I have been scuba diving since 2002 to places like Pulau Redang, Perhentian and Tioman in Malaysia and Similin Islands in Thailand. Contrary to what people think, it is not a dangerous sport if discipline and safety awareness are exercised.

Scuba diving allows me to get up close and personal with animals that I only read about and to observe them in their natural environment. The feeling of awe when you see a Hawksbill Turtle swimming in the sea or a Black-Tipped Reef Shark darting among the reef is indescribable. Beautiful creatures like the Lionfish with its flowing fins and the Manta ray with its majestic presence are truly masterpieces of Nature.

As an advanced diver, I also get to dive around shipwrecks (only specially trained technical divers get to dive inside wrecks). As you ponder on the people whose lives have been lost to the sea, you can’t help but marvel at the way Nature rebuilds itself as the wrecks are now home to thousands, maybe millions of animals and corals. Sea urchins, moray eels, blue-spotted rays and corals of all shapes and sizes claim the wreck as their home within a few days of the sinking.

During night dives, you can only see as far as your torch’s beam is illuminating. Undoubtedly, it is exhilarating. You get to see different types of marine animals and because some are sleeping, you get to swim closer to them without them darting away.

Besides the beauty of the underwater world, scuba diving allows me to interact with people from all over the world. Through diving, I have made friends from places like Ireland, USA, Dominican Republic and Sweden, just to name a few. It feels just like a global student exchange program!

Another aspect of diving that attracts me is the silence and freedom I experience when underwater. In our busy and noisy world with tooting horns and rumbling trains, there is nothing like being surrounded by water, where the only sounds you hear are your air bubbles. When diving, you are suspended mid-water, and you can do somersaults or turns and rolls anytime. For me, diving is an excellent stress-reliever: after every dive trip, I always come back refreshed and ready to take on the world!

Cynthia Ng
Physiotherapist
NUH Rehabilitation Dept