End of 2009, Random photos & mumble jumble

One year on, after we finally registered Rumblefish Adventure with PADI, we surpassed our goal in bringing more focuses to our unique diving markets. With the end of the year, it was my first year without spending much time in the Similans (just 3 short days), teaching less beginner courses, and increased my time in diving and training younger divers (under 12 & over 50 :-).

With December came to a close, we were grateful to host Khatty's first organized dive group. Nine new divers and a few more certified advance, it was a great fun weekend of diving, cruising, and BBQ.

And of course to our friends at Gillmanoids KL, they were our inspiration for making the most fun out of dive planning, eating, and laughing. Can't wait to see where we go next!!!

Gillmanoids Invasion on Halloween

Friday, 30th
Dive 103: Lucy's Reef, Raya Yai
Max Depth: 22.8m ; Bottom time: 52 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 20-30m

Dive 104: Bay 2, Raya Yai
Max Depth: 23.4m ; Bottom time: 53 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 20-30m

Saturday, Halloween's Day
Dive 105: Koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 20.7m ; Bottom time: 40 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 106: Shark Point
Max Depth: 17.6m ; Bottom time: 38 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 107: Anemone Reef
Max Depth: 15.2m ; Bottom time: 58 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Comment:
the gang from KL came to dive :-) Sophi, Mogan, Sabrya, Remar, Ian, Maggie, Marc. Ivy, Andrew, Alicia & Ashima invaded Phuket dive sites. somuch fun and really good dive conditions for the 2 days... Photos of the dive trips are posted on our Picassa website. Click here to view.

19 - 20 January: Phi Phi Overnight Trip

Monday, 19th January
Dive 004: Shark Point
Max Depth: 18.5m ; Bottom time: 52 min
Water Temp: 27c; Visibility: 3-5m

Dive 005: Koh bida Nok
Max Depth: 19.5m ; Bottom time: 57 min
Water Temp: 27c; Visibility: 5-10m

Dive 006: Whale Shark Wall, Phi Phi Le
Max Depth: 17.3m ; Bottom time: 59 min
Water Temp: 27c; Visibility: 10-12m

Tuesday, 20th January
Dive 007: Koh bida Nai
Max Depth: 30.4m ; Bottom time: 47 min
Water Temp: 27c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 008: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 25.3m ; Bottom time: 50 min
Water Temp: 27c; Visibility: 5-10m

Comment: Two days of diving and working with Mogan on specialty training, it was a needed retreat for me. I was suffering from "scuba withdrawal" going on 2 weeks without any diving. Few photos are with my 2009 Random Photos Album at Facebook. Check out what's in the water now in Phuket & Phi Phi. Water temperature was quite colder than usual, averaging 27c for all of the dives.

28-29 December: RFA & Gillmanoids Dive Festival

Sunday, 28th December
Dive 142: Raya Noi (Marina Bay)
Max Depth: 17.3m ; Bottom time: 36 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 10m

Dive 143: Raya Yai (Bay 5)
Max Depth: 17.9m ; Bottom time: 38 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 10-15m

Monday, 29th December
Dive 144: Koh Bida Nok
Max Depth: 11.8m ; Bottom time: 40 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 145:Koh Bida Nai
Max Depth: 12.8m ; Bottom time: 38 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 15-20m

Dive 146:Koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 17.3m ; Bottom time: 43 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 5-10m

15th - 16th November: RFA Dive Fest with Gillmanoids

Saturday, 15th: Raya Yai Island
Dive 124: Bay 3 to Staghorn Reef
Max Depth: 21m ; Bottom time: 55 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 20+m

Dive 125: Lucy's Reef to Bay 4
Max Depth: 16.1m ; Bottom time: 57 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 20+m

Dive 126: Homerun Reef
Max Depth: 17.3m ; Bottom time: 45 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Sunday, 16th: Phi Phi Islands
Dive 127: Ko Doc Mai
Max Depth: 19.2m ; Bottom time: 44 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10m

Dive 128: Ko Bida Nai
Max Depth: 14.6m ; Bottom time: 44 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Dive 129: Lohsama Bay
Max Depth: 16.1m ; Bottom time: 57 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 10-15m

Comments: Kata was invaded by our friendly Gillmanoids from KL over the weekend. The gang came in to finish a couple of students for the OW course and also brought along a bunch of troublemakers :-) to keep the whole festival lively. Elia & Abhi completed their OW course under the direct supervision of Sabrya & Ian. They encountered green turtle, leopard shark, and for Abhi, manta on his 3rd diving day... not too bad for a newly certified diver. RFA was joined by my buddy Dave Garrett (SF) the timid Elin (Sweden) who were completing their courses also, my brother Trung (SF) & his fiance Amee (BK) whose came along for the ride to Phi Phi Islands.

The fun players from Gillmanoids: Sharman, Ashima, Nick, Remar, Andrew, Alicia, Mogan & the "aquaGirl" Sophi.

From Rumble Fish, the players were: Danny, Chris, Peter & Moi! More photos are found at my Facebook albums.

27th - 28th August: Alistair Jr Advance Course

Wednesday, 27th: Raya Yai Island
Dive 92: Staghorn Reef
Max Depth: 15.8m ; Bottom time: 42 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 15m+

Dive 93: Home Run, Bay 1
Max Depth: 13.7m ; Bottom time: 41 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 15m+

Thursday, 28th: King Cruiser - Shark Point Area
Dive 94: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 21.6m ; Bottom time: 23 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10m+

Dive 95: Shark Point *
Max Depth: 14.9m ; Bottom time: 38 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10m+

Dive 96: Koh Doc Mai
Max Depth: 17.3m ; Bottom time: 39 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10m

Comments: Alistair, a Gillmanoid's Sea Star original member dropped in for a couple days of diving. He hasn't dive since his 4th dive after his jr OW course, so there were lots to be done for his Jr Advance. Unlucky for Alistair, he got me as his instructor :-), so now he saw how Sophiya got tortured during her time diving with me in Phuket.
The weather was a lot wetter this month, with rain on and off during both of our diving days. The occasional wind stirred up the sea for a bit of bouncy boat ride. Alistair did very well, handling some of the more challenging conditions: current, thermocline, low viz etc. at the King Cruiser Wreck & Ko Doc Mai. He saw his first shark (2 leopards), and sorta overcame his fear of "BiG FiSh" though i'm not sure if he'll swim up close to anything larger than his arm :-) More photos of Alistair's trip is located at my Picassa Album.

14th - 16th August: Gillmanoids Invasion

Thursday, 14th: Phi Phi Islands
Dive 86: Shark Point *
Max Depth: 15.8m ; Bottom time: 37 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m+

Dive 87: Ko Bida Nai *
Max Depth: 14.3m ; Bottom time: 48 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 10m+

Friday, 15th: Raya Noi Island
Dive 88: Raya Noi Bay
Max Depth: 15.5m ; Bottom time: 49 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 40m

Dive 89: Banana Bay
Max Depth: 14m ; Bottom time: 49 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 40m

Saturday, 16th: Raya Yai Island
Dive 90: Andaman Eagle Wreck* & Bay 2
Max Depth: 24m ; Bottom time: 48 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m+

Dive 91: Staghorn Reef
Max Depth: 13.1m ; Bottom time: 48 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m+

Comment: Can't get any better for the monsoon season this year! We had a great 4 days of fantastic weather for diving. A leopard Shark swam at us minute after we descent at Pinnacle 1, got the kids excited immediately. Alex & Gary were doing their fish ID adventure dive, so one easily recognized. First day back in the water for Sophi, newly nick-named Twerp, she saw 2 leopard sharks & hung out with a Green turtle for a few minutes. Raya Noi on the second day was spectacular, I haven't seen 40m viz in a long time. It's a drift dive for the group, where we also saw the "Moiseys" doing their OWC skills in clear blue water. Alex & Gary got the opportunity to dive the Andaman Eagle Wreck on the third day, their first wreck dive. Good viz & nice current extended our dive easily, as we drifted lazily across Staghorn Reef for the group last dive of the trip. More photos of the trip is located at my Picassa Album.

Saturday, 9th: Shark Point Marine Sanctuary

Dive: 14
Dive Site: Ko Bida Nai, Phi Phi (*)
Max Depth: 22.5m
Bottom time: 48 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 20m+
Comments: Dive with Mogan to Fantasy Garden, saw a blue spotted stingray and leopard shark immediately after swimming out of the swim through. The garden was covered with school of yellow-lined snappers, common lionfishes hanging and hiding from the current behind giant gorgonian sea fans, and barely seen the school of resident pickhandled barracudas in the blue. Current went mad, where I can't tell if it was head north or south, we were trapped in between both, inside the bay, like a washing machine!

Dive: 15
Dive Site: Shark Point
Max Depth: 15.8m
Bottom time: 48 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-5m
Comments: Sophiya's 50th dive! And remember that white eyed moray eels rock in my previous logged dive? well, they are still alive and kicking. Back scatters, low viz, and loads of water movement made the dive quite challenging for my young jedi. Though she still logged one of her longest dive yet...

Dive: 16
Dive Site: Ko Doc Mai, West side
Max Depth: 11.5m
Bottom time: 28 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-5m
Comments: Surge, low viz, and just difficult condition for us to enjoy the dive, ended it early half way through for safety reason.

Friday, 8th: Phi Phi Islands

Dive: 11
Dive Site: Anemone Reef, Phuket (*)
Max Depth: 15.5m
Bottom time: 36 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 15-20m
Comments: Sophiya and I were first on the dive site, before PP Scuba dropped in. Sophiya saw her first shark, leopard, that was bigger than her. She got excited, but back scatters prevent her from taking a decent shot. The viz was quite good, and I bumped into Henry Gills, from PP Scuba, under water like I always tend to see him.

Dive: 12
Dive Site: Ko Bida Nok, Phi Phi (*)
Max Depth: 13.1m
Bottom time: 47 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 15-20m
Comments: At 12m for most of the dive, Sophiya and I saw the usual reef fish, common lionfish dominated the dive, with a few baby western clownfish so adorable & small, we can't even focus our camera on it. Another leopard shark and a green turtle made their appearance, but too deep for my young jedi to approach (around 18m deep).


Dive: 13
Dive Site: Ko Bida Nai, Phi Phi (*)
Max Depth: 13.4m
Bottom time: 49 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 15-20m
Comments: Sophiya used up her battery for her camera on the last dive, mine emptied out in the first minute into this dive. So, we settle in for just enjoying the wall off the east side of Bida Nai. Blue ring angel fish, another gorgeous nudibranch (magnificent slug), and a playful green turtle (1m long) that hung with us for a good 10 minutes. We watched him try to wedge himself in between a table coral, probably attempting to relieve an itch on its shell :-)

Thursday, 7th: Racha Yai Island

Dive: 9
Dive Site: Bungalow Bay, South (*)
Max Depth: 11.2m
Bottom time: 48 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 15-20m
Activities: digital Photography dive with Sophiya, my 10 years old Scuba Sea Star from Gillmanoids in KL, Malaysia.
comments: Sophiya came with her own digital camera, she saved up and bought it herself. We spent quite a bit of time in the shallow area, getting great time with a giant morray, a pair of nudibranches that I couldn't find a name for, and great wide angle shots due to good viz and no current.


Dive: 10
Dive Site: Bungalow Bay, North
Max Depth: 11.8m
Bottom time: 49 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-15m
comments: Sophiya gone banana for a coral crab :-) she hovered upside down for a good 2-3 minutes, trying to get the perfect shot of the elusive crustacean. I'm still not sure if she got the shot for it or not, but it was fun watching her doing something that not many dive instructors can do, even on their best days. See Mogan, her dad in the back ground, hovering to watch this priceless moment!
Alice & her husband, Paul came pass us during Alice's second open water dive for her course. She looked more comfortable now under water since her first dive with Somporn, our most experience Thai instructor. The feast after the trip at Rawai Beach, and the sunset view from the After Beach Bar were spectacular.