Malaysia is home to some of the world’s best diving spots. What’s even better is that divers of various skill levels can venture into the sea, thanks to the relatively calm waters here.
Beautiful tropical islands in Peninsular Malaysia such as Tioman, Lang Tengah, Redang, Tenggol and Perhentian call out to new divers with stretches of colourful corals. Some sites are even home to shipwrecks that make diving an even more exciting experience.
In Sabah and Sarawak, enthusiasts can go for deep dives of up to 40m, granted you have the right certification. Sipadan in Sabah has always been an all-time favourite thanks to its diverse marine life. Meanwhile, visitors to Sarawak should check out the Miri-Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park.
Divers would need to take note of the monsoon season, though. While the waters in Sabah and Sarawak are accessible all year long, the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia is only safe for water sports activities, including diving and swimming, between March and September.
Three divers with different diving certifications share their underwater experiences.
It has always been Foo Hooi Ting’s dream to discover the ocean better. When a group of friends invited her on a trip to Pulau Perhentian in Terengganu to obtain a diving licence, she jumped at the opportunity.
It was as though the ocean was calling out for the early childhood educator to take the dive.
The island escapade went well and Foo, 24, got her diving licence. And now that she has the necessary training and accreditation, Foo can’t wait to go on more underwater adventures.
For starters, she relishes the opportunity to experience firsthand the bright, vivid corals and vast variety of fish while diving.
“Also, the sensation of diving into the unknown and being excited for what might unfold in front of me is unlike any other feeling, because you’ll never truly know what to expect when you go down.
“Floating in a large body of water and not being able to see where the end is, is simultaneously extremely scary and exhilarating, ” she says excitedly.
By the end of the Perhentian trip, Foo had gained more than a handful of memorable experiences to look back on.
One of them was getting caught in a current on a dive together with her buddy. This proved to be quite challenging for the new diver.
“I felt helpless but it was all good in the end as we got out of the current, ” she says in a tone of accomplishment.
The combination of a thrilling rush and momentary fear was something that she will never forget even after she rode out that current.
“If you want to be a diver, you definitely need a sense of adventure, ” says Foo. As diving is an extreme activity, she advises people to not panic and to always remember what they learnt in their training.
“I think it’s also very important for people to have a diving instructor who is reassuring and makes you feel comfortable when underwater, ” she says.
According to Foo, her instructor, Muhammad Faiz Alias, has inspired her to continue her journey through his own love for the sport.
She looks forward to obtaining her advanced diving licence in the future. The next immediate goal for Foo is to explore a few shipwrecks of a Japanese fleet from World War II in the waters of Kuching in Sarawak.
For Yus Azade, upgrading her open water diver (OWD) licence to an advanced open water diver (AOWD) licence was worth every sen. She now gets to experience diving in a whole new setting: at night and through shipwrecks.
“Once you get the AOWD certification, you have the freedom to explore the wreckage of ships underwater and also do night-diving, ” Yus, 35, says.
She recently got back from a popular diving site in Pulau Perhentian called the Vietnamese Wreck or Pasir Tani Wreck.
“The first time I went on a scuba dive, I took the basic entry-level diver certificate, which allowed me to dive only if accompanied by a professional diver.
“By then, I knew that diving was the sport for me.
“I feel calm being under the vast blue sea, watching unusually beautiful sea creatures and coral.
“In 2011, I decided to take the OWD licence on a whim, and I’m really glad I did!” the 35-year old business owner shares.
Nine years on, Yus is as enthusiastic about the ocean as she first was.
She has since upgraded her licence and usually goes out to the waters two or three times a month. Unplanned trips have always been the way to go for this adventure- seeker, sometimes ranging from day-trips to 12-night stays.
“What I love the most is the serenity that comes with being in the deep sea. There is a whole other world to explore down there, ” she says.
Diving in low visibility is tough, which is why Yus stresses the importance of getting a licence.
All the studying, quizzes and open-water dives prepare divers both mentally and physically for what they may encounter, she says.
There are many agencies that offer training and certification for scuba-diving, but the largest one that certifies the majority of recreational divers is the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).
As diving is considered an extreme sport, Yus’ advice to budding divers is to be truly confident before registering for a course.
Watching YouTube videos helped her overcome her fear when she started diving.
A typical diving course would usually include payment for equipment, a diving suit, exam fees and a four-day, three-night stay on a nearby island or beach.
Syafidatul Azua Shafii loves a good challenge, and it’s exactly for this reason that she started free- diving about eight years ago.
“Freediving always challenges me to push my limits. It really feeds into my competitive side that wants to always go for more, ” she says.
It’s this kind of tenacity that makes the 35-year-old woman – better known as Azua – so good at the game. She holds many records for freediving in Malaysia and South-East Asia.
For the uninitiated, freediving is a form of underwater diving that relies on breath-holding – instead of scuba gear – until one resurfaces from the water.
Azua started freediving in 2012 after a friend introduced the extreme sport to her. The next year, Azua participated in her first competition.
“I learned more about myself when I started to freedive. Many people say freediving is a mental game, and I definitely agree with that.
“When we freedive, we depend on our body. This makes me take better care of myself, ” she explains, adding that she exercises daily and watches her diet, to maintain her underwater performance.
In its original form, freediving is more of a traditional fishing method.
Japan and South Korea are home to women who fish using this exact method – plunging into the ocean to forage for food without any breathing apparatus.
Today, it is an extreme sport that attracts adrenaline-seeking enthusiasts.
Azua says it’s important to always have company while free- diving.
“Practise freediving with a reliable buddy who knows how to rescue you in the event of an emergency, ” she says, adding that one should never freedive alone.
Azua, who started out as a scuba diver, says freediving makes the underwater experience more “mobile”.
“Freediving involves less gear. I just need to bring my mask, snorkel and fins. Then I just need to swim from the shore and free-dive, ” she says.
Since her first competition in 2013, Azua has represented Malaysia in world championships in Greece, Belgrade and France.
She is proud to carry the Malaysian flag whenever she competes abroad and is eager to promote diving spots in Malaysia to other international participants.
Azua says Malaysia is a great freediving destination and will appeal to many divers.
“We are surrounded by tropical waters and the temperature underwater is almost the same as on the surface. Apart from that, we have so many beautiful islands for snorkelling and freediving too, ” she says, adding that her personal favourite spot is Sipadan in Sabah.
“In Sipadan, you can see so much marine life in just one dive site. You can see turtles, sharks, barracudas, bumphead fish, jackfish and colourful corals. If you want to add more challenges, you can visit the cave entrance, ” she says.
Azua has many memorable experiences while freediving in Malaysian waters.
She recounts an encounter with whalesharks while in Pulau Dayang, Johor and freediving with dolphins in Pulau Payar, Kedah as some of her top highlights.
Azua also likes to dive in the crystal clear waters of tropical islands like Tioman, Redang and Perhentian.
“We are really lucky that we have tropical warm waters all year round, with the sun and colourful reef and thousands of marine life species.”
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