Author Topic: Scuba diving off the beaten track (Read 313 times)

brynorm · « **on:** February 03, 2012, 04:31:48 PM »

Hello guys and girls. Yes, I'm new

We've been scuba diving for a while now, mostly in Malaysia. Mostly, in fact, around Tioman and Dayang. I'm wondering if perhaps Pulau Tengah, the one off Mersing, is any good to scuba dive? Anyone been there? I was there last year with a group of snorkelers and the vis was awesome. Some coral patches too. But we'rewondering what the diving is like.

This year, we'd like to go off the beaten track a bit more. Has anyone got any tales to tell about scuba diving near Seri Buat, Permanggil, Harimau? We'd love to explore those areas, especially Seri Buat and Simbilan. They looks fantastic from above.

Curiously,

Bry

Narco · « **Reply #1 on:** February 03, 2012, 04:41:26 PM »

Quote from: brynorm on February 03, 2012, 04:31:48 PM

Hello guys and girls. Yes, I'm new

We've been scuba diving for a while now, mostly in Malaysia. Mostly, in fact, around Tioman and Dayang. I'm wondering if perhaps Pulau Tengah, the one off Mersing, is any good to scuba dive? Anyone been there? I was there last year with a group of snorkelers and the vis was awesome. Some coral patches too. But we'rewondering what the diving is like.

This year, we'd like to go off the beaten track a bit more. Has anyone got any tales to tell about scuba diving near Seri Buat, Permanggil, Harimau? We'd love to explore those areas, especially Seri Buat and Simbilan. They looks fantastic from above.

Curiously,

Bry

Awesome idea to go off the beaten track.. i wonder about lake diving and cave diving in Malaysia. Who knows Malaysia got this cenote.. hehe

run · « **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2012, 05:07:22 PM »

brynorm hi u can try LOB cause they can venture to these places easily.
If i am not mistaken these places are anglers spot so you can expect big fish around the area.
The sites must be a little bit adventure for novice divers and that maybe the reason its not so popular
among most of the divers.

Narco lake diving with ikan toman is more dangerous than diving with sharks. Cave diving wise can do it at sipadan at the turtle chambers. My advise if you want to try technical stuff, best to go to Thailand cause they got
great landscape especially for cave diving. As for white water cave diving i am not sure we have any caves with water that is deep and clear enough like the one in mexico. No one ever post anything like that except waterfall dive in Johor and from the posting i can only see dead branches and leaves

viz up to 1m.

brynorm · « **Reply #3 on:** February 03, 2012, 05:07:51 PM »

Dude, cave diving has me hyper-ventilating at the thought alone. That is not for the faint-hearted. Being stuck in a confined space under water. I reckon I'll pass eh.

But, yeah, I'll take Seri Buat any day. Mind you, I've heard some scary stories about this place too...

brynorm · « **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2012, 05:12:32 PM »

Cheers Run, we're set to give it a go as soon as the seas settle a little. Don't know if there's a ferry that goes there, but perhaps we can take a boat from Tanjung Resang and hop across to Seri Buat.

Have you been there, Run?

Narco · « **Reply #5 on:** February 03, 2012, 05:19:49 PM »

Haha.. Run, I remember that waterfall dive posting. I think it was urchin and family.. haha.. kindda cool though.

Yeah, LOB is the best choice if were to do so. There are several unexplored wreck in Penang as well. I heard of plans etc but none so far materialized.

run · « **Reply #6 on:** February 03, 2012, 05:32:54 PM »

hahah brynorm i even heard scary stories over at aur especially around pulau pinang and divers still flocks at the area.
Nope never been to Seri Buat, pemanggil. Only pass by. Though i heard the stories from some seniors who had
dived there before.
What they did was chartered a speed boat filled with tanks for the whole day dive.
they contacted with the owner of the ferry of bluewater who reside at aur and chartered a speedboat from
aur to the dive sites. The tanks all from aur dive centre. i think any dive center can do the trip, only thing whether
the divers are up to the challenge or not cause diving to these not-so-normal places do have a little bit of adventures ahead and the dive operators of course do not fancy any unforeseen problems in any of their trip.

brynorm · « **Reply #7 on:** February 03, 2012, 06:17:37 PM »

Yes, good point, Run, it's good to keep an eye on safety, especially near Seri Buat. It seems there's quite a few weird things going on there. Apparently, there's quite a few wrecks there from previous centuries. The diving should be awesome.

But, actually, that's exactly what we were planning to be doing, i.e. charter a ferry and stuff it chockablock full of tanks. And away we go. It'll probably take a whole weekend to explore the area. Can't wait!

If anyone's keen to join, be our guest.

zaff1984 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2012, 07:37:01 PM »

Interesting thread.. i enjoy reading post from senior divers. Curious about the "weird things"...

brynorm · « **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2012, 10:05:57 PM »

Hope you can tahan Zaff, coz the stories can get under your skin, like they did with me. We were told very strange stories personally by 2 different people who told us in all sincerity.

Then one day we were at the beach on a clear day, we could see Seri Buat. We saw something near the island, just offshore of it, but we couldn't see it clearly. We took a bino and still it didn't look like anything familiar. It was big and didn't move, even though it had a long projection sticking upwards and it was a bumpy sea. We concluded it was a big beacon, grounded to the seabed. But the next day it was all gone.

Anyway, too many strange things to just be coincidence I believe. Maybe one day I can tell you the details of the stories we were told. Join us eh?

run · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2012, 07:14:40 AM »

brynorm in that case go for LOB. U have the compressor on board the boat, a place to sleep and a place to eat on the same boat. U can charter kaleebso or mv black pearl.

brynorm · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2012, 09:23:49 AM »

Sounds like a plan, Run. But I saw a cruising vessel off Tanjung Resang last year. I think that one's for hire also. Didn't see it there yet this year, bit I think that's because it's placed in harbor due to the monsoon.

Keep you posted on that weekend.

Scuba diving off the beaten track