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PANAGA DIVERS
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SCUBA DIVING IN BRUNEI
The dive club owes its existence to the Kuala Belait Boat Club (KBBC), which in turn is part of the Panaga Club, a sports and recreational facility located in Brunei, North Borneo. The club is comprised of members certified by any reputable agency but predominantly BSAC and PADI. Anybody qualified to BSAC Ocean / Club Diver or PADI Advanced Open Water or above, who is also a Panaga club member (guest, or reciprocal member) is welcome to join us on our dives.
Recreational divers have been using the Kuala
Belait Boat Club in Brunei since 1975. In the 1980’s, the divers formed
British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) Borneo Special Branch 788, that was also known as
the Panaga Sub-Aqua Club to reflect its BSAC origins. In the 1990’s,
acceptance of training from outside the BSAC (particularly PADI) became more
common, and the club expanded to include non-BSAC members. The Diving Officer in
2002, decided to advertise the club’s exploits through the medium of the
internet, and chose the simple domain name, Panagadivers.
The club's historical loyalty to BSAC explains the structure of the committee, the first four positions of which are mandatory under the BSAC constitution. The job descriptions appear below. Without the committee, the club would not function. It is highly encouraging that all the positions have been filled by volunteers. In addition to the committee of eleven active divers, another 80 divers are on our email circulation list, at least 40 of whom will dive with us during the season.
In 2006, the committee decided that all Panaga Club members who wish to dive with the diving section, MUST be BSAC members. Guests are exempted from this rule on the understanding that insurance for both 3rd party, medical and equipment liability is their own responsibility.
If you would like to learn a little about the
club's past, please consult the Old
Timers Page.
INSURANCE:
Annual membership of BSAC (approx. GBP 55.50), confers a valuable 3rd party liability insurance of some GBP 5 million. This insurance, however, does not cover medical or equipment. Private medical insurance, such as BUPA, covers the diver for recompression treatment, but not necessarily transport to that treatment. It is strongly recommended that all divers carry the DAN Insurance (Divers Alert Network) that covers medical treatment, transport and loss of equipment. The level, and cost of DAN cover, can be tailored to suit the diver's recreational diving limits, commensurate with the diver's qualifications.
Ideally, all our members should carry DAN insurance.
THE BOAT:
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The club possesses a 12-man dive boat that is powered by twin 200 hp Suzuki 4-stroke outboard motors. These were installed in July 2004 after the demise of the original Johnson 175hp 2-strokes on 11th April 2004.
The boat is equipped with VHF radio, GPS and echo-sounder and carries oxygen, first aid kit and emergency flares. Fully loaded, and in calm seas, the re-engined boat has a cruising range of over 60 n.miles at 25 knots. The boat 'Naga Laut' (sea dragon) is permanently based at the Kuala Belait boat club alongside the identical Garrison boat 'The Narcs' . The Naga Laut (2005). |
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The club has had several boats since its inception, the 'Buddy Bouncer', 'Wave Dancer' and currently 'Naga Laut'. Read about the history of these boats. |
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An annual membership of $141 (subject to £/B$ exchange rate)
Charges:
- Dive boat & fuel charge $30
- Stab jacket
hire
$20 - Regulator
hire
$20 - Computer
hire
$15 - Cylinder hire & fill (per cylinder) $15
- Cylinder fill (per cylinder) $10
The Committee's tasks are fairly self explanatory from the organigram above. A few points, however, need explaining. The BSAC constitution requires the positions in yellow. The instructors and Garrison DO are not actual members of the committee, however, their input at meetings is so instrumental in what we do that they are always invited. The committee meetings are held every two months. It seems to work. Everybody knows what is required, and does it.
THE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES:
DIVING and BRUNEI'S WEATHER (last updated December 2006)
All diving carried out by the Panaga Sub-Aqua Club rigorously obeys BSAC rules and regulations. When diving on Brunei Shell's platforms, permission is always sought beforehand, and in addition, the rules and regulations as stipulated in the appropriate Brunei Shell work order are also obeyed. The Panaga Sub-Aqua Club prohibits it members from disturbing or catching marine flora or fauna.
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From December to February, the winds of the north east monsoon curtail our diving. The club takes whatever weekends are possible during this period but this becomes quite infrequent. During this period, the boat is slipped for annual maintenance. The sea temperature drops to 25 C after the monsoon but rapidly returns to its normal 30 C. Visibility varies from 2 to 40+ metres with an average of around 20 metres. Statistically, the calmest months are April, May and September, with July and August often adversely affected by typhoons east of the Philippines. A diver's-eye view of Naga Laut early in the season of 2003. Strong stomachs required.
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If we are diving, the meeting time is
usually 07.15 - 08.15 at the Kuala Belait Boat Club. Contact Mark at mark_brunei@yahoo.com
to find out if we are diving, and who will be the dive marshal.
We are often asked, why do Panaga Divers go out so early, whereas the Piasau and Bandar branches meet at much more sociable times, and why do they dive when we don't? The reason is two-fold.
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Firstly, we have no islands and no Baram Point to shelter us. All we have is 1000 km of open water between us and the rest of the South China Sea. Up at Bandar, they have shelter from the prevailing winds during both monsoon periods. The nearby islands also offer a safe haven when it all gets a bit choppy. At our end of the country, the early morning is calm, but around about lunchtime, winds spring up and the sea quickly builds up in response hence our early start.
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Secondly, the health of the club depends on the number of willing dive marshals. Two are required to take out the boat and with the waxing and
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waning fortunes of the club, sometimes, we simply don't have enough marshals.
Diving through the Years
In 2002, the boat went out 28 times with 11 trips cancelled mainly due to bad weather, however, the August storms were unusually severe and a 15% cancellation rate would be more typical. In 2003, the boat went out 39 times and we logged 1016 dives. In 2004, the boat went out 42 times, and the Garrison boat was borrowed a further 10 times whilst the Naga Laut was being re-engined. That year's total of dives was 1184, the 4th best year in the club's history. The 2005 season was initially dogged by a NE monsoon reluctant to release its grip on Borneo. Although a large number of dives were logged in February, courtesy of trips to Truk Lagoon and Mataking, March was a zero dive month. Winds and engine problems wrote off the traditional start of the diving season. During the year, the boat went out 36 times and 1006 dives were logged.
| The 2006 season was kicked off by the largest ever club group going to Kapalai. After that massive start to the year, the weather precluded diving for another two months. Since then the boat has been out 35 times and the club has logged 1014 dives. This looks very healthy, however, there is an underlying and disturbing trend. Traditionally, 40% of the club's dives have been away from the KBBC at resorts or at Miri and Bandar. In 2006, it rose to 50%. |
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Traditionally, since 1990, 60 - 70% of the club's dives have been carried out on the platforms of the SW Ampa field. In 2004, this dropped to 50%, in 2005 - 30% and this year, just 10%. Marshals are getting concerned about communicating with the platforms and the number of times a designated platform turns out to be unavailable at the last minute. The trend is clear, the platforms, that used to form the mainstay of Panaga diving are scaring divers not just onto the reefs, but away from the KBBC to dive elsewhere.
Once again, the 2007 season started with a very popular Kapalai trip. By the end of March, the boat had been out five times and another Kapalai trip and a Truk trip had been carried out. Since this excellent start, the club has been dogged by poor weather and unavailability of marshals. Since June, the boat has only been out a couple of times each month logging 66 dives in three months during the height of the season compared to 250 - 400 dives in previous years. It is hoped that diving will pick up in September and October before the season closes in.
Diving from Kuala Belait
The diving from Kuala Belait falls into three categories:-
Local Reefs: Chearnley Shoals and Ampa Patches lie 17 - 20 miles from the mouth of the Belait River. These reefs come to within 10 metres of the surface and make for relaxed and rather beautiful dives, although not in the same league as the Great Barrier Reef.
Platforms: We are privileged to have permission to dive on Brunei Shell's offshore installations. These huge structures lying from five to 20 miles offshore are some of the world's greatest artificial reefs, and reef fish and pelagic visitors abound. An ongoing study of the diversity of species on the platforms is being undertaken by the club (Environmental Project). This project won the club the BSAC Duke of Edinburgh Prize for 2004 and the associated DVD, 'Life beneath the Platforms' ha been instrumental in promoting the project.
Wrecks: Our local wreck, the Yuho Maru, lying 17 miles offshore, is the stern of a Japanese tanker that was bombed and sunk in 1944. The wreck lies in 53 metres with the top of the wreck at 47 metres and is a challenging dive for the more experienced (Dive Leader +) members of the club. (The wreck is colloquially, and incorrectly, called the Toho Maru.)
The club possesses a 22 cfm static compressor and a portable 5 cfm compressor. We have enough tanks for rent to fill the boat and six well maintained regulators and BCD's for hire. A two dive package to the local reefs or platforms costs B$ 35 including full 11.2 litre alloy cylinders and weights. During the winter off-season of 2006/7, the 22 cfm Hamworthy will be retired after long and faithful service, to be replaced by twin Bauer 9 cfm's supported by a storage bank.
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Trimix and Nitrox dives are undertaken by several qualified members of the Panaga, Piasau and Bandar clubs. Specialised training and experience is required to join these dives. As with all club dives, whether on rebreathers and mixed gases or not, BSAC rules are followed. Martin Ackner hangs beside the decompression trapese after a dive to the Pacific Boxer. |
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Like many diving clubs, the popularity of the sport waxes and wanes. In the transient atmosphere of the expatriate community, this reflects the comings and goings of keen divers. Obviously, there are some fundamental requirements such as, good dive sites, a reliable boat, a source of gas and a committee dedicated to 'make it happen'. At the moment we are fortunate enough to have all this in place.
Each year, the club organises trips to local destinations and endeavours to
dive every weekend when the weather permits.
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2005 |
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2007 |
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We have the luxury of eight qualified BSAC instructors, and training is offered under the BSAC system. Entry level training at BSAC Club Diver level is carried out in the Megamass or Panaga Club pools during the NE monsoon months (December - February) with the open water part being completed at a local resort. In 2002, two groups of divers were trained; one group at Sipadan / Kapalai and the other group locally. The former course was the easier to manage and thoroughly enjoyed by all. It's the route we have adopted ever since. If you can't join our BSAC courses, don't worry. Learn with PADI in Miri, or at the Empire Hotel, and we'll cross you over to BSAC and you can continue with us. |
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Read about the local courses that we hold:-
ANNUAL REPORTS:
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SAFETY |
| RISK ASSESSMENT |
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EMERGENCY PROCEDURES |
| The club's safety policies are those mandated by the British Sub-Aqua Club.
All procedures can be found on their web site, however, the dive marshals have
access to a risk assessment register,
emergency
procedures and guidelines pertinent to local conditions. A close and friendly relationship is kept with the Doctors at the nearby
Panaga Clinic. Recently, a presentation was given by the club to explain the
risks involved with diving and our safety procedures designed to mitigate the
risks involved. The slides presented are shown below:-
Recompression facilities are available in Labuan and Muara. Contact details are shown on the 7th slide above. Mandatory rules are few but important:-
Second regulator to be carried Dive computer to be carried No less than 50 bar on arrival at surface Three minute safety stop at six metres Surface on or before agreed dive time
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The Panaga Sub-Aqua Club is committed to the preservation of the marine environment. Our members are prohibited from tampering with, or willfully removing any marine organisms.
LINKS
Although the club has several active Bruneian divers, the majority are expatriates who spend their lives in a futile attempt to travel the world in search of nirvana. Nirvana doesn't exist, however we firmly believe that the seas off Borneo in general, and Brunei in particular, come close.
CLUBS & PEOPLE
BSADC Bandar mixed qualifications Diving Officer - Nigel Goring ngoring@brunet.bn
Panaga
Divers Kuala
Belait mixed
qualifications BSAC special branch 0788 www.panagadivers.com
Garrison Divers Seria BSAC special branch Diving Officer - Taff Jones taffrm@hotmail.com
Based at the Empire, this is the first Bruneian PADI school for ages to be established in the country. They've really got off to a flying start with whale-shark pictures and the first spotting of a pygmy seahorse in Brunei.
Terry and Tracy's Homepage: A fun couple of PADI Instructors that passed through Brunei in 2002 and 2004. They are currently working in Malapascua, Philippines where Tracy is the only female PADI Course Director.
Tropical Divers
Miri
PADI Training Voo Heng Kong +60-85-412469 voo@tropical-dives.com
(affiliate of
Seridan Mulu Bhd.)
Piasau Boat Club Miri mixed qualifications Dive Convenor - Neil Hadfield neil.n.hadfield@shell.com
Bintulu, Malaysia
www.geocities.com/bintuludivers mixed qualifications. Bintulu offer PADI training.
OVERSEAS CLUBS & PEOPLE
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The London Hellfins: This used to be the Lensbury Club and holds many happy memories for many Shell divers. We dived with them in Sipadan in September 2003. They have two National Instructors (!) and run trips around the UK with an annual trip to Norway aboard Gordon Wadsworth's 'Jane R'. www.hellfins.com "Mad Dog" Clifton and Tricky on the left with Mike Wilkinson (DO) on the right, taking the sun at Sipadan. |
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If you want to know why the Hellfins got their name read on:-
"When Shell was young, the MD in London, who was a fitness fanatic, realised that the two sports clubs that the company possessed at St. Helens and Finsbury Park, would be better amalgamated into one unit. He ordered the company to purchase about seven hectares of Thames-side real estate (is that visionary or what?) and combined the names of the two clubs, St Helens and Finsbury into Lensbury. That was the name of a club that was successful for decades. So successful in fact that they had their own BSAC special branch #898. But times grew hard and Shell had to sell off some assets. The Lensbury divers were informed that they would have to re-locate and change their name to which they no longer had the right. The divers ran a competition to decide on a new name. The Castaways was popular, however, somebody suggested that the unused parts of the original names be used:- St Helens and Finsbury, and so the club became the Helfins, latterly Hellfins and now London Hellfins. Despite the change of name, the club has gone from strength to strength". So now you know.
The Randstad Harings in the Hague, Holland:
Read about diving in Holland.
Richie Samuel's Homepage: Richie used to dive with Panaga Divers and developed into our best photographer. Posted to Thailand, he is still an avid diver and his photographs just get better and better!
EQUIPMENT
http://www.panagadivers.com/Club/dive_shops.htm
Mark Tuttle (Diving Officer)
00-673-3333634
Ryan Brothers (Webmaster)
00-673-3333559
