true for our founder Anand as it is close to his hometown of Kota Bharu which is only an hour away. Anand has been coming to Perhentian since the age of 3, first on family camping trips when there were no chalets in existence and later in life on visits during school holidays with friends. This is also where he first took up scuba diving in 2006 and became a PADI instructor.
Slowly everything is falling into place. We are now up and running and fully operational, diving every day and loving being back in Perhentian. The weather has been nice to us and we have the opportunity to fix all the little cosmetic things to make our new shop into our new home. Hammocks are up, coffee is freely flowing, guitars are arriving and atmosphere is awesome!
Come visit us and become part of our inaugural Perhentian season 2015 :)