FUN-Damentals | Learn to Dive & Freedive

Cultivate Curiosity
Written By Junxiu Lu

Southeast Asia is the most bio-diverse region on the world.  We are lucky to have the Coral Triangle, an area that spans Indonesia and Southern Philippines;  the western corner of the Pacific Ocean.  I have been a dive dive instructor since 2009 and have gone around the world in pursuit of meeting ocean creatures big and small and I will tell you with conviction that all of my favourite dive sites are all in Indonesia. 

To find the best dive destinations: “The more flights it takes to get there, the better”.

And this is my advice to anyone who wants to learn how to dive:

First of all, I categorise divers into the following:

  1. Dive Curious - These are the people who are a little bit nervous about diving but still want to try it once, but most likely never dive again…and that’s okay.

  2. Cocktail Divers - These are the people who will maybe do a dive or two here and there, as you would drink a cocktail, if they happen to be in a nice place that also offers diving

  3. Dive enthusiasts - These are the people who love diving, have a must-see species list, or a must-dive destinations list

If you are dive curious or a cocktail diver, there are so many destinations where you can travel to where scuba diving is one of the many highlights. You can relax or do your land activities and if you have an extra day or two, you head out for a dive. There are also a lot of resorts that offer a free Discover Scuba Dive for anyone who has not ever tried it. Often it is in the pool, with the option to go out for an ocean dive if you actually like it. Resorts in Phuket, Koh Lanta, Phi Phi Island, and Bali will have these on offer. For those who are looking for a bit of land adventure with an opportunity to dive, these are the destinations that I would recommend:

  1. Komodo National Park

  2. Bali (Amed and Tulamben)

  3. Lembeh Strait

If you are a dive enthusiast, Southeast Asia is going to be heaven on earth for you.  We have the Coral Triangle here where there is more biodiversity in marine fauna and flora than the Amazon. 

Please bear in mind there are a lot of things to consider before picking your dive destination.

Here are things the top 3 things to consider when you are choosing a dive operator and destination:

  • Safety 

    • Bad air happens more often than you think because air compressors and tanks are not maintained properly

    • Inexperience of dive operators can also lead to accidents: diver vs tank and diver vs propeller happens more often than you think

  • Overtourism 

    • There are certain places where a dive site can have 100s of boats in a day and it is disruptive to the underwater life and also really scary to deal with as a diver

    • Too many people also means toxic chemicals from suncream and from commercial shampoo, soaps and residues

  • Sustainability 

    • Operators have reusable containers for pack lunches

    • Operators incorporate low-waste practices

    • Operators do not allow for any waste, especially food waste, to be tossed overboard

The best way to navigate around all of these problems is unfortunately to avoid the “best dive destinations” and to avoid the crowds. There is always a better destination to dive if you commit to your holiday. Chickenfeet Travels is completely invested in our guest experience when it comes to any of our adventures, however with my background as a dive instructor and as a marine biologist, we really want to make sure that the animals and the environment never suffer at the cost of our travellers. This is a big reason why out of the hundreds of dive destinations and thousands of dive centres and liveaboards, we have shortlisted less than a dozen to work with. We only partner with dive resorts and operators who actually place an importance on the environment and the people they work with and live amongst.

Based on my personal experience certifying new divers all around the world these are the main things you want to consider and prioritise:

  1. Do the theory online before arrival.

  2. OW takes 3 days and AOW takes 2 days, but allow for an additional day so you do not feel rushed

  3. Choose a dive centre far from the tourists to get a more personalised and private learning experience

  4. If possible, choose somewhere with warmer waters, it is always nice to have wetsuits as an option rather than a must

  5. Choose an epic place to learn how to dive to get bamboozled by the underwater wildlife

Junxiu Lu
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