lona

ya man...please don't apologise for the weather lar! this kind of thing how to control one...I was already worried even before we went up, remember? there were already many many reports that the vis and surf would be lousy around the area. It had been raining the whole darned week. I think we were very lucky that the surf wasn't too bad liao.. ...otherwise it'd be Some more we were with all the other students, I'm the only leisure, can't expect them to suit me mah, right? I can dive the sites, also doesn't mean that they can, right? Forget about it lar, ok? we did talk about the LOB that day, so that will probably be one of the things on my list, but like I say lar, probably won't be so soon...heehee...I want to go back to perhentian. Actually I'm rather worried about manado too, I have two friends who went there separately over two weeks, and both of them say the viz also quite bad..so..I'm really praying hard..

It's quite bad lor... but it's probably already picking up lar, seeing as how just last week (5th mar) was bad..

issit? hmm...maybe I will try that sometime..but I probably won't go back tioman so soon lar..

Saturday weather was fair, with a light rain that lasted awhile. Surf was low, but current was very strong both on the surface and at the bottom. Viz was horrible. It was like 5m or so.. ..and we didn't see much. Sunday was better, with great weather. Water was calm, light current at the bottom. Viz was also about 5-7m. There weren't much pictures to take, so I just practiced with my mx10 on the ever photogenic clownfish and anemone..hopefully the shots turned out nice. I saw an emperor angel, moorish idol, a couple of giant clams (not sure whether maxima or derasa, though) and some embedded in the rock probably croceas. I took some pics of the clams, but the rest of the fish I didn't bother to take cos I was quite far, and the viz was that bad, so I didn't want to waste the film. The highlight of the dive was a cute little yellow boxfish..but he wasn't very cooperative so I couldn't take a pic of the little fella. Saw a seasnake too, but that was about it lor...4 and a half dives...and that's all that I saw. The guys who went for the night dive said they saw more, but oh well...I missed that... and now, on to MANADO this saturday. oh, if my pictures for the clowns turn out nice I'll post them, if they're rubbish (which they probably are, then you're not missing anything haha.. )

I also want the pics...hahaha... I'm really really REALLY hoping I don't screw up the shots...backscatter lar, blur lar, use wrong lens lar, not enough light lar...

I've encountered that as well...what salt mix are you using? I'm using the tropic marin one. It's definitely not undissolved salt. If you ask me, it looks like calcium to me...but this is merely an uneducated guess, no testing whatsoever done. These are the instances where I get the white particles: - pouring in fresh water into a pail of standing (about 12 hours) salt water in an attempt to lower the salinity - leaving the salt water to stand very long (like a week) - not making sure the salt has completely dissolved into the water I can't really be bothered to find out what it is lar, all I do is to avoid getting into the situations above. I don't even know why it's like that...

oohhhhh...bikini babes... : )~~~~~~

hmm...ok, then like that I might just try out a roll of slides next week up at manado..see how it goes heehee. isn't provia 100f that new slide to replace the sensia or something like that? maybe I got confused...been reading some stuff on film and it can be quite confusing.. I got my second hand cam off a diver from the finsonline forums. it looks used (obviously, since it's second hand) but the guy at the shop says the insides still look pretty good. pressure testing was ok some more, so I guess should be good to go..yay! I was looking for a second hand digi cam with casing off the clubsnap forums too, but those things are blardy ex even after second hand.

I checked. Apparently it's only for the US market and nobody in singapore brings it in unless it's by special request. The last known shop that brought it in is in Adelphi, but the last time they brought it in was early last year. Anyways, at $9.80 a roll (or so I heard), it's not something I can bear to spend too much on haha... Digital photography is out for now lar. It's just too darn expensive to get a decent setup with strobe, and seems like too much trouble to hook up the strobe to the cam. My second hand film cam with strobe, macro lens, wide angle lens only cost me $350...plus another $80 for the servicing which I did at Adelphi.

ya.. ..I did think of using slides. in fact, my original intent was to get one of each of fuji velvia, sensia, kodak royal gold 100 & 200 and the reala all to try.. but was talking to the lady at penninsular plaza, and I got the impression from her that if you use slide film, you end up with slides, and no point converting them to prints, cos you'll lose whatever advantages slides give you. did I get her right? cos I don't want to enjoy my pictures only on a projector leh...I want to see them in an album. besides, I'm just starting out lar, and I'm using my this tioman trip as a camera familiarising trip before I go up to manado next saturday. terry> ya, I came to the same conclusion of forgetting the slides and just go with prints, so only left with the reala. I might take up your suggestion of trying the supra, I saw it the last time I was at penninsular too..

heh...I'm bringing down my uk light cannon and strobe...should have more than enough light. gf's gonna hold the lc. I'll try using asa200 film as well lar, but since my cam only has asa100 and asa400 settings only, I'll just set it to asa100 but I'll just set the aperture one stop smaller. hopefully it works out. *grin* I think can't hope for strong sun lar... ...seeing as how the weather has been these last few days.

oh ok....4-6 hours time huh..can can..I'll just load it when I wake up at the resort tomorrow...heehee. I've heard a lot of good things about the reala and the kodak royal gold film, but apparently the most places don't bring in the latter film..you used it before? How does it compare?

I'm quite curious to try jetfins...everyone who has them swears by them...I'm using the twinjets too.

<- triggerfish after being slapped by jetfins <- kelstorm after slapping the triggerfish

no worries...it's only after I saw what you posted that I realised that my post had a very bad literal meaning... rest assured I don't touch anything when I'm under... ...it simply wouldn't be right. oh BTW, I'm using fuji reala asa 100 film for the first time in my life...you have any experience with it? the lady at cathay photo told me to keep it in my fridge's vege box because I bought it a week early, so I chucked it in already. but I'm worried later when I take it out, condensation might ruin the film..and what about the trip there and back? how to keep it cool...

I meant it figuratively lar...catch as in take some pictures lar...

Heh..no problem..I spot a pygmy SH I'm going to burn half a roll there with all possible angles..I hope I get some nice shots of it with my cam. Hoping to catch some turtles there too!

I'll be going up to Tioman this friday...will update you guys on the condition when I return. Kel> heh heh..two weeks time I'll be in sunny manado... ...HOPEFULLY sunny..

I have leh...bought from another reefer in Nov/Dec last year. Used it two weeks after that upgraded to PL lights, but been too lazy to take pics and post to sell. You want? It's got two tubes...arcadia white and arcadia blue. It looks very new, but now a little dusty lar, I'll take it out to wipe if you want it. Check your PM for my contact.

Hahaha...these are really funny vids of students' experiencing what getting tased feels like truth be told...I'd like to try it out once as well, just for the heck of it to see how painful it is...hahaha... Hahaha!!!!

you can try the forums over at www.sgcollect.com. Someone might have some info.

Eh you don't say ar... ...you'll be surprised the carebear fans are still alive and active ar...

That was starcom...

yep. I got the book re-issue soundwave too... I can't collect everything under the sun...got too many expensive hobbies liao heehee... bought some macfarlane as well...but I think tfs are still my favourite. can't afford the vintage ones though.

heh heh...didn't buy from toys r us...bought it at clarke quay. and there are two versions... ...I bought the takara version. and I have the two binaltechs too...waiting for the rest to be released...