Since 1958 Singapore American • June/July 2015
AM ERICAN AS S O CIATION O F S INGAP O RE June/July 2015
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Nepal: A personal story from inside the crisis.
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MCI (P) 185/03/2015
SCUBA in the Summertime By Laura Schwartz
I
f you’re looking to try something new this summer, why not learn how to scuba dive? Singapore is surrounded by some of the world’s top dive sites, so it would be a shame not to give diving a try during your time here. Like driving a car, learning to dive can seem overwhelming at first. There are new terms and rules to memorize. You’ll probably ask, “What does that button do?” at least once. And you have to pass both a written test and practical
demonstration of your skills to earn your license. But just as you developed muscle memory for changing gears and checking your mirrors, it won’t be long before clearing your mask and checking your oxygen level become automatic. If the thought of paying for all that equipment turns you off, don’t worry. Dive resorts are usually stocked with everything from fins to wetsuits to regulators. There are only two pieces of gear I would recommend you invest in
as a beginner: a carefully chosen mask that fits you well and doesn’t fog and water boots in your size (occasionally rented fins can cut into your heels and sometimes you enter the water over a rocky beach). There are a number of acronyms you’ll learn during your diving course, but the first one you should know is PADI, which stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Founded in the 1960s, PADI isn’t
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the only diver training organization in the world, but it is the largest and the most well-known in Southeast Asia. Other training organizations such as National Academy of Scuba Educators (NASE) and National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) can also be found in Singapore. There are dozens of PADI-certified dive shops throughout the island, but Eko Divers in Outram Park came recommended by Continued on page 21 a friend...