Life can be pretty much hectic for me. There’s family commitments and then there’s work commitments. What I portray on social media might not be a true reflection of my reality. People often see me chillaxing and doing things that I like; scuba diving, mermaiding, freediving, martial arts etc, but trust me. I don’t have that much time to spare. I only make time for things that matters and more often than not, I work irregular hours and ended up working while everyone else is sleeping.
Anyway, it’s really rare for me to take a vacation, but when I saw Freediving Adventure Malaysia (FAM) was organising a freediving trip to Perhentian Island, I thought to myself; oh hey. Why not reward myself for a little escapade after non-stop taking up diving related courses since early of the year. I’ve passed my SSI Mermaid, SSI Dive Master and PADI Freediver course, all in a span of 6 months and it’s high time I take a little break and enjoy myself.
My recent trip to Perhentian Island was such unforgettable experience. Brace yourselves, guys. Long post ahead. Follow closely as I retell my story on how I embarked on a journey that was filled with thrilling underwater adventures, mermaiding, and scuba diving.
The trip was led by my expert freediving instructor, Swen Becht from Freediving Adventure Malaysia alongside with his team; Boey and Qihao. We stayed at Dlagoon Chalet, a pretty secluded chalet in Perhentian Island with a private beach of its own. They’re really patient and always made me feel safe and guided whenever I freedive with them. I’m so blessed to have met them. I would have not been able to fall in love with freediving otherwise.
I’ve met plenty of freediving instructors before throughout my entire career as a scuba diver. Some are even record holders and stuff, but there is nobody else I would openly recommend to those who would like to learn freediving than the instructors in FAM. They’re great at igniting passion and instilling confidence in their students. Freediving is a highly risky and competitive sport, and instructors can sometimes put lots of pressure on you during training. But with them, there’s no such thing, just lotsa assurance and lots of fun learning how to be a better freediver as you go along the way.
As I mentioned, this trip is a freediving trip. My journey took off with the necessary training to enhance my freediving skills. Under the expert guidance of my instructor Swen Becht and Freediving Adventure Malaysia’s team, I learned valuable techniques to explore the depths of the underwater world with ease and grace.
Their passion for this beautiful sport was contagious, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and encouragement among my fellow trainees. With each practice session, I felt a sense of accomplishment and empowerment, breaking my own limits and expanding my horizons. Every dive was an opportunity to feel one with nature and discover the hidden treasures beneath the surface.
Here’s sharing some bits and pieces of my freediving adventure.
Dive site: The Police Wreck, Perhentian
Max depth: 16m
Free immersion line training with my FD instructor. I used to dislike this discipline but these days I feel okay doing it. Need more practice, though. There’s still so much to improve.
Something I don’t mind doing again; freediving down to see some boat wrecks. It feels so amazing to go down there in just one breath. I think I managed to go about 14-15m over here.😄
Nothing can ever compare to this. This is the most serene and zen moment that I’ve ever had.
Fun with the girls in my freediving family. Sunburned, don’t care. We had so much fun freediving around and doing our line training.
All the cute freediver guys, chillaxing at the beach after the line training and attempting PB.🤭😍
Me and my scuba buddy, mermaiding buddy, freediving buddy and bed buddy. Yea. We sleep together. Nothing scandalous there though. That dude is my husband. 😂
You know, our body is capable of many things. It’s our mind that we need to convince. I’m glad I made the plunge to go mermaiding and started freediving after that. I went from being terrified of depth without my scuba gears to this. I beat my previous 13m and went down to 16m.
Yea…I keep going deeper and deeper and keep wondering how much deeper I can go in one breath. It’s truly addictive. I feel like going deeper and deeper. 😂
Posting this as a motivation and inspiration for my next PB attempts. Hopefully I can beat my own PB next.
Current PB
CWTB- 16.5m
FIM- 15.7m
STA- 2:06m
DYN- 30m
Special thanks to Swen and of course, Qihao too for being my safety diver and making me feel safe during these attempts. I wouldn’t have been able to do so otherwise.
Yours truly with her husband and son.
A picture with my FAMily. Congratulations to all who were certified on this trip. And of course, congratulations to all the fun divers who created new personal best records as well. You guys are awesome. Special thanks to all instructors who helped us achieve all these. It won’t be possible without you. You guys rawks!
Apart from freediving, Perhentian Island also offered the perfect opportunity for me to embrace my inner mermaid.
And so I did. I was lucky enough to have Boey, Freediving Adventure Malaysia’s in-house mermaid instructor along during that trip. She was kind enough to facilitate my mermaid dives throughout the entire time I was there when we were not doing our freediving training.
Donning a pretty tail and graciously gliding through the crystal-clear waters was a dream come true to me. Mermaiding brought out the playful side of everyone, as we twisted and twirled, chasing imaginary underwater treasures. It was a magical experience that made me appreciate the beauty of the ocean and the freedom to indulge in our imaginations without restraint.
While my journey primarily involved freediving, I couldn’t miss out on exploring the wonders of the ocean’s depths through scuba diving. Here’s a picture of me and Abang Azharil ARt, whom I fondly addressed as Masterji. He was my scuba guide during the trip . Masterji and I have been friends on FB for quite some time, but have never met outside of social media. I’m glad I finally met him and managed to squeeze some time to go scuba diving with him during that trip. With his expert guidance, we embarked on underwater expeditions that showcased the vibrant marine life that surrounded us.
All geared up for scuba diving.
A picture of me with my freediving as well as scuba buddy, Kingston Tan. He decided to join me, my hubs and Masterji as well for some scuba diving.
From kaleidoscopic coral reefs teeming with life to enchanting schools of fish dancing in harmony, each dive felt like entering a living, breathing painting. The thrill of spotting exotic creatures, such as Nemo hiding within anemones, or encountering graceful sea turtles, created an immeasurable joy that words can hardly capture.
The most memorable spot is this, the San Choi Wreck. This is a well known dive spot in Perhentian and it’s my second time here.
It’s home to thousands and thousands of fish and marine lives.
The first time was with my instructor and we were freediving. I didn’t manage to dive deep and see much during the first time cuz I was already tired from my line training by the time we visited the site. I think I just went like…5m and called it a day. 😂
Glad we went scuba mode to this site again the next day. There’s so many marine creatures to see. Max depth for this site is just about 16-17m, so it’s quite a good site for open water divers as well.
Beyond the breathtaking marine adventures, my trip to Perhentian Island was made unforgettable by the wonderful people I met along the way. Swen Becht, my freediving instructor and mentor, not only taught me the art of diving but also instilled a sense of respect and love for the ocean within me. The bonds I formed with my fellow freedivers, buddies on scuba dives, and even the locals added another layer of richness to my journey. The shared laughter, encouragement, and support created a sense of unity that made every day feel like a celebration of life and friendship.
My journey to Perhentian Island with Freediving Adventure Malaysia was a vibrant tapestry of thrilling underwater escapades, carefree mermaiding, and awe-inspiring scuba diving experiences. Every glimpse into the underwater universe left me feeling not only exhilarated but also deeply connected to the pristine beauty of nature. It served as a powerful reminder of our responsibility to protect and cherish our oceans. As I reminisce about this incredible adventure, I am filled with immense gratitude for the joy, positivity, and personal growth it brought into my life. Perhentian Island will forever hold a special place in my heart as a sanctuary of bliss and unforgettable memories.